COLUMBIFORMES. 407 



The Tiiiile-dove [T. communis) visits us only in spring, and 

 remains until the end of September. They come from South 

 Europe, Palestine, and elsewhere in Asia. This beautiful dove 

 extends into our midland counties, but seldom farther north 

 then Sheffield. Many a time have I watched them returning 

 from the wheat-fields and flying off to some belt of trees, where 

 they nest. They have not been eating the, corn, but the seeds 

 of the numerous weeds on the ground, especially the seeds of 

 the corn-spurrey (Spergula arvensia) and the docks {I/urne.r) : 

 they are thus benefiting the farmer. At times they may do 

 slight harm : for instance, vetch-seeds are greedily eaten, so 

 also is buckwheat; but their chief food consists of weed-seeds, 

 as has been many times tested by examining their crops. The 

 nest is a slight structure, generally on the lower branches of 

 trees and in high bushes. The eggs are laid in May and June 

 and even July, incubation lasting about sixteen days, both cock 

 and hen taking part in it. The tail-feathers are broadly edged 

 with white, which renders them very conspicuous when flying. 

 The male has the head, rump, and flanks bluish-grey, with a 

 patch of black-and-white feathers on each side of the neck ; 

 throat and breast pale wine-red. 



The Rock-dove (G. livia) is of much interest, as it is the 

 original form of our numerous domestic pigeons, a fact clearly 

 demonstrated by Darwin. They breed in a few parts of the 

 rocky shores of the coast of Great Britain, and are found in 

 most parts of Europe. Like all our domestic pigeons, they 

 seldom will settle on trees. Even in the high state of domes- 

 tication of our fancy birds the love of rocky places still exists, 

 for they always fly to ledges of houses, churches, &c., when 

 free, and there, like their early progenitors, form their nest. 

 Rock-doves are very scarce in England, breeding only in a few 

 coast localities, notably Elamborough Head and in Devonshire. 

 Numbers of the following species also breed on the south coast 

 of Devonshire, and may be mistaken for C. livia. The white 



