382 BRITISH BIRDS. 



fields of peas are spoilt by them. In winter they go to the 

 woods in flocks and feed on heech-nuts, acorns, &c. ; even then ' 

 they do not neglect foraging expeditions to the fields, where 

 cabbage and rape suffer from their incursions. It is not so 

 much those wood-pigeons that breed with us that do the 

 damage, as the large flocks that come from abroad in the ■winter 

 and leave us again in the spring. These foreigners can he told 

 from our natives by their smaller size. We must not forget, 

 however, that they eat numbers of weed-seeds, and so do some 

 little good in return for the harm they occasion, but they are 

 far too abundant. 



The Turtle-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 

 than 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 arvensis) and the docks (Rumex): 

 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 (C. 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 



