woods about the base of Ben Laoghal ; but he adds, " a few pairs only were seen during our 

 excursion. Now it is more plentiful at Tongue ; but in the west only occasional pairs are seen 

 at rare intervals, spying out, no doubt, the nakedness of the land. In the spring of 1869 one 

 pair frequented a small patch of birch-wood close to Loch Assyut ; and I observed them feeding 

 in the fields around for a few days ; but they soon took their departure, probably to return to 

 the better-wooded slopes of the Kyle, at Rosehall." In Shetland, Dr. Saxby says, " though 

 formerly seen at long and irregular intervals, it now appears every spring and autumn, though 

 in small numbers, more than two seldom being observed at one time in the same locality. 

 Those which visit the islands are mostly adult birds ; they are apparently fatigued and desirous 

 of resting immediately after their arrival — but are nevertheless, in general, shy and watchful as 

 elsewhere, only approaching the gardens at dusk for the purpose of roosting, and keeping to the 

 most open fields during the day. The only Wood-Pigeon I have seen arrived about the end 

 of October 1864, and remained for many days. The bird was remarkably tame, and seemed 

 greatly to wish to fraternize with the House-Pigeons, which, however, as soon as it appeared 

 among them, always flew off in great alarm, dodging it as if it were a Hawk — a very singular 

 fact ; for they never take the slightest notice of the presence of the Rock-Dove amongst them." 



In Ireland, as in England, it is very generally distributed ; but it has not been met with in 

 Iceland, and is of rare occurrence in the Fseroes. Captain Feilden states that Herr Kreuser, of 

 Eide, informed him that he saw several about Eide in the winter of 1871. Mr. H. C. Miiller 

 received one from Kalbak on the 1st June 1865; and in the middle of November 1868 many 

 were seen, and several shot, at various places in the islands. 



In Scandinavia the Ring-Dove is widely distributed up to about 65° N. lat. Mr. Robert 

 Collett informs me that " it breeds in Norway commonly up to the frontiers of Nordland, but is 

 less numerous about the coast than in the wooded portions of the interior. It is generally found 

 in dense conifer-woods intermixed with a few deciduous trees, usually far from human habita- 

 tions, being scarcely ever seen near houses or farm-buildings, as is so often the case in Continental 

 Europe. It arrives in the commencement or towards the middle of April, and leaves about the 

 middle of October. It breeds in May, frequently making use of a deserted crow's nest or that of 

 a squirrel, but rarely building a new one for itself, in which case it constructs it of the finer 

 twigs of the birch." In Sweden, Professor Sundevall writes, it is common, and breeds through- 

 out the country, arriving early in April, occasionally late in March, and leaving in September or 



October. It appears to range northwards up to about 64° or 65° N. lat. Meves met with it at 



° ° 



Ahre, in Jemtland, and on the Angermanelf on the 20th July. Von Wright says (Finl. Fogl. 



p. 305) that it is common enough in Central and Southern Finland, but he is unaware how far 



north it ranges. He met with it in Idensalmi ; and, according to Dr. Malmgren, it occurs and 



breeds in Kajana. In Russia it is found as far north as the White Sea; for Meves writes that 



he found it tolerably common in Onega Bay and near Archangel. Mr. Sabanaeff informs me 



that it is common in Central Russia, and is most numerous in the Smolensk Government. He 



found it in all wooded districts throughout the Perm Government, but especially numerous in 



the south. According to Mr. Taczanowski, it is common in summer in Poland, where it arrives 



early in April and remains until the end of October. Throughout North Germany it is generally 



distributed, and breeds in wooded localities not only far from houses but also close to habitations; 



