28 



At midday and in the evening the Stock-Dove visits the water with tolerable regularity, and 

 always seeks for running (or at least clear) water, both for drinking and for bathing ; for it is very 

 fond of a bath. 



It is said sometimes to interbreed with the tame Pigeon, as well as with the Rock-Dove ; but 

 from personal observation I have not been able to verify this, and Naumann says that he has not 

 personally known the tame and the wild birds to interbreed. 



Writing on the occurrence and habits of the Stock-Dove in Rhenish Prussia, Mr. Sachse 

 says : — "With us this bird is a true forest species ; it arrives in mild seasons as early as February, 

 but otherwise in March, and comes in flocks of fifteen to thirty individuals. In the autumn it 

 leaves from the end of October to the middle of November ; but not unfrequently flocks remain 

 with us throughout the winter. It frequents old thin oak and beech woods,- always selecting 

 localities where there are plenty of hollow trees with dead tops ; and as these are getting scarcer 

 here, the Stock-Dove is by degrees becoming rarer. In the winter it feeds on beech-nuts and 

 acorns, and during severe weather it visits the gardens and eats the cabbages. In spring it feeds 

 on seeds and buds of the rape and turnip ; and I have found its crop stuffed with these. In the 

 summer it eats winter seed, rape seed, wheat, barley, &c. They pair in March ; and the first eggs 

 are laid from early in April to early in May. In 1876 I found two eggs on the 9th of April. 

 They raise two or three broods in the season ; and I have found young unfledged birds as late as 

 August." 



The specimen figured is the adult male above described, and is in my own collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, d , b, 2 ■ Sheringham Hall, Cromer, Norfolk, April 11th, 1876 (H. M. Upcher). c. Kent, May 1875 [Cooke). 

 d. Albania (Hanbury Barclay). e,juv. Belgium (Dubois). 



E. Mus. Brit. Reg. 

 a. Erzeroum (Dickson <5f Ross), b. Bagdad. 



