42 



of the Rhone, in the vicinity of Pont-Beauvoisin, Motte-Servolex, Bourget, Aix-les-Bains, &c. 

 Salvadori states that it abounds in Italy, Sicily, and Sardinia during the seasons of passage, and 

 many remain there to breed. Mr. C. A. Wright says (Ibis, 1864, p. 137) that large flocks visit 

 Malta in May and again in September, but at the latter season they are not so numerous as 

 during the spring migration. Lord Lilford records it as breeding in Corfu and Epirus, arriving 

 in April and leaving late in August ; and Dr. Kriiper says that it is very common in Greece on 

 passage, but only a few remain to breed. It also arrives there about the middle of April, and 

 returns again in August. It occurs throughout South Germany in summer ; and in Styria, as 

 I was informed by the late Mr. E. Seidensacher, it is the commonest of the Pigeons, arriving 

 about the middle of April, remaining to breed, and leaving again late in August or early in 

 September, though stragglers remain as late as October. Dr. A. Fritsch remarks on its abun- 

 dance in Bohemia ; and it is found commonly in the countries bordering the Danube, being 

 numerous round Constantinople in summer. Throughout Southern Russia it is extremely 

 common, and, according to Mr. Goebel, especially so in the Uman district, where, in the 

 autumn, it forms enormous flocks together with the Stock-Dove. In Asia Minor it is common 

 on passage ; but it seems that but few remain there during the breeding-season — though in 

 Palestine it is numerous in summer, but never remains during the winter. 



Von Heuglin says that it visits North-east Africa regularly in spring and autumn, and he 

 met with it as far south as 10° N. lat. On the islands and in the cliffs in the Dahlak archipelago 

 it was not rare, and he observed it at the Tana lake, in Abyssinia, in the middle of May. Brehm 

 states that it breeds in Egypt ; Von Heuglin calls this statement in question, and says that it 

 must be a mistake ; but Captain Shelley confirms what Brehm says, and writes (B. of Egypt, 

 p. 214) that it " frequently breeds in the country." It is, however, a summer visitant in North- 

 west Africa, and is stated by Loche to be very abundant in Algeria. Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt-Drake 

 writes (Ibis, 1869, p. 153) that it is very common on the west coast of Morocco, and on his 

 return to Tangier in May he found it there as a summer visitant ; and M. Favier states {fide 

 Colonel Irby) that it " is a summer resident near Tangier, vast numbers arriving to cross the 

 Straits in flocks during April and May, returning in September and October, then to retire south 

 for the winter." Vernon Harcourt says that the present species is occasionally found in Madeira ; 

 and Dr. Carl Bolle writes (J. f. O. 1857, p. 331) that it is extremely common in Canaria, and 

 tolerably so in Teneriffe, but rarer in Gomera, and found in all the islands ; and he adds that he 

 has convinced himself that the species found there is without doubt Turtur vulgaris. 



To the eastward the present species has been met with as far as Yarkand ; but I do not find 

 any record of its occurrence in India, and in Siberia and Eastern Asia it is replaced by the 

 Siberian Turtle Dove, a tolerably closely allied species. Mr. Blanford informs me that it is 

 common throughout Persia. He never saw it in Baluchistan ; but he met with it immediately 

 after entering Narmashir, and thence to the north it was found wherever there were trees. It 

 was common in the Elburz Mountains. Dr. Henderson says (Lahore to Yarkand, p. 278) that a 

 single specimen of the European Turtle Dove was obtained at Oi Tograk, in Yarkand, on the 

 18th August, where it was the only species of Dove observed. 



Throughout the whole of Europe the Turtle Dove is a strict migrant ; and being a rather 

 tender bird and very susceptible as regards cold, it leaves early in the autumn, and returns rather 



