STOCK DOVE. 



45 



its posture. When on the wing the Stock Dove is by far 

 more quick in its movements than the wood pigeon ; and on 

 taking flight it claps its wings together once or twice ; and 

 when in the act of alighting on a tree, the repetition of this 

 clapping sounds very like the ringing of a small silver bell, 

 so that when there are many of these birds congregated 

 together the noise occasioned by them is very considerable. 

 When this bird is pursued by a hawk, it is wonderful to 

 observe the rapidity of its evolutions, and the swiftness 

 with which it shoots through the thickest masses of branches 

 of trees without coming in contact with any of them. The 

 Stock Dove is more sociable in its habits than the wood 

 pigeon, for it not only flies about in company with many 

 of its species, but also breeds in the immediate neighbourhood 

 of its associates, and is never seen to quarrel with other 

 birds. These birds are also much attached to each other, 

 and if one of a pair is missing, the other will seek incessantly 

 for its mate. It has been reported that the Stock Dove 

 will intermix with tame pigeons ; but, from the circumstance 

 of the Stock and Rock Doves having been so frequently 

 mistaken one for the other, the assertion cannot be received 

 with any degree of certainty. 



The habits of the Stock Dove are not quite so regular 

 as those of the wood pigeon, it being more restless, and 

 not accustomed to sit still so long at a time ; and whilst 

 the female bird is sitting on her eggs, the male very fre- 

 quently comes to look after her. 



When the Stock Dove is startled or displeased, it utters 

 the word hoo, and about the breeding season its call extends 

 to hurcoo in a higher tone. During his period of courtship, 

 the male sits bowing to his mate, repeating coo-oo-oo coo- 

 oo-oo, and this generally occurs in the morning. The 

 nestlings pipe like the young of tame pigeons. 



There is no difficulty in taming Stock Doves, but they 



