ROCK DOVE. 53 



scarce. These birds are in the habit of swallowing sand for 

 the purpose of assisting their digestion, and where they in- 

 habit any old brick building, it will be found that the lime 

 with which the bricks are cemented together is pecked in 

 holes, the Rock Dove being particularly fond of the small 

 fragments of this mortar. During the time of year when food 

 is plentiful, the Rock Doves fly at regular hours, and 

 to very great distances from home to feed ; but when the 

 season of scarcity has set in, they are compelled to labour 

 the whole of the day in search of whatever they can find. 

 The Rock Dove drinks often, and is very particular to have 

 pure water, which it sucks down by inserting its beak in the 

 water, and swallowing a sufficient quantity at one draught. 

 The bird is also fond of bathing itself, and equally so of 

 rolling in, and sprinkling itself with dust, as common fowls 

 are seen to do. 



In its habits of nidification, the Rock Dove differs 

 very materially from the stock dove, for the present 

 species breeds in families in one and the same cave 

 or grotto by the sea-side, whereas the stock dove never 

 allows a neighbour to enter the hole in which its nest is 

 placed. In the hole or cave where the Rock Dove builds, 

 several nests are frequently found at small distances only 

 from each other ; and on the shelves of the rocks such num- 

 bers of these birds are perched together, that they are in 

 danger of pushing each other off. It is reported that the 

 Rock Dove breeds also in the holes of the Pyramids of Egypt ; 

 and they also sometimes make use of deserted burrows of 

 rabbits for the same purpose, in situations where more suit- 

 able localities are not to be met with : this is recorded 

 by Pennant to be the case on the coast of Suffolk. 



In the spring of the year the Rock Dove looks out 

 for a mate, whom he courts after the fashion before men- 

 tioned ; and when the female bows assent, their loves seem 



