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ORD. IV. GEN. I. PIGEON. 



SPE. III. TURTLE DOVE. 



PL 131. 



Columba turtur. Lin. Syft. I. p. 284. 

 La Tourterelle. Brif. Orn. I. p. 92. 



This is the leaft of the Britifh fpecies, being only twelve inches in length, 

 twenty-one in breadth, and weighing four ounces. The bill is of a dufky blue 

 colour : the eyes yellow : the back and wings reddifh brown, the edges of the 

 feathers approaching to afh colour : the fore part of the wing afh coloured : the 

 quills dufky : the under parts of the body of a pale reddifh hue, on the chin 

 and belly nearly white : on each fide of the neck is a patch of black feathers 

 with white tips : the two middle feathers of the tail of a dufky brown, the reft 

 black, the ends and exterior fides of the outmoft white. 



A variety is now and then met with, which differs in having almoft the 

 whole fide of the neck covered with black feathers with a round fpot of white 

 near the end of each. 



This fpecies is wholly migratory with us, whereas the other two are but par- 

 tially fo. It builds on the thick bufhes in the woods and fides of brooks, lay- 

 ing two eggs j and departs at the end of Auguft or beginning of September. 



For the egg, fee PI. XXX. Fig. 4, 





