PIGEON. 15 



Colombe Rainier, Tern. Man. £70. Id. Ed. ii. p. 444. Id. Pig.fol. pi. 2. 7rf. Sto. i. 



p. 78. 

 Pigeon Ramier, £«/. ii. 531. pi. 24. P/. en/. 316. Hist. Proa. i. 490. 

 ColumbaSassaiuolo, Cet. uc. Sard. 139. 

 Columbaccio, Zinnan. Uov.32. t. 4. f. 14. Olin.uc. p. 54. 



Ringel Tauben, GitnfA. Nest. u. Ey. t. 32. Naturf.x\'\i. S. 76. Bechst. Deut. iii. 949. 

 Ring Pigeon, Gere. Syn. iv. 635. id Srep. 198. Br. Zool. i. No. 102. Id.fol. 84. t. O. 



id. Ed. 1812. i. p. 392. Arct. Zool. ii. 329. B. Lewin's Birds, iv. pi. 129. ^/6in, 



ii. pi. 46. Bewick, i. pi. p. 270. Hayes, pi. 15. Walcot, ii. pi. 187- iWf. Z)ors. 



p. 7. Oni. £)icf. 



THIS is a large Species, and full seventeen inches and a half in 

 length. Bill fourteen lines and, yellowish ; the nostrils covered with 

 a meally, red, fleshy membrane ; irides pale yellow; head, wing 

 coverts, and scapulars bluish ash-colour, deepest on the head ; upper 

 part of the back brownish ; the lower, rump, and fore part of the 

 neck, pale ash-colour; the rest of the neck and breast vinaceous 

 mixed; belly, thighs, and vent dirty white; sides of the neck green 

 gold, changing to blue and copper in different lights; and on each 

 side of the neck a crescent of white ; the greater quills dusky ; all of 

 them, except the outmost, have the exterior edges whitish ; second 

 quills greyish brown, at the base of the bastard wing a dash of white; 

 the tail ash-coloured above, and the end blackish ; but beneath both 

 the base and end are black, the middle hoary ; legs feathered much 

 below the joint; legs and claws black. 



The female is like the male, but a trifle smaller. 



The Ring Pigeon is sufficiently common in the woods of England, 

 and has been supposed to depart elsewhere at the latter end of the 

 year, and to return early in spring ; but if so, it cannot be said of the 

 whole of them, as I have had them sent to me several times beyond 

 the middle of December. The truth perhaps is, that except in deep 

 woods they are rarely met with in winter, and therefore less observed ; 

 but as spring approaches they pair off, and disperse abroad ; and this 

 happening within a small space of time, has given rise to the con- 

 jecture of their migration. They pair early in spring, and build on 

 the tops of trees, and not unfrequently have two broods in a year ; 



