480 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Shetlands, though breeds sparingly Orkneys and 0. Hebrides. 

 Considerable immigration east coast Great Britain autumn (mid- 

 Sept, to mid-No v.) and return spring (end March to end May). 

 Generally more abundant winter, but varies in numbers and 

 localities affected. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe generally, as far east as Persia. 

 Casual Fseroes and Iceland. Replaced by closely-allied forms in 

 Azores, Madeira, and central Asia, and an ill-defined one in Atlas 

 Mts., Marocco to Tunisia. 



COLUMBA CENAS 



361. Columba cenas L.— THE STOCK-DOVE. 



Coltjmba Oenas Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 162 (1758 — Europe. 

 Quotations partially err. Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 

 Columba cenas Linnaeus, Yarrell, 111, p. 8 ; Saunders, p. 481. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter and summer. — 

 Whole head, ear-coverts, chin and throat grey-blue ; sides of back 

 of neck metallic -green or purple according to angle of light ; mantle 

 and scapulars slate -grey with brown tinge more marked in female 

 than male ; back, rump and upper tail-coverts grey-blue ; lower- 

 throat and upper -breast brown -purple tinged grey ; rest of under - 

 parts including axillaries and under wing-coverts blue -grey, but 

 axillaries rather more ashy and under tail-coverts rather darker ; 

 tail-feathers broadly tipped brown-black, with narrow subterminal 

 band of pale grey followed by narrow blackish band always incom- 

 plete, more marked on outer feathers and very variable, rest (basal 

 part) of feathers dark grey, basal half of outer web of outermost 

 feather grey-white or often quite white ; primaries brown-black 

 with grey tinge, browner on inner webs and both webs very narrowly 

 edged whitish, inner primaries blue-grey on basal half or more of 

 outer webs ; secondaries as inner primaries but blue -grey on outer 

 webs extending nearer tips, inner feathers brown-grey, innermost 

 three with black subterminal patches on outer webs ; primary- 

 coverts brown-black ; all wing-coverts grey-blue becoming rather 

 browner (as mantle) on inner feathers, inner greater coverts with 

 black subterminal patches as innermost secondaries and two or 

 three inner median coverts usually with smaller black patches, 

 these with secondaries forming short broad bars on inner portion of 

 wing. This plumage is acquired by complete moult May to Nov. 

 and sometimes Dec. 



Nestling. — Like that of Wood-Pigeon but down of consider- 

 ably richer and deeper colour. Inside mouth pink, flanges pale 

 flesh. 



Juvenile. — Much like adult but head and neck browner not 

 so grey, a few feathers on sides of neck with metallic -green tips but 

 otherwise neck as crown ; mantle, scapulars and wing-coverts 

 browner than adult ; lower -throat and upper-breast brownish-red 

 not so purple ; wing -feathers browner not so black and black marks 



