THE TURTLE-DOVE. 485 



Food. — In partial absence of cultivation feeds on seeds and 

 mollusca in larger proportions than Wood-Pigeon and Stock-Dove, 

 but 700 grains of oats have been found in one crop. Grain (chiefly 

 oats and barley), peas, beans, potatoes, seeds of many grasses and 

 plants such as Sinapis, Capsella, Plantago, Triticum, Baphanus, 

 Vicia, etc. Also mollusca (Helicella itala and virgata, Bulimus 

 acutus, etc.) and egg cases of Buccinum and Nassa. 



Distribution. — England and Wales. — Resident. Breeds sea -cliffs 

 Yorks., sparingly Devon and Cornwall, one locality Cumberland, 

 and a good many places Welsh coast. Scotland and Ireland. — 

 Widely distributed, especially on west coasts and isles. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Found in Faeroes (formerly in Norway), 

 probably coast of Portugal and Spain, Mediterranean countries and 

 islands, Crimea, north-west Africa and Asia Minor. Replaced by 

 allied forms in Palestine, south Persia, Turkestan, Transcaspia, 

 India, Egypt, Nubia to Palestine, Red Sea, parts of west Africa and 

 mountains in Central Sahara. 



Genus STREPTOPELIA Bp. 



Streptopelia Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Av., n, p. 63 (1854 — Type by- 

 subsequent designation by Gray, 1855, S. risoria). 



Smaller than Columba, wings shorter, tails longer, also often 

 more graduated. Tarsus quite bare, not overhung by feathers. 

 About 50 forms in Europe, Africa and Asia, only one breeding 

 British species. Nests always open. 



STREPTOPELIA TURTUR 



363. Streptopelia turtur turtur (L.)— THE TURTLE-DOVE. 



Columba Turtur Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 164 (1758 — " Habitat 



in India." Errore. Ex Willughby, Ray, Albin. Real typical locality : 



England). 



Turtur communis Selby, Yarrell, in, p. 21 ; Saunders, p. 485. 



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

 Head grey-blue, fore-head ashy, feathers of back of crown and 

 centre of back of neck tipped brown when fresh and often some 

 brown left in summer ; on each side of neck a patch of black 

 feathers, tipped pale grey-blue, centre ones nearly white ; mantle 

 brown, feathers edged more rufous and centres blackish mostly 

 concealed except in worn plumage ; back and rump same but 

 blackish centres more pronounced with varying admixture of dark 

 grey-blue and feathers at sides mostly dark grey-blue ; upper tail- 

 coverts as rump but tips usually paler and more rufous and lateral 

 feathers tinged blue ; chin, throat and breast pale vinaceous 

 (usually duller in female than male), chin more brownish- white, 

 cheeks and ear-coverts tinged brownish ; middle of breast, belly 

 and under tail-coverts white ; flanks, axillaries and under wing- 



