in the nest late in October, and at least once in 

 November. 



In general habits and food this bird closely resembles 

 the Wood-Pigeon, or, to speak more correctly, the Ring- 

 Dove ; but its love-song differs considerably from that 

 of its larger congener, consisting of a series of discon- 

 nected, though rapidly repeated guttural notes in the 

 same key, without the modulations of the well-known 

 " Coo oo coo coo-coo " of the Cushat. I consider the 

 Stock-Dove as the most quick-sighted and wary of our 

 common birds, the Mallard and Curlew not excepted ; 

 any one who has waited for Pigeons coming in to 

 roost on a winter evening will, I think, confirm this 

 opinion. On the open heaths and commons of our 

 eastern counties the Stock-Dove usually nests in rabbit- 

 burrows and under closely cropped furze-bushes, and I 

 have more than once in those districts seen a bird 

 of this species plunge into a hole when closely pressed 

 by a Falcon ; the latter bird, however, must be at a 

 rarely high pitch, and an exceptional flyer, to put any 

 real pressure upon the Dove, whose speed and turning 

 powers are marvellous. 



On the south coast of Devon I found many pairs of 

 this species frequenting the cliffs between Berry Head 

 and Dartmouth Harbour, but always in places thickly 

 overgrown with ivy, furze, and brambles, never in any 

 of the small caves in which we sought in vain for Rock- 

 Doves. Even in the well-wooded district of England 

 in which our home is situated I have met with two 

 nests of the Stock-Dove on the ground, in one instance 

 the nest being placed close to the entrance of an old 



