92 



BIRDS. 



ringdove ; the bill is yellow in colour, the nostrils are covered 

 w^ith a mealy red fleshy membrane ; the irides are pale yel- 

 low ; the head, back, and wing coverts are bluish ash colour ; 

 the upper part of the back incUnes to brown ; the lower part, 

 rump, and fore part of the neck, are pale ash in colour ; the 

 rest of the neck and the breast are vinaceous ; the belly, 

 thighs, and vent are dirty white ; the hind part and sides of 

 the neck are green gold, in some lights changing to blue with 

 a copper gloss ; and on each side of the neck is a white cres- 

 cent : the greater quills are dusky — all of them, except the 

 outermost, have the exterior edges white ; the secondaries are 

 greyish brown ; at the base of the bastard wing is a dash of 

 white : the tail is ash-coloured above, with the end blackish, 

 but beneath the base and ends they are black, the middle 

 hoary ; the legs are covered with feathers almost to the toes, 

 which are of a red colour, and the claws are black. This 

 bird is found throughout Europe ; the greater part of them 

 are emigrants in respect of Britain, departing at the end of 

 the year, and returning early in the spring. They inhabit 

 the woods, and build on the tops of boughy trees. 



The wood-pigeon picks the seed of peas and tares when 

 sown in the spring, and also w^hen ripening in harvest. In 

 the dissolution of snows, when the bulbs of Swedish turnips 

 are exposed to view, the animal, being pressed for food, at- 

 tacks the turnips, and with its strong bill it digs into the 

 bulbs, and makes a hole, which retains water, and soon induces 

 putrefaction. When the pigeons are numerous, very consider- 

 able damage is done in this way to turnip crops. But the 

 animal is very timid, and easily scared ; and the number of 

 them may be easily kept within bounds. The cooing of this 

 bird in a deep-shaded wood and in a still evening imparts a 

 pleasing melancholy feeling that almost overbalances the small 

 damage it inflicts. 



4. The Pheasant is the "Phasianus" of ornithology, or 

 the bird of P basis, so called from being found in a native 

 state on the banks of the Phasis, a large river of Northern 

 Asia Minor. It is a species of our domestic poultry, and the 



