STOCK-DOVE. 
251 
rabbit-burrows, on the coast of the New Forest in the low- 
sandy cliffs, and on Portsdown Hill in the earthworks of 
the fortifications. 
Occasionally it builds an open structure in a tree, like 
that of the ring-dove ; old squirrels' and magpies' nests are 
frequently occupied by it, and three eggs have rarely been 
found in one nest. 
Concerning this species, the following letter ^ passed 
between Charles Kingsley and the great Darwin, written 
from the Grange, at Alresford, on January 31st, 1862: — 
" What started us on you and your theory was the shooting 
in the park of a pair of ' blue rocks,' which I was called to 
decide on. There were several men there who knew blue 
rocks. The Duke (Argyll) said that the specimen was 
different from the blue rock of the Hebrides. Young 
Baring, that it was different from the blue rock of 
Gibraltar and of his Norfolk rabbit-warrens (which I 
don't believe, from the specimens I have seen, to be a 
blue rock at all, but a stunted stock-dove, which breeds in 
rabbit-holes), and I could hardly swear that this was a blue 
rock (as the keeper held), till I saw but very weakly 
developed the black bars on the wing coverts." 
Darwin's reply to Kingsley was : — " With respect to 
the pigeons, your remarks clearly show me (without seeing 
specimens) that the birds shot were the stock-dove, C. oenas, 
long confounded with the cushat and rock pigeon." 
"Life of Kingsley." Vol. ii., p. 135. 
