182 ROCK DOVE 
that it suffered much from shooters, and that the breeding 
caves on the west coast were netted by parties in boats. 
A few years ago Mr, F. S. Graves found on two occasions, 
on the same ledge in the Ooig Mooar, the remains of a 
Pigeon’s nest, which from its situation, far in the darkness 
of that sea-cave, could hardly have been a Stock Dove's; 
and Pigeons undoubtedly nest in small numbers in the 
caves of Maughold Head, but the writer has not been able 
to identify any of these as the wild white rumped bird, nor 
to obtain certain indication from his correspondents there ;* 
while in other parts the confusion between escaped tame 
birds, true Rock Doves, and Stock Doves is difficult to 
unravel. Mr. J. ©. Crellin, however, writing in 1895 
(Y. L. M, iii. 25), says that he saw a pair, which he seems 
to have considered genuine Rock Doves, in the neighbour- 
hood of Castletown, in the summer of 1894,” and in the 
following autumn several birds, single and in pairs, in the 
north of the island. 
The Rock Dove nests in many places on the rocky coasts 
of Ireland, as in Donegal and Wicklow, but seems to have 
disappeared from the mountains of Down and Antrim, as 
from the coast and islauds of Dublin, though still found on 
the shores of the former counties. It still nests in Gallo- 
way, mixed with birds of the domestic breed. It is doubtful 
if any, of at least genuine Rock Doves, breed at St. Bees; 
it is, however, an irregular straggler to north-western 
England. It is a familiar and characteristic inhabitant of 
the outer isles of Scotland, as of those of Ireland. It is 
mainly confined to the western, northern, and north-eastern 
coasts of Britain. 
1 Mr, Callow attributes the present scarcity of the cave Pigeons in Maughold 
to the attacks upon them by parties of visitors in boats, who shoot and scare the 
birds. He has known them for fifty years. 
2 See, however, under last heading. 
a 
