12 
COLUMBIDiE. 
the rock-pigeons about the cliffs of Miuard, to the east of Dingle, they had never 
noticed, or met with a single bird mottled, or the wing without bars.” But few 
ornithologists will regard such birds as distinct in species from the Rock-dove. Mr. 
Blyth, in an English edition of Cuvier’s Animal Kingdom published in London, "with 
notes, in 1840, remarked on the preceding subject: — “There is a race which we 
suspect to be a distinct species closely allied, the wdngs of which are spotted some- 
what as in the stock-pigeon, but more extensively, in place of the black bars. Num- 
bers of them, all shot, are sold in the London markets. We will term it C. macu- 
laria” p. 231. 
At the end of April 1841_, I observed these birds to be nume- 
rous about the precipitous and caverned cliffs of the island of 
Sphacteria, forming part of the western boundary of the noble 
bay of Navarino. On the 29th and 30th of that month, some 
officers of H.M.S. Beacon set out in a boat for the purpose of 
entering the caves to shoot them, and returned each day with 
several brace. They remarked, that of the great numbers seen, 
all were on the western or sea side of the island, although as fine 
caverns are on the eastern or hay side. When we were becalmed 
in the ^gean Sea on the 10th of June, in H.M.S. Magpie, a 
likely place for these birds presented itself in a rocky islet, H.E. 
of Port Nausa, in the island of Paros, and a boat was lowered for 
the commander and myself to go in pursuit of them. A few were 
seen about its caves and cliffs, and a young bird of the year which 
was shot on wing was in full plumage, but still retained some 
fragments of down about the head.* On this occasion I could 
not but think how very different were the scene and climate from 
those at the GianPs Causeway, where I first became initiated in 
rock-dove shooting. The bird was equally common in both 
localities. Sir William Jardine^s remark, that we find the 
rock-dove frequent and most numerous towards the north^M 
of Great Britain, correct though it be, would seem therefore to 
have no reference to latitude, but simply to localities better suited 
to the species. 
* On the 17 th of May, one year, the young were remarked (by Mr. Poole) to be 
able to fly, on the Wexford coast. 
t Brit. Birds, vol. iii. p. 67. 
