248 Allen’s naturalist’s library. 
lining ashy-whitish ; bill vinous slate-colour, inclining to white 
on the cere; feet red; iris orange-red. Total length, 13 
inches ; culmen, 075 ; wing, 8 95 ; tail, 3-9; tarsus, 1-15. 
^ Adult Female.— Similar to the male, but somewhat smaller. 
Total length, i2'5 inches; wing, 8'3. 
Young. — Differs from the adult in its more dingy coloration, 
and in the pale fringes to the wing-coverts. The metallic 
colour on the neck and chest is almost entirely absent, these 
parts being dusky slate colour ; the lower back is white as in 
the adults. 
Characters.— The white on the lower back at once dis- 
tinguishes the Rock-Dove from the Wood-Pigeon and the 
Stock Dove. Like the latter it has no white patches on the 
sides of the neck, which are metallic ; but instead of the four 
black spots on the wing-coverts, the wing is crossed by a 
black band across the greater coverts. Ihere is a second 
black band, in both species, formed by the ends of the 
secondaries ; but in the Rock-Dove the innermost secondaries 
are crossed with a black band, whereas in the Stock-Dove 
these quills resemble the back, and only two of them show a 
black spot on the outer web. 
Range in Great Britain. — The Rock-Dove breeds in a wild 
state on the cliffs of Scotland and the Orkneys and Shetlands, 
and its range can be traced from Devonshire and Cornwall’ 
where it is very local, along the west of England and Wales, 
but on the east coast of England it is only found on Flam- 
borough Head, and in Northumberland. Mr. Ussher says that 
it breeds in the sea-cliffs nearly all round Ireland. 
Range outside the British Islands. — Count Salvador! says that 
the range of the Rock-Dove extends throughout the Western 
Palaearctic Region, eastwards to Sind, Cashmere, and some 
parts of India. In many countries it crosses with the 
domestic Pigeon, and varies considerably in plumage in con- 
sequence, so that several supposed species have been named 
upon these differences. It seems to be nowhere very common in 
Europe, excepting, as Mr. Saunders points out, in mountainous 
regions, such as the Pyrenees and the various ranges of Spain 
and Ita’y. 
