282 A DESCRIPTION OP 
die the other will never survive ; however, the author of 
these observations was an eye witness that a female Tur- 
tle Dove, having been unfortunately killed by a spaniel, in 
the absence of the male, the disconsolate survivor, after 
having searched in vain all places where he might find his 
mate, came and mournfully perched upon the wonted 
trough, waiting patiently for her to repair thither in order 
to get food ; but, after two days of unavailing expectation, 
he, by spontaneous abstinence, pined and died on the 
place. Such examples are not common ; and we believe, 
that, when not domesticated, the appearance of another 
female, in the time of coupling, sets at defiance all natural 
propensity to constancy, and puts an end to the much- 
famed disconsolate widowhood. The general colour of this 
is a bluish grey ; the breast and neck of a whitish purple, 
with a ringlet of beautiful white feathers with black edges 
about the sides of the neck. Nothing can express the 
sensation which is excited in a feeling mind, when the 
tender and sweetly plaintive notes of the Turtle Dove 
breathe from the grove on a beautiful spring evening. 
Deep in the wood, thy voice I list, and love 
Thy soft complaining song, thy tender cooing ; 
Oh what a whining way thou hast of wooing, 
Gentlest of all thy race sweet Turtle-dove ! 
Thine is a note which doth not pass away 
Like the light music of a summer's day, 
Hushing the voice of mirth and staying folly, 
And waking in the breast a gentle melancholy. INGLIS. 
