274 
COLUMBID.E. 
R A SORES. 
COLVMBTDjE. 
ROCK DOVE. 
COLUMBA LIVIA. 
PLATE LXVII. FIG. III. 
In habits, this species differs considerably from the rest 
of the genus: whilst they chiefly frequent woods, roosting 
upon and making their nests in trees, the Rock Dove in¬ 
habits the cliffs upon our sea-coast, in which it breeds, 
laying its eggs in holes and fissures of the rocks. Mr. Low, 
in his “Fauna Orcadensis,” says, that “they are found 
round all the rocks of the mainland and isles, where they 
build in the caves, but retire further in than the hawks, 
gulls, or most other sea-birds, except some of the petrels/' 
In the Shetland Islands they abound, breeding in the 
numerous spacious caverns into which the sea constantly 
rushes; they have every appearance of being tame, and 
are so easily approached within gun-shot, that, until as¬ 
sured of the contrary, we took them for the inmates of 
some neighbouring dovecote. They approach quite close 
to the huts of the fishermen, to feed over the small cul¬ 
tivated patches of corn-land; and, I have little doubt, 
might, if encouraged and fed, be readily domesticated. 
Mr. G. C. Atkinson found several of the eggs on the 
Isle of Harris, at the furthest extremity of caves in 
fissures in the rocks. The eggs are two in number, 
and usually somewhat less of a regular oval than those 
of the two species before described. 
