were seen -by many ornithologists. By tbe; same plan
Mr. Harting also proved that the Pigeons which frequented
the Dorsetshire cliffs about Lulworth Cove were not, as had
been generally supposed, Rock Doves, but. Stock Doves,
There can, indeed, be- little doubt that in several localities
’ a similar error has prevailed; and this is certainly
the ease in the Undercliff district of - the s Islê«:pf Wight,
where the Editor can state from personal knowledge that
the Stock tDove is the species which nests in abundance ill.
the holes of the wooded crags.-»ear Ventnor, It algo:inests
in the sea cliffs of - Flamborougb, where,-however, the-Rock
Dove is also found. Under these circumstances it is not go
strange that this species-should have been ^confounded with
the Rock Dove, for it appears to be about the same size when
on the wing, and although, i t has not a white rump, yet in its
light and rapid flightit far more closely resembles,the.Rock
than its larger and heavierTcemgener the^Ring- Dove.- *
The eggs, two in number/are oval- and white, of g,-.somewhat
more creamy ’ tint than thoséf of H?f: and
méasure about I-5-in-length, by Ï-1 in breadth- . They, are
usually laid [about the. commencement;.^^ middle of
but Mr.-Q. Mathew -PjgLor states that-fledged^yojing may often
be found by-the^third week of that-month, and^he also-found
two fresh-eggs in a-hollow-’ ash-tree; on 2ndy-Qetober,
Incubation.lasts seventeen; or eighteen day&fe In its ,ha-bits
this species resembles the Ring Dove, but/its note-is far less
distinct-and -less prolonged, and may not inaptly-hecdescribed
as ■ grunting., ^Ite-fqoè is naturally*, somewhat similar.;, but
the late Mr. Rodd remarked'thabdn4he'case qf a b,ird--of each
species shot at the same discharge, .whereas theyfirop of the
Ring Dovè contained .a 'great pulp>of|thlovcr;i leayeg, .turnip-
tops and bulbs, that;of the^to^Dove-contained npt a leaf
of-clover, but an egg-full of charlock-'seedsj some barley.and
several weedfeseedsy ;
^Qhhimha (fen.a'SjdB/iin ,fact,'a_ sonth=e,astern species which is
gnSbjLfl.lly .tftn d in g y its rango.v-0Prthwards.and westward's.
It has occurred in .-the J&ill^Jsdands, and:isometimes visits
* 'Zsojögiêt, 33Sf h
Cornwall in large-flocks in winter, passing • upwards into
Wales, in some counties of which it certainly breeds- among
the rocks of Merthyr Tydfil, for-example—although nowhere
so numerous as the Ring Dove. In Devonshire it is proh-
ably increasing, and Mr. Cecil Smith says that it'is twenty-
fold' more numerous in- Somersetshire now than in 1869'.
Although of somewhat local distribution,'reoccurs throughout'
the southern"/midland, and eastern -counties, including
Lincolnshire, where, Mr. Cordeaux says, it is-distinctly
on. the increase;* and, although- Scarcer to |the north of
the Humber, it breeds regularly in the" rocks and rabbit-
holes of the 'cliffs in the HambletGn Hills. It has already
become common in the*-5 neighbourhood of* Qastle Eden
Dene, Durham, and- has even pushed dtf breeding range as
far as Northumberland and Berwickshire." Itpoceurrence
in Stirlingshire and southern - Perthshire has been recorded
by Mr. Dalgleish- (fBie; 187«, pf. 382),4 and -Mr.. R, Cray
says that there "is- evidence thal if okas straggled as far as
Orkney. The instances already cit'efd in which this'species
has been-mistaken for .thé'Roek-Dove on I the strength of
its selecting holes« in cliffs for its nesting-place, lead to thé
supposition that similar and a's'yet undiscovered errors may
have been made elsewhere. In Ireland i ts ' occurrence* was
first recorded by Lord Clermont; who*"obtained/one" in
October, 1875/ and subsequently3 obtained another, and observed
the-* birds nestings ihtrfscrèvi'ce of the-rock on the hil-1-
sid!N£r%e. borders of Armagh and Louth—a'locality which
they had been known- to frequent for some years,- but until
then it had not" been decided-whether they, were * this ■ species
or the Rock Dove.^-lt has alsodieenefetainèd; and has bred,
in cdunty'Do!wn\t
On" the eonMienf;# hasA once been . known’ riToV«straggle'
beyond the- arctic' circle; but• .’its’ usual northern ’ range
nearly coincides with that-where-the-oak " grows (about
to 61° N. latl|$ it " being plentiful in", south-eastern Norway/
Sweden, Cert&any, "and Suitable - localities. in Russia as -far
as the -ijral, migrating-southward in winter. In+some-ohthe
* Zoologist, 1376, p. 4 7m f ' *'