. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE RING-DOVE. 367 coloured," is given to the bird on account of the peculiar hue of the throat Tlie whole of the under surface is grey, and the tail-feathers are colourea with grey of several tones, the outside feathers having the basal portion ot the outer web white. The beak is deep orange, the eyes scarlet, and the legs and toes red. The total length is about fourteen inches, the female being a little smaller. The bird which now comes before our notice is familiar to all residents in the country under the titles of RiNG-DOVE, Wood Pigeon, Wood
. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE RING-DOVE. 367 coloured," is given to the bird on account of the peculiar hue of the throat Tlie whole of the under surface is grey, and the tail-feathers are colourea with grey of several tones, the outside feathers having the basal portion ot the outer web white. The beak is deep orange, the eyes scarlet, and the legs and toes red. The total length is about fourteen inches, the female being a little smaller. The bird which now comes before our notice is familiar to all residents in the country under the titles of RiNG-DOVE, Wood Pigeon, Wood Guest, and Cushat. This pretty dove is one of the commonest of our British birds, breeding in almost every little copse or tuft of trees, and inhabiting the forest grounds in great abundance. Towards and during the breeding season, its soft compla- cent cooing is heard in every direction, and with a very slight search its nest may be found. It is a strange nest, and hardly deserving that name, being nothing more than a mere platform of sticks resting upon the fork of a bough, and placed so loosely across each other that when the maternal bird is away the light may sometimes be seen through the interstices of the nest, and the outline of the eggs made out. Generally the Ring-dove chooses a rathe- lofty branch for its nesting- place, but it occasionally builds at a very low elevation. The eggs are never more than two in number, and per- fectly white, looking some- thing like hen's eggs on a small scale, save that the ends are more equally rounded. The food of this Dove con- sists of grain and seeds of various kinds, together with the green blades of newly sprung corn and the leaves of turnips, clover, and other vegetables. Quiet and harmless as it may look, the Ring-dove is a won- derful gormandizer, and can consume great quantities of food. The crop is capacious to suit the appetite, and can con- tain a singular amount of solid food, as indeed seems to be the case with most of t
Size: 1546px × 1616px
Photo credit: © Central Historic Books / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
