. British birds for cages and aviaries; a hanbook relating to all British birds which may be kept in confinement .. . o it, butthere it is, and it only leads to confusion to give the samedesignation to a foreign species, that is, to the BarbaryTurtle (Turtur risoriusj, a practice that cannot be toostrongly condemned. Not only is the Ringdove a British species, but it oc-curs all over Europe, and, it is said, in Northern Asia andNorthern Africa. It has considerably increased in num-bers in this country of late years, and is almost the onlybird that has done so, the other possible exceptions bei
. British birds for cages and aviaries; a hanbook relating to all British birds which may be kept in confinement .. . o it, butthere it is, and it only leads to confusion to give the samedesignation to a foreign species, that is, to the BarbaryTurtle (Turtur risoriusj, a practice that cannot be toostrongly condemned. Not only is the Ringdove a British species, but it oc-curs all over Europe, and, it is said, in Northern Asia andNorthern Africa. It has considerably increased in num-bers in this country of late years, and is almost the onlybird that has done so, the other possible exceptions beingthe Starling and the common House Sparrow, 38 BRITISH BIRDS In the winter the resident population of Ringdoves isaugmented by numerous arrivals from the Continent, towhich the strangers, or as many of them as are thensurviving, return when the more genial weather of spring-time has set in. It is a large bird, measuring i8 inches in length, and,when in good condition weighs from i8 to 20 ounces, thefemale being a trifle smaller and, of course, not so can only be distinguished from her mate by her more. feminine appearance, excej)t during the breeding season*when he develops two protuberances, or knobs, of areddish-yellow colour on the upper mandible, which aretotally lacking in the female. The general colour of this species is a fine slaty-bluewith metallic reflections on the neck and breast; on eachside of the neck is a small patch of glossy white (the ringto which the bird owes its name); the tail is long andbroad, and consists of twelve feathers, with a dark bandacross the lower third. FOR CAGES AND A VIARIES. 39 It is a wood-loving species and formerly seldom came nearhuman habitations; cases, however, are on record in whichit has been so well disposed towards man as to establishitself in gardens, and become so tame as to accept foodfrom the hand of its protector. Whether that be the caseor not, it has of late years taken up its abode in consid-erable numbers in
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectcag
