Mr. Fellowes met with it in Asia Minor; Mr. Strickland in Persia ;

and in summer only, as it is with us. |
the Ionian Islands, and Greece ; Mr. Salvin

rling has seen it in abundance in Syria, Rhodes, Candia,

astern Atlas; Loche states that it frequents the w
on the Ornithology of Palestine ” that, “of the three species of

nt one is by far the most abundant, but only in spring and
ig every part of the country, highland and low-

Lieut. Spe
found it in the E
Rey. H. B. Tristram’s interesting ‘‘ Notes
Turtledoves inhabiting that country, the prese

about the end of March and overspreadit
al History of the Bible,’ he says :—" But the Turtle-

fer is our own (Zurtur auritus). Its return in
‘The Turtle and the Crane and

hole of Algeria; and we learn from the

summer, returning
land alike.” In his valuable little work, ‘ On the Natur
dove to which, no doubt, the various Scriptural passages re
arked epochs in the ornithological calendar.
>< Por, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the
ds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is heard

spring is one of the most m
the Swallow observe the time of their coming.

flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of bir
in our land.’ Search the glades and valleys, even by sultry Jordan, at the end of March, and not a Turtle-

dove is to be seen. Return in the second week in April, and clouds of Doves are feeding on the clovers of
the plain. They stock every tree and thicket. At every step they flutter up from the herbage in front, they perch
e and bush, they overspread the whole face of the land. So universal, so simultaneous, and so

on every tre
that the prophet might well place the Turtledove at the bead of those birds

conspicuous is their migration
which ‘observe the time of their coming.’ While other songsters are heard chiefly in the morning or only
at intervals, the Turtle, immediately on its arrival, pours forth, from every garden, grove, and wooded bill,
its melancholy yet soothing ditty unceasingly from early dawn till sunset. From its fidelity to its mate, and
ew 5 5 ’
its habit of pairing for life, among other reasons, the Dove was selected as a symbol of purity and an
appropriate offering by the ancient beathens, as well as the Jews. Its amativeness is referred to in the
Song of Solomon ; and its gentle eye has supplied several comparisons :—* Behold, thou art fair; thou hast
Dove’s eyes within thy locks.’ ‘His eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk
and fairly set,’ alluding to the bright red skin round the dark eye of the Turtle.
«The Turtledove is more numerous in Palestine than in any other country where it 1s found ; and,
So a Aen RTL ARE ae g a = “ .
indeed, the Pigeon-tribe generally abound there to a degree unknown in other countries. This is accounted
for by the botanical character of that region, where the herbage principally consists of leguminous plants of
the clover and allied species, the leaves of which supply the food of most Pigeons. Owing, therefore, to the
luxuriant growth of the clovers and lucernes, there is no limit to the number of Doves the Holy Land can
maintain in spring and summer.”
mn r on e e x es . e e e
The Turtledove is a frequenter of woods, fir-plantations, and the thick and high hedges between
cultivated lands. The nest is a thi ANSP re ee ‘ :
fe - rhe nee is a thin, transparent, flat structure, composed of a few small crossed twigs, and
is usually placed on a horizontal branch, at « ie Pa ener ati Main .
. Beer + : : anch, at about eight or ten feet from the ground. The eggs, which are
abou ve middle are ite, s the i : : ‘
: i ; 7 | e une, are white, somewhat pointed at one end, rather more than an inch in
epgth, and nearly ¢ : rec ‘6The par ae < :
os te : ae inch m breadth. ‘*The parent birds,” says Mr. Yarrell, “ sit by turns; the male
occasionally feeds his mate during incubation ; < See ‘ : :
te : during incubation ; and both afterwards mutually labour for the support of their
youne. n this country they are considered ¢ wwe 3 : :
Be, : - sidered as producing but one brood in the season; but in the south of
rance they are known to have a second pair : . :
ees! ‘ : | d pair of young. In the autumn they fly in small parties of ten or
ZAG save this country about  e 7 nist. ¢ : r 3
Aileen ie the end of August, and sometimes as late as the end of September,
articularly in those seasons when our harvest is back
ey 2 Is ‘kKWar VVe > PY + y
a ee backward. . . . I have observed that these birds are more
s ¥ 7 eC Jarts x ° A . = q :
ti : J parts of the middle of Kent than elsewhere:” this agrees with my own
observation ; for I have seen it breed there in great numbers, and have rei one 1
wee g rs, and have remarked that it has become still more
numerous now the pilfering Jays, who constantly robbed th hee .
, J em of their eggs, have been killed down.

There is no difference i
rence in the external appear:
; arance of the sexes ; e yar I
Prarie aedeace altowether a Dpeats of the sexes; but the young are destitute of the neck-
ne altogether duller in their colouring—particularly

3 in the less pure blue-gre 2 hee
chestnut and black markings of the back and scapularies : ea ee”
oO , C Se

cen oe : At this age, too, the naked orbital skin is bluish,
ce oe cl arge and swollen, and, as well as the bill, of a uniform dark olive: front of
arsi and toes reddish purple; hinder i i
5 er part of the tarsi d > of scutella, « i i
é estitute of scutella, and of a greyish white.