Columba Turtur, LINNÆUS; La Tourterelle, BUFFON; Die
Turteltaube, BECHSTEIN.
This pretty species is ten or eleven inches in length. The beak is
slender, and pale blue; the iris is reddish yellow; the naked circle
round the eyes is blush red; the legs and feet are reddish purple; the
forehead is whitish; the top of the head and upper part of the neck are
pale blue; from this to the tail the blue is more dingy; on each side of
the neck is a black spot striped with three of four crescent-shaped
white lines, which has a pretty effect.
HABITATION.--In their wild state these birds are found throughout the
temperate parts of Europe and Asia, and also in many of the South Sea
Islands. They always prefer woods, but never go far into those on
great chains of mountains; they also frequent detached thickets, and
even orchards when near forests. Being more delicate than the two
preceding species, they do not arrive in our woods till the end of
April or beginning of May, and quit us in September. They are often
seen in great numbers in the forests of Thuringia when the pine seed
has ripened well. In 1788 a prodigious number were seen; they have
never since been so numerous there[120].
In the house we keep them within a grated partition near the stove,
where they can range freely. Young ones reared by a domestic pigeon
are easily accustomed to the dovecot, but as they are very sensible
to cold it is necessary to warm the place they are in during winter.
These birds multiply fast, either paired amongst themselves or with
the collared turtle dove.
FOOD.--The seeds of the pine seem to be their favourite food here, but
they do not confine themselves to it; they eat peas, vetches, millet,
hemp-seed, rye, and wheat. In the house they may be fed on bread and
any grain at hand: they are easily preserved.
BREEDING.--When wild, their nest, negligently formed of dried sticks,
is tolerably secure when placed in a pine, but is often blown down
when in a beech. The female lays two white eggs.
In the house the turtle dove is given a small straw basket, in which
it builds, for, whether reared from the nest, or taken when full
grown, it pairs without difficulty, and produces young ones. It will
also pair with the collared turtle.
The cooing of the male is peculiar; he utters a deep prolonged sound,
then bends his head and stops. The young birds are grey on the upper
part of the body, and spotted with bluish black on the wings. Those
sprung from a collared and a common turtle dove are more or less like
either; generally they are reddish grey on the head, neck, and
breast, the back and wing-coverts, with red appearing through the
grey; the belly, the secondary quill-feathers, and the end of the
tail, are white, and the primaries greyish brown. These birds are
fruitful, and produce others; what is curious is that they are larger
than the parent birds, and have a peculiar note. This is certainly
also the case with other mule birds, as I have often observed.
MODE OF TAKING.--This is the same as with the two preceding species;
snares placed where salt is strewed for deer are sufficient.
ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--The inhabitants of our forest villages are very
fond of having this turtle dove in their stove apartments, less on
account of its agreeable qualities than from the persuasion that it
cures their colds and rheumatisms. It is certainly true that this
bird is generally ill during the illness of its masters[121]. It
will, however, live six or eight years in the house.