COLUMBIDAE—DOVES.
215
all records of this species in Essex relate to either the Stock Dove or the
Domestic Pigeon, which is descended from the Rock Dove.]
Turtle Dove : Turtur communis. Locally " Little Dove."
A common summer visitant, arriving about the end of April and
leaving again in September. I be-
lieve it is becoming more common
than formerly throughout the county.
Mr. Buxton says (47. 93) it is " a con-
stant summer visitor [to Epping Forest.]
I have seen flocks of them about Waltham-
stow in late summer. Its plaintive note
may be frequently heard in Theydon
Thickets." Though usually a shy bird, I
have known of nests in gardens quite in
the town of Saffron Walden.
Passenger Pigeon : Ectopistes
migratorius.
A very rare straggler to Britain from North America. A young
specimen now in Walden Museum was shot between Chrishall and
Royston in July, 1844
(37. iii. 27; & 38. 128).
Through the kindness of
Mr. Joseph P.Nunn, of Roy-
ston, I am able to state
that the bird was killed by
the late Mr. John Norman
of Knowns Folly Farm,
part of which is in Cam-
bridgeshire and part in
Essex. Mr. W. Norman
has assured Mr. Nunn that
his late father had often
pointed out to him the
exact spot where he shot
the bird, which was on
some trees to the east of
the farm-house. These
trees stand in Melbourne
parish, and are about 400
yards west of the Essex
boundary ; but as the bird,
probably, had crossed that
boundary before being shot, and could easily have recrossed it in less
than half a minute's flight, I consider it justifiably included here.