File:A history of British birds - by the Rev. F. O. Morris (1862) (14729470176).jpg

Identifier: historyofbritish04morr (find matches)
Title: A history of British birds / by the Rev. F. O. Morris
Year: 1862 (1860s)
Authors: Morris, F. O. (Francis Orpen), 1810-1893
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: London : Groombridge

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h of black on their outer webs;tertiaries, bluish grey, the last three with a leaden grey spoton the outer web; greater and lesser under wing coverts, grey.The tail, of twelve feathers, and slightly rounded at the end,is bluish grey for two thirds of its length, then succeeded bya narrow band of a lighter grey, the end dark leaden grey:the inner part of the outer web of the outer feather on eachside is almost white; upper tail coverts, grey; under tailcoverts, grey; the legs are feathered in front one third down,and are, as the toes, carmine purple red; claws, light brown,yellowish grey towards the end. The female scarcely differs from the male, except in size,and in the less purity of colours. Length, one foot one inchand a half. The wings expand to the width of not quitetwo feet two inches. The young are at first without the metallic shades on thesides of the neck, and the spots on the tertiaries. Individuals vary slightly in colooi*. The quills of thewings when worn become browner.
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167 EOCK DOVE. EOCKIEE. CoJumha livia, Selby. Jenyns. Gould. Columba—A Pigeon, or Dove. Livia—(Queerer for Livida—Black and blue—lead-colour.) If you look at each and every one of the Pigeons that flyabout the barn and fold-yard, or rise in a flock from the openfield, nay, if you glance at any of those that hang up in thepoulterers shop in the. narrowest street in London,—in evenwhich, by the way, you can, if your lot is cast in the greatcity, make frequent ornithological observations, and, losingyourself for a moment in pleasing thought in the Haymarket,the Turnstile, the Rookery, the Grove, or the Strand—apolo-gies now for the scenes that gave them their names of old—realize the rus in urbe,—you will see that every individualbird, let the varied colours of its plumage be what theymay, has a patch of white over the tail. This will at onceshew you tliat it must derive its origin from the species atpresent before us, which has the like distinguishing mark,and not, as mi

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