NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF lONA. 



upon any alarm being given, the voices are immediately silenced, the clang 

 and whir of wings reverberate from the profundity of the cave, and out pours 

 a long stream of snowy bosoms and silver wings, which swiftly skim along 

 the surface of the sea, and disappear round the next headland. In lona alone 

 (though but a small island, we have as many as nine or ten caves frequented 

 by Pigeons, and in nearly every island of the Hebrides, there is sure to be 

 one cave called par excellence, "Va' Caloman,"' the Pigeon Cave. 



I believe this Dove is only found upon the coast, though I am not aware 

 what attraction the sea-shore has for it; certainly, with us, it exclusively 

 inhabits the sea-caves, and never goes far inland. In the winter I have once 

 or twice seen them sitting upon the rocks at low water, but I hardly think 

 they were looking for food. They feed upon land snails — some small species 

 which at certain times is found in considerable variety and vast abundance, 

 spread over the low sandy pastures which skirt the sea. The stubbles, the 

 newly-sown fields, and the stack-yards, are their principal resorts for food, 

 and their crops are invariably to be found well distended with grain, though 

 in winter it is difficult to account for their getting such good supplies, after 

 the stubbles are picked clean, and the stack-yards cleared. They must some- 

 times go great distances for their daily food; those which inhabit the small 

 islands must of course always come to the mainland for their supply of grain 

 — some a great distance. When a large flock is suddenly raised while 

 feeding in a corn-field, after wheeling up in the air, it breaks up into smaller 

 parties^ which dart off in various directions for their homes; some across the 

 seas, others to the nearer caves. 



They seem to be migi-atory, to a certain extent in quest of food, at seed- 

 time and harvest, if, as is often the case, the island crops are a little earlier 

 than those on the mainland; then our fields are covered with those petty 

 plunderers, and at night the caves are filled with roosting birds, which remain 

 about the island as long as food is very plentiful, and then decamp. I 

 think, however, that individual birds are a good deal in the habit of frequent- 

 ing the same localities, and roosting in the same cave until driven off by 

 some cause; I have watched marked birds doing so, especially last summer, 

 I was observing a large white male Pigeon, which had evidently escaped 

 from the cote; he took to himself a little wild mate, and reared a brood in 

 one of the caves. I made a duty of destroying his family, which was easily 

 done, as they were marked birds; but he himself, though of such a conspicuous 

 colour, always contrived to escape. He became very wai-y from being pursued, 

 and I remarked that he always frequented the same cave, till he received a 

 random shot, after which I lost sight of him for a considerable time; but I 

 found him at last, located upon the other side of the island, where he 

 remained till his death. 



The Rock Dove's nest is made up of small sticks or heather, or dried 

 sea- weed, and is lined with dried grass: the situation selected is any little 

 ledge or cleft within the sheltering bosom of a rocky cavern. The eggs arc 



