The Stock Dove. De 
CHAPTER V. 
Pre aohOCK DOVE. 
(Columba enas.) 
E were walking one day along a-grassy ride in 
a forest, flanked on either side by spreading 
oaks and beeches, the tall stems of which rose high 
above the rich undergrowth of hollies, while here 
and there a gnarled old birch stood apart from the 
rest. Pursuing our way along the mossy track we 
carefully examined each tree, and presently observed 
high up in the trunk of a decaying birch a large 
round hole. There was no response as we tapped at 
the base of the stem, so taking a dead branch, lying 
hard by, we threw it up at the hole, and immediately 
out peeped the head and shoulders of a Stock Dove. 
No sooner did the bird appear than it saw us, and 
after a moment’s hesitation darted with a rush and 
