72 THE BIRDS OF BRECONSHIRE. 
WOOD PIGHON, Columba palumbus. 
Very plentiful, but the large flocks 
one constantly meets with in the winter 
must be visitors from other countries, 
and probably some from Herefordshire, 
where it breeds in great numbers. I 
think this bird is certainly on the 
increase here during the last few years, 
both as regards residents as well as 
visitors. Certainly one of the most 
interesting sights of this county was to 
see these birds arrive for the purpose of 
roosting in the Rock Wood close to this 
house. At about 3 in the afternoon of 
a November day the advance guard in 
the shape of a few stragglers would 
arrive, and after a little while a regular 
stream of pigeons would appear, and, 
with little break, continue until it was 
dark, when probably from 2000 to 3000 
pigeons would have arrived and be roost- 
ing in the wood. Mr. Crawshay, who 
then preserved the Allt, only allowed 
them to be shot about three times in the 
season, and when this was done the fun 
for about an hour was fast and furious, 
the birds being most difficult to kill as 
they skimmed through and over the high 
