4 COLUMBID^. 



York, and the late Earl of Derby, at Knowsley, were success- 

 ful in inducing this species to breed in confinement. 



When reared from the nest, the birds frequently become 

 much attached to their owner, and even when given their 

 liberty they have been known to sweep down and recognize 

 him with demonstrations of pleasure after an absence of 

 nearly twelve months, although always shy to strangers. 

 Up to six years ago, a pair used to breed in the Green Park, 

 and a few still do so in Kensington Gardens; but the tame- 

 ness of this species, under certain conditions, can nowhere be 

 witnessed better than in Paris, where, in the gardens of the 

 Luxembourg, the Tuileries, the Pare Monceau, and other 

 public promenades, the Ring Doves may be seen taking food 

 from, and even perching upon the arms and shoulders of 

 those who habitually feed them. 



The Ring Dove is strictly monogamous, and during the 

 breeding season is generally seen in pairs : or singly, when 

 taking turns at the task of incubation. In the autumn, how- 

 ever, it becomes gregarious, and in winter the flocks sometimes 

 consist of many hundreds, and even thousands. During the 

 summer these birds feed on green corn, young clover (the 

 leaves of which they devour by the bushel), grain of all sorts, 

 peas, &c. Mr. R. Gray has shot numbers with their crops 

 perfectly distended with gooseberries ; and from the crop of 

 one killed in Forfarshire 1,020 grains of corn were counted. 

 The crops of four of these birds sent by Lord Haddington 

 at different times yielded the following results : the first 

 contained 144 field peas and seven large beans ; the second 

 231 beech nuts ; the third 813 grains of barley ; and the 

 fourth 874 grains of oats, and fifty-five of barley. Such 

 damage may be better estimated from the fact that the bird 

 is known to feed three times daily ; and in a grain-pro- 

 ducing district, like East Lothian, where from 15,000 to 

 29,000 Pigeons have been destroyed within twelve months, 

 without effecting any apparent decrease in their numbers, the 

 loss to agriculturists must be enormous. It appears doubt- 

 ful whether the bill of the Wood Pigeon is strong enough to 

 break into the bulbs of turnips, but when that work has 



