WITH THE BIRDS IN WALES 93 



feral ; for the ordinary domestic Pigeon is descended 

 from the Rock Dove, which, by the way, is a truly 

 maritime species, frequenting the caverns of the sea- 

 side cliffs. It may always be known by its white 

 rump, which is very conspicuous as it flies straight 

 away from you. The author in question has con- 

 fused it with the Stock Dove, which lacks the white 

 rump. On the way home I heard the cheery 

 " chiz-zit " of a Grey Wagtail, but did not see it. 



April 6th. — Heard the Curlews this morning on 

 the hill above the house. For some time I watched 

 a pair of Goldcrests disporting themselves in a fir 

 close to the house, where I should think they will 

 nest. The Nuthatches were very lively, the male 

 from time to time uttering his love-call, peculiar to 

 the spring. To-day I was shown a bird which had 

 been picked up two months before by the river. 

 It was a Kingfisher. Curiously enough, beyond 

 smelling rather stale, it was in fairly good condition, 

 while the feathers had hardly sloughed at all. A 

 cottager told me that as a rule there were a pair of 

 Tawny Owls about her cottage ; also a pair of Red 

 Hawks in a picturesque cliff close by, as well as a 

 couple of Carrion Crows, which, by the way, are now 

 nesting in a little spinney on the railway embank- 

 ment. These latter I promised to shoot for her some 

 time or other, as last year they proved a sad scourge 

 to her ducklings and "gulls" (gull is the name by 

 which goslings go in this part of the world). After 

 luncheon I went with a couple of farmers to some 

 rocks where one of them told me a pair of Ravens 

 bred some eight years ago. We had a stiffish three 



