COLUMBA PALUMBUS. 533 



nest in his little hanging doo-cot. This was the offspring. It 

 was perfectly tame, and came into the house with the rest of the 

 pigeons for food. It had been away for two months, and only 

 came back a fortnight before ; but I fear, from what I saw, the 

 woods will be her home at last." This is the only instance I 

 know of the domestication of the ring dove. Of course love 

 breaks through all bonds, as, like free thought, no tie can bind 

 it. Tor, as Touchstone says in " As You Like It" — " As the ox 

 hath his bow, sir, the horse his curb, and the falcon her bells, 

 so man hath his desires • and as pigeons bill, so wedlock will be 

 nibbling." The ring dove is strong on the wing ; found 

 throughout Europe. In severe winters many are shot ; but, 

 being a hardy bird, it holds its own against all enemies, 

 and gives a good illustration of the " survival of the fittest." 

 It makes a shallow nest of twigs, and lays two pure white eggs. 

 Its cry is more plaintive than the rock dove's, and may be 

 likened to coo, roo, coo, coo — the two last notes lengthened into 

 a wail, which may have caused Burns to say — 



" On lofty aitfs the cusJutts wail 

 And echo cons the doolfu' tale." 



Also in his " Epistle to William Simpson," where he says — 



" Oh, sweet are Coila's haughs and woods 

 When lintwhites chant amang the buds, 

 And jenkin' hares in amorous whids 



Their loves enjoy ; 

 While through the braes the cushat croods, 

 WV wailful! cry." 



Its chief food is grain and seeds ; fond of peas and beans. In 

 " Love's Labour Lost" Shakespeare says — " This fellow pecks 

 up wit as pigeons peas." In the south of England, where beech 

 mast and acorns abound, these are its chief support in autumn 

 — swallowed whole ; but in winter it feeds on the tops of 

 turnips, rape, and other plants, hips, haws, holly berries, or 

 what it can get. In spring it also feeds on turnip leaves, clover, 

 young corn, and farinaceous roots — anything in the shape of 

 grain or young corn, which may have induced Burns to write — 



" One night as I did wander, 



When com begins to shoot, 

 I sat me down tr> ponder 



Upon an auld tree root. 

 Auld Ayr ran before me 



And bicker'd to the seas ; 

 A cushat croodled o'er me 



That echo'd through the braes." 



