AN ARCADIAN CALENDAR 



tails, tumblers, homers and the rest), have now been 

 joined by the gentle turtle-doves, no near relatives, but 

 with many habits of the typical pigeons. They are less 

 destructive birds, preferring weed-seeds to corn. Like 

 the wood-pigeons, each of a pair of parent birds will do 

 sitting-duty on the eggs. The turtle-dove excels the 

 pigeon in slenderness and grace, and its voice is softer 

 and a more purring coo than the pigeon's. 



IN THE COVERTS 



A PAIR of sparrow-hawks started making a nest in 

 March, but so leisurely did they work that 

 The only a fortnight ago was it ready for the 



Hawk's first egg, five others following at two-day 

 Eyrie intervals perhaps the handsomest eggs 



laid by any of our native birds. A rare and 

 curious woodland sight is the feeding of the young on 

 birds brought in chiefly by the dashing little male. The 

 hen takes delivery of his catch, tears up the spoil, 

 already plucked, and distributes it to the youngsters: 

 studies in softest white down, but rapacious-looking, 

 and with needle-sharp talons. 



MY lord the cock pheasant dances fairly close atten- 

 dance on the half-dozen members of his 

 The harem in the early days of their nesting. 



Pheasant's He has a quiet way of paying them visits, 

 Wives giving a peculiar sort of crow and fluttering 



his wings to announce his royal approach. 

 As sitting-time draws near the hens begin to add their 

 breast feathers to the nests. A full clutch being laid, 

 for a day or two the nest may be deserted before the 

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