has no connexion with man. He fcorns 

 the inclofure; and all the dainties of the 

 ftubble. The wild foreft is his only delight ; 

 and there, his pleafures lie more in it's open, 

 than in it's woody fcenes. This bird was 

 formerly found in great abundance in New- 

 foreft ; but he is now much fcarcer ; tho he 

 has the honour, which no other bird can 

 boaft, of being protected as royal-game. To 

 this day when the chief-juftice-in-eyre grants 

 his warrants to kill game in the foreft, he always 

 excepts the black-cock, together with red, and 

 fallow-deer. 



The plaintiff ring-dove alfo is a great ad- 

 mirer of the woody fcenes of the foreft. 

 Many fuppofe her a folitary bird; at leaft, 

 that fhe flies only with her mate ; confound- 

 ing her habits perhaps with thofe of the 

 turtle-dove ; ' which, I believe, is folitary : 

 but the ring-dove is certainly gregarious. I 

 have often feen in the foreft large flocks of 

 this fpecies together, in the winter-months ; 

 fo well the poet knew their nature by con- 

 trafting them with the wood-cock : 



While doves in flocks the leaflefs trees o'er-fhade; 

 The lonely wood-cock haunts the watry glade. 



The 



