THE TURTLE DOVE. 



259 



In the course of a few days after writing, I received 

 by rail a box, not much larger than a cigar-box, 

 which, had it not been labelled "Live Bird, with care," 

 I never should have imagined to have held a living 

 creature. A dozen or so of gimlet-holes had been bored 



TURTLE DOVES. 



round the sides of the box and admitted a limited 

 amount of air and light into its interior for the use of 

 the prisoner, which I scarcely expected to see come out 

 of it alive. The box, or I should say its cover, was 

 fastened down with rather long nails, so that I had a 

 little difficulty in opening it, but at length I succeeded 



