WOOD PIGEON. 61 



wantonly destroyed. The love note or cooing is one 

 of those harbingers of a change from the severity 

 of winter, that is looked for and listened to by the 

 resident in the country with feelings of delight ; 

 and previous to the arrival of the summer birds of 

 passage, bears a marked part in the melody of 

 our woods and groves. Mr. Yarrell gives the 

 southern parts of Russia and Siberia, and during 

 summer Denmark and Sweden, as their northern 

 range, and states that it is found in the latitude 

 of Madeira ; in the notes to a small collection of 

 birds given to us by W. T. Carruthers, Esq., of 

 Dormont, the common Wood Pigeon is stated to 

 have been seen in that island.* 



The Wood Pigeon, in winter, when not tamed 

 by its severity, is a remarkably shy and watchful 

 bird, and being then assembled in flocks, often 

 amounting to hundreds, is very difficult to be 

 approached. As spring advances, and pairing 

 has commenced, this wariness is in part lost, 

 and young plantations, the shrubbery, and even 

 the garden, if possessing some large evergreens, 

 are favourite resorts. There they become fami- 

 liarised with the presence of company, and will 

 proceed unheedingly with the slender structure 

 of their nests, and other duties of incubation. 

 A few years since, one built upon an evergreen 

 overhanging a walk, scarcely a yard above the 

 heads of persons passing ; there was a constant 

 thoroughfare, the bird was hourly looked at, and 

 ' * See Edin. Journal of Nat. and Geog. Science, i. p. 244. 



