62 WOOD PIGEON. 



even spoken to, still it persevered in its charge, 

 and seemed to have confidence in being protected. 



The food of the Wood Pigeon is very varied. 

 Grains of all kinds are eaten with avidity ; a field 

 of peas or beans, after the crop has been reaped, 

 is a tempting pasture. The roots of several of 

 the grasses, and as Professor Macgillivray observes, 

 that of Potentilla anserina are gathered on the 

 ikllows : beech mast is a great favourite, and, 

 during winter, turnips and other green crops are 

 , often attacked, to the serious injury of the pro- 

 prietor. Except during the breeding season they 

 are gregarious, feed together in large flocks, and 

 like many other species, retire at night to some 

 common roosting place, where they are often suc- 

 cessfully procured, by watching in concealment 

 about the time of the coming in of the birds. 

 Many of the pigeons possess peculiar flights, in 

 the typical species it is powerful, and the strong 

 feathers of the wings render it noisy when sud- 

 denly disturbed, or when escaping from some 

 thicket. During ^incubation they may also be 

 seen rising with rapid strokes, and making the 

 wings clap together as the elevation is attained, 

 and then, keeping them expanded, falling grace- 

 fully to their former level. 



This species has never been applied to any 

 economical purpose, their shy and timid nature 

 being a bar to their domestication. It was in- 

 deed thought that they could not be made to 

 breed in confinement, and it is probable that it 



