102 



THE WOOD-PIGEON 



of wood-pigeons and their serious increase in some districts. In 

 Devonshire the farmers' wood-pigeon crusade resulted in 6,000 of 

 these birds falling a prey to the gun in a season. This repre- 

 sents something more than 150 compensation for damage already 



FIG. 112. THE RINGDOVE AND STOCKDOVE. 



inflicted, inasmuch as the crusade is a clear intimation to game 

 preservers that wood-pigeons must be decreased in numbers, other- 

 wise farmers recoup themselves for the losses incurred by their 

 depredations on crops. The restriction by gun, however, except 

 on trains, such as gamekeepers make in woods during hard weather 



