PIGEONS DOVES CRESTED TITMOUSE. 253 



to fill their crops with this small seed. As in this country 

 the turnip fields are for the most part drilled and rolled, the 

 poor birds have the greater difficulty in satisfying the 

 hunger of their young ones ; and no young bird requires so 

 much food as an unfledged pigeon, in proportion to its size 

 and weight. 



The power of the pigeon to alter the focal length of its eye 

 must be very great, as it is able to see equally well an object 

 at a distance of many miles and a minute seed not more than 

 half an inch from the end of its bill. 



The turtle-dove is sometimes, but only rarely, met with as 

 far north as Morayshire, but the stock-dove is never seen in 

 that part of the country : if once introduced, I should 

 imagine that it would thrive perfectly well, as both the 

 climate and the natural productions of the district are suited 

 to it. 



The hardy little blue-rock pigeon abounds on all the sea- 

 coast of Scotland, where the rocks are steep and broken into 

 fissures and caverns one moment dashing into its breeding- 

 place, and rapidly flying out the next ; then skimming the 

 very surface of the breakers, this little bird gives animation 

 and interest to many a desolate and rugged range of cliffs as 

 far north as Cape Wrath and Whiten Head. It abounds 

 also in most of the islands. Frequently living where there is 

 little cultivated ground, the blue-rock pigeon feeds on many 

 green plants, and I have also found its crop nearly full of 

 small shells. Whatever its principal food may be, it is a 

 particularly well-flavoured and delicate bird, and much 

 superior in this respect to either the dovecot pigeon or the 

 woodpigeon. 



A very beautiful little bird, and one not generally known 

 to breed in Britain, is the crested titmouse. From the 

 number of specimens which have been procured by Mr. 

 Dunbar from the woods of Strathspey it is evident that this 

 bird must be there in great abundance, although it does not 

 appear to extend its visits to other parts of the country, with 

 the exception of the woods about Dulsie on the Findhorn. 

 In these picturesque and beautiful woods the crested titmouse 

 is found, but not in such numbers as in Strathspey. Its 

 habits are the same as those of the other species of tomtits, 

 searching actively among the fir-trees for insects and 

 hanging from the branches in every possible attitude, probing 

 every crevice with its tiny but strong bill. All the kinds of 



