196 The Wood-Pigeon. 



magpie insisted that this was a very unworkman- 

 like manner of proceeding, one stick at a time 

 being as much as could be managed to advantage, 

 but the pigeon reiterated her ' two, take two ' till 

 Mag, in a violent passion, gave up the task, 

 exclaiming, ' I say one at a time is enough, and if 

 you think otherwise, you may set about the work 

 yourself, for I will have no more to do with it/ ' 

 The unfortunate pigeon was thus left in the lurch 

 when nothing more than the bare foundation had 

 been laid ; and being, as we have said, no 

 architect, has not to this day been able to improve 

 on the miserable structure. 



The young of these birds when first hatched are 

 blind, and like puppies, remain so for the first nine 

 days of their existence. At this time they are 

 covered with yellow down, and certainly have no 

 pretensions to beauty, being, in fact, as ugly as 

 when full grown they are handsome. At this time 

 they are far from pleasant in their ways, having a 

 disagreeable habit of puffing and snorting when 

 approached, a habit which, according to Bewick, 

 resulted in the death of a pair hatched under a 

 dovecote - pigeon, the foster - mother being so 

 alarmed at her supposed offspring that she 

 deserted them. In common with all other pigeons, 

 the wood-pigeon feeds its young on half-digested 

 food from its crop. The process is curious and 

 amusing. The young bird, instead of opening its 

 mouth to receive the expected meal, forces its bill 

 between its parent's mandibles and sucks out the 



