198 The Wood-Pigeon. 



it not only eats the leaves, thus seriously inter- 

 fering with the growth of the plant, but also in 

 winter destroys the roots, hollowing them out so 

 that little is left but the shell. No better examples 

 of the voracity of this species can be given than 

 those supplied in the last edition of YarrelPs 

 " British Birds/' from which the three following 

 are extracted. The crop of one bird examined 

 contained 1020 grains of corn; that of another, 

 144 peas and 7 large beans; and the last, but 

 certainly not the least, 231 beech-nuts. 



Wood-pigeons, in common with all their con- 

 geners, are very fond of water. They are essen- 

 tially thirsty; drinking, be it observed, not like 

 most other birds, sip by sip, but as a horse drinks, 

 at one long draught. Water is also necessary to 

 them for bathing purposes. Their fondness for 

 water leads the London birds to places where they 

 may easily be observed. For example, it is not 

 uncommon to see wood-pigeons on the island in 

 St. James's Park, this being a favourite drinking 

 and bathing place for the birds resorting to that 

 neighbourhood. They may also be seen from time 

 to time, especially by those acquainted with their 

 habits, drinking and bathing in the Serpentine. 

 Wood-pigeons, though among the wariest and 

 wildest of birds in the autumn and winter, in the 

 breeding season so change their habits as not 

 infrequently to be found nesting in gardens, and 

 at this time they seem to lose much of their natural 

 fear of man. When taken from the nest or reared 



