Wood-Pigeons in the Parks. 239 



breeding-place, and has a very considerable con- 

 tingent. Curiously enough, however, they do not 

 confine themselves to the Parks. For example, 

 a pair nested last year and, we believe, brought 

 off their young in safety in the elm tree over the 

 fountain at the end of Great George-street, West- 

 minster. This spring they again built a nest, 

 laid their eggs and began to sit ; but, owing to the 

 backwardness of the season, they were in full view 

 of all the passers by, and we have reason to 

 believe that their eggs were taken; at all events, 

 the nest was deserted. 



One of the most noticeable characteristics of the 

 Park pigeons is their excessive tameness, which 

 seems to have grown as their numbers increased. 

 They walk about most unconcernedly within a few 

 feet of the constant stream of pedestrians ; and 

 especially in St. James's Park, are ever on the 

 alert for the food which is often thrown to them ; 

 indeed, four or five may frequently be seen, in 

 company with a small army of sparrows, almost 

 at the feet of some person who is feeding them 

 with pieces of bread or grain. This excessive 

 tameness is curious, as, though it is well known 

 that wood-pigeons during the breeding season so 

 far alter their ordinarily wild habits as often to 

 choose their nesting places in very close proximity 

 to houses, they never seem thoroughly to lose 

 their native wariness and fear of man, whereas 

 the Park birds are very nearly, though not quite, 

 as tame and fearless as the dovecote pigeons 



