THE WOOD-PIGEON AND HOUSE-SPAEEOW. 187 



principally to the improved cultivation of the 

 farms. ' Formerly there was no food for the 

 wood -pigeon in the winter time ; but when 

 the red clover became common it gave them 

 food, as did the turnip-top, all the year round. 

 I have no doubt we get large importations of 

 these birds from the centre of Germany, and 

 they never go back.' 



He also attributes it to the decrease of birds 

 of prey ; but no numbers of these could now 

 make any sensible impression on such count- 

 less hosts. And he states : ' One hard winter 

 I had a field of rape, and I allowed everyone 

 to shoot them who could, and I have counted 

 12,000 birds m one week, and yet they ate 

 the whole of the crop ; none of it was saved.' 



We wish the size of this field had been 

 stated. At 6d. each, these birds were worth 

 300Z., which would be some slight compensa- 

 tion for the loss. 



But even the wood-pigeon has one friend. 

 Mr. John Cordeaux, who farms 700 acres in 



