ROUND A LONDON COPSE 



IN October a party of wood-pigeons took up their 

 residence in the little copse which has been previously 

 mentioned. It stands in the angle formed by two 

 suburban roads, and the trees in it overshadow some 

 villa gardens. This copse has always been a favourite 

 with birds, and it is not uncommon to see a pheasant 

 about it, sometimes within gunshot of the gardens, while 

 the call of the partridges in the evening may now and 

 then be heard from the windows. But though frequently 

 visited by wood-pigeons, they did not seem to make any 

 stay till now when this party arrived. 



There were eight of them. During the day they made 

 excursions into the stubble fields, and in the evening 

 returned to roost. They remained through the winter, 

 which will be remembered as the most severe for many 

 years. Even in the sharpest frost, if the sun shone out, 

 they called to each other now and then. On the first 

 day of the year their hollow cooing came from the 

 copse at midday. 



During the deep snow which blocked the roads and 

 covered the fields almost a foot deep, they were silent, 

 but were constantly observed flying to and fro. Imme- 

 diately it became milder they recommenced to coo, so 

 that at intervals the note of the wood-pigeon w r as heard 

 in the adjacent house from October, all through the 

 winter, till the nesting time in May. Sometimes towards 



