THE KING DOVE. 137 



Advantage is taken of this by sportsmen, who, in the even- 

 ings, stand with their guns under the trees in those parts of 

 the wood which are most frequented by the Pigeons, and 

 shoot them as they fly in to roost. A windy night is the 

 most suitable for this kind of sport, when as many as 

 seventy-two have been killed by one gun. 



Besides consuming large quantities of ripening and 

 newly-sown grain, such as wheat, barley, and oats, as well 

 as beans, peas, and tares, 1 the Cushats likewise do much 

 injury to young Swedish turnips in early summer by 

 feeding on the leaves ; and they also eat the " shaws " 2 

 and roots of turnips in hard weather in winter. It is 

 believed that they do not break open the roots, their bills 

 not being strong enough to do so, but that they feed 

 upon those which have been already broken by hares, or 

 by Eooks, whose sharp beaks penetrate the tough skin of 

 the turnip with ease. They also do great damage to young 

 grass and clover fields. A singular instance of voracity in 

 this respect is mentioned by Mr. Hardy, who records that 

 Mr. "Wood, Foulden Bastle, shot a "Wood Pigeon on his 

 farm on the *7th of February 1872, and found in its crop 

 upwards of 4200 clover leaves; and that in the previous 

 year he got 3800 leaves from one which he had killed. 3 

 During long-continued snow-storms Cushats are often put 

 to great straits for food, and are frequently driven to visit 



1 Gray mentions, as an example of the extraordinary voracity of the Wood 

 Pigeon, that Lord Haddington had forwarded to him the contents of the crops of 

 four of these birds opened at different times. The first contained 144 field peas 

 and 7 large beans ; the second, 231 beech nuts ; the third, 813 grains of barley ; 

 and the fourth, 874 grains of oats and 55 of barley. He likewise adds that a bird 

 shot at Alyth, in Forfarshire, was found to have no less than 1020 grains of corn in 

 its crop. Birds of the West of Scotland, pp. 216, 217. 



2 Mr. Hardy, writing in 1860, says, under date January 27th: "The forester 

 here (Penmanshiel), an Englishman, used to cook the turnip leaves found in 

 Cushats' crops, and said they were tender and good to eat. This during snow- 

 storms snow a foot deep. Cushats very tame, going amongst turnips with raised- 

 up backs and feathers dishevelled, picking out pieces of turnips. " MS. Notes, 



s Hist. Ber. Nat. Club, vol. vi. p. 429. 



