148 THE KOCK DOVE. 



the sea-coast, or a rocky hold on the banks of the Tweed or 

 Whitadder. 



The dovecot Pigeon has from early times been under 

 the protection of the law, and for the purpose of encourag- 

 ing its increase in Scotland we find James IV., in his sixth 

 parliament (llth March 1503), enacting that "everilk Lord 

 and Laird, make them to have Parkes with Deare, stankes, 

 cunningares, dowcattes, orchardes, hedges, and plants, at 

 the least, ane aicker of Woode." l In a confirmation by the 

 same king, given at Stirling the 20th of July 1510, of a 

 husbandland in " Hirsell " to the Prioress of the Cistercian 

 convent of Coldstream, " columbis " and " columbarijs " are 

 mentioned, 2 which shows that pigeon houses were then con- 

 sidered valuable adjuncts to landed property. 



Thefts of " Dowes furth of Dowcates " were severely 

 punished (James L, Parl. 2, c. 33; James IIL, Parl. 10, 

 c. 60; James iv., Parl. 6, c. 69, &c.) A breaker of " dowcats " 

 by Scots law was fined 10 Scots for the first fault, and 20 

 for the second, and it bears that for the third and obduracy 

 "he may be hanged to death." When children were the 

 culprits, the fathers or masters were to pay 13s. 4d. for " ilk 

 time of trespas," or " else sail deliver the said childe to the 

 Judge, to be leisched, scourged, and dung for his fault." 3 

 It would seem that the enactment of James iv. with 

 regard to the making of " dowcates " had been carried 

 out too well, and that Pigeons became troublesome from 

 their numbers in the reign of James VL, for he, "con- 

 sidering the great inconvenients sustained by the Leiges 

 of this realm through the frequent building of dowcats 



1 Laws and Acts of Parliament 'made "by the Kings and Queen of Scotland. 

 Collected by Sir Thomas Murray of Glendook, Bart., 1681. 



2 Chartulary of the Cistercian Abbey of Coldstream, by Kev. C. Rodgers, 

 LL.D., p. 56. 



3 Regiam Majestatem, edition 1609. The Forest Laives, fol. 139, b., chap, iii., 

 Nos. 5 and 7. Mr, Hardy's MS. Notes. 



