THE RING DOVE. 297 



and prey upon the seed grain ; they search* under the 

 oak trees for acorns, and under the beech trees for the 

 mast, sometimes feeding in the branches ; they frequent 

 the stubbles in autumn and pick up the scattered grain, 

 also eating the tender heart shoots of the clover ; they 

 feed upon the growing turnip plants, and in keen 

 weather when the snow lies deep they will make a meal 

 on the turnips themselves. There is not a doubt but 

 what the Ring Dove, yearly increasing in numbers as it 

 is, is a bird destructive to the farmers' crops. But the 

 case is analogous with that of the domestic Sparrow. 

 Could we restore the sorely persecuted Buzzard Hawk 

 to its woodland haunts, or encourage the Harrier and the 

 Peregrine Falcon and the Goshawk to live once more in 

 our company, we should then have little room for com- 

 plaint : the Ring Doves would be kept in bounds, and 

 the Falcons would be in their proper sphere, and all 

 would be well. But as there is little chance of seeing 

 the larger birds of prey again in any numbers, I fear we 

 shall have to put up with the evil, and thank our game 

 preservers for upsetting the balance Nature so beautifully 

 ordained. Yet withal the Ring Dove has some few good 

 points in his favour ; for when we examine the contents 

 of his crop, we ofttimes find, besides grain, the seeds of 

 noxious weeds, as the charlock and dock, and his flesh 

 also forms a wholesome article of food. 



