THE RINGDOVE. 145 



that, during the search and contemplation, either 

 the dame herself was in liquor, or her wooer in 

 hallucination. 



A DESCRIPTION OF THE HABITS OF THE 

 RINGDOVE. 



THE supposed purity of the dove is a common 

 topic with many writers ; and their readers are apt 

 to imagine that this bird has been more favoured 

 by Nature than the rest of the feathered tribe. 

 What may be allowed to romantic and sentimental 

 composers cannot by any means be conceded to 

 writers on natural history. Genuine ornithology 

 would be offended at the attempt to introduce un- 

 warrantable matter into her pages ; while her true 

 votaries would always grieve on seeing it admitted 

 into them. 



All wild birds which go in pairs are invariably 

 attached to each other by Nature's strongest ties ; 

 and they can experience no feelings of what may be 

 called mistrust or suspicions of unfaithfulness ; 

 otherwise we should witness scenes of ornitholo- 

 gical assault and battery in every hedge and wood, 

 during the entire process of their incubation. The 

 soot-black crow is just as chaste, affectionate, and 

 constant as the snow-white dove itself. The move- 

 ments of both these birds, at a certain time of the 

 year, tend exactly to the same point. They are 



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