4QO Practical Game Preserving. 



descriptions of spring-sown corn suffer most from the 

 depredations of the cushat ; wheat, however, seems to be 

 most delectable, and consequently receives more attention 

 than do barley or oats ; indeed, several instances exem- 

 plifying this preference have come under our observation. 

 As the wheat plant advances, it becomes unacceptable, 

 and so recourse is had to young cabbages and other plants, 

 lucerne, vetches, peas, beans, and anything of a like nature. 

 We have further remarked a penchant on the cushat's part 

 for the leaves of the wood-sorrel. ..Freshly planted-out 

 field cabbages and the first budding swedes will likewise 

 suffer spoliation, and, unless serious steps are taken, a 

 colony of wood pigeons will soon clear an acre of every 

 cabbage plant on it, or at least devour the heart out of 

 them all, which is as bad. During summer various wild 

 berries, such as black and whortle berries, form the chief 

 provender, while charlock, ragweed, wild mustard, and the 

 like oily seeds, together with small esculent roots and green 

 clover, go to make the sum of this bird's multifarious 

 food. Immediately the corn comes into ear it is again 

 deemed suitable, and is in good demand ; and filling their 

 capacious crops to their fullest extent with the unripened 

 but decidedly succulent grain, wood pigeons often present 

 deplorable examples of feathered greediness and gorman- 

 dising. As autumn advances their diet is changed to 

 acorns, beechmast, and still unripe hazel nuts, ivy, and 

 other berries. As to beechmast, their craving for these 

 nuts is remarkable, and so much do they often gorge 

 themselves that their flight is hampered and their general 

 shyness lessened, consequently shooting them then becomes 



