SOME BIRD NOTES 229 



of flights passing in the immediate neighbourhood. In some 

 years large flocks have cast a big shadow as they crossed. 

 Great numbers are reported in various parts of the country, 

 notably in Devon and Bedfordshire ; in parts of the latter 

 county farmers are grumbling at the havoc they are making 

 on the young crops. Are they in any way misbehaving 

 themselves in Norfolk? ... An interesting note in this 

 week's Country Side, from a gamekeeper, makes reference to 

 a strange epidemic affecting them in the woods in the south ; 

 they are being picked up dead in extraordinary good plight. 



"JOHN KNOWLITTLE." 



The following reply appeared in answer to my note : 



"SIR, 'John Knowlittle,' in his letter of your Friday's issue, 

 seems just now keen on the wood-pigeon. In * B. B. S.V 

 * Farm Notes ' of Saturday, the 4th, is an article on the same 

 bird and its habits. May I ask you for our friend 'John's' 

 information to give an extract from the same as below ? 



" I learn in the district that the ' visitors,' as well as the 

 ' home-breds,' have a strong partiality for the clover leys, and 

 in taking their meal are careful to sample the crowns first. 



" Yours truly, " MlD-NORFOLK." 



"'SIR, My attention was recently called to a wild pigeon 

 which had just been shot. In falling, this bird burst its crop, 

 and disclosed what the shooter described as a dustpanful of 

 the hearts of young clover plants. Multiply this dustpanful 

 by the hundreds of birds which have been recently visiting 

 our new leys, and some idea can be formed of the damage 

 done by these pests. We see our clover leys looking well in 

 the autumn, but we find no clover in the spring, and we 

 accuse the eel-worms, which attack the roots of clover plants, 

 of doing the damage ; but perhaps the pigeons have done it 

 after all. < -g -g g > 



My own notes about that period are as follow : 



January 2*jth. Many (wood-pigeons) in the market again 

 to-day. In a note from Woburn, " M. B." says, " We have 

 thousands, and they are a great grievance to the farmer. I 

 do not understand the reason of their increase, ditto of the 

 stock dove." 



February loth. A considerable number (wood-pigeons) in 

 market to-day. I felt the crops of some, and found them full 

 of soft (green) food. The country-folk tell me they are busy 

 on the young crops. Some stock doves also in the market. 



