56 WITHIN AN HOUR OF LONDON TOWN. 



a-dozen busy wagtails will gather round, about one 

 cow or horse. Birds and animals understand each 

 other, without a shadow of doubt. The friendly 

 and practical little wagtail generally builds his nest 

 in the farmer's fagot-stack. 



The wild pigeons come next on our list. These 

 include the common ring - necked wood - pigeon, 

 stock-pigeon or stock-dove, rock-dove or pigeon, 

 also the turtle-dove. All four visit the cultivated 

 lands more or less. I have heard men grumble 

 about the harm done by these ; but if you ask what 

 definite mischief there was to complain about, you 

 will fail to elicit anything worth listening to. I 

 have kept close records, for many years, of their 

 comings and goings in the heavily timbered and 

 well-cultivated southern counties, more particularly 

 Surrey and Sussex, and have noted little harm done 

 by them worth speaking of. 



" They aims tu the fields, they gits in the corn, 

 they gits all over the place, an' they spiles the 

 turmits." This the farmer tells you as he stands 

 inside the copse waiting for a shot at the pigeons. 

 He knows where they come ; but he is very far astray 

 as to their behaviour. 



