So MY NATURE NOTEBOOK. 



deliberate intention to find their old homes if possible, 

 and are guided by landmarks towards it. This brings 

 us back to the turtle-doves, which arrived, in spite of 

 the wind, on the loth or nth ; for with the powerful 

 flight and strong homing powers common to the 

 pigeon tribe, they could afford to travel even hundreds 

 of miles against the weather, guided, probably, by 

 landmarks ranging in size from rivers and ranges of 

 hills at a distance, to familiar groves and clumps of 

 trees at the last. Seeing a pair arrive, winging their 

 arrowy way across the valley straight to a tiny coppice 

 where they lived last year, curving their graceful 

 flight upwards at the last to perch together on, per- 

 haps, a familiar branch, one could not help a great 

 feeling of relief and sympathy. It almost seemed 

 that one had come home from Africa one's self. 



THE TURTLE-DOVE'S GIFTS. 



The loud clapping of the wings which the turtle- 

 dove, like many other pigeons, delights to make 

 when "showing off," indicates immense power of 

 flight, for one can hardly realize the sudden force 

 with which feathers must be struck together to pro- 

 duce so loud and sharp a sound. But it is not for 

 migration that the turtle-dove needs so much wing- 

 power. Feeding in winter in company, and feeding 

 very greedily, in spite of the gentle delicacy which 

 we associate with the name of the bird, it has often 

 to travel far for meals ; and to cross some miles of 

 open country without seeing a hawk is a rare ex- 

 perience. That is why a turtle-dove has acquired 

 such wing-power ; and in this habit of travelling far 



