110 BIRDS OF GUERNSEY. 



sufficiently whole to be counted ; and in the crop of 

 the other the astonishing number of seventy-seven 

 beech-masts and one large acorn ; the gizzard of this 

 one I did not examine. I only mention this to show 

 the damage a few Wood Pigeons would do supposing 

 they were restricted almost entirely to agricultural 

 produce for their food, as they would be in Guernsey 

 if they lived there in any great numbers. 



The Wood Pigeon is mentioned by Professor 

 Ansted and marked as only occurring in Guernsey, 

 and probably as far as breeding is concerned this is 

 right (of course with the exception of Jersey) ; but 

 wandering flocks probably occasionally visit Alderney 

 as well. There is no specimen in the Museum. 



92. EocxDovE. Columba liria, Linnaeus. French, 

 " Colombe biset." I have never seen the Eock 

 Dove in any of the Islands, though there are many 

 places in all of them that would suit its habits well; 

 and Mr. MacCulloch writes to me to say, "I have 

 heard that in times past the Eock Pigeon used to 

 breed in large numbers in the caves around Sark ; 

 but this certainly is not the case at present. Captain 

 Hubbach also writes to me from Alderney, " There 

 were some Eock Doves here in the winters of 1862 

 and 1863; I shot two or three of them then." 

 Probably a few yet remain in both Alderney and 

 Sark, though they certainly are not at all numerous 

 in either island. 



