BIRDS OF THE HUMBER DISTRICT. 77 



probably receive considerable accessions, either from 

 the north or the continent, as I have observed they 

 are invariably, at least in this neighbourhood, much 

 more numerous in a severe than in an open winter. 



Wood-Pigeons are remarkably partial to salt, and 

 will daily during the summer quarter resort to those 

 drains in the marsh to which the tide has access, to 

 drink the salt water *. Varieties occasionally occur. 

 The Wood-Pigeon is both an early and late breeder ; I 

 have found young unfledged birds in the nests as late 

 as the second week in October. 



128. COLUMBA CENAS, Linnaeus. Stock-Dove. 



Provincial. Sand-Dove. 



Found only in the neighbourhood of our oldest 

 woodlands and parks, and nowhere very plentiful. 

 Is not uncommon in the north-west corner of this 

 county, bordering the Trent, where they nest both 

 in the deserted rabbit-burrows, in the warrens, and 

 in holes of trees and tops of pollards in the woods. 

 Small flocks sometimes visit the marsh stubbles in 

 the winter and spring. From their extreme wildness 

 and shyness, they are practically unapproachable. 



Mr. Boulton (Zoologist, p. 9594) says, "This British 

 Dove rarely visits the neighbourhood of Beverley. 



* Mr. Harry Blake-Knox, in Ms notes from the county Dub- 

 lin (Zoologist, s. s. p. 1401) , says that " both in spring and autumn 

 * Wood-quests' come from inland in the early morning to feed 

 upon the sea-rocks left bare by the tide, and here feed upon 

 seaweed and copiously drink the salt water from the rock-pools." 



