82 



THE BIRDS OF ION A AND MULL. 



frequenting the same localities and roosting in the same cave 

 until driven off by some cause. I have watched marked birds 

 doing so ; especially last summer, I was observing a large white 

 male Pigeon, which had evidently escaped from the cot ; he took 

 to himself a little wild mate, and reared a brood in one of the 

 caves. I made a duty of destroying his family, 

 which was easily done, as they 

 were marked birds ; 



but he himself/though of such 



a conspicuous colour, always contrived 



to escape. He became very wary from 



being pursued, and I remarked that he 



always frequented the same cave, till 



he received a random shot, after which I lost sight 



of him for a considerable time ; but I found him at last, located 



upon the other side of the island, where he remained till his death. 



