RING-TAIL PIGEON. 293 



affords an opportunity of obtaining the highly prized 

 Ring-tail. This bird appears to suffer more from 

 their stings than others; or else its superior saga- 

 city has taught it a resource of which others are 

 ignorant, or unwilling to avail themselves. It is aware 

 that these little insect-pests cannot abide smoke, and 

 wherever the blue clouds curl gracefully through the 

 tall trees from the woodman's fire, the Ring- tail is 

 said to resort thither, if within the neighbourhood, 

 and solace itself with a temporary suspension of 

 insect assaults. But, alas! it is only to expose 

 itself to a more fatal peril, for the negro sports- 

 men have marked the habit, and fail not to take 

 advantage of it Whenever they have noticed the 

 birds feeding on the berries of any particular tree, 

 they take an early opportunity of kindling a fire 

 beneath it, near which they conceal themselves, so 

 as to watch the tree. The birds begin to arrive, 

 and are shot down by the fowler one after another ; 

 the repeated flashes and reports, and the falls of 

 their companions, driving the survivors away for a 

 few moments only from the attractive spot, to which 

 they again and again return till the gunner's am- 

 bition is satisfied. They are frequently brought 

 to Kingston, Savanna-le-Mar, and the other towns, 

 and are eagerly purchased for the table ; though, as 

 the distance which they are carried usually prevents 

 their arrival on the day they are killed, they are 

 almost invariably deplumed and drawn, and the inside 

 strongly peppered before they are sent to market. 

 Hence specimens for the naturalist, are to be ob- 

 tained only by a special expedition. Of the three 



