1?0 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xv. 



perfectly tame. It, remained with its foster parents, flying in 

 and out of tlieir house, and coming with them to be fed at the 

 windows. After it had grown up, and the cares of a new nest 

 made the old birds drive it out of their company, the wood-pigeon 

 became still tamer, always coming at breakfast-time or whenever 

 lie was called to the window-sill, where he would remain as long 

 as he was noticed, cooing and strutting up and down as if to 

 challenge attention to his beautiful plumage. 



However, like all pets, this poor bird came to an untimely end, 

 being struck down and killed by a hen-harrier. I never on any 

 other occasion saw a wood-pigeon remain perfectly tame, if left 

 at liberty ; and if they are entirely confined, they seldom acquire 

 their full beauty of feather. The bird seems to have a natural 

 shyness and wildness which prevent its ever becoming domesti- 

 cated like the common blue rock -pigeon. 



It is very difficult to approach wood -pigeons when feeding in 

 the fields. They keep in the most open and exposed places, and 

 allow no enemy to come near them. It is amusing to watch a 

 large flock of these birds while searching the ground for grain. 

 They walk in a compact body, and in order that all may fare 

 alike, the hindmost rank every now and then fly over the heads 

 of their companions to the front, where they keep the best place 

 for a minute or two, till those now in the rear take their place in 

 the same manner. They keep up this kind of fair play during 

 the whole time of feeding. Almost every kind of seed is eaten 

 by them, and the farmers accuse them of destroying their turnips 

 in severe snow and frost. They feed also on fruit of all kinds, 

 both the wild berries, such as mountain-ash, ivy, &c., and also 

 upon almost all garden fruits that are not too large to be swal- 

 lowed. Numbers of them come every evening to my cherry- 

 trees, where they fearlessly swallow as many cherries as they can 

 hold, although the gardener may be at work close at hand. 

 Strawberries also are occasionally laid waste by them ; and in 

 the winter and early spring they devour the young cabbage and 

 lettuce-plants. Where acorns are plentiful, the wood-pigeons 

 seem to prefer them to anything else ; and the quantity they 

 manage to stow away in their crop is perfectly astonishing. 



There are many months of the year, however, during which 

 they are compelled, nolens volens, to feed wholly on the seeds of 



