29(5 WILD PIGEONS. 



until they drop down half-a-dozen at a time. There are 

 often two hundred in one flock. 



By building a wigwam constructed of twigs, and not 

 disturbing the doves afterwards for a week, they will 

 become quite fearless, and feed close to it : my anxiety 

 to shoot a pure white one which made its appearance 

 among the rest suggested this plan to me. Many people 

 saw this rarity and fancied it a tame pigeon. I, however, 

 examined it with my telescope, and plainly saw that it 

 was a white ring-dove. Its size and shape of tail clearly 

 showed this, but the most certain mark was a blue ring 

 instead of the white one. Notwithstanding my efforts, 

 I could not succeed in killing this bird, and only got one 

 random shot, about eighty yards off. 



The sleeping place of this flock was a small belt of tall 

 trees, half a mile from their feeding ground. I constantly 

 saw the white dove perched near the top of one of the 

 highest trees, (another undeniable proof of its wood origin,) 

 and manoeuvred to obtain a shot, but was completely 

 baffled by the wary bird. Should, however, the night 

 resting-place of ring-doves be known, a few may easily 

 be killed by keeping one side of the plantation and sending 

 some one to make a little noise on the other. They will 

 continue flying overhead, quite within distance, until the 

 reports of your gun have driven them all from their 

 retreat. Many a one have I bagged in this way, as I 

 generally gave the pigeon woods a trial when returning 

 home in the evening. A bad shot may have good sport by 

 waiting for them at dusk under these roosting trees. The 



