298 WILD PIGEONS. 



repeating this motion several times, as if in exquisite 

 enjoyment of the genial season. The coo of the ring-dove 

 continues in a less degree during the summer, but chiefly 

 in the morning and evening. They build very early the 

 nests being generally about half-way up the evergreen 

 trees, and composed of a few twigs so loosely put together 

 that you may see through them. Many have two broods 

 in the year, but I should imagine not all at least if we 

 may judge from the decrease of those that coo and soar in 

 summer and autumn. Numbers of branchers scarcely able 

 to fly are to be met with in August and September. I 

 have also found their nests with young in June but most 

 likely these were birds that have had their spring hatching 

 destroyed. The nest of this bird is easily discovered, and 

 most people who have lived in the neighbourhood of 

 hanging woods are familiar with its sudden crash through 

 the branches, when startled from its eggs. 



Five years ago I had some fancy pigeons of various 

 kinds, croppers, tumblers, fan-tails, and carriers. It was 

 a pleasure to feed them every morning after breakfast. 

 One day a ring-dove most unexpectedly appeared, and 

 claimed a share of the barley. At first he was rather shy, 

 but in a week or so became the boldest of the company. 

 For two months, " the stranger," as he was still called, 

 was never once absent at morning feed. He always flew 

 over the wall into the garden where the dovecot was 

 placed. Sometimes, after filling his crop, he lingered with 

 the other pigeons nearly the whole day, but never stayed 

 over night. I had the curiosity to watch him in the 



