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WILD PIGEONS. 



THERE are four kinds of dove found in a wild state in this 

 country, the largest of which is the ring-dove or cushat, com- 

 mon all over the kingdom. This bird, called also the wood- 

 pigeon, is thought by many to migrate ; but if so, multitudes 

 stay behind. Perhaps one reason for the supposition may be, 

 that numbers congregate in the autumn and beginning of 

 winter, under beech-trees, to feed upon the mast, and when 

 this is all devoured they separate in search of other food. The 

 first signal for the flocking of wood-pigeons is the yellowing of 

 the grain ; they then choose the ripest part of the field if 

 possible, near the centre, as being least accessible and generally 

 keep to the same place. When the acorns and beech-nuts 

 fall, they greedily feed upon them ; and I have sometimes 

 taken about a dozen large acorns out of the crop of one bird. 

 The flock are certain to return morning and evening to feed 

 under any clump of old beeches in the neighbourhood of their 

 haunts. First one alights, cautiously looking all round then 

 another, and so on, 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 dis- 

 turbing 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 



