188 THE BING-DOVE. [CHAP. vi. 



the delights of sylvan freedom, and become followers of 

 Eobin Hood and other forest-haunting outlaws : not that 

 they love man less, but that they love the woods more. 

 If, therefore, they are to be retained in captivity, an 

 aviary must ever be their prison ; unless it be preferred 

 that they should go at large in a still more sorrowful 

 condition, with a clipped wing or a shortened pinion*. 



The RING DOVE (C. Palumbus) is a much larger 

 bird, of perhaps still more beautiful plumage, which is 

 too well known to be particularized here. It is, how- 

 ever, less docile, and more difficult to rear. The best 

 way to procure them for the aviary is to get from the 

 nest three-quarter grown squabs, and feed them, by 

 mouth, with peas and water. They are too large to be 

 easily brought up by domestic Pigeons as foster-parents. 

 " I have been consoling myself," writes a friend, "for 

 bad success with chickens, by rearing Wild Ducks and 

 Wood Pigeons. The former do well at present, and 

 are amusing little creatures, not very wild either ; the 

 latter I have in two instances hatched under my pigeons, 

 and for one week they have tended them well; but, 

 after that, finding out, I suppose, the trick put upon 

 them, they have deserted their foster-children. The 

 result of this experiment is not yet conclusive, and may, 

 after all, be a mere accident. If I can get eggs easily, 

 I shall probably try again, taking care to put them under 

 a different pair from either of the others. The Eing 

 Dove is a very great ornament to our dark fir woods and 

 cedars, and will frequently build in some beeches close 

 to where the domestic birds are housed ; of which, how- 

 ever, they never take the slightest notice." H. H. 



* " A neighbour here kept a Stockdove and a Blue Rock toge- 

 ther in vain for a long time." D. L., Keswick, Cumberland. 



