216 TRULY A BRITISH SPECIES. [CHAP. vi. 



birds, and has distributed them freely. It is not, there- 

 fore, very surprising that some which have escaped from 

 confinement have been shot ; but that this species should 

 naturally have a claim to be admitted into the British 

 Fauna appears to me very doubtful."* As to its 

 domesticability, some hope might seem to be enter- 

 tained from the following, which I have from Mr. T. 

 S. Woodcock, of St. Mary's Gate, Manchester : "I 

 have seen cart-loads of the Passenger Pigeon brought 

 to New York, as they visit the vicinity in their mi- 

 grations. This is the only wild species that I have 

 known attempted to be kept tame, and the instance 

 was my own. A straggling flock having passed over 

 New York, one of the birds (perhaps being fatigued) 

 flew so low as to strike a chimney, and fell to the ground, 

 and before it had time to recover itself it was in my pos- 

 session. I kept it in a cote in the garden, with other 

 Pigeons, and it became tolerably tame, and, I thought, 

 had mated ; but, the door being left open, out it flew, 

 and, though it remained in the garden several days, I 

 could not recover it, and its affection for its mate would 

 not reconcile it to voluntary imprisonment." This was 

 really behaving in a much more promising manner than 

 either our Ring Dove or Common Turtle would have 

 have done. They would have been off instantly, sans 

 ceremonie, without lingering two or three days out of 

 politeness to their hospitable entertainer. For it will 

 be remembered that the mating was only a compulsory 

 union, a complete Hobson's choice of fellowship. My 

 own scaped specimen did not tantalize us so long. For 

 in February, 1849, I had the honour to receive some of 



* Ornith. Biog., vol. v. p. 552. 



