282 THE WOOD-PIGEON 



these weeds hardly exist; and," he added, " in my 

 opinion his good deeds are in no way comparable to 

 the damage done. I have frequently, when shooting 

 Wood Pigeons in the winter months, seen their crops 

 burst on coming down dead from a height, from 

 distension with hearts, acorns, barley, and turnip-tops." 

 The contents of the three birds' crops sent to me were 

 129 peas, 85 beans, and some broken vegetable matter. 



The amount of good or of harm done by this species 

 varies, as in the case of other birds, according to the 

 weather and the scarcity or plenty of their natural food 

 about the woods and the lands skirting these. Con- 

 sidering the numbers that breed in our midst the farmers 

 might w r ell thin these, and send a better supply of birds 

 to the market. 



The Turtle Dove is smaller than the Pigeon, slenderer, 

 and it has a more stately form. Crown and brow are a 

 beautiful grey, cheeks and ear parts flushed with rust 

 colour. On each side of the neck it has an ornament of 

 black and white dots arranged in rows. The mantle is 

 ashen-grey with dark specks which have a reddish border. 

 The rump is ashen-grey with a shade of rust colour. 

 Throat and breast reddish, melting into violet; the 

 under-parts are white. The wings are black, shaded 

 with slate colour; tail slate colour; four, at least, of 

 the tail feathers have white tips. Beak black, the irides 

 fiery red; legs blood-red. The young birds are of 

 soberer colour. The nest is placed in thickets and is 

 well hidden. It is composed of little branches and 

 twigs, very lightly put together indeed so loose and 

 open is it, that the eggs and the sitting hen can be seen 

 through it. It lays two white eggs. 



