Wood-Pigeons. 3 7 



facility with which birds can change the eye from 

 microscopic to telescopic is proved by the fact that, 

 while the tit is feeding on the eggs of flies on this tree 

 (which eggs must appear as large to him as musket 

 bullets do to us), he feels no difficulty in seeing that 

 whinbush at the distance of more than two hundred 

 yards. 



A few wood-pigeons will sometimes pay me a visit 

 in the early morning, tempted by some choice straw- 

 berries, of which, like other congeners of theirs, they 

 are very fond. There, they are off, with a whirr up- 

 wards high, and glance of light from their rapid wings, 

 a slight movement of mine having scared them. They 

 are far more timid than blackbirds, and thrushes or 

 starlings, whose boldness and impudence are equal to 

 their cleverness and ingenuity. The wood-pigeon 

 depends more on his shyness, and swiftness, and 

 caution, than on his boldness, or impudence, or in- 

 genuity. He is a beautiful bird, and his shyness is 

 seen in the fact that he chooses the darkest corner of 

 the wood he can find for his nest, and then is so 

 impatient, or so incapable a nest-builder, that in the 

 gloom his white eggs, exposed through twigs carelessly 

 criss-crossed, will betray him. I have sometimes seen 

 as many as five here shortly after daylight in search of 

 gooseberries (for which, too, they have a passionate 

 liking), cherries, peas, or lettuce, of which they will 

 take an occasional refresher. But they may take a 

 taste of some of my weedy wildings too, for they are 

 very fond of wild mustard and ragweed, and often do 

 good service to the farmer in clearing them from his 

 fields, when he believes that they are only eating his 

 corn, or wheat, or turnips. But they prefer the weeds 

 to them any day, else from their wonderful voracity 



