50 JANUARY 



perhaps in an old thrush s nest, they imitate the rats, 

 though Cm my experience) they rather prefer fruit to 

 vegetables King Pippins to King Edwards. 



There is one bird whose winter hunger is comparable 

 in its virulence with the rabbit s, and may as nearly affect 

 the interests of man. The wood-pigeon, especially the 

 immigrant, goes where food is ; and like the rabbit it 

 has found it this year in gardens and market gardens. I 

 have seen one which carried in its crop rather more than 

 half a pint of Brussels sprouts. The pigeon s capacity is 

 scarcely credible. Particular cropfuls of which I have 

 record contained one over twenty hazel-nuts, another 

 over thirty acorns. Only those who have seen the place 

 before and after can believe the powers of a flock of 

 pigeons to graze a patch of clover. They quite reach 

 the rabbit s level of capacity. Indeed, on occasion 

 rabbits have been wrongly accused of the pigeons 

 crimes, as of mice s offences, against the tips of leading 

 shoots. It is the pigeon s habit to glut himself with food 

 before going to roost. Browning might have been 

 thinking of the species when he wrote that true but most 

 cacophonous of lines : 



Irks care the crop-full bird ? 



The pigeon sleeps and feeds in a bliss of simultaneous 

 well-being, living on its full crop. 



8, 



One of the old humdrum general farms has been taken 

 by an energetic farmer from the North and is in some 

 measure mechanised. We feared this &quot; new-fadded &quot; 

 business in the village ; and indeed a chapter of particular 

 beauty seemed to be ended. I visited the place one 



