456 The Zoologist— October, 1866. 



tbiee, all white ones, and that he saw them previously to their flying. He also says 

 that about fofir years aj;o liieie were two in the same neighbourhood, and both sliot. 

 Is not this a very unusual occurrence? I have been a sportsman upwards of twenty 

 years, and never saw auytliing of the kind before. — C. Walkins ; Holinen Parle, 

 Hereford. — From the ' Field.' 



Wkitebcllied Sivifl in the Western htands of Mai/o.—Mt. Thomas Cullen, sub- 

 curator of Trinity Colleae, Dublin, while ou a dredging tour with Professor Wright, 

 on the West Coast of Ireland, informs nie thai he saw several of this supposed alpine 

 swift in the vicinity of Achill Island. This was in July last, so that they must breed 

 there. — H. Blake-Knox ; Dalkey, Co. Dublin, August 2t), 18(56. 



Swift in September.— Yo\x will no doubt be interested in the fact that I saw, on 

 the 3rd of September, a swift sailing about, as if it was the middle of August, though 

 without any companions. 1 watched it for some time, and had a perfectly clear view 

 of it. On looking into ' Selborne,' I find that " a swift was once seen at Lyndon on 

 September 3rd." It is curious that my day of observation should be the same; and 

 the fact itself is the more remarkable in this noitheru part of England, and in a 

 district where swifts are scarce even in the height of summer. It was just on the out- 

 skirts of the village : the weather was fine on Monday, but has since been unfavourable, 

 else I should have looked again.— J. Gilbert White ; Beeford, Hull, September 5, 1666. 

 [Communicated by Thomas Bell, Esq., F.R.S., &c.] 



Destructiveness of the Wood Pigeon. — In addition to " turnip tops, holly-berries, 

 rowans, hips, haws, charlock (seeds, leaves and flowers)," may be added grain of all 

 descriptions. From the time of the young grain hardening in the ear to the time of 

 its harvesting, and from the time of its being sown to getting into the blade, they prey 

 upon it, and do immense harm to it. Last harvest I saw one shot, the crop of which 

 contained half a pint of tares ; and the Duke of Richmond's gamekeeper shot one, the 

 crop of which contained 858 grains of barley. Some time ago I saw one opened, that 

 was said to have visited a field seven times one day before it was shot, and in the crop 

 there was an imperial half pint of wheat. They are particularly injurious to peas and 

 beans, both newly sown and when ripening. In winter they attack the clover plants, 

 pecking out the centre buds, and they do the same to turnips, frequently pecking the 

 bulbs also, which, thus injured, are very lial)le to be destroyed by frost. In this neigh- 

 bourhood they are found in great flocks, and although a very shy bird, and bad to get at, 

 above a hundred aie frequently shot in a day, and readdy sold at York for six-pence 

 each. Considering the quantity one bird can and does destroy, and the great uuml)er 

 of them, it will readily be conceded that they must be a great nuisance. — John Ranson; 

 York. 



Food of the Wood Pigeon. — I am glad to give my opinion as to the totally harm- 

 less character of that beautiful bird, the wood pigeon : in hard weather they come into 

 our gardens and eat the winter greens, and in the fields they eat the turnip-tops, and 

 there is no l)ird that does less mischief to the farmer. I am very glad you have 

 invited opinions on this subject, as a very strong prejudice prevails throughout this 

 county [Surrey] against this bird. — James Paine; near Godalming, September 1, 1866. 



[I rather invited the record of facts than opinions : an opinion, as instanced in both 

 the preceding communications, is biassed by prejudices. Mr. Hanson considers the 

 wood pigeon a "great nuisance"; Mr. Paine calls it "totally harmless": again, 

 I prefer to avoid all reference to gamekeepers' views of Natural History questions; the 



