The Zoologist — April, 1870. 2079 



loosl, and in a few minutes sliol four as they came in : each had its 

 crop craujuied exclusively with fragments of cabbage-leaves, one 

 alone containing as much as would fill an ordinary breakfast-cup. 

 Wood pigeons prefer the leaf of this plant to almost any other green 

 food, and if undisturbed will soon make terrible havoc in a cabbage 

 plot. 



Fieldfares and Larks feeding on the Swede Turnip. — February 11. 

 I have observed lately many freshly drilled holes, an inch deep and 

 about half an inch in width, in the swedes, and much fresh pulp 

 scattered round the bulbs. The only birds frequenting the field were 

 fieldfares and larks, and I hardly suspected these capable of doing 

 llie mischief, although the small foot-marks in the snow around the 

 bulbs certainly looked suspicious. This morning, however, 1 shot a 

 fieldfare in the very act of digging a hole into a root, and on opening 

 him found his stomach full of the pulp of the turnip. The stomacjjs 

 of three larks, opened at the same time, contained nothing but small 

 green fragments of the swede-leaf and many minute stones. 



Snipe. — February II. I shot a one-legged snipe this morning, that 

 is, having only one available leg, the other (tarsus and foot) being 

 doubled forward along the tibia and firmly fixed there, reminding one 

 of the constrained and induced attitude of a Hindoo fakir. The 

 toes were slightly tumid, and two claws were wanting. This bird was 

 in good condition. 



Wigeon. — The males are now (February I2th) in full plumage. 

 Snow-flake. — February 15. The severe weather on the IQth and 

 following days quite cleared the marshes of birds, driving them into 

 the stack and fold-yards; even ducks and snipe gave it up as a bad 

 job when the drains became full of drifted snow. The only small 

 birds that "kept the open" were the little snow buntings, who rather, 

 judging from their sweet cheery notes, seemed to enjoy the weather. 

 Two or three of these litde fellows, shot for examination, had their 

 stomachs (the inner coat or cuticle of which is very tough, almost like 

 thin horn) filled with various grass-seeds : they are always very fat. 

 I lately saw a flock containing many hundreds on some oat-stubbles 

 near the Humber bank, and, as they now are assuming the adult dress, 

 the dark and light markings in the plumage contrast nuich more than 

 in the autumn flocks. When hundreds are thus on the wing together, 

 with a background of black, heavy, snow-laden clouds, it is a most 

 striking and pretty sight, and one which forcibly suggests the beauty 

 and appropriateness of the name. 



