s 



COLUMBIDiE. 



said to frequent the sea-shore in Sussex, &c, in great numbers, on 

 account of its partiality to salt.* 



A friend, who resides at Stramore House (co. Down), possesses 

 a ring-dove, which was brought up from the nest by the person 

 from whom he purchased it. He has many varieties of the tame 

 pigeon, but this is more familiar, and a greater pet than any of 

 them. When he enters the place in which they are all kept, this 

 bird immediately flies to him, alighting on his shoulder or arm (if 

 this be held out), and remains delighted in his company.f 



Though the ring-dove is prized in the north of Ireland, the young 

 are not regularly sought after for the table, as they are in York- 

 shire, according to Mr. Waterton. This gentleman in his Essays on 

 Natural History, and Mr.Macgillivray in his British Birds, give full 

 and interesting accounts of the species. I have observed it in the 

 woods about Loch Euthven, and elsewhere in the north of Inver- 

 ness-shire. About Islay House, in the island of that name, I 

 saw, in January 1849, not less than a hundred together in a 

 field of turnips, and was told that they are always abundant there. 

 Those that were shot in a wilder part of the island which I 

 visited during that month, had their crops filled with the per- 

 fect and full-sized nuts of the hazel, the predominant fruit- 

 bearing plant of the covers. With reference to North Wales, 

 we learn from Mr. Blackwall, that " In seasons when acorns 

 are unusually abundant, the oak woods in the valley of the Conway 

 are resorted to by large flocks of ring-doves * * * evidently 

 attracted to the locality by the plentiful supply of food to be 



* Knox, Birds of Sussex, p. 217- 



f The ring-dove has a had character in the south of Ireland, as well as in some other 

 places. Mr. Joseph Poole, writing from the county of Wexford, remarks : — "This 

 bird, though geuerally arboreal, sometimes extends its flight far into the open country, 

 where it does more injury to the farmer than almost any other, and counterbalances it 

 by but a small portion of good, at least so far as I have observed. Haudfuls of oats 

 may be taken out of its crop at times, and turnip tops, rape, or cabbage are all put 

 under contribution. During hard weather I have found the flowers of cruciform 

 plants of the genus Brassica in the crop of this bird, as well as seeds and leaves of 

 corn, roots of Poteutilla anseriua, trefoil, &c. The favourite food at the end of 

 December appears, from the examination of their crops, to consist chiefly of the 

 roots of goosegrass, which from their richness aud farinaceous qualities form an 

 exceedingly nutritious article of food, aud keep the birds in excellent condition. I have 

 also observed it busy in gooseberry bushes during the fruit season, with the cuckoo 

 probably at a little distance, but very differently engaged, being altogether attracted 



