﻿372 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  of 
  this 
  year 
  was 
  a 
  long 
  and 
  lingering 
  one, 
  with 
  much 
  wet 
  and 
  

   stormy 
  weather, 
  although 
  the 
  corn 
  ripened 
  in 
  good 
  time. 
  The 
  

   natural 
  consequence 
  was 
  that 
  there 
  was 
  in 
  the 
  fields 
  an 
  un- 
  

   usually 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  " 
  shed-corn 
  " 
  lying 
  about. 
  Indeed, 
  I 
  

   never 
  previously 
  saw 
  anything 
  like 
  such 
  a 
  quantity. 
  In 
  some 
  

   fields 
  it 
  (especially 
  barley) 
  was 
  strewn 
  quite 
  thickly. 
  On 
  this 
  

   the 
  Pigeons 
  fed, 
  and 
  they 
  really 
  did 
  some 
  good 
  by 
  clearing 
  it 
  up. 
  

   They 
  came 
  in 
  mild 
  weather 
  ; 
  the 
  advent 
  of 
  hard 
  weather 
  made 
  

   no 
  difference 
  to 
  them 
  ; 
  and 
  they 
  left 
  rather 
  suddenly, 
  just 
  as 
  the 
  

   weather 
  turned 
  mild 
  again. 
  It 
  was 
  evident 
  that 
  they 
  had 
  eaten 
  

   the 
  corn 
  up, 
  and 
  we 
  were 
  glad 
  they 
  went 
  without 
  resorting 
  to 
  

   the 
  clover-leaves 
  and 
  turnip-tops. 
  

  

  