Zoological Memoranda, by Mr James Hardy. 429 



believe they escaped the usual fate of albinoes, and drew off 

 with the rest of the young birds. 



Martins Assisting to Repair a Fallen Nest. — Mr 

 John Anderson reports : " My father noticed a rather strange 

 freak among the Martins, at the Marygold (Berwickshire). 

 A pair had built their nest in one of the windows, and had 

 it nearly finished, when it all fell to the ground, owing to 

 the rain. Next day he was wondering what the unwonted 

 stir was among the Martins, which had gathered in a crowd, 

 and when looking at the birds, saw that they all had clay 

 in their mouths, and were waiting their turn to get forward 

 to the nest, which they completed again in about two days." 



Food of the Ring-dove. — " Mr James Wood, Foulden 

 Bastle, shot on his farm on February 7th, 1872, a wood- 

 pigeon, and found in its stomach upwards of 4,200 clover 

 leaves. This fact will sufficiently show what amount of 

 damage is done to young grass-fields by these birds. Mr 

 Wood also shot a pigeon last year, and in its crop found 

 3,800 leaves." (" Berwick Advertiser," February 16.) I have 

 observed two concurrent instances, one at Langleyford, and 

 the other in this vicinity (March 25) where the stomach was 

 crammed with clover blades. We must not conclude, how- 

 ever, that at those dates all the birds were "living in clover." 

 On February 6, 1871, in the stomach of one that had been 

 partially eaten by a fox there was nothing but a store of the 

 large yellowish seeds of " Mother-of- Wheat," ( Veronica 

 hederifolia) and the small polished seeds of the common 

 goose-foot, ( Chenopodium album ). Ring-doves make 

 frequent resort to the seeds of the " Mother-of-Wheat," 

 which become scattered by the harrows among the young 

 wheat plants ; they live for a time also on the flower buds of 

 the wild mustard, of which they devour large quantities ; and 

 the jointed seed pods of the charlock appear to be a dainty 

 meal. The seeds and leaves of the common chickweed, where 

 it abounds, are eagerly sought after, even for weeks. If they 

 would content themselves with this humble fare they would 

 be tolerated ; but it is just when it fails, or becomes stale, 

 that they fall on the leaves of the Swedish turnip, and strip 

 it as completely as a swarm of caterpillars. We all know 

 how quietly they drop down in the early morning, and ex- 

 tract from the soil a promising crop of garden peas, while 

 the owner is asleep. People complain ; but this is a mere 



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