274 BIRDS AND MAN 



some hundreds of pairs bred in trees all over 

 London which had not known a dove's nest 

 before. 



In early spring it was pretty to see the wood- 

 pigeons in flocks on the leafless willows and 

 poplars devouring the catkins ; they also fed on 

 the tender young leaves of the hawthorn and a 

 few other trees, and on the blossoms of the 

 almond-tree. Year by year the changes in the 

 habits of our town race become more marked. 

 Thus, during the last summer, numbers of wood- 

 pigeons could be seen constantly flying to and 

 alighting on roofs and chimney - pots on the 

 tallest houses. Many of these birds were no 

 doubt breeding on houses — a new habit, which 

 we first observed only two years before. Tamer 

 than they now are these birds can never be. 

 One morning in September I saw a man sitting 

 on a bench at the side of Rotten Row with a 

 wood -pigeon perched on his wrist, feeding on 

 bread from his hand. I asked him if the pigeons 

 knew him — if he was accustomed to feed them 

 at that spot? He repUed that it was the first 

 time he had brought bread for the birds ; that as 

 soon as he began to throw crumbs to the 



