30 NATURE AND WOODCRAFT. 



take their spoil from the branches. The mast 

 of oak and beech constitutes the staple food 

 for many months, and at this time they be- 

 come extremely fat. Long after the snows and 

 frost have set in, flocks of Ring-doves may 

 be seen scratching among the fallen leaves in 

 search of nuts. When this supply begins to 

 fail, the pigeons resort to turnip-fields, where 

 they not only feed upon the green " tops," but 

 upon the bulbs themselves. The Ring-dove is 

 essentially a soft-billed bird, and is therefore 

 unable to break through the outer rind of the 

 root ; but the way is too frequently laid open 

 by rabbits, hares, and rooks. 



The immense flocks of wild pigeons which 

 are now so common in winter are not all 

 British-bred birds: in autumn large numbers 

 of them arrive from over the North Sea to 

 winter upon our shores. With returning spring 

 and sprouting woods, the flocks begin to break 

 up. They are now less frequent in the low- 

 lands, and go up the sides of those valleys 

 which are planted with fir-woods and coppice. 

 For resinous woods they seem to have a special 

 liking, and soon from out the pines may be 

 heard the coo-coo-coo as one of the pairing 



