282 NATURE AND WOODCRAFT. 



is a bird nearly akin to our Rock-dove. The 

 valleys of the limestone districts swarm with 

 them, and they breed among the cliffs and 

 escarpments in prodigious numbers. In short, 

 Palestine is a country of pigeons, and travellers 

 can fully appreciate the great number of refer- 

 ences to these birds in the Scriptures. 



The Monks knew a great deal about the 

 cultivation of fish, their breeding and rearing, 

 their subsequent management and fattening 

 in the Stews. This art is still much practised 

 in certain European countries, where the con- 

 ditions to-day are like those which prevailed in 

 England two or three centuries ago. Most of 

 the fish fattened were used upon fast-days. 

 Every Monastery in the country had its Stew, 

 and such Manor-Houses as were occupied by 

 Catholic families. As well as introducing many 

 rare and dainty fish from the Continent, the 

 monks reduced the -cultivation of fish-ponds 

 to a science. It was customary to have a 

 series of these, which grew in turn fish and 

 vegetables. The ponds were so arranged that 

 they could be drained at will ; and periodi- 

 cally the water was run from the first, the fish 

 being caught as it emptied, and transported to 



