Birds. 2607 



field-cabbages, and, if not scared away, attack the heart and softer 

 leaves. In spring they come in flocks to clover-fields, and pick out 

 the " eyes " or central leaves of the plants. Throwing aside their pil- 

 laging propensities, however, these birds are beautiful and interesting 

 denizens of woodland districts ; and I know of no sounds more sooth- 

 ing than the low, sweet, plaintive notes of a number of males, who are 

 serenading their mates in some fine old wood, during the tranquil calm 

 of a mild summer's evening. During the commencement of corn- 

 harvest numbers are occasionally taken in the following manner. As 

 before stated they frequent corn-fields, and a person wishing to shoot 

 them repairs to such fields. Having cut from an oak or elm tree se- 

 veral broad leafy branches, he fixes them perpendicularly in the 

 ground, forming a sufficient covering to screen himself from observa- 

 tion, and there, with gun in hand, waits attentively until the arrival of 

 the birds, and fires at them as they settle on the corn or fly overhead. 

 By this method a person has secured forty birds at one " sitting." 

 There is another method, which, in addition to killing considerable 

 numbers, also affords excellent sport. In winter they keep together 

 in large flocks, oftentimes consisting of hundreds, feeding in company 

 during the day and roosting in large woods at night. Just before 

 darkness comes on, a person repairs (gun in hand) to the place where 

 they roost, and, stationing himself with his back to the bole of a tree, 

 fires upon them as they settle down upon the branches overhead. 

 The report of the gun alarms them for a season, when the whole flock 

 rises from the wood : after wheeling about for a few minutes they 

 again alight, oftentimes before sufficient time is given to reload the 

 gun. In this manner several pairs will be taken by a tolerably good 

 shot in an evening, one of which — cooked after the fashion of a par- 

 tridge or wild duck — will prove anything but an unpalatable dish to a 

 hungry sportsman. A good bird will weigh twelve ounces. 



Stock Dove (Columba cenas). 



Turtle Dove {Columba Turtur). The only instance of this bird 

 being seen here occurred on the 20th of June, 1849, when a beautiful 

 individual came, and staid some days in a turnip-field : it appeared 

 to subsist upon turnip-seed which had been sown in the drills. 



Common Pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus). The ordinary weight of 

 a cock pheasant, when left entirely to his own resources in procuring 

 food, is usually about 2|- lbs. ; but I have weighed individuals which 

 had been shot from the Donnington covers, where they are well-pre- 

 served and highly fed, which exceeded 4 lbs. : they were more plump 

 and fat than barn-door fowls, and exceedingly rich in plumage. That 



