NOTES AND QUEBIES. 87 



occurring in this neighbourhood within the last few years. — A. B. Faun 

 (Mount Nod, Greenhithe). 



The Wood-Pigeons in the London Parks. — That birds and other 

 animals accommodate themselves to their surroundings is well known to field 

 naturalists, but a few remarks showing how the habits of the London Wood- 

 Pigeons have been affected may perhaps not be altogether uninteresting. 

 In the first place they have taken to perching freely on the buildings in the 

 vicinity (as is the case with the Brighton Rooks), and on one occasion I saw 

 a pair carrying on a courtship on the top of one of the chimney-pots of 

 St. George's Hospital. I was struck with astonishment at seeing a Wood- 

 Pigeon sitting on its nest in the tracery outside a large window of the 

 Rijks Museum in Amsterdam in 1891, and I subsequently learnt that the 

 nest had been seen in the same situation on a previous occasion ; but I was 

 still more surprised to see one of this species gather a twig from a tree in 

 St. James's Park and carry it to a window of the India Office, where it dis- 

 appeared in a niche, just the sort of place for a House Pigeon. In the wild 

 state I have often found them breeding from April to October; but three or 

 four years ago, on Feb. 8th, during a hard frost, when hundreds of people 

 were skating on the ice in St. James's Park, I saw a Wood Pigeon sitting 

 on a nest within fifty yards of the skaters. The nest was, however, for- 

 saken shortly afterwards. The weather had been previously very mild. 

 This winter, on Dec. 27th and 29th, 1896, I noticed one of these birds 

 preparing a nest in an elm tree opposite to the India Office. The greater 

 number of them, however, leave London in the autumn, returning early in 

 spring. I once witnessed such a return between 4 and 5 p.m. on a February 

 afternoon. A large flock was circling round at a great height, gradually 

 getting lower and lower, till it finally settled in Kensington Gardens. From 

 that date the parks were full of Pigeons. They become very tame, perching 

 on the arms and shoulders of those who are accustomed to feed them. In 

 the early spring they may be seen busily feeding on the tender shoots and 

 flower-buds of the elm and other trees. 



Numbers of House-Pigeons have found their way to the lawn on the 

 north of Rotten Row, which is frequented by their wild cousins, and they 

 have learned to perch in a large plane tree in the dell, a favourite resting- 

 place of the wild birds. I have seen as many as fifty tame birds sitting in 

 the tree at the same time. — John Young (64, Hereford Road, Bays water). 



Rooks in the West End of London. — With reference to my communi- 

 cation (Zool. 1895, p. 227) recording the nesting of Rooks in Connaught 

 Square and Stanhope Place, I am sorry to have to state that both these sites 

 have been untenanted during the year 1896 ; so that I fear in all probability 

 the year 1895 will be the last date for the breeding of Rooks in the West 



