22 PIGEONS. 



" These haunts of bygone murderers, smugglers, and outlaws are now only 

 tenanted by Eock Doves, the emblems of innocence. They may be seen perpetually 

 flitting in and out, some parties going off to feed, others returning to rest ; a few 

 birds sitting about the entrance, pluming themselves in the sunshine, or quietly 

 dozing upon a sheltered ledge of rock. Upon a near approach, the cooing of the 

 old birds may be heard, together with the querulous peep-peeping of the young 

 demanding food, and the occasional stir of wings ; but upon any alarm being 

 given, the voices are immediately silenced, the clang and whir of wings reverbe- 

 rate from the profundity of the cave, and out pours a long stream of downy 

 bosoms and silver wings, which swiftly skim along the surface of the sea, and 

 disappear round the next headland. In Iona alone (though but a small island), 

 we have as many as nine or ten caves frequented by pigeons ; and in nearly every 

 island of the Hebrides, there is sure to be one cave called, par excellence, ' Ua' 

 Caloman,' the Pigeon Cave. 



"I believe this dove is only found upon the coast, though I am not aware 

 what attraction the sea-shore has for it ; certainly, with us, it exclusively inhabits 

 the sea- caves, and never goes far inland. In the winter I have once or twice seen 

 them sitting upon the rocks at low water, but I hardly think they were looking 

 for food. They feed upon land snails — some small species which at certain times 

 is found in considerable variety and vast abundance, spread over the low sandy 

 pastures which skirt the sea. The stubbles, the newly-sown fields, and the stack- 

 yards, are their principal resorts for food, and their crops are invariably to be 

 found well distended with grain, though in winter it is difficult to account for 

 their getting such good supplies, after the stubbles are picked clean, and the 

 stack-yards cleared. They must sometimes go great distances for their daily 

 food ; those which inhabit the small islands must, of course, always come to the 

 mainland for the supply of grain — some a great distance. "When a large flock 

 is suddenly raised while feeding in a corn-field, after wheeling up in the air, it 

 breaks up into smaller parties, which dart off in various directions for their 

 homes ; some across the seas, others to the nearer caves. 



" They seem to be migratory, to a certain extent in quest of food, at seed-time 

 and harvest, if, as is often the case, the island crops are a little earlier than those 

 on the mainland ; then our fields are covered with those petty plunderers, and 

 at night the caves are filled with roosting birds, which remain about the island as 

 long as food is very plentiful, and then decamp. I think, however, that individual 

 birds are a good deal in the habit of frequenting the same localities, and roosting . 

 in the same cave, until driven off by some cause. I have watched marked birds 

 doing so ; especially last summer I was observing a large white male pigeon, 

 which had evidently escaped from the cote : he took to himself a little wild mate, 

 and reared a brood in one of the caves. I made a duty of destroying his family, 

 which was easily done, as they were marked birds ; but he himself, though of 

 such a conspicuous colour, always contrived to escape. He became very wary, 

 from being pursued, and I remarked that he always frequented the same cave, till 



