﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  123 
  

  

  Wood-pigeons 
  vary 
  in 
  numbers, 
  at 
  least 
  in 
  some 
  districts. 
  

   Thus 
  they 
  were 
  extremely 
  abundant 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  of 
  1891 
  in 
  

   the 
  east 
  of 
  Sutherland, 
  whereas 
  in 
  1892 
  we 
  saw 
  very 
  few 
  indeed. 
  

   They 
  are 
  at 
  times 
  seen 
  on 
  migration, 
  as 
  Mr. 
  Houstoun, 
  Kintrad- 
  

   well, 
  informs 
  us 
  ; 
  on 
  one 
  occasion 
  he 
  saw 
  a 
  flock 
  coming 
  towards 
  

   the 
  land 
  over 
  the 
  sea 
  from 
  the 
  east. 
  

  

  Varieties 
  of 
  the 
  Wood-pigeon 
  are 
  rare 
  considering 
  the 
  abun- 
  

   dance 
  of 
  the 
  species. 
  We 
  have 
  seen 
  a 
  mottled 
  one 
  in 
  Macleay's 
  

   shop, 
  and 
  St. 
  John 
  mentions 
  a 
  pure 
  white 
  one, 
  which 
  was 
  seen 
  for 
  

   three 
  winters 
  near 
  Elgin. 
  He 
  also 
  notices 
  the 
  disease 
  which 
  

   attacks 
  these 
  birds, 
  warty 
  excrescences 
  on 
  their 
  feet 
  and 
  bills. 
  

  

  South 
  of 
  the 
  Great 
  Glen 
  the 
  Ring 
  Dove 
  has 
  been 
  familiarly 
  

   known 
  as 
  far 
  back 
  as 
  our 
  records 
  carry 
  us. 
  At 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  

   O.S.A. 
  it 
  was 
  mentioned 
  as 
  destructive 
  in 
  the 
  parish 
  of 
  Kirkhill, 
  

   and 
  as 
  occurring 
  in 
  Kirkmichael, 
  Glen 
  Avon. 
  Edward 
  speaks 
  of 
  

   it 
  as 
  'amazingly 
  increased 
  of 
  late 
  years,' 
  and 
  as 
  1 
  a 
  pest 
  to 
  farmers 
  ' 
  ; 
  

   and 
  other 
  older 
  records 
  give 
  it 
  prominence. 
  Dr. 
  J. 
  0. 
  Wilson 
  pro- 
  

   nounces 
  it 
  ' 
  too 
  abundant 
  around 
  Huntly 
  from 
  the 
  " 
  distressed 
  agri- 
  

   culturalist's 
  " 
  point 
  of 
  view.' 
  Gray, 
  quoting 
  the 
  Zoologist, 
  October 
  

   1879, 
  page 
  428, 
  says 
  : 
  — 
  1 
  In 
  October 
  in 
  three 
  years 
  it 
  was 
  recorded 
  

   that 
  no 
  less 
  than 
  20,529 
  Wood-pigeons 
  were 
  killed 
  in 
  Banffshire.' 
  

   It 
  is 
  very 
  common 
  from 
  Upper 
  Cabrach 
  downwards, 
  but 
  least 
  so, 
  

   naturally, 
  in 
  the 
  higher 
  Carn 
  districts, 
  becoming 
  more 
  abundant 
  

   in 
  the 
  birch-clad 
  valley 
  slopes. 
  At 
  times, 
  however, 
  it 
  is 
  abundant, 
  

   far 
  from 
  woods 
  and 
  crops 
  in 
  parts 
  where 
  hill-berries 
  and 
  fruits 
  grow 
  

   and 
  ripen. 
  They 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  flying 
  up 
  singly 
  or 
  in 
  scattered 
  

   companies 
  all 
  through 
  the 
  pine-woods 
  of 
  Spey, 
  but 
  not 
  in 
  large 
  

   flocks 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  open 
  or 
  among 
  the 
  cropped 
  lands. 
  They 
  are 
  

   extremely 
  numerous 
  around 
  Rothiemay, 
  and 
  many 
  can 
  be 
  obtained 
  

   by 
  posting 
  guns 
  in 
  different 
  woods 
  and 
  keeping 
  the 
  flights 
  on 
  the 
  

   move 
  — 
  a 
  beautiful 
  form 
  of 
  sport 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  we 
  learn 
  

   from 
  Mr. 
  Phillips, 
  that 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  ago, 
  the 
  wood 
  pigeons 
  

   which 
  visited 
  Glen 
  Livet 
  could 
  be 
  counted 
  (in 
  lit. 
  1885). 
  

   Certainly 
  we 
  ourselves 
  saw 
  very 
  few 
  there 
  in 
  June 
  1892, 
  though 
  

   we 
  did 
  see 
  some 
  flying 
  very 
  high 
  overhead. 
  A 
  few 
  pairs 
  of 
  Ring 
  

   Doves 
  nest 
  far 
  up 
  among 
  the 
  loose 
  screes 
  or 
  ravines 
  with 
  stunted 
  

   birch-trees 
  for 
  a 
  blind, 
  but 
  disappear 
  when 
  the 
  young 
  are 
  hatched. 
  

   The 
  Wood-pigeon 
  is 
  everywhere 
  abundant 
  throughout 
  the 
  Braes 
  

   of 
  Moray, 
  and 
  the 
  Laigh, 
  abundant 
  on 
  the 
  I'ppcr 
  Pimlhorn 
  far 
  

  

  