BIRDS. 



257 



Order COLUMB^. 

 Family COLUMBIDiE. 



Columba palumbus, L. Ring-Dove. 



Old Gaelic name, Column choille ; and, in err., Smudan, which properly 

 belongs to the Rock Pigeon, or lit. the Cave Pigeon. Also it is 

 called Calmonell or Colmonelle, but this is probably only equal to the 

 above, Colman choille. 



Abundant. Resident. Breeds. Receives great additions to the 

 numbers which breed in Scotland from continental sources. 



Great numbers are shot and trapped during winter and early 

 spring. There are several professional pigeon-shooters, especially in 

 the counties of Fife and Forfar, who have full permission from the 

 proprietors to prosecute their calling. These men erect screens 

 formed of reeds, and clear out spaces amongst the reed-beds and put 

 down " stale " birds (stole-pigeons 1) amongst the coarse grasses. 

 As many as would fill a corn-sack are in this way shot in a day, or 

 rather within the time occupied by a single tide. have given the 

 portrait of one of the best-known professional pigeon-shots — DufFus, 

 of Pickletillum, Fife, a well-known man in his own county and 

 departraent. The best "bag" I have heard of was obtained by 

 Duffus, as I have been informed by my friend Mr. W. Berry, of 

 Tayfield, and amounted to 101 birds shot in one day as above 

 described. 



Many more are shot also at "stole-pigeons" in the Tay Valley, 

 thirty or forty of a morning being not uncommon — and very pretty 

 sport it is too ! 



In other places the farmers take very considerable toll of the 

 great flights which are well known to pass over the Vale of Menteith 

 (Forth).i 



They use "stole-pigeons," but not to the same extent as in many 



^ The Agricultural Survey of Perthshire informs us that dovecotes were rare in the 

 Highlands ; but in the lower parts of Menteith (Forth), in the Carse of Gowrie, and 

 about Cupar and Perth many existed at that date. 



The old Statistical A ccount appeared to consider that it was questionable whether 

 "our law authorising pigeon-houses is not in some degree contrary to public equity." 

 It had been shown that a moderately stocked pigeon-house " will consume 2000 quarters 

 of feed in the year," 



It is worth noting that, while such complaints were rife, nothing is given in evidence 

 about the damage done to farmers' interests as regards the \^'ood-Pigeons, because 

 at that time their numbers had not reached anything approaching those of recent years. 



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