﻿BIKDS. 
  

  

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  pine 
  woods 
  of 
  Mar, 
  near 
  the 
  " 
  infant 
  rills 
  of 
  Highland 
  Dee," 
  

   the 
  wide 
  expanse 
  of 
  Ballochbuie 
  Forest, 
  the 
  " 
  birken 
  shaws 
  " 
  

   of 
  lone 
  Glen 
  Muick, 
  the 
  wild 
  wooded 
  slopes 
  of 
  deep 
  Glen 
  

   Tanner, 
  or 
  the 
  less 
  wild, 
  but 
  not 
  less 
  fair, 
  banks 
  of 
  Cowie 
  

   Water 
  — 
  on 
  all 
  these, 
  and 
  many 
  others, 
  has 
  he 
  made 
  acquain- 
  

   tance 
  with 
  the 
  Cushat 
  under 
  happy 
  circumstances. 
  Long 
  may 
  

   this 
  gem 
  of 
  our 
  woods 
  and 
  wilds 
  be 
  allowed 
  to 
  live 
  in 
  health 
  

   and 
  peace. 
  Yet, 
  somehow, 
  it 
  seems 
  as 
  if 
  such 
  a 
  wish 
  were 
  

   not 
  to 
  be 
  realised, 
  for 
  in 
  some 
  seasons 
  we 
  have 
  seen 
  the 
  Ring- 
  

   Dove 
  lying 
  in 
  hundreds 
  throughout 
  the 
  woods, 
  the 
  victims 
  of 
  

   some 
  epidemic 
  — 
  many 
  dead, 
  others 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  stages 
  of 
  the 
  

   fell 
  disease. 
  This 
  is 
  caused 
  by 
  a 
  fungoid-like 
  growth 
  iji 
  the 
  

   throat, 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  poor 
  birds 
  are 
  ultimately 
  choked. 
  What 
  

   is 
  the 
  real 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  disease, 
  or 
  what 
  its 
  cause, 
  I 
  am 
  

   unable 
  to 
  say. 
  

  

  Columba 
  oenas, 
  Linn. 
  Stock-Dove. 
  

  

  Until 
  within 
  the 
  past 
  twelve 
  years 
  this 
  bird 
  was 
  not 
  

   known 
  in 
  " 
  Dee." 
  About 
  that 
  time 
  it 
  was 
  observed 
  on 
  the 
  

   Links 
  of 
  St. 
  Fergus, 
  where 
  it 
  has 
  since 
  continued 
  to 
  breed, 
  

   its 
  nesting 
  - 
  quarters 
  being 
  in 
  disused 
  rabbit 
  - 
  holes. 
  It 
  is 
  

   yearly 
  increasing, 
  and 
  has 
  now 
  extended 
  its 
  range 
  to 
  the 
  

   Links 
  of 
  Mennie 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  "back 
  bar," 
  a 
  stretch 
  of 
  sand 
  

   dunes 
  that 
  lies 
  between 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  Strathbeg 
  and 
  the 
  sea. 
  

   Although 
  now 
  a 
  regular 
  breeding 
  species, 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  remain 
  

   with 
  us 
  during 
  winter. 
  After 
  the 
  duties 
  of 
  incubation 
  are 
  

   over, 
  it 
  spreads 
  over 
  the 
  country, 
  feeding 
  upon 
  the 
  stubble 
  

   fields, 
  and 
  in 
  autumn 
  departs 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  no 
  more 
  until 
  the 
  

   following 
  spring. 
  

  

  Columba 
  livia, 
  Bonnaterre. 
  Rock-Dove. 
  

  

  The 
  Rock-Dove 
  is 
  a 
  regular 
  and 
  constant 
  resident 
  in 
  the 
  

   rocky 
  caverns 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Kincardine 
  and 
  Aberdeen 
  

   shires, 
  on 
  the 
  ledges 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  builds 
  its 
  nest 
  and 
  brings 
  

   forth 
  its 
  young. 
  It 
  has, 
  especially 
  along 
  the 
  Kincardine 
  

   coast, 
  freely 
  interbred 
  with 
  the 
  domestic 
  pigeon, 
  with 
  the 
  

   result 
  that 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  there 
  are 
  not 
  the 
  usual 
  

   colour, 
  but 
  are 
  splashed 
  in 
  many 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  and 
  wings 
  

   with 
  white. 
  Still, 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  real 
  livia 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  there, 
  

   and 
  of 
  late 
  years 
  they 
  are 
  increasing. 
  It 
  is 
  only 
  along 
  the 
  

   coast 
  line 
  that 
  this 
  species 
  can 
  be 
  seen 
  with 
  us. 
  

  

  