NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBOHNE. 
89 
rendezvoused here by thousands^ if they happened to be suddenly 
roused from their roost-trees on an evening, 
" Their rising all at once was like the sound 
Of thunder heard remote. " 
It will by no means be foreign to the present purpose to add, that I 
had a relation in this neighbourhood who made it a practice, for a 
time, whenever he could procure the eggs of a ring-dove, to place them 
under a pair of doves that were sitting in his own pigeon-house ; 
hoping thereby, if he could bring about a coalition, to enlarge his 
breed, and teach his own doves to beat out into the woods and to 
support themselves by mast : the plan was plausible, but something 
always interrupted the success ; for though the birds were usually 
hatched, and sometimes grew to half their size, yet none ever arrived 
at maturity. I myself have seen these foundlings in their nest 
displaying a strange ferocity of nature, so as scarcely to bear to be 
looked at, and snapping with their bills by way of menace. In short, 
they always died, perhaps for want of proper sustenance : but the 
owner thought that by their fierce and wild demeanour they frighted 
their foster mothers, and so were starved. 
Yirgil, as a familiar occurrence, by way of simile, describes a dove 
haunting the cavern of a rock in such engaging numbers, that I cannot 
refrain from quoting the passage : and John Dryden has rendered it so 
happily in our language, that without farther excuse I shall add his 
translation also. 
* * Qualis spelunca subit6 commota Columba, 
Cui domus, et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi, 
Fertur in arva volans, plausumque exterrita pennis 
Dat tecto ingentem — mox aere lapsa quieto, 
Radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas." 
" As when a dove her rocky hold forsakes, # 
Rous'd, in a fright her sounding wings she shakes ; 
The cavern rings with clattering : — out she flies, 
And leaves her callow care, and cleaves the skies : 
At first she flutters : — but at length she springs 
To smoother flight, and shoots upon her wings. " 
I am, &c. 
