150 
THE RINGDOVE. 
it. There is something, too, peeuiiarily singular in 
the locality of some of the nests. While one is seen 
placed nearly on the topmost branches of the lofty 
sycamore, another may be found within four feet of 
the ground, in the humble shelter of the hedge-row 
bush. Last year, I found a ringdove sitting on one 
egg, in a magpie's nest of the year gone by ; and I 
observed another ringdove, rearing two young ones 
in a spruce fir tree, below that of a magpie, out of 
which I had taken seven eggs, and substituted five 
of a jackdaw in their place. It was interesting ta 
see these two species of birds, one so calm and 
gentle, the other so pert and roguish, thus close to 
each other, at so critical a juncture. While I was 
observing them, I felt convinced that there are cer- 
tain times in which birds are not so bent on plunder 
as we would fain suppose they are ; and, moreover, 
that they can frequent each other's company in 
perfect peace and quiet. In this instance it appears 
that instinct showed the ringdove how to preserve 
her eggs from being plundered by her crafty neigh- 
bour, who, according to our own short-sighted view 
of ornithological economy, would have been apt to 
make free with them at the earliest call of hunger. 
The ringdove had settled there with her eyes open 
to her supposed danger; for the magpie was the 
first to get possession of the tree. 
I had but a faint idea of the habits of the ring* 
dove until I had offered it an undisturbed asylum in 
this " valley free." Its movements are remarkably 
periodical. In mild winters, or, more properly 
speaking, in winters of short continuance, it makes 
