304 BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 
particularly turnips, to which the appearance of snow or 
frost invariably drives them. . . . Nevertheless, they are a 
favourite bird, and are not frequently molested or wantonly 
destroyed." * How different is our attitude towards the Wood- 
Pigeon to-day, when it is regarded as one of the most noxious 
of agricultural pests ; and though every opportunity is taken 
to reduce its numbers, the species still thrives. 
Three broods are occasionally reared in one year ; the 
first often in April, and Mr. E. A. Johnson-Ferguson informs 
me that in 1904 he found a nest with eggs at Springkell 
(Kirkpatrick-Fleming) on October 11th. 
The Wood-Pigeon is popularly supposed at harvest time 
to eat three times its own weight of corn in the day ; and 
it is recorded that one shot at Hoddom Castle contained 
" 37 acorns, 6 beech nut kernels, 2 wild cherry stones, and 
two of the crops or sockets of the acorn, "f 
In autumn flocks of migratory birds visit the county, 
varying in numbers as it happens to be a good or bad 
season for acorns ; and in hard winters, as in 1846-1847, 
1878-1879, and 1894-1895, they suffer severely.t 
Variabihty in the plumage of the Wood-Pigeon is not 
common. A white variety got at Rigg Farm (Gretna) may 
be seen in the TuUie House Museum, CarKsle. This bird 
was obtained on January 16th, 1895, by T. Peal, from whom 
it was purchased for twenty-five shiUings. When I saw the 
specimen in 1908 it was wrongly labeUed as obtained 
February 23rd, 1905. " Mabie Moss " describes one shot 
at CarnsaUoch (Kirkmahoe) in January, 1898, as regularly 
spotted with white feathers on every part except the tail 
and flight-feathers which were of the normal colour.§ A 
cream-coloured Wood-Pigeon was seen more than once for 
two successive seasons about 1902 in the Keeper's wood, 
Capenoch, but seemed to bear a charmed Ufe. 
* Nat. Lib., 1842, Vol. XII., pp. 60, 61. 
t Dumfries Courier, December 8th, 1818. 
X Op. cit., December 21st, 1846. 
§ Kirkcudbright Advertiser, January 17th, 1898. 
