OF BIRDS. 
7 
Whilft the beech woods covered large tracts of 
land, they haunted them in myriads, their flock' 
extending in firings of a mile in length as they 
went out to feed. 
Their plumage is generally of a bluifli cart, the 
neck glofled with green, the back is white, and 
there is a black band on each wing, and at the 
end of the tail. 
The firft fiage of domeftication is the Dove- 
houfe Pigeon; this is the intermediate ltatc be¬ 
tween the wild and the tame Pigeon. The Do\ e- 
houfe Pigeons breed three times a year, if they 
are pleated with their fituation. As they diflike 
interruption, a dove-houfe fituated elefe to our 
habitations feldom fucceeds fo well as one at the 
difiance of four or five hundred yards, and cx- 
pofed to the morning fun. 
They frequently defert their houfes when their 
fituation is low, and fly to take polfcifion of others 
whofe expofure is more plcafant; but if they 
fhould continue in thofe which have ne t the be¬ 
nefit of the morning fun, they would not increafe 
fo faff. 
A Pigeon-houfe in a fine fituation has pro¬ 
duced four hundred pairs in a feafon, whilft ano¬ 
ther, lefs favourably placed, has produced only 
one hundred pairs. 
A 4 
When 
