The Wood Pigeon. 193 
head, and it fell in the road I was proceeding along. 
It was near the hour of sunset. I suppose the Wood 
Pigeon was on its way to a fir plantation where 
several roosted, which was both in the direction of its 
flight, and also in sight. Finding the crop of this bird 
injured in falling, and seeing so many acorns pro- 
truding, my curiosity was excited to know how many 
it contained: to my surprise, I found twenty-eight 
large seeds of the oak, which, when put in a heap on 
the ground, looked impossible that so many could 
have been crammed into so small a space. | 
The Wood Pigeon or Ring Dove is like others of 
its species: when requiring drink it does not keep 
dipping its bill in the water, allowing only a few drops 
of water to pass down its throat at every draught, as 
is the case with the barndoor fowl, but it places its bill | 
in the water up to its nostrils, and drinks sufficient 
before taking it away. This bird has never been con- 
sidered the originator of our tame pigeons, nor will it 
do well in captivity, as it prefers breeding among 
thick trees, such as pine, fir, ivy, holly, and other 
evergreens of a concealing nature. Its nest is usually 
13 
