194 The Wood Pigeon. 
placed in a fork, or on strong twigs lying in a hori- 
zontal line. It builds its nest of sticks; so loosely 
is it put together that the eggs can be easily seen 
through the bottom by a person standing underneath. 
This bird always lays two eggs, and has only two 
broods in a year. The young feed by thrusting their 
bills into their parent’s throat, thereby helping them- 
selves out of the old bird’s crop: they feed on seeds 
of grass, corn, and seeds of trees; likewise in SS 
when snow is on the ground, they partake freely of 
turnips, which are said to make their flesh taste un- 
pleasant, but during the harvest season of acorns 
they are very fat and nice eating, especially the young 
ones. This bird is very generally diffused throughout 
Europe, and in the north of England is very abundant. 
It is said to migrate, but that it does not leave us 
is certain, for large flocks of these birds are to be 
seen in winter, amounting to some thousands, where 
beech forests abound, and we know it breeds in our 
fir plantations. The Ring Dove has a louder and 
longer coo than other pigeons, being at the same time © 
more plaintive, and it is one of the first of our forest 
