Wood-Pigeons
Farmer and gamekeeper are slow to learn that birds are their friends, not their enemies. The occasional folly and mischief of a friend make more impression than his plodding good faith, so the blackbirds and thrushes that cannot. resist strawberries, and the starlings and rooks that dig up sprouting corn, condemn themselves by this one lapse for a year of otherwise good work. But what can be said of the wood-pigeon ? It eats a few weed-seeds in summer, which is in its favour, and it devours beech-mast and acorns, which does not matter either way in England. But for the rest, its record is bad. Pigeons have been more numerous than usual this winter. Probably their fate already overhangs them, for when they become too numerous the hard economy of Nature kills them off with diphtheria. Then, especially in hard winters, there is a great migration of pigeons from the Continent to the milder conditions of England. So this winter the one bird which is almost altogether harmful is unusually abundant. The pigeon is wary, swift of flight and clever at concealing itself in the trees. When once a flock has taken to a clover ley or to a field of swedes, it is impossible to frighten them away. The flock will swoop down out of gunshot and enjoy a few minutes' ravenous feeding, clatter away on the farmer's approach and settle down again. It is a job to drive anyone to despair. For once the farmer is right in his war on birds ; the wood-pigeon is an
enemy. * * *
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