. Rural bird life : being essays on ornithology with instructions for preserving objects relating to that science . me time, occur inincredible numbers, and silently speak of his sovereignusefulness to gardener, agriculturist, and landowneralike ; for there is not a bird of prey in Britain moreharmless in its character. Instead of persecution, heclaims and demands our warmest protection, for he isindeed one of Natures grandest conservators. The Barn Owl, upon the authority of the well-knownMr. Waterton, is a first-rate fisherman, and takes hisprey from the waters like the Kingfisher, namely, b
. Rural bird life : being essays on ornithology with instructions for preserving objects relating to that science . me time, occur inincredible numbers, and silently speak of his sovereignusefulness to gardener, agriculturist, and landowneralike ; for there is not a bird of prey in Britain moreharmless in its character. Instead of persecution, heclaims and demands our warmest protection, for he isindeed one of Natures grandest conservators. The Barn Owl, upon the authority of the well-knownMr. Waterton, is a first-rate fisherman, and takes hisprey from the waters like the Kingfisher, namely, by asudden plunge. Extraordinary as this may appear, stillI think were the bird, encouraged by our protection, totake his prey in daylight a little more frequently, thispeculiarity would be far more frequently observed. Ido not doubt for a moment but what this bird feeds re-gularly upon fish when the opportunity is ofifered, butthey are for the most part captured under the cover ofdarkness. Dissection of the pellets thrown up by birdsin favourable localities, would, however, place this matterbeyond a doubt. u 2. THE RING DOVE, The Ring Dove, Wood Pigeon, or Cushat, as he isvariously known, is the only member of the Pigeon tribefound commonly in the inland woods and fields. He isthe largest, too, of his order, and his varied and beauti-fully blended plumage and fine form make him a birdranking as one of the finest ornaments of the woodlanddistricts. His upper parts are slaty-blue, and the breastand under parts are of a delicate warm pink ; on thesides of his neck are a few white feathers, from which hegains the title of Ring Dove : this ring, however, isnot seen in the young birds, and is a mark of maturityalone. The Ring Dove frequents the woodland districtsand the neighbouring fields. While the Turtle Dovekeeps to the deepest woodland solitudes, and rarely seeks THE RING DOVE. 293 the fields and open places, the Ring- Dove is perhaps asoften seen out of the woods as in them, fo
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Keywords: ., bookauthorcoue, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectbirds
