Winter flocks of pigeons are here to-day and gone to-morrow, travelling
far in search of food. If they find little or no beech-mast or acorns,
they are forced early in winter to a diet of salad. It must be a relief
to the wandering hosts when they come to a place where acorns are in
plenty. In hard winters, turnips supply a great part of wood-pigeons'
food; and it used to be held that from this food their flesh acquired
too pronounced a flavour, so that nice judges, who at other times
thought them a delicate dish, would reject them. One old-time
sportsman held that the green leaves of turnips gave a peculiar and
very palatable flavour to the flesh of larks and partridges. In this
connection we always think of the story told by Gilbert White of a
neighbour who shot a ring-dove as it was returning from feed and going
to roost. "When his wife had picked and drawn it, she found its craw
stuffed with the most nice and tender tops of turnips. These she washed
and boiled, and so sat down to a choice and delicate plate of greens,
culled and provided in this extraordinary manner."
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