27 JANUARY 1917, Page 2

Farmers who are plagued just now by wood-pigeons have been

told by a very ill-advised correspondent of the Times to shoot the birds when they are sitting on their nests in the spring. Mr. E. Kay Robinson points out that the real offenders are the foreign wood- pigeons who come to spend the winter with us and raid our turnip- fields. The British wood-pigeons, who are not very numerous, keep to their own feeding-grounds and do little harm. It would be stupid and cruel to slaughter these pretty and melodious birds at their nesting-time. The only way to abate the winter plague into organize battues of the foreign pigeons. Our wounded soldiers Would doubtless welcome some pigeon-pies.