Class II. COMMON PIGEON. 291 



or cooing; and had he known it, he might have 

 added the Britijh^ &c. for K'lommen^ Kyhhriian^ 

 Kulm and Kolm fignify the fame bird. They were, 

 and (till are in mod parts of our ifland, in a (late 

 of nature; but probably the Romans taught us 

 the method of making them domeftic, and con- 

 ftruding pigeon houfes. Its charafters in the ftate Descrip. 

 neareft that of its origin, is a deep bluirti a(li color; 

 the breaft daflied with a fine changeable green and 

 purple ; the fides of the neck with lliining cop- 

 per color ; its wings marked with two black bars, 

 one on the coverts of the wings, the other on the 

 quil feathers. The back white, and the tail barred 

 near the end with black. The weight fourteen 

 ounces. 



In the wild ftate it breeds in holes of rocks, and 

 hollows of trees, for which reafon fome writers ftile 

 it columba cavernalis *, in oppofition to the Ring 

 Dove, which makes its neft on the boughs of 

 trees. Nature ever preferves fome agreem_ent 

 in the manners, charadiers, and colors of birds 

 reclamed from their wild ftate. This fpecies of 

 pigeon foon takes to build in artificial cavities, 

 and from the temptation of a ready provifion be- 

 comes eafily domefticated. The drakes of the 

 tame duck, however they may vary in color, 

 ever retain the mark of their origin from our Eng* 



* The CdumhafaxaiUis, a fmall fort, that Is frequent on 

 moft of our cliffs, is only a variety of the wild pigeon. 



lijh 



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