26 Dr. A, L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 



situations. The iris in the adult is yellow, paler in young- 

 birds. 



COLUMBA LIVIA. 



In Egypt it is not easy to define the limits between the wild 

 and domesticated Pigeons, their plumage being so much alike. 

 The denizens of the dove-cots all preserve the leading charac- 

 teristics of C. livia. Many-coloured birds are uncommon. The 

 two black bars on the wings, and single black bar on the tail, 

 with the white on the edges of the outer tail-feathers, were pre- 

 sent in all the tame birds I have examined. The permanence of 

 colouring may be owing to the circumstance that no pains what- 

 ever are taken to improve the breed. Each town and village has 

 many dove-cots, which are usually the joint property of several 

 persons ; the Pigeons are only kept for their dung, and allowed 

 to shift for themselves. In some districts, as at Sioot, it is 

 marvellous the numbers seen crowding round these mud-built 

 cots, or feeding in the fields. The most common Domestic 

 variety answers to the C schimperi of Bonaparte; but indivi- 

 duals in all respects agreeing with C. livia and C. schimperi may 

 also be met with among the rocks. No doubt stragglers from the 

 towns often take to the wild life ; indeed, at best they are only 

 half domesticated in the dove-cots, where I have seldom seen a 

 pied or white pigeon. The many-coloured varieties are, how- 

 ever, reared in the native houses, and sometimes join flocks of 

 the other ; but they rarely interbreed. From these circumstances 

 it would appear that the Domestic Pigeon of Egypt has reverted 

 very much towards its original wild state. On one of the walls 

 of the Temple of Medinet Haboo is a sculpture of the time of 

 Rameses III., b.c. 1297, representing that famous monarch as 

 having just assumed the crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. 

 The procession is seen moving on in regal state, and in all the 

 pomp and splendour of the time, whilst a priest is letting ofi" 

 four Carrier Pigeons to announce the glad tidings to every 

 quarter of the globe. This is very interesting, as it shows 

 Pigeons were then used for the purpose of conveying information. 

 According to Horapollo, the flesh of Pigeons was greatly esteemed, 

 and there are records of their having been eaten as early as 

 B.C. 3000. 



