PIGEON 



723 



so remarkable for its discontinuous distribution, already noticed 

 (p. 342) — one of its two species, C. cooki, being the Blue Pie of the 

 Iberian Peninsula, and the other, C. cyana, that of Eastern Asia 

 with Japan. 



PIGEON, French Pigeon, Italian Piccione and Pipione, Latin 

 Pipio, literally a nestling-bird that pipes or cries out, a " Piper " — 

 the very name now in use among Pigeon-fanciers. The word 

 Pigeon, doubtless of Norman introduction as a polite term, seems 

 to bear much the same relation to Dove, the word of Anglo-Saxon 

 origin, that mutton has to sheep, beef to ox, veal to calf, and pork 

 to bacon ; but, as before stated (p. 162), no sharp distinction can 

 be drawn between the two, and the collective members of the group 

 Columbse are by ornithologists ordinarily called 

 Pigeons. Perhaps the best knoAvn species to 

 which the latter name is exclusively given in 

 common speech ^ is the Wild or Passenger- 

 PiGEON of North America, Edopides, already 

 mentioned ; but among the multitudinous 

 forms very few can here be noticed. A species which seems worthy 

 of attention as being one that might possibly repay the trouble of 

 domestication, if any enterprising person would give it the chance, 

 is the Wonga-wonga or White-fieshed Pigeon of Australia, Leu- 

 cosarcia picata, a bird larger than the Ring-Dove, of a slaty-blue 

 -colour above and white beneath, streaked on the flanks with black. 

 It is known to breed, though not very freel}^, in captivity, and is 

 said to be excellent for the table. As regards flavour, however, 



EcTOPisTES. (After Swainson.) 



those Avho have been so fortunate as to eat them declare that the 

 green Fruit-Pigeons of the genera Treron and Vinago and their allies 

 surpass all birds. These inhabit tropical Africa, India, and especi- 

 ally the Malay Archipelago ; but the probability of domesticating 

 any of them is very remote. Hardly less esteemed are the Pigeons 



Vinago. 



Ptilopus. 

 (After Swainson.) 



Phaps. 



of the feather-legged genus Ptilopus and its kindred forms, which 

 have their headquarters in the Pacific Islands, though some occur 

 far to the westward, and also in Australia. Among them are 

 found the most exquisitely-coloured of the whole Family, and the 

 Fijian Chrysmnas victor with its glorious orange plumage especially 



1 It may be observed that the " Rock-Pigeons " of Anglo- Indians are Sand- 

 Grouse, and the "Cape Pigeon " of sailors is a Petkel. 



