CHAPTER XI 



THE PIGEONS 



Order— COLUMB^C 



The Pigeons, it is now generally believed, are to be regarded as 

 very near relations of the Plover tribe, little as these two groups 

 appear to have in common when judged from external characters 

 alone. When, however, we come to study the anatomy of the 

 Pigeons, we gain the true insight into their relationships. 



Pigeons are, for the most part, short-legged, arboreal birds, whose 

 young are for a long while extremely helpless and but sparsely covered 

 with hair-like down. They never lay more than two eggs, and these 

 are always white. 



For the most part they are arboreal in their habits, and hence, 

 probably, the peculiarly short legs. Certain forms, however, have 

 taken to living on the ground, and in these, as in the Crowned 

 Pigeons and a few others, the legs are much longer. 



The extinct Dodo and the Solitaire were both gigantic Pigeons. 



The Pigeons are remarkable from the fact that the inner walls 

 of the " crop," which is of great size, are richly provided with blood- 

 vessels, and during the breeding-season secrete a curious curd-like 

 matter known as '* pigeon's-milk," and on this the young are fed. 



The Ring-dove, or Wood-pigeon (Plate XVII. fig. 4), is the 

 largest of the six species of Pigeon which are reckoned among our 

 British Birds, measuring about 17 inches in length. The female 

 is hardly distinguishable from the male, being only a very little 

 smaller and rather duller in colour. This species may be distin- 

 guished by the white patch on the neck. 



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