302 PIGEONS. 



rows : when found in these, the warreners fix sticks at 

 the mouth of the hole, in such a manner as to prevent 

 the escape of the young birds, but wide enough apart to 

 allow the old ones to feed them. In the eastern coun- 

 tries and the Holy Land the wild Pigeons almost inva- 

 riably prefer such situations to trees ; thus confirming 

 the words of the prophet, who speaks of the Dove that 

 maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth. (Jeremiah 

 xlviii. 28.) 



It is remarkable that, although our common Wood 

 Pigeon is supposed to be the origin of all our common 

 House Pigeons, every attempt at taming the young of 

 these birds has failed. No sooner are they released 

 from confinement, notwithstanding every attention and 

 <jare, than they fly off at once to their native woods, and 

 return no more. But the Indians of North America 

 eem to have found out some method of changing their 

 nature, as a traveller found wild Pigeons amongst a 

 tribe of Indians, which were so tame as to fly, and re- 

 turn again. 



That birds of this species can form odd attachments, 

 we may learn from the following strange association be- 

 tween a House Pigeon and a cat. The Pigeon had made 

 her nest in a loft much infested with rats, which had 

 more than once destroyed her eggs, or devoured her 

 young ones. Her repeated losses at length induced her 

 to rebuild her nest in another part of the loft, where a 

 <;at was rearing three kittens, with whom she contrived 

 to form a strong friendship. They fed from the same 

 dish, and, when the cat went out into the field, the 

 Pigeon was often observed to be fluttering near her. 

 The Pigeon, aware of the advantage of her protection, 

 had placed her nest close to the straw bed of the cat, 

 and there in safety reared two broods of young ones ; 

 and, in return for the protection she experienced from 

 the cat, she became a defender of the young kittens, arid 

 would often attack with beak and wings any person ap- 

 proaching too near. 



