THE COLUMBINE, OR WGEON GROUP. 117 



substance, which passes thence into the stomach 

 (of the young), where it is to be digested." 

 " The young pigeon is fed for some time with 

 this substance only, and about the third day 

 some of the common food is found mingled 

 with it ; as the pigeon grows older the pro- 

 portion of common food is increased, so that 

 by the time it is seven, eight, or nine days 

 old, the secretion of curd ceases in the old 

 ones, and, of course, no more will be found in 

 the crop of the young." 



" It is a curious fact, that the parent pigeon 

 has at first the power to throw up this curd, 

 without any mixture of common food, though 

 afterwards both are thrown up according to 

 the proportion required for the young ones; 

 I have called this substance curd, not as being 

 literally so, but as resembling that more than 

 anything I know ; it may, however, have a 

 greater resemblance to curd than anything we 

 are aware of ; for neither this secretion, nor 

 the curd from which the whey has been pressed, 

 seem to contain any sugar, and do not run 

 into the acetous fermentation." (On Anim. 

 Econ.) 



!RIontagu calls this a milky or lacteal secre- 

 tion, and rightly regards it as "common to 



