PIGMENT 



1071 



PIKE 



:> other bird.-, in swallowr _iuttonou- 



in its eating habits, and has a very large crop. 



It i- -ingularly deiVn-. le.-s before its em : 



building it.- rude ne-t in exposed places where 



in con-tain daiim r. The eggs are usually 



white in color, two in number, and are cared 



for during hatching by the male and the female 



in turn. Tin- pau> mate for life. Pigeons of 



the temperate regions usually have a plumage 



. iv. brown or slate, often showing metallic 



rions; those in the tropics and the Far 



nore brilliantly garbed. 

 Tli- ino-t inteiv.-ting pigeon of the 

 hen the rock pigeon, the ancestor of 



all the dome-tic \arieties. The passenger ///- 

 ce common in Kastern North America. 

 i- now extinct, and the only wild representative 



if the family now surviving in this area i- the 



/ dove, a small species whose long- 



drawn-out "roo-c-o." not in reality a note of 



-.id;: iiliarly known. A similar bird in 



Pale-tine, the turtledove, is mentioned in the 



n the Song of Solomon: 



". tho winter is past. 

 The rain is O\*T and gone: 

 Th- Mowers appear on the earth : 

 Tin- tinn- of the singing of hinls is come, 

 And the voice of the turtle is heard In our land. 



been domesticated from the 



arl: Tln-y wen- regarded by primi- 



penplK with much affection, and one of 



the indications of wealth was the number of 



dovecotes a man possessed. The Bible men- 



tion of turtledoves and pigeons is usually in 



.rtion with sacrifice. As in the case of 



the parents of ,Ie-u< (/.'//.- II. '21\. the poor 



to bring, instead of a lamb, two 



turt!' two young pi| The lir.-t- 



known law for bird protection, found in I)< nli r- 



\.\1I. 6, forbidding the- killing of a 



motlur bud on the nest, was probably largely 



for the benefit of the pigeon. Pliny wrote of 



'-penally noting their manner in 



dntiK holding up their bill- between 



u|n|, I." M v ,, 



iMford, 



.M.M '!. -...I P40401I 



Ill-lllll-ll - ...... !- 



MowlriK artleU'.M In thee vuhin 

 Carri- ; .-on 



Dove Tun Irii.- 



PIGMENT I'MNT. 



PIG'WEED, a commoi 



ninth family, the -ti..ng. hard\ root of which 



'hrn ',|e ,,f cultivation. Tln- 



two 01 " 



feet high, ami produces large, coarse lea\ 

 small, greenish flowers. The latter are borne on 

 a densely-crowded spike. The leaves are 

 times covered with stiff hairs. Pigweed is best 

 eradicated by thorough cultivation of the soil 

 and complete uprooting of the plant. It was 

 given its name because hogs are supposed to 

 relish it. 



PI'KA, any one of several species of rodents 

 found on the heights of mountains in Asia, 

 Europe and Western North America. Pikas 

 are near relatives of the hare and the rabbit, 

 but look much more like the guinea pig. The 



THE PIKA 

 About one-fourth actual size. 



American species, found just above the timber 

 line, is a little creature about seven inches long, 

 with a tail less than an inch in length. It has 

 a rough, blackish coat, which is dirty white 

 beneath. Pikas are inclined to be sociable with 

 one another, and several are often found living 

 together in a heap of rock fragments at the 

 foot of a cliff. They are quite harmless, and 

 feed on plants, industriously collecting hay and 

 dried \cgetables to use in the winter as food 

 and bedding. Other name- given them arc 

 cowV.v. I it tit chit j htms and calling hares. 



PIKE, any one of several species of soft- 

 rayed, rather smooth-scaled fi.-h, found in the 

 riven and fr. -h-water lakes of Northern Kuropc 

 and North America and much prized for food. 

 The piki rywhere noted for their re- 



( tho wat'ry plains. 



POPB. 



markuble appetites and fighting qualities, and 



mailer fi-h that 



. v kill UK.:, of them than 



ight on the . nd of a hook, 



.1 pike fight* stubbornly, ami tin- h .i.cteristic 



The most 



