Birds of Farm and Zoo [ 75 



may see one pecking at another bird's head and pushing it around 

 for apparently no reason at all. But there is a reason, and a com- 

 pelling one: The "pusher" is a cock bird and the "pushed" is a 

 hen. The pecking and pushing are part of the cock's breeding 

 display. The cock coos much louder than the hen, and while he 

 is performing his courtship dances the hen usually feigns indif- 

 ference and walks away from the male who is striving so hard to 

 make an impression. 



Where Pigeons Are Found: You may encounter pigeons on farms 

 or in city parks. They have adapted themselves so successfully to 

 city life that they are often a distinct nuisance in cluttering and 

 soiling buildings. And sometimes their cooing outside the windows 

 of a humdrum business office can take on a weird unearthly 

 quality! But children love these birds, and "feeding the pigeons" 

 has become almost a national sport. 



There is nothing novel about this, for pigeons have been 

 popular domestic birds for many centuries: There were pigeon 

 fanciers in ancient Rome. All our present domestic varieties have 

 been developed from the rock pigeon, a wild species found in many 

 parts of Europe and Asia. 



There are vast numbers of pigeons in America, but they also 

 dwell in all parts of the temperate and tropical regions of the 

 world, existing in the greatest quantity and variety in the Eastern 

 Hemisphere, particularly in the Australian and Malayan regions. 



The Homing Pigeon: This remarkable variety was developed 

 during the Middle Ages, when there was a lack of dependable 

 means of communication. A warrior or traveler would take several 

 of these pigeons when setting out on a journey. After a few days' 

 travel, he would attach a letter to one of the birds, which on being 

 released would fly straight back to his family at home. Later 

 he would send back more letters with the other birds. Today, 

 champion homing pigeons can fly at the rate of almost a mile a 

 minute, keeping up that amazing pace for several hours! 



