PIGEONS. 385 



some bird which they have caught sight of, and 

 which has hidden itself from view. 



Then again the flights of birds to and from water, 

 often afford the most valuable information as to the 

 directions in which streams and other waters are to 

 be found. Aquatic fowl almost certainly indicate the 

 presence of rivers, or considerable sheets of water. 

 In hot climates the flights of these birds are also very 

 frequently conducted at a great height above the 

 earth where the birds obtain the advantage of the 

 cooler atmosphere of the great altitudes. All these, 

 and similar signs of the wilderness, have, however, 

 been noticed more particularly elsewhere in these pages, 

 and our only object in again calling attention to them 

 here, is to demonstrate more clearly the value, and 

 indeed the necessity of watching the sky concurrently 

 with the landscape. 



Before we turn away from the subject of bird migra- 

 tions, we desire to notice the movements and assem- 

 blages of certain sorts of game birds, which take place 

 mostly in the great forest regions, or which seek the 

 cover of the timber in partially wooded districts. 



The most remarkable of all these birds is probably 

 the pigeon. Various species of pigeons are to be 

 found scattered practically over the whole habitable 

 surface of the globe, of which at least 500 species 

 have been described by ornithologists. * 



We have a very fine example in the wood-pigeon 

 or ring-dove (Columba Palumbes] of our own country, 

 one of the best game birds for table purposes, we 

 have always thought, that flies though we are quite 

 aware it is not a fashionable bird in the bills of fare 



* EncycL Brit., Qth Edit., Vol. xix., p. 35 (Art. "Pigeons"). 

 VOL. III. 25 



