22O 



The Birds of Virgil. 



breeding in cooler climes. But it is fairly certain 

 that in ancient times two species of pigeons bred 

 in Italy : (i) the bird meant by palumbes, of which 

 Virgil makes the shepherd Damoetas say in the 

 third Eclogue that he has " marked the place 

 where they have gathered materials for nesting," 3 

 and of which Pliny tells his readers that when 

 they see this bird upon her nest they may know 

 that midsummer is past (Pliny, Nat. Hist, xviii. 

 267) ; (2) the bird named columba, which word, 

 though etymologically the same as palumbes, is 

 used by Pliny, and also by the Roman agricultural 

 writers, to represent a bird which is certainly to 

 be distinguished from palumbes." The columba 

 was in fact the tame pigeon of the Romans : it 

 was also their carrier-pigeon ; for in the siege of 

 Mutina, B.C. 43, the besieged general commurfi- 

 cated with the relieving force by means of columbae, 

 to the feet of which letters were attached (Plin. x. 

 no). The words may here and there be used 

 loosely, and it is possible that attempts may have 

 been made to domesticate the palumbes as well as 



1 Eclogue iii. 68. 



2 Columella viii. 8. Cato de Re Rustica, 90. 



