132 A HISTORA OF 



have been propagated. This bird, in its natural state, is of a deep 

 bluish ash colour ; the breast dashed with a fine changeable green 

 and purple; its wings marked with two black bars; the back white 

 and the tail barred near the end with black. These are the colours 

 of the pigeon in a state of Nature ; and from these simple tints lias 

 man by art propagated a variety that words cannot describe, nor even 

 fancy suggest. However, Nature still perseveres in her great out- 

 line ; and though the form, colour, and even the fecundity of these 

 birds may be altered by art, yet their natural manners and inchna 

 tions continue still the same. 



The stock-dove, in its native woods, differs from the ring-dove, a 

 bird that has never been reclaimed, by its breeding in the holes of 

 rocks and the hollows of trees. All other birds of the pigeon kind 

 build, like rooks, in the topmost branches of the forest, and choose 

 their habitation as remote as possible from man. But this species 

 soon takes to build in artificial cavities, and from the temptation of a 

 ready provision and numerous society, easily submits to the tyranny 

 of man. Still, however, it preserves its native colour for several gene- 

 rations, and becomes more variegated only in proportion as it removes 

 from the original simplicity of its colouring in the woods. 



The Dove-house Pigeon, as is well known, breeds every month ; 

 but then it is necessary to supply it with food when the weather is 

 severe, or the fields are covered with snow. Upon other occasions it 

 may be left to provide for itself, and it generally repays the owner for 

 its protection. The pigeon lays two white eggs, which most usually 

 produce young ones of different sexes. For the laying of each egg, 

 it is necessary to have a particular congress with the male ; and the 

 egg is usually deposited in the afternoon. When the eggs are thus 

 laid, the female, in the space of fifteen days not including the three 

 days during which she is employed in laying, continues to hatch, re- 

 lieved at intervals by the male. The turns are usually regulated with 

 great exactness. From three or four o'clock in the evening till nine 

 the next day, the female continues to sit ; she is then relieved by the 

 male, who takes his place from ten till three, while his mate is feed- 

 ing abroad. In this manner they sit alternately till the young are ex 

 eluded. If, during this term, the female delays to return at the ex- 

 pected time, the male follows, and drives her to the nest ; and should 

 he in his turn be dilatory, she retaliates with equal severity. 



The young ones, when hatched, require no food for the three first 

 days, only wanting to be kept warm, which is an employment the fe 

 male takes" entirely upon herself. During this period she never stir* 

 out, except for a few minutes to take a little food. From this thnv 

 are fed for eight or ten days with corn or grain of different kinds, 

 which the old ones gather in the fields, and keep treasured up in their 

 crops, from whence they throw it up again into the mouths of their 

 yonng ones, who very greedily demand it. 



As this method of feeding the young from the crop is different in 

 birds of the pigeon kind from all others, it demands a more detailed 

 explanation. Of all birds, for its size, the pigeon has the largest crop, 

 which is also made in a manner quite peculiar to the kind. In two 

 of these that were dissected by a member of the Royal Academy of 

 Sciences, it was round that if the anatomist blew ajr into the wind- 



