PIGEONS 



241 



distribution in England centuries ago, it seems certain that many, 

 if not all, of the pigeons now found wild in the British Isles are 

 descended from birds once domesticated. Rock Pigeons of the 



FIG. 184. Flock of Dragoon Pigeons 1 



same type, however, are found in many other parts of the Old 

 World and, whether wild or feral, are plainly all from the 

 same original stock. The American Wild Pigeon, also called 

 the Passenger Pigeon, which was once found 

 in enormous flocks in eastern North America, 

 is often erroneously mentioned as the ances- 

 tor of domestic pigeons. The Rock Pigeon 

 and the Passenger Pigeon are of different 

 species and are very different in appearance 

 and habits. The Rock Pigeon is what is 

 . called a shelf builder. 



It builds its nest on 



a ledge, or shelf, and 



FIG. 185. Flying 

 Homer Pigeon 1 



will rarely even alight in a tree or a bush. 

 The Passenger Pigeon is a wood pigeon, 

 nesting and roosting in trees. 



Distribution in ancient times. The 

 pigeon was domesticated at a very early 

 stage of civilization. Like the fowl, the 

 duck, and the goose, it was well known 

 to all civilized peoples of antiquity. To what extent the distri- 

 bution of pigeons in domestication followed the early migrations 



1 Photograph from Elmer E. Rice, Boston, Massachusetts. 



FIG. 1 86. Silver Runt 

 Pigeon 1 



