20 The Naturalist in Silurla. 



simple vegetarian diet, while in their marital relations 

 they are models of constancy and affection. No lover 

 sues to his sweetheart in gentler or more pleading tone ; 

 and he were a good husband who will show half the 

 attention to his wife which the dove does to its mate. 



Having made use of the word dove, I may here remark 

 that all pigeons were formerly known as doves, even the 

 domestic variety being so called. Hence the origin of 

 the name " dovecote/' the thing itself being in reality a 

 pigeon-house, which in past times was an appanage of 

 every mansion arid monastery in the land ; one of such 

 importance, too, that statutes were enacted limiting their 

 number, even to the right of having them at all just as 

 our Game Laws of the present day. 



It was not for mere ornament or fancy, dovecotes were 

 kept, but with a view to the more substantial benefit 

 derived from them in supplying a^ choice article of food. 

 They took rank with the fish-pond ; beside which they 

 often stood, at a time when the fishmonger and poulterer 

 had either no existence or dwelt at an inconvenient 

 distance. 



When the name pigeon an Anglicized form of the 

 Italian pigione came into general use in this country is 

 not very clear, though now it is universally employed 

 when speaking of the larger species of the genus cohtmba, 

 while the original designation of dove is still retained for 

 the smaller ones. Audubon has ventured on a distinc- 

 tion, giving the name pigeon to those that make their 

 nests in large numbers on the same tree ; while the dove 

 is solitary in its nidification. The American naturalist, 

 not always accurate, was evidently misled by the habits 

 of the species which came under his observation a very 

 limited number. The facts are all against his speculative 



