THE WORLD'S BIBBS. 137 



use their wings much. The pairs show con- 

 siderable devotion, and often caress each other 

 with their bills, but they are not more attached 

 in reality than many other birds. Most species 

 perch, but a few are entirely terrestrial. 



ECONOMIC QUALITIES. They are edible, and some are 

 very good ; but at times they are apt to be destructive 

 owing to their fondness for cultivated .crops. The 

 fruit-eating species, however, are harmless, and 

 useful in spreading trees, as they pass the seed 

 undigested, while the smaller seed-eating species 

 destroy much weed-seed. 



CAPTIVITY. They live very well indeed, even in cages, 

 and usually breed ; few of the fruit -eaters, how- 

 ever, have as yet been reared in confinement. Two 

 species are completely domesticated : the Common 

 Pigeon, the ancestor of which is the wild Blue Rock 

 (Columba livia), and the Collared Dove (Turtur 

 risorius), which seems to have originated from the 

 wild species T. roseogriseus. 



DISTRIBUTION AND IMPORTANT SPECIES. The Pigeons 

 and Doves are found almost all over the world, 

 except in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, even 

 on the remotest islands ; there are over five 

 hundred species. Few frequent completely open 

 country, as the ground-feeders usually breed and 

 roost on trees, while the fruit-pigeons, naturally, 

 always frequent wooded country. Most are found 

 in hot climates, and few are migratory. 



The Blue Rock-Pigeon is widely spread wherever 

 there are cliffs in the Old World ; the tree -haunting 

 Wood-Pigeon (Columba palumbus) is also widely 

 distributed. Turtle-Doves (Turin?) are commonest 

 in hot climates, and confined to the Old World ; 

 in India the Spotted Dove (T. suratensis) is one 

 of the commonest kinds, and the Collared Turtle 

 (T. decaocto) is also common there and extends west 



