84 PIGEONS. 



toe which is articulated upon the same plane as the others. They 

 fly well, and differ very much from the Common GalHnacece in 

 their habits. When they drink, they do not elevate the head 

 as the latter do, and they ordinarily perch on trees. These birds 

 always live in a state of monogamy, and the male never leaves 

 his female companion. They evince great mutual tenderness 

 and express it by frequently caressing each other, and by the 

 accents of their voice, the modulation and tone of which have 

 been designated by the term cooing. Both unite in the construc- 

 tion of the nest, and place it, according to the species, sometimes 

 on the tops of the highest trees, amongst bushes, or even on 

 the ground, and other times in the cavities of rocks. This 

 nest, coarsely constructed of small branches and leaves, is 

 very open, and ordinarily receives only two eggs, upon which 

 the male and female alternately sit. One of these two eggs 

 usually gives birth to a male, and the other to a female : and 

 these two individuals being reared together remain forever after 

 paired. They feed their young by disgorging into their little 

 throats, grains macerated in their own stomach, and which they 

 cause to regurgitate into the beak by a kind of contraction. 



39. These birds form but a single genus; among the wild 

 species in Europe are the Cushat, the Rock Uove, and the Turtle 

 Dove. 



40. Pigeons are reared in vast numbers in the domestic state ; 

 one of the most celebrated races is the Carrier Pigeon* which is 

 distinguished from all others, by a broad naked band which 

 surrounds the eye, and its deep black plumage ; it is remark- 

 able for its rapid flight, and for the singular faculty it possesses of 

 again finding the place where it was born, or where it left 

 its young, after having been carried to very great distances. It 

 has been often employed to convey letters, and it has been known 

 to make a journey of upwards of a hundred leagues in a few hours. 



41. [Among the American species, the most remarkable is the 

 Passenger Pigeon, Culumba migrutoria, which is bluish gray, 

 with a white belly and black tail. The wild Pigeon of America, 

 it is estimated, can fly several hundred miles at the rate of a mile 

 a minute. The whole species seems to be always congregated in 

 one huge flock, composed of millions of individuals ; and they 

 remain in one locality for several years, and then leave it from 

 dearth of food, which appears to be the sole cause that deter- 

 mines their migrations. They feed on acorns and berries.] 



39. What number of genera constitutes the family of Pigeons? 



40. What are the characters of the Carrier Pigeon ? How is it employed ? 



41. What are the characters of the Passenger Pigeon ? What are ii 

 habits? 



