584. THE ROCK-DOVE. 



generations, will, if they escape, take to rocks or buildings, and never trouble themselves 

 about trees, though they should be at hand. Some years ago, one of my friends, living 

 opposite Merton College, lost all his pigeons, by their gradual desertion of the loft in 

 which they and their progenitors had been born, in favour of Merton tower, where they 

 finally took up their residence in amiable proximity to multitudinous jackdaws and 

 several owls, and may be seen hovering about the towers, but always remaining near its 

 summit. 



This species seems to have a very considerable geographical range, for it is common 

 over most parts of Europe, Northern Africa, the coasts of the Mediterranean, and has even 

 been found in Japan. 



As a general rule, anyone who wants Pigeons about his house, and is not particular 

 about the breed, can obtain them without the least trouble, by getting a good cote 

 put up on his premises, and painting it white. The Pigeons are sure to be attracted 

 by the glittering object, and will take possession of it spontaneously. I think that 

 in many cases the cotes are deserted by the birds because they are left so long uncleansed, 

 and are made on too small a scale. Among rocks or ruins, cleanliness is no such great 

 matter, because there is plenty of air, and the birds can change their places freely ; but in 

 the case of the wooden cotes, the space is very limited, and the ventilation almost reduced 

 to a nullity. Vermin, too, swarm in such places, and the birds show their good sense in 

 getting away from so unhealthy a situation. The cotes should always be well cleaned at 

 intervals, and the owner will be repaid by the health and rapidly increasing number of his 

 birds. 



In a domesticated state, although it is better to feed them at home and so keep them 

 from straying, they will always forage for themselves and young without any assistance, a 

 night of ten miles or so being a mere nothing to these strong-winged birds. Indeed, the 

 Pigeons tfyat inhabit the Hague, -are known to cross the sea as far as the coast of Norfolk 

 for the sake of feeding on the vetches. 



The colour of the Rock-Dove is as follows : The head is grey, and the neck of the 

 same colour, but " shot " with purple and green. The chin is blue-grey, and the throat 

 changeable green and purple. The upper surface of the body is also grey, but of 

 a different tone ; the greater coverts are barred with black at their tip, forming a decided 

 band across the wing ; the tertials are also tipped with black, and another black band 

 crosses the wing a little below the first-mentioned bar. These conspicuous black bars are 

 difficult to eradicate from the domestic breeds, and are always apt to make their appearance 

 most unexpectedly, and annoy the fancier greatly. The lower part of the back is pure 

 white, the upper tail-coverts are pearl grey, and the breast and abdomen of the same hue. 

 The total length of this bird is not quite a foot. 



From this stock, the varieties that have been reared by careful management are almost 

 innumerable, and are so different in appearance that if they were seen for the first time, 

 almost any systematic naturalist would set them down as belonging not only to different 

 species, but to different genera. Such, for example, as the pouter, the jacobin, the 

 trumpeter, and the fantail, on page 583, the last-mentioned bird having a greater number 

 of feathers in its tail than any of the others. 



As this work is not intended to be of a sporting or " fancy " character, a description of 

 the various fancy Pigeons cannot be given. But the " homing " faculty of this bird, and 

 the use to which it has been put, is too important to be passed over without a notice. 



It has long been known that Pigeons have a wonderful power of finding their home, 

 even if taken to great distances, and the mode by which the birds are enabled to reach 

 their domiciles has long been the object of discussion, one party arguing that it is an 

 instinctive operation, and the other, that it is entirely by sight. In my opinion the latter 

 party have the better of the argument, though perhaps the element of instinct ought not 

 wholly to be omitted. I have been told by those who have hunted on vast plains, where 

 no object serves as a guide, that the only way to get safely back is to set off on the 

 homeward track without thinking about it, for that when a man begins to exercise his 

 reason, his instinct fails him in proportion, and unless he should be furnished with a 

 compass, he will probably be lost. 



