OTHER INSTINCTS. 145 



Ectopistes young only 32 days old. This bird was hatched under ring-doves, had been reared 

 under them, and had never before seen a worm. After a glance or two the young passenger 

 descended from his perch, took up a worm, tried it at the end of his beak, and then dropped 

 it. After repeating the act three times he at length swallowed the worm and then ate 

 several others, generally testing them a little first. 1 I have noticed that the green-winged 

 pigeons (Chalcophaps) eat earthworms, and occasionally the ring-dove will do so. The 

 large white-faced doves of Australia were seen to eat several earthworms which were thrown 

 to them. 



I find further that stock doves (C. anas), the guinea-pigeon (C. guinea), and its hybrids 

 (by homer), Japanese turtle-doves (T. orientalis), ring-doves, and hybrids between Japanese 

 turtles and ring, all eat earthworms when they have young to feed. I am inclined to think 

 that pigeons very generally eat earthworms. 



Grass is much liked by wood-pigeons (C. palumbus) as well as by other pigeons. They 

 also like the plantain leaves growing in the yard. Lettuce is eaten quite freely by pigeons 

 generally. Salt (rock) is very necessary, as is cuttlefish-bone 2 and ground oyster-shell. 

 (SS 4, B 2a.) 



BATHING. 



I watched a young ectopistes, a little more than 2 months old, take its bath in a shallow 

 glass basin. After trying the water by immersing its beak and shaking it, it plunged in 

 and gave itself a vigorous shaking several times. After each shaking it would lie over 

 on one side and lift up the wing of the other side, stretching it vertically or a little inclined 

 and as far as it could reach. I have often noticed this habit of lifting the wing during a 

 bath in other pigeons. They frequently perform these same motions when it rains, espe- 

 cially if they are disposed to a bath. The wing is raised so as to expose its under surface 

 to the falling rain. The same movements are also often employed in "sunning" themselves. 



A 3-weeks-old hybrid between a white fantail and a ring-dove, which was just about 

 ready to fly a little, discovered the water that was kept in a basin about 3 inches deep. 

 The bird felt the desire to bathe, but, not knowing how to get into the water, simply 

 ducked its head and squatted outside the dish and shook its feathers as if in the water. 

 Soon afterward it found its way to the edge of the dish and then jumped in and took a 

 good bath in the approved style. This was certainly the first bath. (R17, R7.) 



INSTINCTIVE PREFERENCES. 3 



Ring-doves do not seek the coop to escape the rain, but sit out in the heaviest showers, 

 even when a coop is near at hand. The young and old behave alike, even when accustomed 

 to spending the night inside. The domestic dove usually goes in out of the rain. Domestic 

 pigeons prefer the coop to the open at night. Ring-doves have to be forced to go in. In 

 time they learn to roost inside, but only after being repeatedly driven in. A particular 

 ring-dove female which I have mated with a common pigeon follows her mate into the coop 

 without any assistance. 



A male common pigeon and a Japanese turtle had a nest and eggs in a pen on the east 

 side of the house. The nest was on a shelf and was covered by a box about 2 feet long. 

 One-half of one side of this box was open. The female laid her first egg in that end of the 

 box having the aperture. When the male took the nest the next day he moved the nest 

 and the egg along to the other end of the box, away from the aperture. The female in 



1 See Chapter X. 



- 1 do not quite know why the birds eat so much cuttlefish-bone. It seems in soine way to promote their digestion 

 and general health. It probably contains a good deal of salts, which may have a beneficial effect. Some of them do not 

 eat it; some have never learned to do so. Those which do cat it usually grow passionately fond of it. When they see 

 me bring some in and break it up for them, they understand and make a great commotion. (Conv. 7 '_' 11). \V. C.) 



3 Other illustrations are given in Chapter X. 



