146 BEHAVIOR OF PIGEONS. 



turn moved them back before the opening, when she took her turn at incubation. This 

 behavior was repeated by each on the two following days. The male thus preferred to 

 nest under cover, under that part of the box which was entirely covered, while the female 

 preferred an open space for the nest, i.e., she preferred that part of the box having one 

 open side. (R17.) 



APPRECIATION OF HEIGHT. 



A young white ring-dove, which had been kept on the floor of the cage in a box 3 inches 

 high, jumped out of the box for the first time. This bird was unable to fly and yet ventured 

 out of the nest, which it would not have done if the nest had been placed at a greater 

 height from the floor. This shows an instinctive (?) appreciation of distance and safety. 

 Similarly a young hybrid between a white f ant ail and a ring-dove, when just 2 weeks old 

 a full week before it would venture to fly from its nest stepped out of the nest-box, which 

 was kept on the floor of the pen, to the floor and walked around with the foster-parents, 

 which were eating their breakfast. The young bird then, without experience, appreciates 

 the conditions which make it safe or unsafe to leave the nest. If this nest had been several 

 feet above the floor the young bird would not have ventured out for at least a week. 

 (R 7, R 6.) 



SLEEP. 



I notice that pigeons fall asleep very quickly after getting to their accustomed place 

 on the perch at nightfall. But they are easily aroused. Every time I come into my room, 

 and every time I move with some noise after a period of quiet, they are awakened, and they 

 habitually shake their feathers quite vigorously all over when thus aroused from sleep. It 

 is interesting to hear this shaking run through a dozen or more doves all at once. The 

 eyes are closed in sleep and the head and tail are held in nearly the same horizontal plane, 

 so that the dove, especially when roosting in the open air, looks as if it were on the watch 

 for enemies from below. That is the attitude only when they hear something. In the 

 cages the head is held a little higher, but the body is nearly horizontal. The bird supports 

 itself by resting the body on the perch, as they sometimes do in the daytime when they 

 drop the wings beneath as supports and as an aid to balance. 



Crested pigeons sit on the perch with the head, body, and tail in a nearly horizontal 

 line, the tail falling but a little beneath this line. The head is so held that the crest is 

 vertical and in line with the beak, which is drawn so close to the breast that it is almost 

 covered with feathers. The eyes are closed, and the appearance is that of sound, restful 

 sleep. Slight noises arouse them to open an eye, but it soon closes. They sit as close 

 together as possible, not for warmth, for they do so in warm weather, but because they 

 are fond of company and feel a satisfaction in close contact. The young cresteds which 

 were reared by a pair of blond rings were accustomed to crowd so close as to push the old 

 birds off the perch; and they would not rest until they succeeded in nestling close to one 

 another. 



The passenger-pigeon holds its head in sleep somewhat higher, but drawn back upon 

 the breast, so that the beak is pretty well covered with feathers. The tail droops to an 

 angle of about 45. In both passengers and cresteds the beak is held straight in the middle 

 line of the breast. (R17.) 



MODIFICATION OF INSTINCT. 



I notice that a pair of young mourning-doves, only 1 and 2 days old, are sleeping quite 

 uncovered in front of their parent. The young birds are in the nest and the parent bird 

 seems to have drawn back a little to one side of the nest, so that the young can sit uncovered. 

 The heat is oppressive (June) for the first time this season, and the birds are left uncovered 

 because more comfortable so. In cold weather this would not happen. 



