156 BEHAVIOR OP PIGEONS. 



tigrina; these have learned never to resist him, but simply hang their heads and keep still 

 until he stops, which he does after a peck or two. These tiger turtle-doves thus seem: 

 (1) to distinguish between a warm and a cooler place; (2) to distinguish companions from 

 other associates; (3) to know when it is safe to attack and when not. All this points to 

 considerable intelligence. (R 7, SS 10, R 9.) 



IMITATION. 



It is wonderful how much and how quickly doves learn by imitation. The first young 

 of a pair of ring-doves were placed on the floor of the cage very early and were walking 

 about at the age of 2 weeks. These little fellows had seen their parents "jump" at doves 

 in adjoining cages, on either side, whenever those doves came near and attempted to put 

 their heads through the holes of the wire net. Likewise, these young, before they could walk 

 properly, would perform the same jump and drive away outsiders. It was most amusing 

 to watch them. 



My dwarf pigeons (smaller geopelia) for a long time utterly refused to take any notice 

 of bread crumbs. I let them go hungry for a while and then fed them only fine crumbs of 

 bread. One of them tried a bit, tested it several times, and finally swallowed it; then he 

 took several more pieces, and finally decided that it was good. Another one, seeing him 

 pick up the crumbs, put his head close down to him and looked at him as he took in the bread, 

 and then tried it himself; and so it went until all learned, and in a day or two they would 

 all eat bread with avidity. If one bird is let out of the cage into my room the other dwarfs 

 see this and at once become very uneasy and try hard to get out also. At 2 weeks of age, 

 the first or second day after the young get out of the nest, they usually learn to pick up seed 

 and bread crumbs if these are placed near them ; but they are almost invariably, if not always, 

 led to do this by seeing the parents eat. The parental example is the guiding stimulus. 



It is very amusing to see young just out of the nest for the first time undertake police 

 duty, which they do by imitation. One of a pair of young ring-doves, for example, out 

 of the nest yesterday, exhibited himself to-day as a most valiant defender of the camp. 

 He would drop his head a little, look a moment at the intruders from another pen as they 

 put their heads through the wire netting to steal seed; then he would "jump" in the most 

 approved fashion, and rush at them with such an air of authority as to frighten them 

 off. This fellow kept up this exhibition for some 10 minutes, and seemed to enjoy the 

 business. It tried the same method on its own brother and sister, who were a month 

 or so older, and several times jumped so vigorously as to land on the back of the dove 

 aimed at. The parents had been seen to do this often, and no doubt the little fellow was 

 doing what he had seen and remembered. I noticed that it did not try to drive its parents, 

 but when they came around it began to tease them for food. 



It is a curious fact that when a dove sees its mate feeding the young it is often moved 

 by sympathy to go through the motions of feeding. This may very often be seen in ring- 

 doves. Moreover, when one dove sees another eating it is often thereby stimulated to 

 go and eat also. The same is true with the act of bathing or sunning. If one young dove 

 begins to play, by flapping its wings and skipping, the others are apt to be incited to join 

 in. Old birds often manifest sympathy if they see their young act as if suffering, or if 

 their young are handled roughly. The cry of terror sets every dove within hearing on 

 edge. (R 17.) 



EFFECTS OF EXPERIENCE. 



Indisputable evidence of memory is shown by pigeons when they forsake a roosting- 

 place which has been found to be liable to danger from cats, men, or other enemies. Pig- 

 eons are very constant to their chosen roosting-places, but when once molested in these 

 they do not forget it the next night. Handle a pigeon roughly and it becomes wild; it 

 remembers that you are dangerous, and tries to keep out of reach. 



