THE PIGEON. 



ged to return to the ark. The account, as contained 

 in Genesis, is too interesting to be omitted here. Af- 

 ter the raven had returned, Noah " Also sent forth a 

 Dove from him to see if the waters were abated from 

 off the face of the ground ; But the Dove found no 

 rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him 

 into the ark, and the waters were on the face of the 

 whole earth ; then he put forth his hand, and took her 

 and pulled her in, unto him, into the ark. And he 

 stayed yet other seven days ; and again he sent forth 

 the Dove out of the ark, and the Dove came in to him 

 in the evening, and lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf 

 plucked off; so Noah knew that the waters were aba- 

 ted from off the earth." Chapter 8, verses 8-11. 



Among the whole feathered creation, there is not, 

 perhaps, a bird better fitted to perform such an errand 

 than the Dove. Her wings are so long and powerful, 

 that she remains on them for many hours without tir- 

 ing, and to whatever distance she may go, she always 

 returns home again at night. 



The olive leaf which she brought home, it appears 

 \ras not picked up on the water, but was plucked off 

 from a living tree. This then, was certain proof that 

 the waters had not only abated* but that within the 

 circuit which the Dove had taken, the ground was left 

 naked, otherwise she could not have come to the olive 

 tree. 



How cheering to Noah and his family must have 

 been this sure indication, that the waters of the flood 

 were retiring, and that after their long confinement, 

 they should soon again behold the light of the sun, and 

 tand on the face of the earth, Hence it is, that by 



