286 CLASS AVES. 



last take up such positions as may render their services 

 efficient. They usually remain on trees or small eminences 

 of the soil, or hover almost immovable in the air. Thus we 

 have a regular army, with its scouts, guards, and commis- 

 sariat. 



The guards take no nourishment, except when they see every 

 thing undisturbed ; and even then they eat in haste. Their 

 rank in the society is derived from age and experience. They 

 are also superior in strength, at least in comparison to the 

 young pigeons. These last are giddy and imprudent — pro- 

 tected by the society, and often corrected by the adults, but 

 freed from all charge, and employed solely in satisfying the 

 wants of their organization. 



There are other members of this community to whom the 

 care of the general preservation is also confided. These are 

 placed in the centre of the troop, and when the videttes give 

 the warning signal of approaching danger, it is repeated 

 by them, and thus all the rest are advertised of it. 



On this alarm being given, the entire society takes to 

 flight, either into the air or towards the bushes. Sometimes 

 they close their ranks, and make towards another flock of 

 their own species. In this last instance, a combat will some- 

 times take place, and sometimes not. When one of the troops 

 is more numerous, it is sometimes thus recruited by the num- 

 bers of the other. 



Chardin says, that in Persia it is a favourite amusement to 

 catch the wild pigeons of the country, by means of tame ones. 

 These are made to fly the live-long day after the wild pigeons. 

 They generally bring the latter back with them to the dove- 

 house ; but this stratagem succeeds only with the young 

 ones. 



When a combat of the kind above-mentioned takes place 

 between two flocks, if one of them, without continuing it, 

 takes to flight, we may be assured that they do not inhabit 



