Class II. COMMON PIGEON. 385 



that I cannot forbear repeating his simile : 



Qualis spelunca sublto commota Columba 

 Cui domus et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi, 

 Fertur in an'a volans, plausumque exterrila pennis 

 Dat teclo ingentem — mox aere lapsa quieto 

 Radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas.* 



As when a Dove her rocky hold forsakes, 

 Rous'd in a fright, her sounding wings she shakes ; 

 The cavern rings with clattering — out she flies. 

 And leaves her callow care, and cleaves the skies : 

 At first she flutters ; but at length she springs 

 To smoother flight, and glides upon her wings. 



Dryden. 



This bird in its native state weighs about Descrip- 

 thirteen ounces : its length is thirteen inches 

 and a half; extent twenty-four inches and three 

 quarters ; but I believe it is not usually so 

 large. The head is grey ; the sides of the neck, 

 variable with rich gi'een, purple, and copper co- 

 lor; the breast and belly cinereous; the upper 

 part of the back and coverts of the wings 

 bluish ash-color; the gi'eater crossed with a 

 black bar; the primaries cinereous, tipped 

 with black ; the lower part of the back white, 

 a constant and specific mark ; the tail cine- 

 reous : the outmost web of the exterior fea- 

 ther white almost to the end, which, with those 



* .ffineid. v. 1, 213. 

 VOL, I. S C 



