256 THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



their bills inside those of their young, and so feed them with a milky 

 food from their own crops. The young pigeons, however, grow 

 very quickly, and are soon able to fly into the fields to find food 

 for themselves. 



Though pigeons usually build in separate trees they are never- 

 theless fond of company. They feed in flocks, and as their food 

 consists chiefly of fruits and seeds they are said to do a great deal 

 of damage in the corn-fields. 



In one thing the pigeon differs from almost all other birds. 

 Most birds, when drinking, take a mouthful of water and let it slip 

 down the throat by throwing back the head, and repeat this till their 

 thirst is quenched. But the pigeon swallows water just as we do, so 

 that when it puts its bill into the water it does not take it out again 

 till it has had quite sufficient. The manner in which the pigeon 

 feeds its young, by softening the food in its crop first instead of 

 giving it raw, is also different from that of other birds. 



Tame pigeons become very much attached to their home, but 

 their attachment is like that of the cat and not that of the dog. 

 A dog will follow his master wherever he may go, but though the 

 cat does not do that it will return again and again to the old house. 

 So pigeons, when taken to a new home, have to be confined for 

 many days in order that they may become used to their new 

 quarters, otherwise they would fly away back to the place from 

 which they came. This habit has been utilized in the case of one 

 species, called the carrier pigeon, which is thus made to carry 

 letters from distant places. 



GALLING 



This group of birds is very large and is divided into several 

 families, which include about sixty genera. We lead ofl" in this great 

 group with a family which embraces the Grouse and Ptarmigan, 

 and then come to the Pheasant tribe, which include many well- 

 known species, and of which we may take our Barn-door fowls as 

 the type. 



