CHAPTER III. 



PIGEONS AXD SAND-GROUSE. 



PIGEONS, as a rule, are birds of wonderful powers of fliglit. The young, which never 

 exceed two in numlier, are hatched perfectly blind and helpless, and but sparsely clothed. 

 They are nouiished liy a peculiar milky secretion of the parents' crop known as "pigeons' 

 milk." The ojieration of feeding is performed by the parent thrusting its beak into the 

 mouth of its offspring and ejecting therein the secretion just referred to. The nest is a very 

 simple structure, being comjwsed of twigs, generally placed in a tree, but sometimes in a 

 cave or hole in a bank. The eggs, whicli never exceed two in number, are pure white. 



Perhaps the most beautiful species occur among the large group known as Frdit-pigeoxs. 

 Many of these are invested in raiment of vivid green and yellow, forming a little coterie 



by themselves — the Green 

 Pigeons. Others, on account 

 of their brilliancy, have been 

 designated Painted Pigeons, 

 of which, perhaps, the most 

 beautiful of all is Eugjsne's 

 Pigeon. Try to imagine 

 it ! The head is pure white, 

 the upper part of the breast 

 a purple-red surrounded by 

 a dull purple band : the 

 under parts are greyish green, 

 shading into white; the tlanks 

 green ; w'hilst the upjier parts 

 are also green, but of a rich 

 bronze tint. Another group 

 from the P'iji Islands includes 

 a magnificent species, the 

 male of which is clotlied in a glorious orange, save the head and throat, which are olive- 

 yellow. His mate is scarcely less beautiful, her plumage being rich green. Another member 

 of the groujj — the White Nutmeg-pigeon — is clad in creamy white, with black quills, and 

 a black tip to the tail. It is a native of Borneo. The fruit-pigeons, it should be mentioned, 

 include some of the larc^est of livinir pii/eons. 



Whilst many of the Pigeon Tribe seem to have succeeded in dyeing their feathers with all 

 the hues of the rainbow, others luive secured equal glory by a covering which at first sight 

 would rather a2)pear to be of burnished metal tlian of feathers. The most striking instance of 

 this is found in the magnificent NicoifAii Pigeons. There are two species of these birds, which 

 occur not only in the Nicobar Islands, from which they take their name, but also in the Malay 

 Archipelago and the Solomon and Pelew Islands. The general tone of the one species is black, 

 but the upper jiarts are superbly glossed with bronze and copper reflections. The other, from 

 the Pelew Islands, is indigo-blue in general tone. In one of the IS'icobar Islands these birds 

 occur in thousands. Furthermore, these two pigeons stand alone, in that the neck -feathers 

 are greatly elongated, forming " hackles " like those of the common fowl. 



The largest of living pigeons are the GouKAS, or Crowned Pigeons. There are six sjiecies, 



414 



riioluhliJ. r. i\'eK;Mifi] [Ikrkhauisicd. 



A PAIR OF YOUXG PIOEOXS IN ^'EST. 



TVie hair-like down of tlie yonrig iiigeon is quite diJTei-ent to .any otljcr nestlinrr down. 



