450 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. 



dition — or at least we do not know how to make them do so ; it is 

 said that the ancients understood this art. 



Ring Pigeons are seen in Paris which have from time imme- 

 morial chosen a domicile in the gardens of the Tuileries, at the 

 Luxembourg, and ia the Champs Elys^es. They are very tame, and 

 come almost under the feet of promenaders. Few inhabitants of 

 Paris have not seen at the Tuileries the charming spectacle of 

 an old man who attracts round him numbers of Wood Pigeons 

 and Sparrows, to which he distributes crumbs of bread. The 

 confidence they show to this kind friend as an acknowledgment 

 of his goodness is wonderful ; they rest upon his shoulders, 

 take the bread from between his fingers, and even from his 

 mouth, and allow themselves to be caressed without manifesting 

 the least fright : this is evidence of the possibility of taming Ring 

 Pigeons. 



Wood Pigeons [Columha (Enas) have many traits of resem- 

 blance to Ring Pigeons, but they are smaller, justifying the 

 name of Little Queest which is sometimes given to them ; their 

 habits are the same as those of the preceding species, except 

 that they biiild their nests in the hollows of trees, instead of 

 upon the branches, as the former species do. They are very 

 plentiful in the South of Europe and in Africa. They leave 

 France regularly in the month of October. 



Wii/D Rock Pigeons {Columba livia, Selby) delight in rocky 

 and arid places. They depose their two eggs in the clefts of rocks 

 and ruins. They are seldom seen in Europe in a state of com- 

 plete liberty, except upon some parts of the coasts of England 

 and Norway and certain isles of the Mediterranean. They will- 

 ingly sacrifice their independence to live in pigeon-houses. They 

 are generally regarded as the founders of the numerous races of 

 our Domestic Pigeons. 



Domestic Pigeons probably sprang from the Wild Rock 

 Pigeons. They are of two kinds — the Colombier Pigeons and the 

 Aviary Pigeons. The former enjoy almost complete liberty ; 

 they traverse the country all day to seek for food, and sometimes 

 even return to a wild state. The latter are quite tame, and the 

 door of their habitation can be left open without danger ; they go 

 a little distance, and always return to their domicile. If Domestic 



