THE STRUCTURE AND GENERAL CHARACTER OP PIGEONS. 13 



by standing, though not so readily as either blood or meat, it resisting putrefaction 

 for a considerable time ; neither will curd much pressed become putrid so soon as 

 either blood or meat." 



The young are fed until they have attained nearly their full size and perfect 

 plumage, so that they are capable of fluttering after their parents, and flapping 

 them with their wings until they disgorge the contents of their full crops into the 

 throats of their greedy young. 



Four species of the genus Columba inhabit Great Britain. They are : — 



1. The Cushat, which is also known as the Quest, Ring Dove, or common 

 Wood Pigeon, the Columba palumbus of ornithologists. This is the largest of our 

 native species, and is readily distinguished by the two white spots on the neck, 

 the white patch on the wings, and the reddish purple colour of the breast and 

 neck. The Cushat is an arboreal species, nesting and roosting in trees, and is not 

 found on the coasts or in rocky treeless districts. This species does not possess 

 the capability of being domesticated ; even when eggs of the Cushat have been 

 obtained and hatched under domesticated pigeons, the birds so reared have always 

 betaken themselves to the woods on acquiring their full powers of flight. 



2. The Rock Dove, or Blue Rock Dove, the Columba livia of scientific treatises. 

 This is distinguished from the other English species of a blue colour by its having 

 the lower half of the back white. This is the original of our domesticated breeds, 

 and is described at length in the following chapter. 



3. The Blue-backed or Stock Dove, Columba JEnas. This species was, until the 

 time of Brisson and Temminck,* confounded with the last named, and the title of 

 stock dove was bestowed upon it, as it was supposed to be the origin or wild stock 

 of our domestic breeds. This idea is now known to be erroneous, for the bird is 

 not capable of domestication. The Stock Dove usually breeds in the hollows of 

 decayed trees, sometimes in deserted rabbit burrows ; and recently Mr. Harting 

 has ascertained that in some localities it makes its nest on the cliffs of the sea- 

 coast, in situations somewhat resembling those selected by the last species. 



4. The Turtle Dove, Columba turtur, the smallest of our British species, is a 

 very elegant little bird, of a greyish-brown colour, having on the neck two large 

 black spots, the feathers of which are tipped with white. The Turtle is too deli- 

 cate to withstand the rigours of our winter, and departs for warmer latitudes in 

 September. 



In many of the treatises that have been published on pigeons, the existence of 

 another distinct species, the Dovehouse Pigeon, Columba ajinis, has been men- 

 tioned; but there is no doubt that this is a mere variety of the Columba livia, and 

 that it has no title whatever to be regarded as a distinct species. 



Another species of dove is well known in England, though not a native of 

 Britain — namely, the Collared Dove, Columba risoria — characterized by its pale 

 cream colour, which is only varied by a black ring or collar on the neck. This 



* HLstoire Naturelle Generale des Pigeons et des Gallinaces, par C. J. Temminck, 1813. 



