Class II. COMMON" PIGEON. 385 



that I cannot forbear repeating his simile : 



Qualis spclunca subito commota Columba 

 Cui domus et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi, 

 Fertur in arva volans, plausumque exterrita pennis 

 Dat tecto ingentem — mox aere lapsa quieto 

 Radit iter liquid am, 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. 



# Drydex. 



This bird in its native state weighs about Df scrip- 



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 green, 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 greater 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 



* jEneid. v. 1. 213, 

 VOL. I. 2 c 



TION. 



