90 



BIRDS. THE PIGEON. 



are very pleasant to behold ; when numerous, the balance is 

 turned. 



It has been argued, that the rook is not so injurious to the 

 farmer as is supposed, as it destroys insects that are hurtful to 

 the young crops. But the insects which it devours are not 

 injurious, except in some few places and circumstances ; and 

 they contribute to fertilize the land by the decay of their dead 

 bodies. The rook flies to great distances, and the ravages 

 are extensive, and not confined to particular tracts of country. 

 They are an impudent and mischievous race of birds, and 

 should be allowed to multiply very sparingly. To winter-sown 

 wheats, and in the spring, they are wholly ruinous, if they be 

 not very closely watched ; other food is scarce at that time, 

 and they congregate in vast numbers on the newly stirred 

 land, for the purpose of devouring insects and the grains. 

 At that time, a large field will require more than one person 

 to watch ; for the rooks, when driven from one place, will fly 

 to another ; and, by dividing themselves into parties, they em- 

 ploy as many persons as the divisions they form. 



2. The Pigeon is a fowl bred in small houses or cotes. 

 It belongs to the class Aves ; order Passeres ; and genus 

 Columba. The characters of the order : Bill conic, pointed; 

 legs formed for hopping ; toes slender, divided ; nest formed 

 with wonderful art. They live chiefly in trees and hedges ; 

 are monogamous, vocal, and feed their young by thrusting 

 the food down their throats. 



Generic character. — Bill straight, simple, tapering, sinking 

 at the tip; nostrils oblong; tongue entire. Specific distinc- 

 tion : Bill sub-arched ; nostrils covered with a tumid mem- 

 brane. These birds are remarkable for the deHcacy of their 

 bill, and short legs ; their toes are generally red, and divided 

 to their origin. They inhabit only the temperate and hot 

 regions ; some are seen occasionally in Russia and in Sweden, 

 but they always migrate southward as the winter approaches. 

 None are seen in Siberia or Kamtschatka. 



The domestic pigeon is a well-known animal. They require 

 a lofty building, well covered, and fitted up with numerous 



