810 
A FEW WORDS ON PIGEONS. 
a long transversal line — always with mucli deliberation, and with 
frequent stoppages for rest and refreshment. 
He is a sociable bird, the spoonbill, and lives with his like in 
perfect harmony. A couple of spoonbills may be seen fraternizing, and 
mutually preening and smoothing each other's plumage. A spectacle 
for the philosopher to laugh at, or admire, according to his school 
of philosophy. For several minutes the birds remain pressed against 
one another, — for the sole purpose, apparently, of exchanging affec- 
tionate salutes. Quarrels among spoonbills are as rare as military 
combats among Quakers ! They are not perfect, however ; they have 
been known to yield to the influence of jealousy, and a hungry com- 
munistic spoonbill will pursue a luckier individual, to filch from him 
his prey ; but they do not come to blows. They are never seen alone ; 
they have no liking for solitary meditation. With other birds they 
live on the best of terms ; at all events, they never assume the 
offensive. 
PIGEONS. 
We turn now, however, to pleasanter company. The doves and 
pigeons are the delight of poets, and a large amount of sentiment has 
been expended upon them; but the naturalist knows that they have 
no right to much of this laudation. They are not more affectionate 
than other wild birds which go in pairs ; and their past and present 
popularity is chiefly due to their gentleness of aspect, and softness and 
purity of plumage. As nest-builders, however, they claim our atten- 
tion. Take, as an example, the ringdove. She lays her two snowy 
eggs on a platform of sticks, through the interstices of which they are 
easily seen. On glancing at this apparent commencement or skeleton 
of a nest, we are tempted to suppose that the young must suffer much 
from the cold, biting airs of our English springs. But instinct teaches 
the mother-bird to shelter her nurslings for a longer time than is usual, 
perhaps, with any other of the feathered tribe. And the ordure of the 
young being carefully and purposely allowed to remain, forms, in time, 
a species of plaster, strong and scentless, which increases the consis- 
tency of the nest, and affords a sufficient protection against the cold. 
Mr. Waterton remarks that no bird in Great Britain seems to resort 
