28 THE PIGEONS. 
are shot, they will often burst as they fall to 
the ground. 
And here I must tell you a rather cui'ious 
fact. The pigeons swallow the nutmeg, with 
its covering of mace ; but the nutmeg, released 
from its shell, passes uninjured through the 
body of the bird, and is dropped out as it 
flies. At certain times of the year, the pigeon 
is a great traveller ; so that the nutmeg is 
dispersed over the islands of the east, where 
it would not otherwise have been planted. 
And what is more curious still, the nutmeg 
could never be made to grow unless it had 
gone through this process of being swallowed. 
Many attempts were made to rear it, without 
success ; but in these days, when people find 
out everything, it has been discovered that if 
the nutmeg is steeped in a preparation of lime 
it will do as welL 
And I can tell you another thing that is 
rather odd. Many of the pigeons when they 
are going to choose partners, and make their 
nests, have a round ball, or gi'istly knob, grow 
upon the bill, just where it joins the head. 
It stands up like a cherry, or even larger, and 
when the days of courting are over, it dis- 
