THE PIGEONS. 
25 
She and her mate sit -apon the nest by 
tnrns, and never leave it a moment. At the 
end of twelve days the two little humming- 
birds come out of their shells, and are about 
the size of blue-bottle flies. At first they are 
unfledged, but very soon are covered with 
down ; and in time, feathers gr(^ upon them, 
and become as beautiful as t^se of ike parent 
Besides the noisy chattering parrots, with 
their gaudy plumage, there is a tribe of birds 
in the forest as richly dressed as thej'' are, 
and that love their home in it quite as well. 
These are the pigeons, who luxuriate amid 
the thick foliage of the trees, and are parti- 
cularly fond of the banyan, that, as you know, 
sends down its myriads of shoots to the earth, 
and makes a little forest of its own. Here 
the pigeons find a safe and pleasant retreat, 
and an abundant supply of food in the figs it 
bears. They also live upon the palm, that 
birds. 
I I 
CHAPTER m." 
THE PIGEONS. 
