146 
BISET OR WILD ROCK-PIGEON. 
Columba livia . — Lath. 
PLATE XII. 
Columba livia, Lath. Ind. Orn. v. 2. 3D0. sp. 2. v. B. — Brisa. 
Orn. 82. ap. 3. — Colombo Biset, Sauvage^ Temm. Pig. 
8vo. edit. 1 . p. 125 — Id. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 446 Biset 
and White-Rumped Pigeon, Lath. Ind. 4. C05. 2. A 
Rock-Dove, Mont. Orn. Diet Id. Sup Selby's Illua. 
Br. Orn. 2. 410. pi. 66. f. 2 The Common I’igcon or 
Wild Dove, Low's Faun. Oread, p. 52. 
Rocky and pretiiiitous cliffs, particularly those of 
the sea-coast perforated by caverns, either originat- 
ing in the nature of the rock itself, or worn and hol- 
lowed out by the action of the waves, are the appro- 
priate retreats of the pigeon in its wild or natural 
state. In this condition it possesses a very exten- 
sive geographical distribution throughout the maii- 
time districts of the world, being abundant in most 
of the Rocky Islands belonging to Africa and Asia, 
and in those of the Mediterranean, where it swarms 
in incredible numbers. Upon our own coasts it is 
found wherever the nature of the barrier suits its 
habits, extending as far as the Orkneys, where Low 
describes it as the inhabitant of all their numerous 
