COLUMBA. 
pliyrius relates, a miserable slave, whose 
skin in a strange manner fell otf from his 
bones, by advising him to feed on vipers’ 
flesh in the manner of fish. Galen says, 
that those afflicted with elephantiasis are 
wonderfully relieved by eating vipers’ flesh 
dressed like eels, and relates very remark- 
able cures of this disease performed by 
means of viper wine. In France and Italy, 
tile broth, jelly, and flesh of vipers are in 
much esteem as a restorative medicine. 
In England we have to instance the well 
known circumstance of Sir Kenelm Digby, 
who caused his wife. Lady Venetia, to 
feed on capons fatted with vipers to re- 
cover her from a consumption. 
The viper abounds most in dry, stony, 
and chalky countries, or in the low herbage 
or underwood in thickets. It casts its skin 
twice in the year, namely, in spring and 
autumn, and is said to attain its full size at 
the age of six or seven years, but is ca- 
pable of engendering when two or three 
years old. 
COLUMBA, the pigeon, in natural his- 
tory, a genus of birds of the order of Pas- 
seres. Generic character: bill weak, straight, 
descending towards the tip ; nostrils o'blong, 
and half covered with a soft tumid mem- 
brane ; tongue entire ; legs short, and ge- 
nerally red ; toes divided to their origin. 
Latham enumerates no less than 66 species, 
and Gmelin mentions even 82, besides con- 
siderable varieties. We shall confine our 
notices to the few which folliyir. 
C. domestica, or the common pigeon. 
Of these birds vast flocks arrive in England 
every year from the northern climates, to 
wliich they return on the advance of spring. 
Many, however, remain in the wild and 
mountainous districts of this island during 
the whole year, and breed in the clefts of 
rocks, or the ruins of himian habitations, 
or in the decayed parts of trees. From this 
wild state they are easily induced to inhabit 
tlie dove-house, which is the first stage of 
domestication, and near which they find, 
in vast abundance, and within a small com- 
pass, all those conveniences which, in tracts 
far from human habitation, they can collect 
only from a considerable distance, and with 
extreme difficulty. From this accommo- 
dation by man, however, there is perpe- 
tual danger of their recurring to their for- 
mer state of freedom, in which though their 
means of subsistence are more scanty, they 
are less subject to alarms. The wild pigeon 
breeds only twice in a year, but its prolific 
tendencies increase in proportion to its de- 
gree of domestication ; and when that is 
complete, it will lay even every month, but 
scarcely ever more than tw'o eggs, contain- 
ing, generally, a male and fenialo bird. The 
flesh of this bird is highly valued for the ta- 
ble. Its dung is considered, for some spe- 
cies of land, as a most admirable manure, 
and it is of considerable service also iti tan- 
ning skins for shoe leather. In Egypt a 
pigeon-house is considered as an indispen- 
sable part of eveiy complete fanning esta- 
blishment, and in the capital of Persia there 
are reported to be 3000 of these buildings, 
the privilege of keeping which is denied to 
Christians in that country. An efficacious 
inducement for pigeons to remain in any 
particular spot is furnished by a mixed heap 
of loam, rubbish, and salt. Incubation is 
performed among these birds alternately 
by the male and female ; and the young are 
fed from the mouths of the old parents, 
who are said, for this purpose, by contract- 
ing some particular muscles, to draw up the 
provisions which they have swallowed. 
Pigeons have been occasionally used for the 
conveyance of letters, in cases in w'hich in- 
tercourse between the parties was extremely 
difficult; the bird is to be taken from 
the places to which the intelligence is to be 
sent, and when liberated will return to its 
destination with great rapidity, with the 
interesting billet under its wing. There 
are few or no cases, however, which now 
compel recourse to so operose and doubtful 
an expedient. 
C. palumbus, or the ring dove. These 
are found in almost all parts of Europe. 
They depart from England, however, to- 
wards the close of the year-, and are absent 
till the spring. They build large and ill- 
compacted nests in the tops of trees, and 
avoid the habitations of men. 'riiey are 
one of the largest species of the pigeon, 
their length being rather more than seven- 
teen inches. See Aves, Plate IV. fig. 6. 
C. turtur, or the turtle-dove. These 
arrive in England later than any other mi- 
grating pigeon, and depart earlier. During 
their short stay in this country they are to 
be seen, not unfrequently in Kent, in flocks 
of about fifteen or twenty, and commit no 
small depredations on the pea fields of that 
county, peas being their most favourite 
food. They build generally in the woods, 
and on the highest trees. The sounds of 
the male are particularly soft and impres- 
sive, and his assiduity to please the compa- 
nion of his joys and cares has induced the 
poets of ev ery age to extiibit him as a jno- 
