92 
PIGEONS. 
sociation between a House-Pigeon and a cat. The 
Pigeon had made her nest in a loft much infested 
with rats, which had more than once destroyed her 
eggs, or devoured her young ones. Her repeated 
losses at length induced her to rebuild her nest in 
another part of the loft, where a cat was rearing 
three kittens, with whom she contrived to form 
a strong friendship. They fed from the same dish, 
and when the cat went out into the field, the 
Pigeon was often observed to be fluttering near her. 
The Pigeon, aware of the advantage of her protection, 
had placed her nest close to the straw bed of the cat; 
and there, in safety, reared two broods of young 
ones. And in return for the protection she experi- 
enced from the cat, she became a defender of the 
young kittens, and would often attack, with beak and 
wings, any person approaching too near. 
Considering their insignificant means of defence, 
consisting, in great measure, of the spur on the leg 
of the male, few birds exhibit a more bold and reso- 
lute spirit than the poultry tribe, in which we may 
include Pheasants, so nearly are they allied to our 
common barn-door fowls, in their habits and mode 
of life. We knew an instance where a barn-door 
Cock became the terror of his little domain; accus- 
tomed to be fed by his owner, a clergyman, he shortly 
began to express his disappointment by very deter- 
mined attacks, if his master happened to pass him 
without the accustomed offering. On one occasion 
he actually struck a piece out of a strong kerseymere 
gaiter, and repeated the attack, in spite of some severe 
kicks which it was found necessary to inflict in self- 
defence. Nothing daunted, though occasionally fairly 
