COMMON PIGEONS.-THE DOVEHOUSE PIGEON. 
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COMMON PIGEONS. 
BLUE EOCK-DOVE. 
THE DOVEHOUSE PIGEON. 
There are two very distinct varieties of the common pigeon, which are kept 
in large flocks for the supply of the table. Some naturalists regard them 
as separate species. The first is the blue rock-dove; the second is the dove- 
house pigeon. Both are found wild, breeding independently in a state of 
nature; but the former affects caverns, cliffs, and rocks as its resting-place 
(whence its name); while the latter seems to prefer the inaccessible parts 
of public buildings, ruins, and ecclesiastical edifices—such a home, in short, 
as the jackdaw would choose. A very permanent difference between the 
two is, that the rock-dove has the rump, or lower part of the back, just 
above the tail, decidedly whitish, while the dovehouse pigeon lias it of a 
light slate-color. This feature is particularly noticeable when the birds are 
flying, especially if they are in a flock of any considerable number, when it 
imparts quite a character to them as they are wheeling about. A reference 
to our engravings will help the reader to recognize the two varieties much 
better than any description could do. The general coloring of the dove¬ 
house pigeon is considerably darker than that of the rock-dove. The dis¬ 
tinction between them has long been known to dealers, less so to fanciers 
(who are apt to despise both these species, notwithstanding the exquisite 
beauty of the latter), and is scarcely acknowledged by ornithologists. The 
dovehouse pigeon is much the more common inhabitant of dove-cots, is less 
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