THE DOVES OF VENICE. 
f EN ICE, the pride of Italy of i 
old, aside from its other 
numerous curiosities and an- 
tiquities, has one which is a 
novelty indeed. Its Doves on the San 
Marco Place are a source of wonder 
and amusement to every lover of ani- 
mal life. Their most striking pecul- 
iarity is that they fear no mortal man, 
be he stranger or not. They come in 
countless numbers, and, when not 
perched on the far-famed bell tower, 
are found on the flags of San Marco 
Square. They are often misnamed 
Pigeons, but as a matter of fact they 
are Doves of the highest order. They 
differ, however, from our wild Doves 
in that they are fully three times as 
large, and twice as large as our best 
domestic Pigeon. Their plumage is 
of a soft mouse color relieved by pure 
white, and occasionally one of pure 
white is found, but these are rare. 
Hold out to them a handful of crumbs 
and without fear they will come, perch 
on your hand or shoulder and eat with 
thankful coos. To strangers this is 
indeed a pleasing sight, and demon- 
strates the lack of fear of animals when 
they are treated humanely, for none 
would dare to injure the doves of San 
Marco. He would probably forfeit his 
life were he to injure one intentionally. 
And what beggars these Doves of San 
Marco are ! They will crowd around, 
and push and coo with their soft sooth- 
ing voices, until you can withstand 
them no longer, and invest a few 
centimes in bread for their benefit. 
Their bread, by the way, is sold by an 
Italian, who must certainly be in col- 
lusion with the Doves, for whenever 
a stranger makes his appearance, both 
Doves and bread vender are at hand 
to beg. 
The most remarkable fact in con- 
nection with these Doves is that they 
will collect in no other place in large 
i numbers than San Marco Square, and 
in particular at the vestibule of San 
Marco Church. True, they are found 
perched on buildings throughout the 
entire city, and occasionally we will 
find a few in various streets picking 
refuse, but they never appear in great 
numbers outside of San Marco Square. 
The ancient bell tower, which is situ- 
ated on the west side of the place, is 
a favorite roosting place for them, and 
on this perch they patiently wait for a 
foreigner, and proceed to bleed him 
after approved Italian fashion. 
There are several legends connected 
with the Doves of Venice, each of 
which attempts to explain the peculiar 
veneration of the Venetian and the 
extreme liberty allowed these har- 
bingers of peace. The one which 
struck me as being the most appro- 
priate is as follows : 
Centuries ago Venice was a free 
city, having her own government, 
navy, and army, and in a manner was 
considered quite a power on land and 
sea. The city was ruled by a Senate 
consisting of ten men, who were called 
Doges, who had absolute power, which 
they used very often in a despotic and 
cruel manner, especially where politi- 
cal prisoners were concerned. On 
account of the riches the city con- 
tained, and also its values as a port, 
Venice was coveted by Italy and neigh- 
boring nations, and, as a consequence, 
was often called upon to defend itself 
with rather indifferent success. In 
fact, Venice was conquered so often, 
first by one and then another, that 
Venetians were seldom certain of how 
they stood. They knew not whether 
they were slave or victor. It was 
during one of these sieges that the inci- 
dent of the Doves occured. The city 
had been besieged for a long time by 
Italians, and matters were coming to 
such a pass that a surrender was abso- 
ioo 
