to a hundred nests may frequently be seen :—I might say a much greater
number, were I not anxious, kind reader, that however wonderful my account
of the Wild Pigeon is, you may not feel disposed to refer it to the
marvellous. The eggs are two in number, of a broadly elliptical form,
and pure white. During incubation, the male supplies the female with
food. Indeed, the tenderness and affection displayed by these birds towards
their mates, are in the highest degree striking. It is a remarkable
fact, that each brood generally consists of a male and a female.
Here again, the tyrant of the creation, man, interferes, disturbing the
harmony of this peaceful scene. As the young birds grow up, their enemies,
armed with axes, reach the spot, to seize and destroy all they can.
The trees are felled, and made to fall in such a way that the cutting of
one causes the overthrow of another, or shakes the neighbouring trees so
much, that the young Pigeons, or squabs, as they are named, are violently
hurried to the ground. In this manner also, immense quantities are
destroyed.
The young are fed by the parents in the manner described above;
in other words, the old bird introduces its bill into the mouth of the
young one in a transverse manner, or with the back of each mandible
opposite the separations of the mandibles of the young bird, and disgorges
the contents of its crop. As soon as the young birds are able to
shift for themselves, they leave their parents, and continue separate until
they attain maturity. By the end of six months they are capable of
reproducing their species.
The flesh of the Wild Pigeon is of a dark colour, but affords tolerable
eating. That of young birds from the nest is much esteemed. The
skin is covered with small white filmy scales. The feathers fall off at the
least touch, as has been remarked to be the case in the Carolina Turtle.
I have only to add, that this species, like others of the same genus, immerses
its head up to the eyes while drinking.
In March 1830, I bought about 350 of these birds in the market of
New York, at four cents a piece. Most of these I carried alive to England,
and distributed amongst several noblemen, presenting some at the
same time to the Zoological Society.
C O L U M B A M I G R A T O R I A , Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 285.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p. 612.—Ch, Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 120.
P A S S E N G E R P I G E O N , C O L U M B A M I G R A T O R I A , Lath. Synops. vol. iv. p. GG1—Wils.
Amer. Ornith. vol. v. p. 102. PI. 4 4 . fig. 1. Male.
Adult Male. Plate LXII. Fig. 1.
Bill straight, of ordinary length, rather slender, broader than deep at
the base, with a tumid fleshy covering above, compressed towards the
end, rather obtuse; upper mandible slightly decimate at the tip ; edges
inflected. Head small, neck slender, body rather full. Legs short and
strong; tarsus rather rounded, anteriorly scutellate ; toes slightly webbed
at the base ; claws short, depressed, obtuse.
Plumage blended on the neck and under parts, compact on the back.
Wings long, the second quill longest. Tail graduated, of twelve tapering
feathers.
Bill black. Iris bright red. Feet carmine purple, claws blackish.
Head above and on the sides light blue. Throat, fore-neck, breast, and
sides, light brownish-red, the rest of the under parts white. Lower part
of the neck behind, and along the sides, changing to gold, emerald green,
and rich crimson. The general colour of the upper parts is greyish-blue,
some of the wing-coverts marked with a black spot. Quills and larger
wing-coverts blackish, the primary quills bluish on the outer web, the
larger coverts whitish at the tip. The two middle feathers of the tail
black, the rest pale blue at the base, becoming white towards the end.
Length 16^ inches, extent of wings 25 ; bill along the ridge £, along
the gap 1 ^ ; tarsus middle toe 1^.
Adult Female. Plate LXII. Fig. 2.
The colours of the female are much duller than those of the male,
although their distribution is the same. The breast is light greyishbrown,
the upper parts pale reddish-brown, tinged with blue. The
changeable spot on the neck is of less extent, and the eye of a somewhat
duller red, as are the feet.
Length 15 inches, extent of wings 23; bill along the ridge \ , along
the gap f