, 1881-04-16
FACTS ABOUT PIGEONS.
Tho Glnnt Among Thcm-A F1etfe Oon"
talnine More than 2.000,0O0sOOO
t~N.

fohlhors waving on ita hcads
"ffOw aoT'
"i3coauso that's the only sound II makes. II
you tlidu't Geo II yoI would think some one had
struck bass drum a 1uartor Of d hlln awhy.
It's n regular boom-boou, md when 1t tnukcS
the noise It bows its l,nad. 80 that It's GROWN
sweeps tho ground. It's tho cr0wncd pigeon
from Now Xoland, and bctwcou tbs chgo and
tho stuffed birds. In tho museum Wc chil snow
nearly every pigeon IN tho world. and you'd to
astontshed to eco how many dlHerGat klnds
thoro 1ro. Wo hnvo pDlters, fan.tails, ntlns
carriers, and nil the fancy breeds nllvc. besides
wood doves md this crowned follow: md oo.
castonnliy we' hnvc big ilook Of Wild pigeons
hero, but tho aparrows drive thou, Oh. fou
wouldn't think IL big bird like n pigeon would
run from sparrow, hut thcy do. Tho little
birds collect in tho trces In crowds, and WHOM
fcck OF pigeons conc nwccplng ovcr thoy make
rush for them In body, and tnko right hold,
tooth and mali, und as tho pigeons sweep down
to gst o,t of !, ths way thoy arc literally ohAs0a
IN Tho % n!aen.,.oaso In the ,n,,seur, arc some of
the bones d. that extinct and much -malIgnod
Ssy n t eounry Tx ,a hnnassa Ga
bIri, os lnrgo % SWIM. Tho bIii In tho cnse le
S!s1s, II sssS's$ y Hy and AL s1ssls
e. ss o n0 pas s Mzoq szS q & se6e'ys sho ypst Tss
!af fe1s!ss ess'est ssss"rs 7 'ss
saspe ss rf'P snd pars ffS wss
Tp T az S A,ss a GsSSss saSs e yS st fs'1 VIZ ts r.
III Il bash q sreat IL tsyozcd hsad, With :
black eyes; buldtng. pFotni,lent, TT neGk; @ ~
cxtraorllnary. tong. sts19g. bluo-Wh!to hln. only
hS f "t ibs s9h bss aSn 6as " s no
yellowlsh.-both sharp pointed md crooked;
lts rupo huge, Wide, rs bo!ng naturally vora.
soft. Reay feaihors, after the manner Of m
ostrich's, on oact s,de. Instead Of hnrd Wing
Or vs ss & + sh ~ eoo
ndornea o % wisd iivo M s'nai oursd fcathors ot tho
% as il were were, really ar,nei With strong. buck
claws They at one TING were 20 plontfusi sn,n t1a5
III thor stumaohs, and on whloh tho Sailors
ahnrponcd their knives.
Another queer pigeon TINT lived at TINT tltno.
found on tho Island oi Rodriguez. It was larger
than turkey ano u general Eespcca rosemu!ea
tes ng s a1aS G1a ~ Pso oo e n
!e& ana oosey ri i q sho oao. The e!s y:
] possesssa fSo cur curious Gus nSkcI sili surrounding
tho oycs which characterized its ancestor.
,ness osS gass 1st Gt sy G 81 sa
FcIeu isiaiisis. There they aro found in thou
sands. feeding on nutr1cga. Thoy become yory
si natmcs, @ is IS cot;dered @ a1eat dainty BY many.
II is said that they arow 90 fat thut when shot
., M % ot og ad aeo es' he Ssabe
70 havo been nppo!ntcd to help carve ont ono Of
iaot TINT tic nutmeg has, 10 pnss through ,sonio
stomach d thoso 6iris The nutmeg Is prepared
~ Amdpes iSis fa,nsy of birds tho PASSENGER
pigeon is ono or tho most wonderful Wilson'S
Ace !. o Sods S ss Tels sny e% q Dea
inhabitants from all parts Of Tho country came 'a
Of their families, aid encamped for several
informed mo Tint tho nolso ia tho woods was 30
great ns to torrify tho!r horses. md that 1t was
e! fqr ere hear 5 RSo.1s sPeaK ssas
atrown with branches, broken limbs, cKgs, and
yo,lre sqnah pigeons which h9d ID. been been pScStp: = :
| wcre fatton1ng. Hawks. buzxnrls, and eaKlca
| were sailing about in great numbars, and solz-
Ing tho squads from tholr nests IT. pleasure; na e.
tho trees the Wow through the trees presented q
| perpetual tutntlt Of crowdinF md huttnr!n9
thaer. mlnsed ds VIE the 1sf ffcGuoht crush q fa
ing trees" It Is utterly impossthlo to estfmate
bn na nss ossa s On d 5s
branches xcro continually falilng ow!ns to ths9
weight Of tho Oil birds. The AMOUNT coi!s!n,nnd
calculates that, taking tho breadth OF a column
Of pigeons hc saw to be only ono mile. lts iet11th
to bo ~ miles aad toG1ntn'' o1y three Pigeons e t,,.
saverat H % stsata %of brds ons above Ito other and
thnt cncf birl consumes half n plnt Of food
yt taai neaht nc ss ths ssantsy q food consumed il
day would be l7.0oo0o bushols. supposlng III,
ses@n to eS sSo one pate ' y ono ho
square yard contain. three pigSona, Tho squire
yS y vs q: ySH spsess ssds in sa gees
country where they aro .sy Y ronna, ahSy aP
have passed.. rho nir is l'torally allied With pig:
ent,s. anu IN somy plgcea lnortnss arc used y
Tae Tood es Fins pigeons ars ,,,st bette r.
knorn n Franco than e,snwhere ~, Uor ,n donSsns
p,geon and this Is prorod py tlo fact that Il tbt
| domestic and bluo nr wild rock IL allowed e
Wild rock: with its plain pllmago ,an and barrct
wings. Tho domestic p!Gcons aro divided !ntt
ea5sss Tho oosamhro and , fho na nyasy TX pF
tor ora those With which wo aro 80 fatn!liar.
Tho question how, carrler-pReons find thol
miaed. mIi DIS somS u wrte1s assert that tho birds art
guided by landnaEks. and Fayo a. pt9sot' ies tpa
w1oa ~ E9a aa say sSoy ro
|
iuoapod BY aorno magnetic or electric current
and on this point 1t e notIced that birds citae n
started riso ut u great blight. and for q ninut,
hesitate, and then by unknown instinct the
dart oft In tho right direction. Tho exlot dat
we Know, Noah had tho honor Of hayng are
| pressed Into service our fcnthorcd fr'ond.
aud IIrtus during tho aIcgo Ut . town BY Blur
Antony. In 1854. Mt tho siege OF Loy1en. tho
wuEa used by tho pr!nco Of Orau9e, and " thel
| fy,nN ta aitNcsHf Tracing II town that wa
bcsjeRed. 10 show hls gratitude be ordered thu
tho saxaoious lirts shonta DO fct 9n straw
lalmed With a!l honor. In .Pllny'a tarle nnyi
gators from Cyprus aud Egypt carried taea
BIRDS IN their 9alloys and On their safe q asr!ya M
families, Of tho ditfercnt klna of cArre
pigeons tho aol2iRu bird Is prefcrred. It has
short buck, large round hoail, and broad shou
ipts. Tho tAnoy cnrttcr. with largo wattlgs Q
the hoax. Is often used. but 1t ID vastIy lnfesie
to the former.