Knowledge of natural history, revfrom Reason why: natural history, giving reasons for hundreds of interesting facts in connection with zoology; and throwing light upon the peculiar habits and instincts of the various orders of the animal kingdom . ulent green leaves which remain in the fields—such as those of field-greens, turnips, and mangold-wurtzel. 844. Why does the dove tribe seek the vicinity ofman, so as to prefer an artificial pigeon-house to its nativehaunts in rocks, The feet of the dove, or common pigeon, are walkingfeet, with very little of the perching character. The ex-tern
Knowledge of natural history, revfrom Reason why: natural history, giving reasons for hundreds of interesting facts in connection with zoology; and throwing light upon the peculiar habits and instincts of the various orders of the animal kingdom . ulent green leaves which remain in the fields—such as those of field-greens, turnips, and mangold-wurtzel. 844. Why does the dove tribe seek the vicinity ofman, so as to prefer an artificial pigeon-house to its nativehaunts in rocks, The feet of the dove, or common pigeon, are walkingfeet, with very little of the perching character. The ex-ternal and internal front toes are of equal length, the hindtoe is short, and the claws are not hooked, as in the de-cided perchers, but so placed as that the foot may be whollyplanted upon the ground. Hence a regularly formedground may have a charm for the pigeon, which its wildrocks cannot supply. 845. Why are the notes of the wood-pigeon commonlyassociated with gentleness and love? Because the cooingsof these birds accord sointimately with our con-ception of all that is gen-tle and innocent, that onecannot listen to them with-out being impressed withfeelings which no othersounds in nature, save thatof the human voice itself,could KNOWLEDGE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 267 O, ten times faster than Venus pigeons fly To scnl loves bonds new made, than they are wont To keep obliged faith forfeited.—Shakspere. 846i A man, who was once a pirate, declared that several timeswhile at certain wells dug in the burning shelly sands of a well-knownbay, the soft and melancholy cry of the wood-pigeons awoke in hisbreast feelings which had long slumbered, melted his heart to repentance,and caused him to linger at the spot in a state of mind which he onlywho compares the wretchedness of guilt with the happiness of formerinnocence can truly feel. He said he never left the place withoutincreased fears of futurity; and so deeply was he moved at length by thenotes of this bird, that through the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1916
