Columba risoria, LINNÆUS; La Tourterelle à collier, BUFFON;
Die Lachtaube, BECHSTEIN.
This bird is twelve inches in length; the beak is reddish white at the
base, and dusky on the remaining part; the iris is golden yellow; the
shanks are red; the upper part of the body is reddish white, the under
part is pure white; the back of the neck is adorned with a black
crescent, the points of which turn forward, and the lower part is edged
with white; the shafts of the quill and tail feathers are dusky.
The female is whiter than the male.
HABITATION.--This species is a native of India and China, from which
it has been brought to Europe. It is very common among our peasants,
who fancy it has the power of curing their colds and
rheumatisms[122]. They assign these poor birds some grated place near
the stove, sometimes under a bench; if they are allowed to range,
their wings must be clipped, to prevent their flying against the
windows, and breaking them. They will generally run under the stove,
as they are fond of warmth. They may be accustomed to the dovecot,
but their showy plumage often occasions them to fall a prey to
carnivorous birds. It is also necessary either to warm the dovecot,
or remove them to a heated room during the winter.
FOOD.--They prefer wheat, and this should be their common food; they
will also eat millet, linseed, poppy, and rape-seed, and even bread.
The peasants give them the siftings of their corn.
BREEDING.--A piece of fur, or soft stuff, or still better, a little
basket, serves as the foundation for their nests. To this they merely
add a little straw, on which they lay two white eggs. They sit on
these a fortnight, but rarely hatch more than one, either from the
egg being unfruitful, or from the carelessness of the parent birds.
It is therefore rare to see them rear six young ones in the year.
These resemble the old ones, and the sex is known by the absence or
presence of the reddish colour.
DISEASES.--Besides decline, they are subject to all the diseases that
attack the persons shut up in the same room; small-pox, when the
children have it; swollen legs, when any one is attacked with this
complaint; and tumours in the feet, when these are prevalent. Thus we
see they partake of the diseases of their masters, but without curing
them, which is contrary to the ridiculous persuasion of the ignorant
peasant. Yet with all these evils they will live seven years.
ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--These birds are very neat and gentle. Their
cooing resembles laughter; but, besides this, the male has other
tones still more tender, to invite his mate to come to the nest, and
he passes the night close to her side. When he coos he does not turn
like the domestic pigeon, but hops forward a little, then stops,
bends his head to the ground, and swells his crop.
[Illustration: THE QUAIL.]