7. When the chicken drinks, it sips its bill full, and then raises its head and swallows; but the dove does not raise its head until it has drank enough.
8. The pigeon—which is another name for the dove—has very strong wings, and can fly far and fast without tiring. When taken from their home a great distance, pigeons will fly straight back.
9. Before we had railroads and telegraphs, people would take pigeons away from home, and send them back with a letter tied under their wings. These were called carrier-pigeons.
10. The doves in each home are very fond of each other. We can hear the father dove softly cooing to his mate at almost any time when they are about.
11. One day a farmer shot a male dove, and tied the body to a stake to scare away other birds. The poor widow was in great distress. She first tried to call him away, and then she brought him food. When she saw he did not eat, her cries were pitiable.
12. She would not leave the body, but day after day she continued to walk about the stake, until she had worn a beaten track around it. The farmer's wife took pity on her, and took away the dead bird, and then she went back to the dove-cote.
THREE LITTLE DOVES.
Three little doves put on their gloves,
And then sat down to dine;
These little doves, they soiled their gloves,
And soon were heard to whine—
"Oh, mother dear, come here, come here,
For we have soiled our gloves!"
"Soiled your gloves, you naughty doves,
You shan't sit up till nine."
"Coo, coo, coo!"