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CHAPTER XVIII. PIGEONS.

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 The pigeon will never desert its nest, unless it is either widower1 or widow. They manifest a great degree of affection for their offspring. When the female is sitting, the male renders her every attention that can in any way tend to her solace2 and comfort. The first thing that they do is to eject from the throat some saltish earth, which they have digested, into the mouths of the young ones, in order to prepare them in due time to receive their nutriment. It is a peculiarity3 of the pigeon and of the turtle-dove, not to throw back the neck when drinking, but to take in the water at a long draught4, just as beasts of burden do.
 
We read in some authors that the ring-dove lives as long as thirty years, and sometimes forty, without any other inconvenience than the extreme length of the claws, which with them is the chief mark of old age; they can be cut, however, without any danger. The voice of all these birds is similar, being composed of three notes, succeeded by a mournful noise at the end. In winter they are silent, recovering their voice with coming of the spring. Nigidius expresses the opinion that the ring-dove will abandon the place, if she hears her name mentioned under the roof where she is sitting on her eggs: they hatch their young at the summer solstice. Pigeons and turtle-doves live eight years. The sparrow, on the other hand, is short-lived in the extreme. Pigeons appear to have a certain appreciation5 of glory. They are well aware of the colors of their plumage, and the various shades which it presents, and even in their very mode of flying they court our applause, as they cleave6 the air in every direction. Through this spirit of ostentation7 they are handed over, fast bound as it were, to the hawk8; for from the flapping of their 214 wings, their long feathers become twisted and disordered; while if they can fly without any impediment, they are far swifter in their movements than the hawk. The robber,

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1 widower fe4z2a     
n.鳏夫
参考例句：
  • George was a widower with six young children.乔治是个带著六个小孩子的鳏夫。
  • Having been a widower for many years,he finally decided to marry again.丧偶多年后，他终于决定二婚了。
2 solace uFFzc     
n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和
参考例句：
  • They sought solace in religion from the harshness of their everyday lives.他们日常生活很艰难，就在宗教中寻求安慰。
  • His acting career took a nosedive and he turned to drink for solace.演艺事业突然一落千丈，他便借酒浇愁。
3 peculiarity GiWyp     
n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖
参考例句：
  • Each country has its own peculiarity.每个国家都有自己的独特之处。
  • The peculiarity of this shop is its day and nigth service.这家商店的特点是昼夜服务。
4 draught 7uyzIH     
n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计
参考例句：
  • He emptied his glass at one draught.他将杯中物一饮而尽。
  • It's a pity the room has no north window and you don't get a draught.可惜这房间没北窗，没有过堂风。
5 appreciation Pv9zs     
n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨
参考例句：
  • I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
  • I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。
6 cleave iqJzf     
v．(clave；cleaved)粘着，粘住；坚持；依恋
参考例句：
  • It examines how the decision to quit gold or to cleave to it affected trade policies.论文分析了放弃或坚持金本位是如何影响贸易政策的。
  • Those who cleave to the latter view include many conservative American politicians.坚持后一种观点的大多是美国的保守派政客。
7 ostentation M4Uzi     
n.夸耀，卖弄
参考例句：
  • Choose a life of action,not one of ostentation.要选择行动的一生，而不是炫耀的一生。
  • I don't like the ostentation of their expensive life - style.他们生活奢侈，爱摆阔，我不敢恭维。
8 hawk NeKxY     
n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员
参考例句：
  • The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
  • The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。
9 lurking 332fb85b4d0f64d0e0d1ef0d34ebcbe7     
潜在
参考例句：
  • Why are you lurking around outside my house? 你在我房子外面鬼鬼祟祟的，想干什么？
  • There is a suspicious man lurking in the shadows. 有一可疑的人躲在阴暗中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
10 dense aONzX     
a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的
参考例句：
  • The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
  • The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
11 foliage QgnzK     
n.叶子，树叶，簇叶
参考例句：
  • The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
  • Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。
12 glazed 3sLzT8     
adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神
参考例句：
  • eyes glazed with boredom 厌倦无神的眼睛
  • His eyes glazed over at the sight of her. 看到她时，他的目光就变得呆滞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 joint m3lx4     
adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合
参考例句：
  • I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
  • We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
14 enticed e343c8812ee0e250a29e7b0ccd6b8a2c     
诱惑，怂恿( entice的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • He enticed his former employer into another dice game. 他挑逗他原来的老板再赌一次掷骰子。
  • Consumers are courted, enticed, and implored by sellers of goods and services. 消费者受到商品和劳务出售者奉承，劝诱和央求。
15 consuls 73e91b855c550a69c38a6d54ed887c57     
领事( consul的名词复数 )； （古罗马共和国时期）执政官 （古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长，同时共有两位，每年选举一次）
参考例句：
  • American consuls warned that millions more were preparing to leave war-ravaged districts. 美国驻外领事们预告，还有几百万人正在准备离开战争破坏的地区。
  • The legionaries, on their victorious return, refused any longer to obey the consuls. 军团士兵在凯旋归国时，不肯服从执政官的命令。
16 besieging da68b034845622645cf85414165b9e31     
包围，围困，围攻( besiege的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • They constituted a near-insuperable obstacle to the besieging infantry. 它们就会形成围城步兵几乎不可逾越的障碍。
  • He concentrated the sun's rays on the Roman ships besieging the city and burned them. 他把集中的阳光照到攻城的罗马船上，把它们焚毁。
17 besieged 8e843b35d28f4ceaf67a4da1f3a21399     
包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
  • The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。
18 cleaving 10a0d7bd73d8d5ca438c5583fa0c7c22     
v.劈开，剁开，割开( cleave的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • The freighter carrying pig iron is cleaving through the water. 装着生铁的货船正在破浪前进。 来自辞典例句
  • IL-10-cDNA fragment was obtained through cleaving pUC-T-IL-10cDNA by reconstriction enzymes. 结果：pcDNA3.1-IL-10酶切鉴定的电泳结果显示，pcDNA3.1-IL-10质粒有一个560bp左右的插入片断，大小和IL-10cDNA大致符合。 来自互联网
19 mania 9BWxu     
n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好
参考例句：
  • Football mania is sweeping the country.足球热正风靡全国。
  • Collecting small items can easily become a mania.收藏零星物品往往容易变成一种癖好。
20 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的
参考例句：
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
21 equestrian 3PlzG     
adj.骑马的；n.马术
参考例句：
  • They all showed extraordinary equestrian skills.他们的骑术都很高超。
  • I want to book two equestrian tickets.我想订两张马术比赛的票。
22 renown 1VJxF     
n.声誉，名望
参考例句：
  • His renown has spread throughout the country.他的名声已传遍全国。
  • She used to be a singer of some renown.她曾是位小有名气的歌手。
23 attain HvYzX     
vt.达到，获得，完成
参考例句：
  • I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
  • His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

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