1.I am sure that you all know a pigeon when you see one，and that you like and admire①this pretty bird.
2.Have you ever tried to count all the kinds of tame pigeons you have s e e n ？T h e r e a r e t h e white fantail，the pouter with its breast puffedout，the common house-pigeon，the carrier-pigeon，and many others.
3.Now all these are really of the same family②；and they are all cousins of the wild，blue rock-pigeon，which builds its nest in the holes of rocks.
4.The pigeon has a strong backbone；but like all①Admire，look at with delight；think much of.
②Family，group of animals or plants like each other in some important points.
FANTAIL（扇尾鸽）
other birds，it can only bend the part of its backbone which is in its neck.It can bend its neck so well，however，that it is able to reach every part of its body with its bill.
5.The bill is strong and horny，and it has to act both as a hand and as a mouth.
With its bill the pigeon picks up the seeds on which it lives.
6.The pigeon，like all other birds，has hollow bones.This makes its body very light，so that it can fly easily.If the bones of birds were either solid，or filled with marrow①as ours are，they could not fly so well as they can with their light and hollow bones.
7.The wings and tail of the pigeon are covered with long feathers，called quills.The quill-feathers of the wing help thePOUTER（凸胸鸽）pigeon to fly，while the quills of the tail guide the bird and steady it in its flight.
8.The rest of the pigeon’s body is covered with short feathers.Below these feathers it has a kind of soft hair，called down，which clothes the bare skin of the bird and keeps it warm.
9.Pigeons live in pairs，and the mates are very fond of eachother.If one of a pair dies，the other will not eat for days，and may even die of grief②.
①Marrow，the soft matter or pith which fills the hollow parts of bones.
②Grief，great sorrow.
10.In summer，the mother pigeon lays two white eggs，and sits on them to keep them warm.The father pigeon，too，takes his turn at sitting on the eggs.In less than three weeks the young pigeons come out of the eggs.At first the young birds have nofeathers to cover them；and for some weeks the parent birds①have to feed them with seeds out of their own bills.
11.Pigeons can fly very well.The carrier-pigeon sometimes flies a mile in a minute.These birds may be taken many，many miles from their home，and yet they will fly straight back again.They are used for carrying messages.The message is written on a small piece of paper，which is rolled up，and tied under the bird‘s wing.
SUMMARY
The pigeon，like all other birds，has hollow bones.With its strong horny bill it cracks the husks of the seeds on which it lives.Its wings and tail are covered with long feathers，called quills，which help it to fly.Its down keeps it warm.All the different kinds of pigeons are related to the wild，blue rock-pigeon.The carrier-pigeon is used for carrying messages；it sometimes flies a mile in a minute.
【中文阅读】
1．小朋友，你们看见鸽子，一定都认识吧？你们也一定都喜欢、珍爱这种美丽的鸟儿吧？
2．你们数过，自己见过多少种家养的鸽子么？有洁白的“扇尾鸽”
（fantail）；胸脯挺得老高的“凸胸鸽”（pouter）；常见的“家鸽”（house-pigeon）；“信鸽”（carrier-pigeon）；还有很多其他种类。①3．其实，这些鸽子都是同一个家族的，都是野生的蓝灰色“原鸽”的近亲。它们在岩石的洞穴里搭窝。
①Parent birds，father and mother.
4．鸽子有一条强壮的脊椎骨，不过，跟所有其他的鸟儿一样，鸽子能自由弯曲的脊椎骨，只有颈部的一部分。鸽子的颈部灵活极了，鸽子的喙，可以够到全身任何一个地方！
5．鸽子的喙是角质的，非常坚硬，既有嘴的作用，也有手的作用。鸽子以种子为食，它就是用喙来啄食种子的。
6．跟所有别的鸟儿一样，鸽子的骨头也是空心的。这就让鸽子的身体非常轻，很容易就能飞起来。要是鸟的骨头是实心的，或者跟人类的骨头一样填满了骨髓，飞起来的时候，就不如带着轻巧的空心骨头飞得那么好了。
7．鸽子的翅膀和尾巴都覆盖着长长的羽毛，学名叫“飞翔羽”（quill）。翅膀上的飞翔羽是帮助鸽子飞的，尾巴上的飞翔羽，能在鸽子飞翔时帮助导向，帮鸽子保持平衡。
8．鸽子身体其余的部分覆盖着短羽毛。这些羽毛下面长着一种软毛，叫“绒羽”（down）。绒羽覆盖了鸽子赤裸的皮肤，能让皮肤保暖。
9．鸽子是成双成对地生活的，彼此非常恩爱。要是有一只死了，另一只会好几天不吃东西，甚至会伤心至死呢！
10．夏天，鸽子妈妈会生下两个白色的鸽蛋，坐在蛋上给蛋保暖。鸽子爸爸也会跟妈妈轮换着孵蛋。不到三个星期，蛋里就会钻出小鸽子来。一开始，小鸽子身上是光着的，没有羽毛；有好几个星期的时间，爸爸妈妈都得用喙衔着谷粒喂小鸽子。②11．鸽子非常善于飞翔。信鸽的速度有时候能达到一分钟一英里。③把这些鸟儿带到离家成百上千英里远的地方，它们还能径直地飞回家去。人们用信鸽来传信，把信写在一小片纸上，卷起来绑在信鸽的翅膀下面。④译注①鸽子属于“鸟纲”、“鸽形目”、“鸠鸽科”。
②这种说法不准确，鸽子爸爸妈妈并不是直接喂给小鸽子谷粒的。小鸽子生下来之后的7-10天，雄鸽和雌鸽要把食物吞下去，再把消化之后的液态食物吐出来喂小鸽子。这个吐食物的过程是很费力的。在冬天，它们吃下食物之后还要等一会儿，让食物的温度跟自己的体温一样之后，才会喂给小鸽子。它们多么用心啊！
③1英里=1.609公里，1小时有60分钟，也就是时速100公里左右！
④2005年，中国有一只叫“创世无敌”的信鸽，从新疆喀什花了83天飞回了浙江苍南，直线距离有4308公里！
BARLEY