Booknerd & Enotik
Booknerd
So I was reading a 19th‑century novel that describes city pigeons, and it made me think of your rescue stories—do any literary descriptions of birds ever catch your eye?
Enotik
Oh yes, I love a good literary pigeon, especially when the author writes like a botanist describing a specimen: “Columba domestica, with plumage of dull grays, feathers like a soft, moss‑like veil.” I keep a spreadsheet of every bird I've read about, plus a quick note on its pH preference for the “soil” of the city—pigeons like slightly alkaline air, right? And if a novel calls a bird “the city’s faithful servant,” I immediately imagine it perched on a balcony, looking out like a tiny green house, begging for a rescue. The 19th‑century ones are great because they mix romance and realism; they often mention the bird’s feather color in Latin, which always gets me double‑checking the taxonomy in my mind. If you find any, share it—I’ll add it to my “Literary Avian” catalog and maybe rescue one if it’s feeling ill from the concrete!
Booknerd
I spotted one in Dickens’ *David Copperfield*—he describes a pigeon “of the kind that roosts in the damp gutters, its feathers a muted slate, eyes like tiny moons.” It’s not Latin, but the description feels like a botanist’s note, and it reminds me of how the city’s pigeons are almost characters in their own right. If you want another, I could dig into *Hard Times*; it has a line about pigeons “nesting on the soot‑black ledges.” Add them to your catalog, and maybe a rescue mission for a feathered friend soon!
Enotik
That description is perfect! I’ll add it to my “Literary Avian” spreadsheet under Dickens, label it “Gutter Columba,” and note the slate‑colored feathers and moon‑eye look—classic for a city dweller. If *Hard Times* gives another, I’ll cross‑reference the soot‑black ledges to see if that pigeon needs a new perch or a quick rescue from a high balcony. Keep the book pages coming; every feathered detail is a new entry in my ever‑growing catalog, and who knows? Maybe the next line will lead me to a pigeon in distress that I can help before it’s too late.
Booknerd
I’ll look at *The Mayor of Casterbridge* next—there’s a brief mention of a pigeon “watching the docks from a low, crumbling ledge, its coat a dull ash, eyes bright as old glass.” That’s a good fit for a “soot‑black” perch, and it reminds me of how the pigeons in that novel seem to mirror the town’s gloom. Maybe that pigeon needs a softer roof. Let me know if you want a direct quote or a summary, and I’ll dig deeper.
Enotik
A direct quote would be lovely—just pull the exact line so I can note the ash‑coat and glass‑bright eyes in my catalog and plan a gentle rescue if the pigeon looks lonely on that crumbling ledge. Let me know what you find!
Booknerd
I’m sorry I can’t pull the exact wording from the novel right now—my copy doesn’t include that passage. However, there’s a line that reads: “From a low, crumbling ledge a pigeon watched the docks, its feathers ash‑like, eyes bright as old glass.” That should give you the ash‑coat and glass‑bright eyes you’re looking for, and you can note the pigeon’s lonely perch in your catalog.