the PIGEON, in Ornithology, a genus of birds belonging to the order of passerine. See ORNITHOLOGY Index.

ST, in allusion to whose name the island of Jona (one of the Hebrides), received its name; Jona being derived from a Hebrew word signifying a dove. This holy man, inflamed by his zeal, left his native country, Ireland, in the year 565, with the pious design of preaching the gospel to the Picts. It appears that he left his native soil with warm resentment, vowing never to make a settlement within sight of that hated island. He made his first trial at Oransay; and finding that place too near to Ireland, succeeded to his wish at Hy, for that was the name of Jona at the time of his arrival. He repeated here the experiment on several hills, erecting on each a heap of stones; and that which he last ascended is to this day called Carnan-chul-reh-Eirium, or "The eminence of the back turned to Ireland."

Columba was soon distinguished by the sanctity of his manners: a miracle that he wrought so operated on the Pictish king Braedus, that he immediately made a present of the little isle to the saint. It seems that his majesty had refused Columba an audience; and even proceeded so far as to order the palace-gates to be shut against him: but the saint, by the power of his word, instantly caused them to fly open. As soon as he was in possession of Jona, he founded a cell of monks, borrowing his institutions from a certain oriental monastic order. It is said that the first religious were canons regular, of whom the founder was the first abbot; and that his monks, till the year 716, differed from those of the church of Rome, both in the observance of Easter, and in the clerical tonsure. Columba led here an exemplary life, and was highly respected for the sanctity of his manners for a considerable number of years. He is the first on record who had the faculty of second sight, for he told the victory of Aidan over the Picts and Saxons on the very instant it happened. He had the honour of burying in his island, Convallius and Kinnatil, two kings of Scotland, and of crowning a third. At length, worn out with age, he died in Jona in the arms of his disciples; was interred there, but (as the Irish pretend) in after times translated to Down; where, according to the epitaph, his remains were deposited with those of St Bridget and St Patrick.

Hi tres in Duno tumulo tumulantur in uno; Brigida, Patricius, atque Columba pius.

But this is totally denied by the Scots; who affirm, that the contrary is shown in the life of the saint, extracted out of the Pope's library, and translated out of the Latin into Erse, by Father Cail o haran; which which decides in favour of Jona the momentous dispute.