the Pigeon, a genus of birds. See Ornithology.

St., in allusion to whose name the island of Icolmkill, one of the Hebrides, received its ancient name of Iona, which is derived from a Hebrew word, signifying a dove. In the year 563, this holy man, instigated by his zeal, left his native country of Ireland, with the pious design of preaching the gospel to the Picts. It appears that he left his native land with warm resentment, vowing never to settle within sight of that hated island. He made his first trial at Oronsay; but finding that place too near to Ireland, he succeeded to his wish at Hy, which was the name of Iona at the period of his arrival.

Columba was soon distinguished for the sanctity of his manners; and a miracle which he wrought so operated on the Pictish king Brudeus, that the latter immediately made a present of the little island to the saint. It seems that his majesty had not only refused Columba an audience, but had even proceeded so far as to order the palace-gates to be shut against him. The saint, however, was not to be excluded in this way, and by the power of his word instantly caused the gates to fly open. As soon as he was in possession of Iona, Columba founded a cell of monks, borrowing his institutions from a certain oriental monastic order. It is said that the first religious persons in Iona were canons regular, of whom the founder was the first abbot; and that the monks, till the year 716, differed from those of the church of Rome, both in the observation of Easter and in the clerical tonsure. In this insular retreat Columba led an exemplary life, and was highly respected for the sanctity of his manners. He is the first on record who pretended to the faculty of second-sight; for he is said to have told the victory of Aidan over the Picts and Saxons at the very instant it happened. He had the honour of burying in this island Convalius and Kinnatil, two kings of Scotland, and of crowning a third. At length the saint, worn out with age, died in Iona in the arms of his disciples, and was interred there; but, as the Irish pretend, his corpse was in after times translated to Down, where, according to the epitaph, his remains were deposited beside those of St Bridget and St Patrick. See Pinkerton's Lives of the Saints, art. Columba; and Johnson's Tour to the Hebrides.