Colophon

The bird on the cover of Palm Programming is a rock dove. There are 14 subspecies of rock dove, including the domestic pigeon. These birds are widely distributed throughout the world. In their native environment, rock doves live on rocky cliffs, building their nests in crevices and caves. In the urban environment that most domestic pigeons inhabit, nest are built on the ledges of buildings. Rock doves are not migratory birds; they make a permanent residence wherever they are. Domestic pigeons often have a range as small as 500 square meters. The rock doves’ diet consists mainly of grains containing meal and oil. They also feed on insects and snails, and they supplement this diet with stones, sand, and clay. There is a considerably less savory aspect of their diet, as well: rock doves often satisfy their salt requirements by feeding at dung heaps or near refuse or human waste sites.

The rock dove population has exploded as many of their natural predators, such as the falcon, hawk, and owl, have decreased in number. This population increase is also helped along by humans, who feed the birds.

Nancy Kotary was the production editor for Palm Programming. Sheryl Avruch was the production manager; Debby English was the copy editor; Jane Ellin was the proofreader; Claire Cloutier LeBlanc and Jeffrey Liggett provided quality control. Seth Maislin wrote the index.

Edie Freedman designed the cover of this book using a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive. The cover ...

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