Superdove by Courtney Humphries

By Courtney Humphries

Why can we see pigeons as lowly city pests and the way did they turn into such universal urban dwellers? Courtney Humphries lines the ordinary historical past of the pigeon, recounting how those shy birds that after made their houses at the sparse cliffs of sea coasts got here to dominate our city public areas. whereas detailing this evolution, Humphries introduces us to synanthropy: the concept animals can turn into depending on people with out ceasing to be wild; they could adapt to the cityscape as though it have been a box or a forest.

Superdove at the same time explores the pigeon's cultural transformation, from its existence within the dovecotes of old Egypt to its provider within the trenches of worldwide conflict I, to its feats in the pigeon-racing societies of this present day. whereas the dove is routinely famous as an emblem of peace, the pigeon has lengthy encouraged a distinct type of fetishistic devotion from breeders, eaters, and artists—and from those that well-known and exploited the pigeon's striking talents. due to their fecundity, pigeons have been symbols of fertility linked to Aphrodite, whereas their willing skill to discover their means homemade them excellent messengers or even pilots.

Their usefulness mostly forgotten, today's pigeons became as ubiquitous and reviled as rats. yet Superdove unearths whatever extra amazing: through the use of pigeons for our personal reasons, we people have replaced their evolution. And in doing so, we've helped make pigeons the fitting urban dwellers they're at the present time. within the culture of Rats, the publication that made its namesake rodents recognized, Superdove is the interesting tale of the pigeon's trip from the wild to the city—the domestic they'll by no means depart.

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In addition, we should not conflate correlations with causes. 39 THE EMOTIONAL WILD CARD: ENTOMOPHOBIA What we fear has changed throughout history. , agoraphobia, the fear of being in places where escape is difficult or help is unavailable). Depending on the study, next comes one of the “specific phobias,” phobias that are triggered by particular objects or situations (an earlier term was simple phobias). 44 Of these, thirty-eight involve animals (such as amphibians, birds, chickens, dogs, fish, and even otters).

First, he saw insects as representing hidden intentions, as with the woman who dreamed of a colorful, human-sized hornet that grasped her finger and pulled her away from her home, but despite her fascination with him (the hornet was evidently male), she decided to stay to care for her child. Next there were wound dreams, with insects emerging as warnings, the precise nature of which depended on the species. , fire, crushing, scissors)—and the psyche’s destructive impulse was manifest in our waking hours as the egregious misuse of chemical insecticides.

40. , Anxiety Disorders and Phobias, chap. 7. 41. ” 42. Jim Stafford, “Spiders and Snakes,” lyrics available at Oldie Lyrics, http://oldielyrics. html (accessed October 25, 2011). 43. ” 44. Jack D. Maser, “List of phobias,” in Anxiety and the Anxiety Disorders, ed. A. Hussain Tuma and Jack D. com (accessed October 25, 2011). 45. ” 46. ” This estimate is based on the conservative assumption that half as many people fear insects as fear spiders. 47. ,” British Journal of Psychology 75 (1984): 37–42.

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