SSS eter oS aS SAH Hal if? deals /; / LLL WY | Wy yy ff Wie Tie Wy giFE FELL; é f LfFf, i yi MM Hiss 7, ‘3 bilities 3 Hf, We LLL ES if if ELL. #, iS '/ f Vaiss My YY i, 'd LedS), if} $22 rs Pes J SLES SSSIES SPELT SS EET if KL; YF / / é, : tis TSF Sf, 7, Py iE if Yy (scone Blue Rock Doves, p. 3. | Dovehouse Pigeons, p. 9. a3 PIGEONS AND RABBITS, oy, IN THEIR WILD, DOMESTIC, & CAPTIVE STATES. BY E. SEBASTIAN DELAMER. aHith Pllustrations. LONDON: G. ROUTLEDGE & CO., FARRINGDON STREET; NEW YORK: i8, BEEKMAN STREET. 1854, ae LIda0OY WALYDA1 © ee ; oe c |B Diseases—their pxotonlion and cure Bedding Quiet ; Ophthalmia. . The rot and pot- say Red-water, the snuffles, and decetone Rare cases .. Handling Feeding ee \ Modes of rabbit- Seta Apearabe Rabbit-courts ie: Rabbit-pits . . CONTENTS. Rabbit-hutches : ae xe ie ss How to commence rabbit-keeping—selection of stock .. The breeds of rabbits Lop-ears The dewlap se ne ie me Markings : the smut and the chain.—Carriage . . Saleable value _ Rabbit shows on APPENDIX. _— TO COOK PIGEONS AND RABBITS. English ways of cooking pigeons French ways of cooking pigeons ; English ways of cooking rabbits es ms a Tench ways of cooking rabbits eee as = Vil 4S . 130 AS so BS. ayy «187 se ele ei) ~« 148 .. 144 .. 147 . 149 PIGEONS, A ANTIQUITY OF PIGEON-KEEPING. For the last two or three thousand years at least, Certain pigeons have been kept by man as domestic Weatures, with the object of making them fulfil a rather varied round of characters. Their office has been to . afford a ready supply of wholesome food, convenient to ave at hand in hot countries, where animal food must be faten almost as soon as it is killed; to furnish manure, Indispensable in the East for the cultivation of the fruits and vegetables most in. request there,—the gourd, the Melon, and the cucumber; to render efficient and ready “ctvices ag messengers under circumstances of extremest ifficulty; and to be pampered at home as domestic Pets, whose value lies in their docility, their beauty, or ‘ven in their strange and anomalous peculiarities, ‘The well-known passage in Isaiah (Ix. 8), “ Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their win- Ws?” -establishes the domestication of the Blue Rock. | « 2con at the early epoch when the prophet wrote. The Windows’? are clearly the apertures in a dovecot ; and ig iPF “Very reader will remember that windows in the East | are seldom glazed entrances for light merely, as with us, i ut are openings to admit air principally, and the sun’s 7ay8 as little as possible; and when closed, are done so by lattice-work or shutters, as in pigeon-lofts here: so that the expression, “ windows,” is very appropriate to ee the means of approach to the creatures’ dwelling- ace, B PIGEONS. The Roman authors on agriculture—Varro, Colu- mella, and even Cato—give copious directions for the management of dovecots, and the modes of fattening pigeons for the table. We may smile at many of the rules they give, as superstitious and contrary to common sense; to us, the interesting fact remains, that pigeon- houses Were an important feature in the rural economy of the ancients. The Romans kept domestic pigeons very much in the same way that we do now; and in addition to this were in the habit of catching the wild species, such as the Ring-Dove and the Common Turtle, and putting them in confinement as we do Quails and Ortolans. Fancy Pigeons, too, as distinguished from the dovehouse kinds, which were reared solely to be killed and eaten, seem to have been known from a very early period. It may be believed that we hear less of consequence of the merits of all the others being thrown the different sorts then cultivated and most in favour, in into the shade by the superior usefulness of those em- , ployed as letter-carriers. According to Pliny, the Cam- / panian Pigeons were of the largest size, Runts, in fact ; | while we infer from Columella, that the taste of the — | Alexandrian fanciers was moré in favour of the smaller — | kinds, The latter writer is sadly scandalized at the inve- | teracy and extravagance of the pigeon fancy amongst his ' contemporaries; while the former records the prevalence | of a pigeon mania amongst the Romans. “ And many,” || he says, “ are mad with the love of these birds; they | build towers for them on the tops of their roof, and will | relate the high breeding and ancestry of each, after the | ancient fashion.”’ Before Pompey’s civil war, L. Axius, a | Roman knight, used to sell a single pair of pigeons for | four hundred denarii, or £12. 18s. 4d., as nearly as we | can estimate that sum by the modern standard. | — But it is as letter-carriers that pigeons have obtained the greatest celebrity among the ancients; and of their Services in this capacity we find very frequent and in- teresting mention. The practice seems. to have been adopted in remote times, in modes and upon occasions ' PIGEONS. 3 the exact counterpart of those which call forth the _ Powers of the birds at the present day. How likely is it that the Patriarchs, remembering the tradition of the ark, in their search for fresh pasture at a distance from the main body of their tribe, may have taken with them % few pigeons to be flown from time to time, and to carry home news of the proceedings of the exploring Party! During the last few years, the invention of the electric telegraph has done more to bring Carrier igeons into partial disuse, than had been effected in all e three thousand years previous. In the present treatise we propose to consider pigeons first, in the light of mere poultry stock,—as birds reared to be brought to market,—and ‘afterwards as objects of Uxury and fancy, which will include their employ- Ment as messengers. THE KINDS OF PIGEONS KEPT AS POULTRY. THE BLUE ROCK DOVE.—THE DOVEHOUSE PIGEON. There are two very distinct varieties of Pigeon, which are kept in large flocks for the supply of the table. Some haturalists regard them as separate species. The first is the Blue Rock Dove (Columba livia); the second is the Ovehouse Pigeon (Columba affinis, of Blyth). Both are Sund wild, breeding independently in a state of nature; ut the former affects caverns, cliffs, and rocks as its Testing-place (whence its name) ; while the latter seems ° prefer the inaccessible parts of public buildings, ruins, and ecclesiastical edifices,—such a home, in short, as the — Jackdaw would choose. A very permanent difference etween the two is, that the Rock Dove has the rump, or | OWer part of the back, just above the tail, decidedly | Whitish, while the Dovehouse Pigeon has it of a light State-colour. This feature is particularly noticeable when © birds are flying, especially if they are in a flock of RY considerable number, when it imparts quite a charac- B2 PIGEONS. ter to them as they are wheeling about. A reference to our plates will help the reader to recognise the two varie- ties much better than any description could do. The general colouring of the Dovehouse Pigeon is con- siderably darker than that of the Rock Dove. The dis-° tinction between them has long been known to dealers, less so to fanciers (who are apt to despise both these species, notwithstanding the exquisite beauty of the latter), and is scarcely acknowledged by ornithologists. The Dovehouse Pigeon is much the more common inha- bitant of dovecots, is less capricious in its sojourn therein, and when it betakes itself to a state of complete independence, exhibits much less dislike to the neighbour- hood of man, than is shown by the Rock Dove under similar circumstances. It is to be remarked that these two species are the only kinds of domestic pigeon which ever desert the homes provided for them, and betake themselves to the wilder- . ness. ‘The Fancy Pigeons, the truly tame pigeons, do not reassume, or rather adopt, wild habits, as has been asserted ; when they lose their way, or escape from a new, and therefore a distasteful home, they do not betake themselves to the rocks, or to the ruins, but enter some trap or loft, or join some other flock of tame pigeons. The pigeons which do choose to return to a wild condi- tion are always either Blue Rocks or Dovehouse Pigeons, and not Powters, Fantails, or Runts; whereas the Blue Rocks do not voluntarily take up their home in an ordi- nary pigeon-loft, but, on the contrary, will escape from one that is not to their liking, or is too much interfered with, even if hatched and brought up there by parents of a tamer breed. A main characteristic in the plumage of the Columba livia is the absence of spots, which are so remarkable a feature in that of the C. affinis. The bill is dark slate- colour, with a whitish cere at the base; it is much com- pressed about the middle, both in depth and width, a peculiarity which is common to the whole family of pigeons. The head is slate-colour, continued down the PIGEONS. heck and helly, with iridescent hues of green and purple, Which are brighter in the male bird than in the hen. The ack and wings are paler slate-colour, or a sort of French gray. The quill-feathers are darker towards the tips. Across the wings are two very dark and conspicuous ands, which are formed by a black spot near the end of fach of the greater wing-coverts. The rump is whitish : this mark has been greatly, and we think unduly, insisted "pon, to prove the derivation of all the Fancy Pigeons 70m the Blue Rock Dove. We have no room to discuss © question of origin here, but will refer the reader to _ y7}Xon’s “Dovecot and Aviary,” merely observing that | € Dovehouse Pigeon, supposed by the same theorists to © derived from the same parentage, fails to display the allered hereditary mark. ‘The tail is of the same colour &s the head, each feather being darker at the portion near © end, so as to form a dark semicircular band when the tail ig outspread in flight. In all pigeons the feathers of & body adhere loosely, and easily come off; in some Species they are detached from the skin by the merest . Such. The feet and toes are coral-red, which colour the Arab legend attributes to the birds having walked on the _ %ed mnd that was left after the subsidenco of the waters _ pt the Deluge. The claws are black. The irides are Tight orange, shaded to yellow towards the pupil, which . Wblack. The average weight of the Blue Rock Dove ig _ “Sout ten or eleven ounces. The only variety of this bird ich we have seen, or have heard of on any authority, are licht blue specimens, with the bars on the wings and . ta very strongly contrasting with the rest. Such birds j ate extremely beautiful ; and it may be suspected whether any of these are not merely individuals of an advanced _ 88e, which have guite arrived at their adult plumage. © Dovehouse Pigeon, or the “ Duffer,” ag it ig fre- quently called, is the victim which has the most frequently | {p7tn the gauntlet for its life, in the trials of skill with @ . byt oot called “ Pigeon Matches.” Blue Rocks will do, . 46 not so easily to be had in numbers ; the low- | Priced monerels of Fancy Pigeons are objected to, as | i { 6 PIGEONS. often affording by their colour an unfairly easy mark, and apt to be less bold and dashing in their escape from the trap. Masitime localities seem to be the favourite haunts of the Rock Dove, whether wild or tame; and as Venus is fabled to have arisen from the sea, so her emblematic and attendant doves are delighted to frequent its vicinity. On the English coast, we have often. seen them fly down to the beach, to drink of the small pools of salt water left there by the tide, though plenty of fresh water was to be had within what would be considered for them an easy distance. This taste of theirs for salt de- mands special notice, and requires to be gratified in inland situations. Rocky islets, and caves im sea- - washed cliffs, are known to be of all habitations the most attractive to them. The coasts and innumerable islands of the Mediterranean are still famous, as they have been ever since the historic memory of man, for the. plenty and excellence of the Rock Pigeons, which have located themselves in various situations there. On British ground, they live in all the caves on the coast of Suther- land, and are to be seen flitting to and fro from morning to night. A magnificent panorama of romantic scenery might be presented to the reader’s imagination, were we only to follow the haunts of the undomesticated Blue Rock Dove. NATURAL HABITS AND CONSTITUTION OF PIGEONS. The natural habits and constitution of pigeons are, in several respects, so peculiar, that we deem it right to give » a brief account of them, as the most useful rudimental information we can offer to a novice in pigeon-keeping 5 for it is impossible to manage birds and animals suc- cessfully without a knowledge of what their instincts require. The main difference between pigeons and all other birds that are bred with us for domestic uses is, that the young of the latter have to be supplied with suitable food as well as the parents; and on that supply very much de- pends the chance of successfully rearing them. ‘No nest > ey A ee PIGEONS. = or permanent habitation is required for them after they are once brought into the world; merely a temporary shelter by day, and a secure and convenient lodging by night, which, however, may be shifted continually from place to place, with advantage rather than injury to the restless little occupants. This is the case with all the Water-fowl which we keep domesticated, as well as with the gallinaceous birds. The Duck and the Goose, as well as the Hen and the Turkey, lead out their young by day to their proper food, any deficiency of which, arising from their not being in a state of nature, is supplied by man; and when rest and warmth are required by the tender rood, the mother herself furnishes all that is needed under the shelter of her wings. Her own personal attentions supply from time to time whatever nest and Covering is required ; owr care is, to exercise a general Superintendence, and provide them liberally with the hecessary articles of diet. But the reverse of all this is the case with pigeons. he rearing of the young gives ws no trouble, if the parents can but find enough to eat and drink. Conse- quently, of all domestie creatures, Dovehouse Pigeons and Rock Doves are the easiest to keep. If you cater for them plentifully, well and good; they will partake of the fare, and give themselves no more anxiety. If you Stint them, never mind; they will go further a-field, and forage for themselves, not being over-scrupulous as to the proprietorship of the corn they may eat, or delicate about Committing a trespass. But if your allowance is quite 00 pinching, and the neighbours wage a determined war against all pilferers, then the pigeons will pluck up their Tesolution, and emigrate to some new home, where better eatment awaits them; for a home they must have. With that tolerably adjusted, and a decent allowance of food from you, they will, by their own industry, with little further interference, increase so rapidly, and pro- uce go large a supply of flesh for culinary purposes, that ere are cases in which the phenomenon strikes one with perfect astonishment. oung pigeons, when first hatched, are blind, half- PIGEONS. naked, weak, and helpless: They are fed, nearly till they are able to provide for themselves, entirely by their parents. The aliment necessary for their feeble organs, during their earliest stage, is elaborated in the grop of the old birds just before hatching, who administer it according to their instinctive knowledge of the fit inter- vals. All we have to think of, is to see that they suffer no deficiency of their accustomed rations. But with such utterly dependent younglings, a fixed and safe household establishment is the thing without which all other com- forts are worthless to them. A Home is the first indis- pensable requisite. MATING AND NESTING. Pigeons are what is called platform-builders; that is, they make a flat slight nest of sticks, straws, and bits of dry grass, laid together with as little art or trouble as it is possible to conceive in thinking of a bird’s nest. Some pigeons’ nests are so flat and slight, that it is a marvel the eggs do not fall off or through them. All pigeons lay two eggs, with one anomalous exception,—the Passenger Pigeon, which appears to lay but one whenever it has bred in an aviary in this country. The “mating” of pigeons is another important point in their natural history. When young pigeons are about six months old, or before, they begin to go in pairs, except when asso- ciated with the entire flock at feeding-times ; and when they are resting on the roofs, or basking in the sun, they retire apart to short distances, for the purpose of court- ship, and pay each other little kind attentions, such as nestling close, and mutually tickling the heads one of another. At last comes what is called “ billing,’ which is, in fact, the kiss of a bird. As soon as this takes place, the union is complete. The pair are now united com- panions, not necessarily for life, though usually so; but rather, so long as they continue satisfied with each other. If they are Rock Doves, they scour the country together in search of distant provender; if they are Tumblers, they mount aloft, and try which can tumble best ; if they FIGEONS. are Powters, they emulate one another’s puffings, tail- Sweepings, circlets in the air, and wing-clappings; while the Fantails, the Runts, and all those kinds which the French call pigeons mondains, or terrestrial pigeons, walk the ground with conscious importance and grace. _ But this is their honeymoon,—the time for the frolics of Siddy young people. The male is the first to become Serious. He takes possession of some locker or box that Seems an eligible tenement. If it is quite empty and are, he carries to it a few sticks and straws; but if € apartment has already been furnished for him, he does not at present take much further trouble in that ne. Here he settles himself, and begins complaining with a sort of moaning noise. His appeal is sometimes answered by the lady affording him her presence, some- times not ; in which latter case he does not pine in solitude very long, but goes and searches out his careless helpmate, and with close pursuit, and a few sharp pecks if necessary, insists upon her attending to her business at home. Like the good husband described in Fuller’s “Holy State,” “his love to his wife weakeneth not his ruling her,’ and “his Tuling lesseneth not his loving her.” The hen obeys, Sccasionally, however, making, or pretending to make, Some resistance ; but at last she feels that she ought to iscontinue general visiting and long excursions: she enters the modest establishment that has been prepared or the performance of her maternal duties. A day or 0 after she has signified her acceptance of the new Ome, an egg may be expected to be found there. Over this she (mostly) stands sentinel, till, after an interven- ing day, a second egg is laid, and incubation really com- Mences ; not hotly and energetically: at first, as with “ns, turkeys, and many other birds, but gently and With increasing assiduity. — . AID AFFORDED BY THE COCK, And now the merits of her mate grow apparent. He does not leave his lady to bear a solitary burden of Matrimonial care, while he has indulged in the pleasures PIGEONS. only of their union. He takes a share, though a minor one, of the task of incubating; and he more than per- forms his half-share of the labour of rearing the young. He feeds her while she is sitting, and gives her drink from his crop, which he has flown to fetch from the pond or the brook; even at other times he will often give her a morsel which he purposely regurgitates that she may take it from his faithful bill. At about noon, often- times earlier, the hens leave their nests for air and exer- cise as well as for food, and the cocks take their place upon the eggs. If you enter a pigeon-loft at about two o'clock in the afternoon, you will find all the cock birds sitting,—a family arrangement that affords an easy method of discovering which birds are paired with which. The females are to be seen taking their turns in the same locations early in the morning, in the evening, and all the night. The older a cock pigeon grows, the more fatherly does he become. So great is his fondness for having a rising family, that an experienced unmated cock bird, if he can but induce some flighty young hen to lay him a couple of eggs as a great favour, will almost entirely take the charge of hatching and rearing them by himself. HATCHING, AND YOUNG. At the end of eighteen days from the laying of the second egg (but the time cannot be invariably fixed within several hours) a young one will appear. Subse- quently, at a short but uncertain interval, sometimes comes another chick, sometimes remains an addle egg. Of young things, babies included, a new-hatched pigeon ranks among the most helpless. Most little birds, if blind, if weak, can at least open their mouth to be fed; but these actually have their nutriment pumped into them. They have just instinctive sense enough to feel - for the bills of their parents; they will make the same half-conscious movement to find the tip of your finger, if you take them in your hand. And this act of pumping from the stomachs of the parents is so effi- PIGEONS. 1 ciently performed, as to be incredible to those who have not watched the result. A little pigeon grows enor- mously the first twelve hours; after the third day, still more rapidly ; and for a time longer, at a proportionate rate. If it do not, something is wrong, and it is not likely to be reared at all. The squab that remains sta-— tionary is sure to die. Sometimes, of two squabs, one will go on growing like a mushroom or a pufi-ball, and the other will keep as it was, till the thrifty one weighs Six or eight times as much as its brother or sister on which the spell of ill-luck has been laid. The young are at first sparsely covered with long fila- ments of down; the root of each filament indicates the point from which each stub or future feather-case is to start. The down, fora while, still hangs on the tips of some of the feathers during their growth, and finally, we believe, does not drop off from them, but is absorbed into the shaft of the growing feather. This down, attached to the tips of the feathers, is a sure sign that birds are young, when-purchasing any for table use. No domestic birds afford such good opportunities of observing the growth of feathers as pigeons. HENS PAIRING. The pairing of pigeons is a practice so strictly adhered to by them, that if the number of male birds in a dove- cot is less than that of females, the supernumerary hens will pair with each other, and set up an establishment for themselves; if the males are in excess, they will make an excursive tour in search of a mate, and either remain with her at her residence, or, which is just as frequently the ease, will bring the lady with them to their own home. The unmated hens that thus enter into partnership will go through all the ceremonies of pairing, make a nest, lay two eggs each, sit alternately and carefully, and, if ey are members of a large flock, very often rear young. The frequent occurrence of this circumstance proves that the conjugal fidelity of the male birds at least has been Somewhat exaggerated. But the two eggs of the pigeon PIGEONS. produce one male and one female chick in so nearly an invariable manner, that any disproportion in the sexes, by which these aberrations from ordinary rules are caused, arises rather from disease or accident than from any chance result of the hatchings. RE-MATING. When a hen pigeon has the misfortune to lose her mate by gunning or trapping, she is certainly uncom- fortable for a while, but not inconsolable. She does not go pining on in solitude for long, refusing to be com- forted. When she finds that her partner is for ever gone, she resigns herself to her fate, and takes up with another, whom, however, she would probably desert were her first love, the original mate, by some fortunate chance to make his reappearance. VERY HOT-BLOODED. The high temperature of living pigeons ought to be noticed here. When handled, especially in a partially fledged state, they feel quite at fever-heat. The blood, fresh-drawn from the living bird, was a most virtuous remedy with the old practitioners; and Willughby informs us, that “a live pigeon cut asunder along the back-bone, and clapt hot upon the head, mitigates fierce humours and discusses melancholy sadness. Hence it is a most proper medicine in the phrensie, headache, melan- choly, and gout. Some add also in the apoplexy. Our physicians use to apply pigeons thus dissected to the soals of the feet, in acute diseases, in any great defect of spirits, or decay of strength, to support and refresh the patient, that he may be able to grapple with and master the disease. For the vital spirits of the pigeon still remaining in the hot flesh and blood, do through the pores of the skin insinuate themselves into the blood of the sick person now dis-spirited and ready to stagnate, and induing it with new life and vigour, enable it to per- form its solemn and necessary circuits.” The modern substitute for a live pigeon cut asunder would be perhaps PIGEONS. 18 & hot foot-bath, or even a mustard plaster, or a simple poultice, RAPIDITY OF GROWTH. It is worth while comparing the rapidity of growth in young pigeons with that of the gallinaceous birds which Serve us as food; and we will quote an instance taken from actual observation. On the 27th of June, a blue Owl, mated with a Nun, hatched one squab. The second €ge, being clear or unfertilized, had been taken away om them some days previously. The egg producing this chick had been cracked, three or four days before atching, by a blow from the Owl’s wing, given in anger at its being handled for the sake of examination. The Squab had grown much in the few hours that intervened between its exclusion and the time of its being observed. Tt was blind, and covered with long yellow cottony down. Ih the afternoon of the Ist of July, it first opened its eyes to the light. Now, the average weight of a domes- l¢ pigeon’s egg is about half an ounce; rather more for he larger breeds, as Runts and Powters, and rather less for the smaller ones, such as the parents of our present Squab.—A Collared Turtle’s egg weighs about a quarter fan ounce; but on the 8rd of July, this little creature, Which on the 27th of June would hardly balance a half- Ounce weight, now weighed four ounces and a half, and its feathers, or rather its feather-cases, were pricking through its skin like a hedgehog’s spines. On July 9th, its weight was ten ounces; only one parent attending it: J uly 18th, eleven ounces and three-quarters. The growth Seemed now principally directed to the quill feathers, Which accounts for its less rapid increase in weight. uly 26th, the weight of the squeaker was twelve ounces and a quarter ; it was capable of flying, and feeding itself, and only wanted strength and a little corroborative time to be a, perfect independent adult bird. At the same date of July 26th, the weight of the Owl, its male parent, was Only eleven ounces and a half; so that, in about a month, 1ts own young one had exceeded itself in weight. It PIGEONS. takes many quadrupeds several years to attain the bulk of their parents; the chick of a common hen, at the end of a month from hatching, is very far indeed from equalling its mother in weight; but, in the case of pigeons, we have the enormous increment of growth from half an ounce to twelve ounces and a quarter within that short period. The wonder is accounted for by the knowledge that, for the first fortnight, the squab has the assistance of two digestions in addition to its own; and that, durmg the month, it has to undergo little or no exertion of body or brain, but merely to receive a liberal supply of ready-pre- pared nutriment. DOVECOTS. Of dovecots, a great variety exists, in different styles of architecture, sometimes standing isolated in the midst of alawn, sometimes forming the corner turret of a square of farming buildings, a courtyard, or a garden wall. We are acquainted with one instance in which the dovecot belonging to the estate consists of an arch thrown across | © the road, the pediment and the upper portions of each pier being tenanted by pigeons. The picturesque effect is really very good, and the birds thrive well, and evidently enjoy the vicinity of a lake, which serves them as a con- venient watering and bathing place. But the old manorial dovecot, belonging to bygone days, is a substantial cubical building, with a pyramidal tiled roof, surmounted by an unglazed lantern, through which the pigeons enter and descend to their nests. It frequently forms the upper half of a square tower, and then can only be entered by a ladder from without, the lower half being used as a cowhouse, cart-shed, or root-house. It is usually solidly built of either brick or stone, and the interior fittings are of brick also: nesting-places are thus made to occupy the four entire walls, except where the opening for the door prevents them. The place gets cleaned out twice or thrice in the year, and is very snug ; PIGEONS. 15 but as the young ones which die in their nest are not re- moved immediately, as they ought to be, the smell is some- times very offensive within, and may even be productive of injury to the birds. But those gentlemen who reside in a rocky district might contrive the most picturesque of _ dovecots (of which an example existed, and may still exist, near the Chateau de Valgon, in France), by hollow- ing out a space in the face of a cliff, and fashioning the entrance as nearly like a natural cavern as possible. A ew pairs of Rock Doves once settled there in lockers €wn in the rock itself, would indeed feel themselves at ome; and if an elevated spot were selected, their out- Oor proceedings, their journeys to and fro, would be Observable from the mansion and pleasure-grounds gene- tally, and could not fail to form an agreeable point of View, CONVENIENCE OF DOVECOTS. “No man ever need have an ill-provisioned house,” Says Olivier de Serres, “if there be but attached to it a vecot, a warren, and a fishpond, wherein meat may be Sund as readily at hand as if it were stored in a larder. herefore our father of a family, having set in order his arable lands, his vineyards, and his pastures, and arranged 8 henroosts, will hasten to set himself up with pigeons, tabbits, and fish, in order that, being provided with these Viands, he may nourish his family in noble style, and give 800d cheer to his friends, without putting his hand into Pocket.” Certainly, a vast pigeon and rabbit pie is a Most useful standing dish in a country house, both for the Members of the family and for chance droppers-in; and €n, says Olivier, if the pigeon-house is properly managed, ere will always remain somewhat Zo sell, over and above What is consumed at home. . e will give a brief abstract of the ideas about dove- Cots, which were entertained by that respectable old Tench writer, translating and condensing it from the (arto edition of his “Theatre of Agriculture,” of 1675. ‘ PIGEONS. OLIVIER DE SERRES’S DOVECOT. “Tn the first place, speaking of the dovecot, I will say that three things must be combined in order to have the enjoyment of this kind of diet: the lodging, the pigeons, and their management. The disposition of the pigeon- house is of no very great consequence ; for whether placed inside the house or outside it, made little or great, fashioned in whatever shape you please, you will always have pigeons there, if the breed of the birds be but good, and they be well fed; but you will have them in much greater abundance if it be erected by itself in the open fields, and made large and spacious, to suit the nature of pigeons, who take much more delight in quietude and a roomy lodging, than in a narrow and choked-up place, as is evidently observed in those natural grottos and caverns in rocks, wherein, on account of their unusual magnitude, resembling magnificent temples, the pigeons retreat in mighty flocks. Experience teaches that a great dove- cot is better in its greatness than a little one is in its littleness. “As to its shape, although all are good, I hold the round ones to be the best of any, principally because the rats cannot so easily climb up, and also because the cen- tral ladder, turning. on a pivot, enables you to approach all the nests without leaning against them. We will fix the situation of the dovecot in a sheltered spot, as little exposed to high winds as possible, detached from all the other buildings of the mansion, in order to be retired. from noise and the attack of rats; and standing within the inclosure of the vineyard or the garden, to be sater from thieves ; built with a high ridged roof, in order to be seen from a distance; out of the way of trees, both to avoid the noise of their branches when agitated by the wind, and the danger from birds of prey which conceal themselves there; distant a couple of arquebusades from the water which is to supply the pigeons with drink, that distance being esteemed the best, because the parent birds, PIGEONS. 17 Who go to fetch drink for their young, will warm it on the Way to a proper degree of temperature. _ In regard to the size of the pigeon-house, we would 8ive it three or four zoises [fathoms] of diameter, whether Tound, square, or any other figure, as hexagonal or octa- Sonal. ts height should be one-fourth more than its Width. Its roof should project, to throw the water off; and beneath these projecting eaves should be cornices and Salleries, for the birds to repose and sun themselves, *¢cording to the weather and the direction of the wind. © best material for the nest is baked clay, such ag tiles @nd other pottery, which are neither so cold as stone in ter, nor so warm as wood in summer ; but of whatever material made, the nesting-places should be large and Spacious. As I said of the dovehouse itself, it is better © fear excess in smallness than in greatness. If there is any fault in this respect, do not be surprised if the pigeons Abandon the dovecot. Pigeons, during their laying and atching, and also the little ones till they leave the nest, *te especially fond of a retreat which is dark rather than light, Wherefore, in France, pigeons’ nests are often Made with flat bricks or pavements. In Provence, Lan- Stedoc, and the environs, the nests are often made with Tound tiles, that serve for water-pipes. The first row of. \/ Rests should be at least three or four feet above the ” ound,”? : - These few practical directions are sufficient to guide any Re in building a dovecot. HOW TO STOCK A NEW-BUILT DOVECOT. tt is not easy to stock a dovecot for the first time, Over and over again birds may be placed there ; they may title, and be apparently content for a time, and then bj.q wuexpected discovery will be made that not a single 1s left ; consequently, several modes of colonizing an pap dovecot have been recommended. The following, Per 4ps, is one of the best :— As soon as the dovecot is fitted up completely, both Side and out, if it be summer-time, or, what is better, C 18 PIGEONS. very early spring, select a sufficient number of pigeons of the former year, and early-hatched birds as far as pos- sible. ‘The more numerous is the colony which you try to fix in their new home, the greater will be the chance of their settling there. They ought not to be procured from a shorter distance than six or eight miles, for fear that the sight of their old haunts and companions should tempt them back again, even after the lapse of several months. If they can be obtained from quite a distant part of the kingdom, it will greatly increase the chance of success. We even recommend that young birds in- tended to stock a dovecot, whether Rock Doves or Dovehouse Pigeons are required, be procured from the north of France. They are so much cheaper there than in England, that the difference of price will aid considerably in paying the cost of their passage ; the interposition of the English Channel between their new and their native home will greatly diminish the probability (though it will not entirely remove it) of their returning ; and birds of both those species are decidedly finer on the Continent than in the British Islands. Were we ourselves about to stock a dovecot, we would unhesitatingly determine to do so with pigeons from France. After every window and outlet of the dovecot has been closed by wire grating or lattice-work (to permit a sight of the country outside, although escape is impossible), the new arrivals will be turned loose inside, and well provided with fresh water, corn and peas, and a pan of salt. The floor of the dovecot will have been strewn with gravel or sand, and calcareous earth of some kind. They must be fed punc- _ tually every day, at the same hour and by the same \ attendant. After three or four days they will expect his arrival, and get used to his presence without manifesting alarm. Of course this office should be deputed to the person who is intended hereafter to take charge of the dovecot. Birds of that age, shut up in confinement, and liberally supplied with food and drink, with no long journeys to exhaust them, will soon begin to think 0 making their nest. For this purpose, a few sticks aD! ~~ he. . Se ae es We rE ee rr PIGEONS. _ 19 _ Straws should be scattered on the floor; the pigeons will Select and arrange them themselves. It may help to hasten the period of their laying if they are fed with a~,, _ little hempseed, mixed with cumin, anise, caraway, or /\ the seeds of other umbelliferous plants, whose native Spots are dry and chalky soils. As soon as it is observed that the greater number of the birds have laid, and that afew of them have young ones hatched, the wire-work or lattice may be removed, and the parent birds will ollow their accustomed habit of going out to seek for food for their progeny. ‘Their attachment to their eggs and young will prevent them from deserting the compul- _ Sory nesting-place. Meanwhile, food will still be, pro- Vided for them, within the dovecot, for a short time longer; but little by little the quantity may be dimi- tushed, and after the hatching of the second laying, it Will not be requisite to continue the supply. By this Method of management, both the parents and their off- Spring will be settled in the dovecot. After the second laying, the old ones will give up all thoughts of desert- ing; and the young ones, knowing no other home, will be free from any temptation of the kind. All this, how- ‘ver, supposes that their natural tastes and habits are Consulted, and that they are neither annoyed by rats, Weasels, cats, guns, strange pigeons, nor troublesome uman visitors, every one of which is a source to them of Considerable annoyance. If the birds are made uncom- Srtable, they will quit their habitation, one and all. till, the circumstance that a dovehouse has once been Peopled, renders it likely that its old tenants may return ° 1t whenever some caprice disgusts them with the new {uarters to which they have shifted. Temminck gives “1 instructive instance of the effect of making a Rock ve’s home comfortable. . . . Lhe proprietors of a farm in France went to occupy 1t themselves, after it had been held by a tenant for a “ase of nine years. They had left the pigeon-house agg stocked, but they found it deserted, dismantled, thy, and occupied by every enemy of the poor fugi- c2 20 PIGEONS. tives. They took no further pains than to whitewash the pigeon-house within: and without, to restore the dilapidations of the interior, to have it cleaned out per- fectly, and to keep abundance of water and salt therein. The pigeon-house was replenished with birds as if by enchantment; so much so, that when the owners again quitted their estate, there were more than a hundred and fifty pairs of pigeons, which, moreover, were sup- plied with scarcely any food. Three years was all the time required to work this change, and even to attract deserters from the pigeon-houses for three miles round.” The Blue Rock Dove is naturally and inherently very much shyer than any other.of our domestic pigeons, and its disposition and native instincts must be consulted, if we really wish to retain it under our control. Too nuch noise and bustle will certainly disturb the flock. Tt is even recommended (as we have seen) not to build a dovecot in the neighbourhood of tall trees, because the birds dislike the sound of the wind roaring amongst the branches. Perhaps a better reason for the same advice may be, that the dovecot is thereby hid from their sight when they are out on long excursions. No wise man would build a dovecot on the edge of a crowded thoroughfare, or by the side of any highway road which is constantly thronged with passengers and traffic to and fro. One point of etiquette to be ob- served with dovecots is, never to enter abruptly, or without having knocked two or three times at the door, in order to allow those birds which are the shyest, time to fly away, instead of making them dash about the inte- rior in alarm, raising a great commotion and dust, in- juring themselves, frightening any quieter birds that may happen to be incubating, and probably causing numerous desertions afterwards. These minute obser- vances, combined with great cleanliness and attention, are requisite to perfect success in the management of a dovecot. The most skilful superintendent. will be sure to derive the greatest profits. Dovecots, like warrens, decoys, and fishponds, will cause nothing but disappoint- PIGEONS. 21 ment in ignorant and unskilful hands, whilst with those Who really understand them they are a certain source of amusement and advantage. Supposing the birds to be really settled in their home, although no grain will be thrown down to them within the dovecot (for that would be entering their citadel far too frequently to meet their approbation), it will still be Tight to give them a little every day on some spot close to their home. T¢ is good to accustom them to come, Morning and evening, at the sound of a whistle. There 18 no need to give them anything at noon; they will then € either basking in the sun, or out foraging in the fields. Lhe only object is to attach them to their domicile; for itis not true that the Blue Rock Dove is always “ con- tented with the food given it at home.” Buffon was ‘ompletely in error when he supposed it to be one of Se creatures who would become so dependent upon le hand of man, and so accustomed to receive food of ‘8 providing, as rather to die of hunger than to search or subsistence. In them at least, the sentiment of liberty is not destroyed, nor have they lost the instinct — ~! exercising the arts and resourcés which necessity ispires. The Rock Dove makes rather a favour of the Meals which it consents to take at home, and will, when- ‘ver so minded, stray far and wide in search of pro- Vvender. Powters and Fantails may be satisfied to lead an idle life, and to subsist on what is offered to them Without exertion ; but the free and energetic Blue Rock ove delights to earn for itself its daily bread, and pre- “ts the ration gained by independent toil to the feast “eld out to it ay a temptation to sink into a condition of olent servility. . t is a secret worth knowing, that Blue Rock Pigeons {re fond of living in large societies. He who has most % these birds will be sure to continue to have most, from “Sertion, as well as from inerease. They decidedly Prefer associating with their own counterparts and con- SeNersg, to mingling on easy and equal terms with tame Pigeons of more steady habits. Persons who keep a PIGEONS. pure stock of Blue Rocks are averse to the intrusion of any of the fancy kinds: this may be merely intended as a precaution to maintain the purity of blood; but the rule may be a traditional one, suggested by the fear, lest the presence of those unwelcome strangers should drive the wilder birds to seek other haunts, where they may remain undisturbed by the sight of new faces. A fancier of repute remarked, that when the common tame sort are made to mix with the Blue Pigeon in the same | dovecot, in order to increase the size of the progeny, | care must be taken not to select them of glaring colours, | for the rest will not easily associate with them. The best f ; ‘i H plan is not to allow of any such mixture at all. A curious and authentic anecdote confirms what we have here stated respecting the innate shyness of the Blue Rock Dove. We quote it from “ The Dovecot and the Aviary.” “ T had purchased a pair of Nuns, supposing them to be male and female; they proved a couple of hens, laying conjointly four eggs, and commencing incubation in the regular family style, exactly as in a former work I have stated that two female swans will do, if they can- not find a mate of the opposite sex. To incubate four probably unfertilized eggs was a waste of vital warmth ; so we removed these, and substituted a couple of Blue Rock Pigeon’s eggs, which were kindly supplied to me by a neighbour who has a pure and choice stock. Two birds were reared, and they remained in company with the other pigeons in the loft. During this time they were certainly shyer and wilder than other squeakers of the same age, and avoided as much as they could the society of the-rest of their companions. Our whole stock of pigeons then—a miscellaneous lot about four and twenty in number—had never been flown, but were kept constantly in confinement. When the Blue Rocks were about two months old, it was hoped that the other birds had become sufficiently attached to their home to be allowed to take a little outdoor exercise, and it was never suspected that any caution need be exercised with PIGEONS. 23 young birds hatched upon the spot. So one evening the prison door was thrown open; circle after circle was traced in the air; great was the clapping of wings, and proud were the struttings upon the roof-ridge. But our Confidence was not abused, though some of them were old birds, and had been brought from a former home. ey all re-entered their loft, except one or two that Could not find their way in on this first indulgence with liberty, and which were taught the mode of entrance on © occasion of a subsequent airing ;—all, except the Strongest Blue Rock, the other not being. yet able to Perform long and continued flights. Instead of entering the house at reasonable supper-time, it stayed out all tight. It honoured us for a short time afterwards by Spending the night on the roof of the house; where it passed the day, or how it fed, we knew not. At last it took its departure for good and all, and we subsequently earned that it had joined the parent colony, consisting of Blue Rocks only, about a quarter of a mile distant, from which it had been brought in the egg. “have since induced a few of these birds to stay with me, but only by placing their eggs under other Pigeons to hatch in my own loft. All attempts to get young Blue Rocks to settle with the rest of my flock ave failed. They have always left us as soon as they had sufficient strength of wing to do so. My neigh- Our’s Blue Rocks often pass over our house, but they Never alight to make the acquaintance of the pigeons ere. The most they do is to sink gracefully a little in eir course, without altering its direction, and at once Continue their journey to some distant field.” In the East, Carriers seem to be kept as Dovehouse igeons; in England, the Blue Rocks would answer as ‘etter-carriers better than many of the fancy kinds. The Tange throughout which they traverse is so exceedingly €xtensive, that they would find their way from any Moderate distance without difficulty. They would be excellent messengers to be employed by lovers residing M neighbouring parishes, or to announce the actual 24 PIGEONS. occurrence of any expected family crisis. The ancient Romans had the practice of sending off their Dovehouse Pigeons from the midst of the crowded amphitheatre (which had no roof), to order an additional dish on the supper-table, or to say how many guests were coming - to sup. PIGEON LAW. Private property in pigeons is more strictly protected by English law, and any infringement of it is more severely punishable than is generally imagined. The 7th & 8th Geo. IV., c. 29, s. 88, which repealed former Acts, tells us, “And be it enacted, That if any person shall unlawfully and wilfully kill, wound, or take any house- dove or pigeon, under such circumstances as shall not amount to larceny at common law; every such offender, being convicted thereof before a justice of the peace, shall forfeit and pay, over and above the value of the bird, any sum not exceeding two pounds.’ By the 67th section of the same Act, the magistrates may, in case of default in payment of value and penalty, commit for any term not exceeding two months. A lord of a manor may build a dovecot upon his land, parcel of his manor; but a servant of the manor cannot do it without license. Jt hath been adjudged that erecting a dovehouse is not a common nuisance, nor presentable in the leet. If pigeons come upon my land, and I kill them, the owner hath no remedy against me; though I may be lable to the statutes which make it penal to destroy them. Doves in a dovehouse, young and old, shall go to the heir, and not to the executor. In France, Article 564 of the Civil Code, enacts, that pigeons, rabbits, and fish, which go into another dove- _ house, warren, or pond, belong to the proprietor of the aforesaid places, provided they have not been decoyed thither by fraud and artifice. Za Ii is certain that Dovehouse Pigeons were kept for PIGEONS. 25 use and profit at an early period of English history. In the year 1805, there was a canon made by Robert Win-. chelsea, Archbishop of Canterbury, and his clergy, Whereby it was declared, that all and every parishioner Should ‘pay honestly and without diminution to their churches, tithes of pigeons, amongst other things, on pain of excommunication ; although the claims of the clergy Sn these birds do not seem to have been universally acknowledged in England. Degge’s “ Parson’s Coun- Sellor” indicates somewhat of a middle course: “ Of Young pigeons in dovecots, or in pigeon-holes, about a man’s house, tithes shall be paid if they be sold; but if 54 be spent in the family, no tithe shall be paid for em,”? i DOVECOTS LESS FREQUENT THAN FORMERLY. In many districts of England, at the present day, it is ot very common to meet with an old dovecot stocked With the real Columba livia. The place of the beautiful lue Rock Dove is now mostly occupied by a few pairs of Unsightly mongrels. The species itself, although not rare, 'S far from being so frequent in a domestic state as it used ° be; and. it looks as if the more general tillage of the and, and the increase of population in many parts of the Ingdom, had driven the birds away to take refuge in a dweter home, find wilder districts to traverse in their raging excursions, and leave the old nesting-places to be °ceupied by a more tame-spirited and indolent race. So at an ancient dovecot, well filled with a thriving and Permanent colony of Blue Rock Pigeons, is really an *tlstocratical affair ; and it ought to be maintained in the Same manner as the old oaks and elms, or the rookeries and heronries, belonging to an estate. An inspection of © provincial game and poultry shops will show that a te proportion of the young pigeons now brought to table in England are not Blue Rocks, but Dovehouse *Seons, besides Powters, Tumblers, and foul-feathered or “ross-bred birds of other tame kinds. Many Tumblers *e sold dead for sixpence or ninepence each, which, PIGEONS. if suffered to survive till they were adult, would fetch in London very fair prices from amateurs. PARASITIC ENEMIES. Dovecots, and the pigeons which inhabit them, are sometimes infested with mites, lice, and a parasitic insect of larger size, all which cause great annoyance to the old birds, and sometimes even destroy the young squabs by getting into their ears and eyes, and irritating them to death. A little snuff sprinkled over the birds and into the nest will afford a temporary relief; but the nuisance is the result of want of cleanliness, and must be thoroughly eradicated by burning the infected nests, whitewashing the inside of the dovecot with lime and water, washing even the nesting-places either with whitewash or with tobacco-water, and by taking care not to let the dung of the birds remain too long before it isremoved. The parasitic insects found on birds are peculiar species, which do not fix themselves on the human skin; there is, therefore, nothing to apprehend in undertaking the task of cleaning out a dovecot, although a long course of neglect will make it an unpleasant one. Fleas mostly abound in dovecots; whitewash is the best preventive. Pigeons are occasionally destroyed by the attacks of insects from within. Corn, bran, or pollard, that has been kept long, and is become mity, or full of mites, should never be given to pigeons or other poultry to eat, without having Deen first boiled or baked, to make sure that the mites are deprived of life. In a newly-established dovecot, no young ones should be killed to eat the first year. A little patience in allow- ing the population to increase will be amply rewarded by the plenty of birds which will be subsequently disposable. Afterwards, it will suffice to leave the “flight” of July or August untouched, to keep up the stock for future years. Five or six pairs of young, and even more, i2 favourable seasons, may justly be calculated upon from each couple of parent birds. The only point on which we presume to differ from Olivier is, his advice to weed the + PIGEONS. “ dovecot of aged birds; ve recommend their being allowed to remain unmolested to the very last moment of their natural life. . POLE-HOUSES AND LOCKERS. The large solid-built dovecot, of brick or stone, is pro- Perly the appurtenance of the hall, the manor-house, and the extensive farm. It implies the possession of certain Tights over a considerable area of land, and is altogether More or less aristocratic in its character. This kind of vecot, according to our judgment, ought to be stocked With the Blue Rock Dove exclusively, to the utter banish- ment of every other breed. If it admits even Dovehouse igeons to inhabit it, it drops somewhat of the pretensions Which it ought to maintain. But for small farmers, villa residents, and the dwellers in country houses with but little land belonging to them, there are what may be called Minor dovecotes, second or third-class pigeon-houses, in Which the birds are entirely free, though more frequently lable to disturbance than in the former case. For all these the Dovehouse Pigeon, or Columba affinis, is the most ’ppropriate tenant. Of the small lockers nailed against % wall, and consisting merely ofa few planks and pieces of ard to form a slight shelter, with a hole for entrance, it May be said, in criticising them, that they are subject to - very variation of the weather, are ill-sheltered from pelt- ig rains and stormy winds, and allow but little control over the birds themselves. They do not afford accommo- ation enough to admit of the pigeons’ forming a large Society, which will often prove the cause of desertion; and they are rarely contrived on the principle (to be more ully noticed) of having ¢wo nesting-places accessible to ach pair of birds. In such cramped and uncomfortable 0ckers, a frosty night happening early in autumn, or late “2 spring, will sometimes destroy all the squabs that are "nder three weeks old. In the West of England, a vast Mmprovement on the wall-locker is commonly seen attached © the farm-houses. . The entire gable-end of some stable PIGEONS. or barn is prolonged by a sort of brick-work honeycomb, which serves as a set of permanent lockers. The birds are better sheltered there, and can live in a more nume- rous colony. But still, many defects remain; and we do not advise the locker system to those who can keep pigeons in any other way. _ A better, but still defective plan, is the conversion of an empty barrel into a dovecot, by dividing it into cells, in two, three, or more stories, according to its dimensions, and elevating it upon a pole in the air. Elaborate designs have been given for building aerial dovecots upon this plan; but all are open to the one great objection, that each pair of pigeons occupies but one cramped nesting- place. The best pole-house with which we are acquainted is that of which a plan and elevation are given in the accompanying cuts (see fig.). A pair of birds take pos- FOKM | x72. s Plan and Elevation of a two-storied Pole Pigeon-House, to accommodate four pairs of birds. session of the suite of apartments whose landing-place is marked A. They will probably pass through the vesti- bule B, when they first bring in straws for a nest, and deposit them in one of the chambers, as ©. When the young are a fortnight or three weeks old, the hen will probably leave them mostly to the care of the ‘cock, and PIGEONS, 29 take a fresh nest, and lay in the opposite apartment, D. ‘ Soon as the first pair of young are flown, C will be vacant for the hatching of a third brood, and so, by shift- ‘2g alternately from parlour to study, and never bein idle, a good pair of birds will produce quite a little flock by the end of the summer. t is easy to make use of this arrangement on a larger Scale, or to apply it to the triangular frames of lockers Which are fixed against barns and other out-buildings. ut pole-houses are much safer than lockers are from the attacks of cats, rats, and fowl-stealers. Rats, indeed, are ‘mong the most destructive enemies of the dovecot. they “break the eggs, devour the squabs, frichten the irds while they are. asleep (for their onslaughts are almost always made by night), and, finally, drive the Pigeons to emigrate and seek a safer home elsewhere. | PIGEON-LOFTS, For by far the great majority of pigeon-keepers in England, a pigeon-loft affords the most convenient and Manageable means of maintaining a stock of useful and “tnamental birds. It may easily be made to combine the rearing of pigeons for the table (although not the ue Rock Dove) with the keeping of merely fancy kinds. 2 Short, we speak of aroom or chamber (Gif one or two con- ‘Suous ones can be had, so much the better), which shall be appropriated to these purposes, which can be closed or *Pened at the pleasure of the ‘owner, containing also SCharate cages for special purposes, and, in short, all the *Pparatus requisite for the systematic practice of breed- - 8, and of regulating the pairing and rearing of the Mates, according to determinate rules, CHOICE OF SITUATION, The apartment in one’s house, or in the out-buildings attached to it, which can be most conveniently appro- Plated ag a pigeon-loft, is seldom open to much choice, ‘ PIGEONS. Where a selection can be made, a sheltered and sunny aspect is most desirable; a lofty situation is especially eligible for town-resident amateurs, who would also find the advantage of having some high stack of chimneys or conspicuous whitewashed gable near, to mark the spot. It will prevent the loss of many a young inexperienced bird, which may happen to stray during the first excur- sions which it makes abroad, and will even help the old ones to return, if they happen to be caught in a fog, or are buffeted by a sudden gale of wind. An adequate amount of window-light is wanted, more for the pleasure of the owner than for the requirements of the birds, whose nature it is to préfer obscure retreats and caverns for their home and their breeding-place. Pigeons can see to feed late after sunset, when it is quite dusk, and when . other domestic birds would cease to search after food. The power of sight which they possess in distinguishing clearly objects at a distance, seems extensible also to minute particles that are but faintly illuminated, or which lie in almost perfect darkness. Their eye is con- vertible from a telescope to a night-glass. FITTINGS OF THE PIGEON-LOFT. The main external feature of the pigeon-loft is the trap ; and none can be better than a projecting box. An old tea-chest has often served the purpose efficiently, with the sides, top, and bottom either quite closed and boarded in, or made of lattice-work, the back opening into the pigeon-loft, and the front consisting of a latticed door, or rather a drawbridge, conducting the birds to the open space in which they are to exercise their powers of flight (see fig.). In the trap of which we give a figure, and which is copied from one in actual use, there. exists a difference from the generality of traps, in that only the outer door, or drawbridge, of this trap is outside the building. The advantage gained by the arrangement is a greater neatness of outside appearance, and less danger of the trap’s being injured by high winds, the fall of bricks or tiles, a blow from the shifting of a ladder, of PIGEONS. 8L other mischief; on the other hand, it is a less conspicnous mark for the pigeons than if the whole box were visible outside, which must be confessed to be a serious objection, and a sacrifice of utility to external look. EXTERIOR, INTERIOR, Cae PIGEON-LOFT. A. Door of the trap (outside the building). B. Inner end of the trap, where the swinging doors hang. C. String used to pull up the outer door of the trap. it Ne 4 TRAP OF PIGEHON-LOFT, Interior, showing the loose bars, called “ the bolt,” B. Little swinging doors on the inner end, C. String which pulls up the outer door, PIGEONS, THE TRAP. The drawbridge (from which the trap derives its use and name) opens at the top, and turns on hinges below. It is raised or let down by a string, which should pass through the lott, so that it can be drawn up, and the trap closed by the owner outside or beneath the loft, or in an adjoining chamber, without disturbing the birds, after he has ascertained, by peeping through a chink or aperture, that they have entered their apartment. The peculiar fittings of the trap, as most suitable to the room to which it is attached, are best left to some clever carpenter, who is experienced in such work, and do not need further detail here, except to state, that at the opening by which the trap enters the loft, it is usual to have pieces of lath hanging vertically, and freely suspended from a wire above, in such a way as to allow the entrance and prevent the egress of the birds. These the owner can raise at pleasure. ‘The little swinging doors hang on a wire; they are round, and are broader towards the bottom, i.e., they are long cones, so as to be steadied by their own weight, as seen in the figure. It will be found a great convenience if the pigeon-loft can be latticed off into two or three separate divisions (to be entered by the master through a little latticed door), in which the pigeons can be seen by visitors, and can also see and make acquaint- ance with the other pigeons belonging to the same owner, while only a certain select number are allowed to fly abroad, and have the entrée of the trap. A small table or two will be a useful piece of furniture: young squeakers, on first leaving the nest, will light upon it as their safest resting-place. The whole interior of the pigeon-loft, about the sides, corners, and projecting angles, should be fitted up with a number of small brackets, each about six /inches in length and four in breadth, to serve the purpose ‘ of perches and landing-places. _ PIGEONS. 33 NESTING-PLACES. The accommodations provided as nesting-places, and their arrangement, must also very much depend upon “rcumstances. The most important point, and which may be laid down as the fundamental rule in pigeon- “aring, with a view to make the most of their repro- Uctive powers, is that each pair of parent birds ought to 526 at least two convenient pigeon-holes or breeding-~ Places, and that there be not the least pretext either for ir being put out of their way themselves on this “count, or for their disturbing ‘and quarrelling with -©lt neighbours. The reason for the rule is, that adult Pigeons, of a prolific race, in good health and well fed, Will lay a second pair of eggs before the nestlings hatched “om the former ones can shift for themselves, Hence, ‘geons which are enjoying the full exercise of their reeding powers, absolutely require both a nursery for wt young, and a place to lay eggs in, apart, and yet in easy reach of each other. This requirement can- ot be too forcibly insisted on, at least if success is t Cught worth attaining. The large numbers of young Res produced in the same season by one pair of birds, S always the result of the old ones. being enabled to so a fresh hatch before the previous family is quite Sf their hands. Otherwise the thing could not be done, "dthe produce would be less. The reader will now Perceive why we so strongly recommend the pole-house, a we give a figure in the present book for the Ntry, th We have practically experienced the judiciousness of © arrangements suggested in an anonymous “ Treatise it omestic Pigeons.” In carrying out the regulations, « Nay be said of pigeon-lofts, as well as of governments, Whiche’er is best administered, is best.” b ‘You may erect shelves, of about twenty inches : he for breeding-places, allowing eighteen” inches “tween shelf and shelf, that Powters may not be under D PIGEONS. the necessity of stooping for want of height, for in that case they would contract an habit of playing low, which spoils their carriage. In these shelves partitions should be fixed at about three feet distance (more, if possible), making a blind, by a board nailed against the front on each side of every partition, which will make two nests in the extent of every three feet; and the pigeons will not be liable to be disturbed, as they will then sit in private. Some fix a low partition between each nest, which prevents the young ones from running to the hen sitting at the other end, and thereby cooling her eggs; for in breeding-time, when the young ones are about a fortnight or three weeks old, the hen, if a good breeder, , will lay again, and leave the care of the young ones to the cock. Others let them breed in partitions entirely open in front, for the greater convenience of cleaning out their nests. I find by experience, that nests made on the floor are much more convenient than otherwise, if © the loft will admit of 16 (this is particularly true with egard to Runts, Trumpeters, and Fantails), for it pre- vents the young ones from falling out of their nests, which sometimes breaks a leg, and very often lames them, and also gives them a chance of being fed by other pigeons, as well as their parents, which frequently happens. [An old cock pigeon, who is a good father, will often take compassion upon a hungry squeaker which teases him, and runs after him begging for food, although it does not belong to him, and will charitably bestow upon it the contents of his crop.] In every nest there should be placed a straw basket, or earthen pan, that has not been glazed, which prevents the straw from slipping about, both which are made for this purpose, and the size must be in proportion to the pigeons you breed: for instance, a pan, fit fora Tumbler, or other small pigeon, should be about three inches high, and eight inches over at the top, and sloping to the bottom like 4 washhand-basin, and that in proportion for other large? pigeons, remembering to put a. brick close to the pad, that they may with greater safety get upon their eggs; PIGEONS. Bis and by meang of this pan, the eggs are not only pre- Vented from rolling out of the nest, but your young Pigeons from being handled when you choose to look at &m, which often puts them into a scouring. Some Prefer the basket, as judging it the warmest, and not so lable to crack the egg when first laid; others the pan, Not so apt to harbourvermin, and being easier cleaned; and Say that the foregoing inconveniences are easily remedied Y putting in a sufficient quantity of clean straw, rubbed Short and soft, or frail; the frail is most valued, because it les hollow, and lasts a great while, the dung shaking off 10 ag occasion requires.” A flat wooden bowl is also an «xcellent thing for pigeons to nest in; but when the Cor can be occupied in that way, a couple of bricks laid 4p in one corner in the shape of the letter L, form a capi- al nest, simple, easily cleaned, and yet perfectly secure. In the country and such situations where the pigeons - May be safely allowed to enjoy almost entire liberty, and Where it will be wished to see them take their food on he ground with the other poultry as a general rule, it is Rot a matter of urgent necessity to furnish a loft with Sppers or meat-boxes. Still it will be advisable to feed << €m occasionally, z.e., four or five times a week, in their x Chamber. The object of thus feeding them within-doors 'S partly to confirm their affection for the spot, and partly © give the forward squeakers that may have quitted the Rest a chance of learning to peck for themselves. For is purpose it will be sufficient to throw down a mode- ‘ate supply of peas or barley on the floor, which we “tppose to be swept and fresh gravelled with some gree of regularity. Broken mortar and bricklayers’ “ubbish, when it can be had, is an excellent thine to“ Strew their floor with, in addition to the gravel; if it ig Rot obtainable, a few lumps of clay, or brick-earth, and a padeful of dry loamy soil, may be put down here and ere, . In pigeon-lofis in large towns, where the birds are but Seldom or never flown, some kind of corn-trough or hop- Per is indispensable, Of these there are various patterns D2 SO ELITE LE ED ELI IN PIGEONS. to be had, but the simplest are the best. The great object is to economize food, and to prevent it from being defiled with dirt. If it is too intricate in contrivance, and hard to get at, it will prevent weakly birds from eating, and hinder squeakers from learning to peck. A simple trough, with a low cover over it, broader than itself, and made steady by being fixed to two transverse splines at each end, will prove really more useful than many more elaborate pieces of mechanism. If the pigeons are to be kept entirely confined in their lofts, the nests should be supplied with a little short straw in each; but if they are to be flown, and ‘ twigs and straws are at hand, it is better to leave them to make the nests themselves. This indulgence will allow them to exhibit a very curious habit. Just at the time of hatching, the cock bird brings new materials to the nest, to increase the accommodation for his two little new-comers ; so that if a pair are known to be sitting, and the cock is observed to fly up to the loft with sticks and straws in his bill, it is a sure sign that hatching is about to take place. The intention is probably to keep the young squabs from contact with their own accumu- lated dung; otherwise it is very apt to clog their feet, and hang to each claw in hardened pellets. The same thing often happens to adult birds that are closely caged. The pellets should be removed by splitting them with a enknife ; but it is best done by ¢wo operators, one to hold the bird. A single operator is apt to squeeze the patient when it struggles; and a hard nip, or tight pres- sure on the chest, is likely to prove suddenly fatal. Pigeons are amongst those creatures which come into the world in a very rudimentary state ; a wise ordinance, if we think for a moment. The very helplessness of the young is a convenience to parents that are obliged to be so much absent from home, and have to provide sus- tenance for their offspring often by long flights. Pigeons are thirsty creatures; they like the neigh- pourhood of water, and seem heartily to enjoy the act of drinking. This is performed by plunging the head in, PIGEONS. 37 hearly up to the eyes, and taking a full draught at once, ‘nstead of sipping, like cocks and hens. In incubating, they will not sit, like hens, much beyond the proper time ; if the eggs turn out clear or addled, they will oon desert them when they find that no squabs are orthcoming. It is after the young have appeared that © assiduity of the parents is most manifested. The young ones are fed throughout with food previously Swallowed by the parents; they receive it with a flut- tering of the wings and a low plaining note of hunger, ‘nd even after they are full-grown, and can feed them. Selves, they will often pursue their parents, squeaking Cudly, and begging to have a meal shaken into their ‘top, without taking the trouble to pick it up them- Selves. Young pigeons while confined to the nest, are Called “ squabs;’? when they leave it, and first begin to flutter about the dovecot or the pigeon-loft, they are _ Styled “ squeakers.” The old birds frequently, from Some cause known only to themselves, seem to neglect pve of their offspring, not giving it an equal quantity of Cod with the other one; nor does this neglected squab "each the size of its companion (which far outstrips it in Stowth) until it can feed itself. Sometimes one of the two Squabs is actually starved to death by the undue favour- itism of the parents towards the other. It is worth Rowing, therefore, that squabs of about a fortnight old, Which can do without the soft or half-digested food, and Which chance to be neglected by their parents at that raly period of their existence, may often be reared JY mouth. The human nurse takes a small quantity of Peas or wheat, and water, into his mouth; then, taking © squab in hand, he inserts its bill into the mouth so Provisioned. After a trial or two, the young bird will Ake its food in this manner as readily as if it were fed Y its feathered parent, and thus progress till it ig able ® peck for itself from the ground. . Vf * PIGEONS. EGGS OF PIGEONS. The eges of the different breeds of domestic pigeons are much less dissimilar than those of fowls. They vary a little in size, but their shape and proportions are the same. We have never seen a buff pigeon’s egg of the hue of those of the Malay or of the Cochin-China Fowl, -and not even a ecream-coloured one. All the wild pigeons’ eggs, too, that we have had an opportunity of inspecting, as well as those of the Collared Turtle, look as if they were every one of them cast after the same model. Those of the Ringdove are, however, more blunt and rounded in shape than the eggs of the domes- tic birds, and do not taper so much. 1t would be most difficult, on being shown an egg of any of the pigeon family, to pronounce by which species it had been laid. ‘We have never known the two eggs to produce a couple ‘of hen squabs, though we have frequently had instances of the young birds proving both to be cocks; and this may be discovered by the incessant bickerings they keep up, at the time when they ought to be forming a quiet matrimonial attachment. The young also of the dif ferent species vary very little at jirst. FOOD. The usual food given to domestic pigeons that are apt in lofts, is gray peas; but they will also thrive on /wheat, barley, oats, buckwheat, and the smaller pulse ‘and grain. They are less partial to rye; but a greab “point is to vary, or as some do, to mix their diet. Tares “~ or vetches are mostly too dear in England to feed them with. The same may be said of rape-seed and canary- Hemp-seed, so often recommended as a stimulant, is apt to bring on skin disease, and to disiigure a bird by caus- ing naked patches to appear; we, therefore, advise if to _ be given rarely, and then with great caution, although the birds are extremely fond of it.. New tares are said to bring on scouring, especially in young birds. Horse- PIGEONS. 39 beans and Indian wheat are almost too large to give to the smaller breeds of pigeons. SERVICE THEY RENDER BY CONSUMING THE SEEDS OF WEEDS. : All pigeons are fond of the seeds of many wild plants ; and there'is no doubt that both the Blue Rock Dove and the Dovehouse Pigeon render good service in preventing the increase of weeds in those fields which they frequent. hey are most industrious in the zeal with which they follow out this pursuit. In walking, or rather running, in the fields in feeding, they sometimes aid their advance y a flutter of the wings; and in a flock of tame pigeons feeding in a field, the hind ones may be observed every few Moments to fly over the rest, and take their places in front, to have their turn of the best pickings, and this in _ Constant succession, as if the whole of the flock admitted _ the right in each other, and claimed it individually for themselves. “At whatever time of the year you open a Dovehouse -igeon,” says M. Beffroy, “whether in harvest or seed- time, you will always find in its stomach at least eight times the quantity of food consisting of the secds of Weeds as of graitt which has been cultivated for the use of inan. Moreover, the grain in its crop is almost always injured grain. This bird, therefore, ought to be regarded 8s the most efficient weeder the farmer can employ; for it does not clear away the weeds themselves, often leaving € roots remaining, as is so apt to occur with human Weeders, bit it removes the very origin of weeds by pick- Ing up the seeds which come to the surface, as the different Ploughings succeed each other. a “'The services which pigeons render in this respect are 80 great, that in the canton of Dizy, in the Département € Aisne, where particularly fine, clean, and excellent Wheat is grown, a decrease in the number of pigeons kept Very soon caused itself to be felt. The land became Covered with weeds, which choked the crops; the straw Was thin and weak; the corn was light and deficient ————— EEE PIGEONS. in plumpness; and it was difficult to bring the samples to the state of cleanness which had once made it sought after for seed-corn. The principal farmers made the same remark. In taking the land from the seigneur at a quit-rent (@ cens), one of the clauses in the agreement was that the seigneur of the territory should build a dovecot. The condition was insisted upon, and fulfilled, in order to insure the crops of the tenants; and, in many places, dovecots were built at a great expense. It has been remarked, besides, that districts which are the most productive of wheat, such as La Beauce, are those where there are the greatest number of dovecots. Pigeons, moreover, will not touch seed-corn which has been previously steeped and rolled in lime.” As a proof how fond pigeons are of the seeds of weeds, ib is a great treat to them to throw out the rubbish, after a threshing of wheat or barley is dressed, on some lawn, or in some orchard, where it can do no harm. by being blown or carted upon the land again, instead of burning it out of the way, as is the practice with many farmers. The pigeons will search for days together amongst this offal, after dross corn, poppy-seeds, charlock, and other pests of the farm, and will get many a meal from the minute tit-bits that would be utterly lost to cocks and hens. Nor, as they do not scratch, are they injurious in gardens, unless their little foot-prints be thought an eyesore. They will not disturb anything which the gar- dener has properly deposited in the ground; and what they do pick up is what would otherwise be wasted. SALT AND LIME FOR PIGEONS TO EAT. There are two luxuries of which pigeons are so fond, that they will have them, whatever risk or trouble it may cost to obtain them; and‘those are, salt and carbonate of lime. Pigeons living within an easy distance from the sea will obtain the former article by drinking hearty draughts of salt water; in chalky countries, they pick up the latter as it lies upon the ground, and will often swal- low not a few small snails for the sake of the material PIGEONS. Aq Which composes their shells. Everywhere they get into ad repute by pecking out the mortar from the roofs of buildings. There can be no doubt that both these sub- stances act medicinally upon the pigeon’s constitution, and are necessary to maintain them in health. The Wisest plan, therefore, is to provide them for them. igeons are also extremely fond of certain high-flavoured @nd odoriferous matters, which, though perhaps less requisite than the former two, are hardly less attractive to the birds.» To gratify this natural craving, and fre- quently to serve as a bait for other people’s birds, pigeon- anciers prepare a composition which is called a salt-cat, and which is so named, we are told, “from a certain fabulous oral tradition of baking a cat, in the time of her Salaciousness, with cumin-seed and some other ingre- Gents.” ‘We give a prescription for making it, seeing at it can do no harm. ‘Those who keep pigeons will find themselves obliged to provide something of the kind, only to prevent their birds from being enticed away to other habitations, and detained. It will be seen that the Stoundwork of the whole recipe is nothing more than Salt, calcareous earth, and aromaties which approach the / Nature of stinks. Pigeons delight in them, nevertheless. 4 or instance, they are singularly fond of lavender. In’ - the southern departments of France, where that plant stows wild, they break off the flower-stalks just above e leaves and beneath the flowers, and garnish their Nests with them. For people who possess an extensive Sarden, it would be an easy, as well as a kind act of Attention, to supply their birds now and then with a Moderate quantity of this luxurious material for per- uming their nests. SALT-CAT, OF VARIOUS KINDS. One plan is, to lay near the pigeon-house a barrow-ful of loam, reduced to the consistence of pap by mixing it With water, or better, with old brine in which meat has been pickled. Add to this a gallon and a half of the. - Soarsest sand, a peck of bay salt, and a little saltpetre. © et \ PIGEONS. If the loam is beat up with water, it will require more salt than when brine is used. If it is a good sandy loam, less sand will answer the purpose. Where loam cannot be procured, clay will do; but then more sand will be wanted. This mixture should be sheltered in some way from the rain, at the same time that the pigeons have free access to it. They will be found to enjoy it, and to be pecking at it continually. : A second receipt is, to boil the head and feet of a goat till the flesh and tendons drop from the bones. Remove the bones, and boil what remains in the same liquor, till the whole is reduced toa jelly. Then add a sufficiency of potter’s earth to bring the mess to theconsistency of dough. Knead it into small loaves, and dry them slowly in the sun, or in an oven, taking care that they are not burnt. When they are dry, place them in some convenient corner of the igeon-house; the pigeons will soon find them, and peck at them till they are quite finished. Some make use of a goat’s head boiled in urine, with & mixture of salt, cu- min, and hempseed. This is particularly agreeable to the pigeons’ taste. Others fry millet in honey, with the addition of a little salt and water. A salt-cat of high repute is made thus: Take sifted eravel, brickmakers’ earth or strong clay, and the rubbish of an old wall, a peck of each ; or, if you use lime instead of rubbish, half the quantity will do. Add to these a pound and a half of.cumin-seed and a quarter of a pound of bay-salt, or saltpetre. “Let these ingredients be well mixed together with as much stale urine as will make a stiff cement. Then put the composition into old tin pots, kettles, or stone jars, with holes in the sides for the birds to peck at it, and covered at the top to prevent dirt from falling upon it. We have found, however, that for practical purposes it is sufficient to strew the floor of the pigeon-loft with old mortar, and the lime-rubbish from dilapidated buildings, which contains a salt little inferior to common saltpetre. The pigeon-house, of whatever kind, should also contain _avessel to hold salt, or a pigeon’s salt-cellar. If the PIGEONS... pigeons are kept in lockers, or pole-houses, salt must still be placed within their reach, and renewed as fast as it is exhausted ; in such cases, it is not a bad plan to stick a Cake of salt, or a lump of rock-salt, against a wall at some convenient spot. The pigeons will soon discover it and eat it. For the interior of dovecots and pigeon-lofts, the Salt may be of any coarsely-granulated kind (that sold for agricultural purposes answers very well), set down on the floor in an earthen pan. It can be eaten more readily than rock-salt, and is therefore more agreeable. Fanciers, who are more superstitious than cleanly, and who believe that there is some charm in the salt-cat (and there are many such), are at liberty to prepare it according to the most potent and the nastiest recipe; but we have found’ y experience that common salt alone, in its natural. state, with plenty of old mortar strewed around, answers / _ every purpose of keeping the Birds healthily contented With their lot, atid so have avoided handling ingredients amongst which asafcetida is not the most disagreeable. WATER SUPPLY. In the case of dovecots, pole-houses, and lockers, where the birds live in a state of complete freedom, there will always be some pond or streamlet at hand, wherein the birds can drink and bathe, which latter act is a source of great enjoyment to them. We have often seen pigeons V/ & \ In a shower of rain lift up their wing and expose their — _ Whole side to the drops as they fell, for the sake of ' the pleasure which the shower-bath gave them. In a - Pigeon-loft, provision should be made for both these ' Yequirements, because, in towns and crowded neighbour- hoods, they can but rarely drink at ease out of doors, and still more rarely bathe. Three or four times a week in summer, and once or twice a.week in winter, a large flat pan should be placed in the middle of the floor of the loft, and filled with water. In this they will play and Splash to such a degree, that.a stranger to their habits would almost think they were going to drown themselves. The first-comers will soon dash all the water out, and it 44, PIGEONS. must be filled again, till every pigeon has had its turn, and then removed and set on one side. For drinking, it is of no use to leave any flat, shallow, open vessel, because the contents would soon be emptied in the way we have just described. There must be some drinking-place into which they cannot get and dabble, and whose shape insures its serving for drinking only. Good bottles for this purpose are the earthenware foun- tain-bottles, resembling, on a larger scale, the glass foun- tains which are fixed to birdcages, and holding two or three quarts of water. Of these, almost every earthen- ware and glass shop affords plenty ot choice. Mr. Baily, x the eminent poulterer, of Mount-street, Grosvenor-square, has invented a zinc fountain for fowls, pigeons, and lap- dogs to drink from, which, by means of divisions at the drinking-place, prevents the creatures from getting into it, and in a great measure from throwing dirt and sand into it. It is more expensive than the earthenware foun- tains, but, upon trial, we have found it to answer its pur- pose perfectly. Perhaps the best mode of supplying pigeons in a loft with water, is to invert a large glass bottle, filled with water, and suspended in a frame, with its mouth just touching a small shallow pan. So long as there remains any water in the bottle, the pan will always be filled, without ever running over. The plan was ori- ginally recommended in the “ Treatise,’ and we quote the quaint sentences in which it is there described, hoping that, without the aid of a woodcut, the reader will be able to understand the principle of the contrivance. ; “The water-bottle should be a large glass bottle with %K a long neck, holding four or five gallons (the carboys in which various fiuids are received by dispensing chemists, are very suitable for the purpose), and its belly made in the form of an egg, to keep them from dunging on it; but the shape is not material, as a piece of pasteboard, hung by a string, at three or four inches above the bottle, will always prevent that, by hindering them from settling thereon. This bottle should be placed upon a stand, or three-footed stool, made hollow at top to receive the PIGEONS. belly, and let the mouth into%a small pan; the water by is means will gradually descend out of the mouth of the ottle as the pigeons drink it, and be sweet and clean, and always stop when the surface of the water meets with the mouth of the bottle. “The reason of which is evident; for the belly of. the bottle being entirely close at top, keeps off all the external Pressure of the atmosphere, which, pressing hard upon the Surface of the water in the pan, which is contiguous to that in the bottle, is too potent for the small quantity of ‘ir which is conveyed into the belly of the bottle with the water, and which, consequently, as being the lighter latter, rises to the top of the bottle, as it stands in its Proper situation ; but the water being sucked away by the Pigeons, that it no longer toucheth the mouth of the ottle, the confined air exerts its power, and causeth the _ Water to descend till they become contiguous as before.” MATING-CAGES. It is a great advantage to pigeon-fanciers, and enables them to keep several different kinds in the same loft Without. their intermixing, that when a pair of young Pigeons have once formed a mutual attachment and reared Young together, the union lasts for life. So long as they oth continue in good health, they will go on producing a Dure-bred offspring together, even though pigeons of Sther breeds are their daily companions. Sometimes, Owever, one of the pair may be lost or killed, and it will © desirable to provide the widowed bird with a suitable Mate. Sometimes a fancier may chance to purchase a Single bird of unusual value or beauty, and may wish to Unite it with some one which he already has in his pos- Session. In the former case, we generally allowed our rds to please themselves; if they paired with another Single bird of a different variety, it was of little con- Sequence, as the cross-bred produce which resulted was always both acceptable to eat and interesting to observe +8 to the different degrees of resemblance which they °re to their respective parents. But when it is neces- PIGEONS. sary to keep up 9 choice breed, birds must be made to mate as we wish them. As this contingency will always be occurring, an indis- pensable requisite to a pigeon-loft will be, matching-places or mating-cages. It is better that they should be not in the loft itself, but in some apartment contiguous to it, in order. that the birds to be coupled together may see no other individuals of their species but themselves. If either one or both of the birds has to be divorced from a former mate, that mate or mates must be killed or sent away beyond the power of return, otherwise they will be very apt to go back to their first love, causing the new union to be of but short duration. The time which it takes to make pigeons transfer their affections to a strange mate varies considerably ; sometimes they will pair in four-and-twenty hours, and commence building imme- diately afterwards; and sometimes they will fight and quarrel for several days together, before coming to an understanding. The larger pigeons, as the Powters and the Runts, often have fieree engagements, dealing each other severe swan-like blows with the wing for an hour together. And in their wing-to-wing engagements, the younger cocks generally succeed in mastering the older ones. With pigeons, if the cock is not a bit of a tyrant, the hen is apt to be an indomitable vixen. “ Notwith- standing they are very constant,” says the “ Treatise,” “ when paired to each other, seldom parting, except whet either of them grows sick or very old, yet ’tis difficult to make them pair to one’s mind. Therefore, to oblige them to this, there should be two coops erected, called by the fanciers matching-places, close together, with a lath par- tition between them, that they may see each other, and should be so contrived that they may both eat and drink out of the same vessels, feeding them often with hempseed [Be sparing of this], which makes them salacious ; and when you observe the hen to sweep her tail to the cock, as she plays in the other pen, which is termed showing; you may put her in to him, and they will soon be matched. ‘But if, for want of this convenience, you are obliged, at \ frst, to put them both into one coop, always put the cock im first for a few days, that he may be the master of the Place, especially if the hen be a virago, otherwise they will fight so much as perhaps may settle in them an absolute aversion for ever after. But the cock, being master, will heat the hen, if refractory, into compliance.” As soon as the pigeons give proofs that they are really mated, they may have the range of the pigeon-loft once more, always Supposing that any former object of attachment has been banished for life. Ifit be desired to make them fix upon any particular nesting-place, they may be kept in a tem- Porary lath cage, hung in front of it, and communicating With it; in a few days they will take to the place and ~ Settle in it, and then the cage may be removed entirely. Jt has been observed, that when a hen pigeon loses her Mate by death or accident, she generally goes off and is lost to her owner, unless a husband be quickly supplied (though in such cases two hens will sometimes mate together) ; but if the cock is the survivor, he will soon Provide himself a mate from some other quarter, though Rot always perhaps to the taste of his master. HOW TO COMMENCEH PIGHON-KEEPING. Supposing, then, that the pigeon-loft is conveniently fitted up with all the necessary fixtures and furniture, and Only awaits a colony to inhabit it, the next step is, not Iherely to furnish it with a well-selected and suflicient Population, but (which is the great difficulty) to setéle the Rew arrivals in a state of contentment with their fresh Ocality. The former object can be obtained by money ; Success in the latter demands something more, which Money alone will not buy. With all other poultry, it is €nough to get them home, feed them, and leave them to Mspect.their new master’s premises at their uncontrolled €isure. Not so with pigeons. Bring a score of fine irds to your comfortable loft; give them all the peas, ®*nd water, and salt, they can wish for ; let them out at the PIGEONS. , Az PIGEONS. end of a day or two, and the chances are, that in a few hours they will all have disappeared, never to be caught sight of by you again. Pigeons must be made to form a strong and permanent attachment to their home, before they can be safely trusted with liberty. One great inducement to them to stay where they may happen to be brought to, is to find themselves in the midst ,of an old-established and numerous society ; for though mono- gamous, or restricting themselves to one single mate, they are eminently social. But the founder of a new settlement of pigeons in a newly-built pigeon-house is not possessed of this means of temptation wherewith to allure strangers. Even a single pair inhabiting an old-accustomed loft, and giving it the air of being in the habit of receiving com- pany, would make a great difference in this respect. We would advise that the first few pairs of pigeons that are brought to stock a bran-new loft be only of common and inexpensive breeds, whether young or old birds be selected for the purpose. If they abscond, the loss will be of no great consequence ; but if they remain, steadily and satis- factorily, they will serve as the nucleus of a pigeon society, and may often be made the foster-parents of more valuable birds, whose eggs can be substituted for their own. Many dealers and amateurs are willing to part with the eggs of choice Tumblers, Powters, and Carriers, which may be hatched and brought up by inferior breeds. Jt is not an unusual plan to clip the feathers of one wing, with newly-purchased birds, on turning them into the loft, in the expectation that the interval between that time and their next moult will be sufficient to reconcile them to a strange home, especially if they can be induced. ‘to breed meanwhile. But the operation does not always answer in the end. Some birds, as soon as they regain their powers of flight, start off, taking away perhaps a companion or two with them, in search of their old haunts. And besides that a clipped-wing pigeon is an uncomfort- able sight, the stumps of the cut feathers often cause serious injury. They do not drop so readily as whole feathers, from their attachment to the skin, when the PIGHONS. 49 moulting season arrives; inflammation ensues, disease follows, and the bird sometimes even dies in consequence. As soon as anything of the kind is perceived, in clipped- Winged birds, the best plan is to pluck out every remain- ing stump by hand. . If a dealer could warrant that his adult birds of choice breeds had never been flown, but had been kept incarce- rated from the moment of their sprawling out of the divided egg-shell,—a warrant which he can but rarely give With satisfaction to his own mind,—then the purchaser might safely keep them at home just for a few days, and afterwards let them out with but little fear of their leaving him. Butit is a rare case to be able to place any such dependence on new-bought pigeons. Whether they go back to their old home, or whether they simply get Sirayed and lost, the disappointment is the same to him who wishes to retain them. The safest way to stock an ~ unpeopled loft, in which the birds aro intended to be allowed any degree of liberty in the open air, is to pro- Cure, by ordering them beforehand, several pairs of the young birds of the sorts required, as soon as they are able to peck for themselves, z.¢. at about five weeks old. They will be better removed eyen earlier to their new home, if the trouble of feeding them by mouth and hand be not objected to. Such colonists as these will take to their Settlement without giving much trouble. Still it will be Wise to keep them shut up till they have laid their first couple of eggs, The great fear of losing them before that event is, that they are apt to be decoyed away by older birds in the neighbourhood, before they have fairly tated, and haye become fully conscious that an inde- pendent home of their own is desirable. Such young birds, if taken in couples from the same hatching by the same parents, will generally turn out male and female, and little trouble need be taken to ascertain their sex at the time of purchasing them. When a pair of pigeons rear only one young one, it generally turns out to be a cock; when they bring up two, the largest usually proves a cock, and the one which squeaks longest, ,2 PIGEONS. a female. In adult birds, the male is known by his larger size, his brighter colours, particularly in the glancing hues around his neck, by the greater inflation of the crop, his longer and louder coo, his pursuit of the hen from place to place, and by his turning half or three-quarters round, backwards and forwards, like a weathercock veering on its pivot, while he is paying his court and uttering his coo. DISEASES. We say little about diseases here, partly because they are incidentally mentioned, and will mostly be prevented by observing the rules we give; and partly because the really serious maladies to which pigeons are liable, are so deep-seated, obstinate, and difficult to cure, that the invalid is better killed out of the way. Mowlting, which is only the natural function of renewing their plumage, has been classed among the list of diseases. If a bird is observed to suffer unusually, the best plan is to take it in hand and examine it, to see whether there are any stumps of broken feathers, which the patient cannot disengage from its skin. If so, they must be carefully drawn, one by one; give’ plenty of good (not oily) food, supply the bird with the means of bathing and dusting, let it enjoy warm shelter, and it will be speedily cured. Canker, which is an unsightly scabbiness and nakedness of the skin, and which is attributed often to the pecking of the cocks, or to drinking out of a metal vessel, is, according to our own experience, frequently brought on by an undue proportion of oily diet, such as hemp, rape, poppy, &c. Abstinence and exercise are the best reme- dies ; but it is an obstinate complaint, and can rarely be cured before the moulting-season, and frequently not then. Ifthe skin on the naked patch be broken, it may be dusted with a little flour. Skin disease in pigeons is as difficult to treat as in the human subject. Vertigo, if _ not curable by air and exercise in a few days, ought to | condemn a bird to death, The same of any eruption oF PIGEONS. _ Pustular disorder. The internal weaknesses known amongst the fancy as gizzard-fallen, navel-fallen, and other indescribable intestinal disorders, show so great a Weakness of constitution, that no one would care to keep Such birds, even after they seemed to be perfectly recovered. CHOICE OF SORT. The reader may be disposed to ask, which is the most advisable sort of pigeon to keep ; to which we reply, that tastes differ. Please yourself, without consulting others. Nuns and Archangels are to be recommended for their . eauty, Tumblers for their performances, and Fantails for their oddity. If handsome, court-yard, table-birds re desired, we should be much disposed to recommend © larger breeds, such as Trumpeters, Runts, or even Antwerp Carriers, though most pigeon-keepers would think it a sin to kill and eat the young of the latter. ‘wunts, for some reason which is not very clear, are held in but little esteem in England. Fanciers disregard them because they are neither elegant in shape, beauti- fulin feather, nor pleasing in flight. Their size ought to recommend them for economical purposes; and although our climate is less favourable to their profitable © Merease than their native birthplace, the shores of the editerranean, still, warm housing and attention will in &% great measure make up for the deficiency. Their great bulk makes them remarkable ornaments to the aviary, and their history, as far as we can guess at it,, Cught to attract the attention of the naturalist. There | oes not appear to be any great distinction between the |. eghorn, Spanish, and Roman Runts. Some of the |} latter are so big and heavy, that they can hardly fly; | * Which circumstance, if not the result of domestication, Would account for their disappearance in a wild state. ee ee eee R2 52 PIGEONS. YOUNG PIGEONS FOR EATING.—HOW TO FATTEN THEM, To have good pigeons on the table, one ought not to wait till they can feed themselves alone, because just at that time they begin to. grow lean, their flesh loses the tenderness and delicacy which characterize the young of dovehouse pigeons. ‘The time to kill them is when they are about a month old, just before they leave the nest. Then they are good. But if first-rate pigeons are required, the following mode of fattening is recom- mended. :— When the squabs are about eighteen or nineteen days old, and their wing-feathers begin to sprout, take them out of the dovehouse, and place them in a nest in another room, covering them with a basket on an in- verted hamper, which will keep out the light and yet leave a free passage for air. It is well known that all animals which are to be fattened artificially, ought to be kept in the dark. Have ready a quantity of maize which has been steeped in water four-and-twenty hours. Twice a day, namely, early in the morning and in the evening before nightfall, take each squeaker out of the nest, open its bill dexterously, and at each meal cause it to swallow, according to its breed and size, from fifty up to eighty, and even a hundred grains of steeped maize. Continue this treatment for ten days ora fortnight, and you will have pigeons as fat as the very best poultry. The only difference will be in their colour. THE ADVANTAGE OF TWO DOVECOTS ON THE saME ESTATE. , Olivier de Serres gives a valuable hint that the way to have an abundance of young pigeons for the table, is to build z¢vo dovecots; one out in the open fields, the other at home in the poultry-yard. The two different habitations will, between them, supply a numerous pro- duce: for to give pigeons the means of shifting their dwelling whenever they please, and of interchanging visits, WA AI i Mi HH AS ee AN Nat | H ! iN | ANIC a i Runt, p. 56. SVG S; S SN SSSS@~7 We A WW PIGEONS. 53 is the very best way to inake them multiply.” ‘So much 80, that a couple of dovecots, in close neighbourhood together, will give more youtig pigeons than will be ob- tained from fout pigeon-louses that are situated at con- Siderable distances apart. VARIETIES OF THE DOMESTIO PIGEON. In describing the different varieties of Fancy Pigeons, We propose to take them in the following order :— 1. Fantails. 2. Runts. 38. Trumpeters. 4. Arch- angels. 5. Nuns. 6. Jacobins. 7. Turbits. 8. Barbs. 9. Tumblers. 10. Bald Pates. 11. Powters. 12: Car- tiers, 13. Lace Pigeons. 14: Frizzled Pigeons. Hantail Pigeons are so named in consequence of having their tail furnished with so great a number of additional feathers as to give it the appearance of an outspread fan early bent double into a hollow form. The more fea- thers a bird has in its tail, the more valuable a Specimen ibis. The number varies from twenty to as matty as six- and-thirty. The French call the Fantail the Pigeon Paon, or Peacock Pigeon; but the comparison is unfor- tunate, and is founded ot an error. “ It is so named,” Says, M. Temminek, “ because it has the faculty of erecting and displaying its tail nearly in the same way in which the Peacock raises and expands his dorsal feathers. This face might also be called Pigeons Dindons, or Turkey — igeons, their caudal feathers being also placed on an | erector muscle capable of cotit¥action and extension at | pleasure.”” M. Temminck is mistaken hefe. The tail of | the Fantail is always expanded and displayed; and when | in the actions | of courtship, it is brought downwards, 80 as to sweep the / Other domestic pigeons do spread their ta 8round like a stiff train, not wpwards like the Turkey or the Peafowl. sista $8 | “ These pigeons,” he adds, “ are not much sought by amateurs; they seldom quit the precincts of their aviary ; apparently the fear of being carried away by the Wind (which, acting forcibly upon the broad tail, would infallibly upset them), is the reason fo fi, “~% 5 \ : bist fig PIGEONS. venture far from their domicile, nor undertake long journeys. Lastly, these pigeons, which cannot by their own powers travel far, have been transported to a great distance by man; perhaps, even, they are not natives of our climate, for many doubts arise against their specific identity with the wild Rock Dove. Striking characters, such as the number of tail-feathers, do not permit us to consider the wild Rock Dove as the type of the Fantail Pigeons.” But Fantails are by no means the miserable and de- graded monsters that Temminck and many other writers would induce us to believe them to be. © They may be, and often are, closely kept in cages, or dealers’ pens, till they are cramped and out of health. The most robust wild pigeon would become so under the same circum- stances. But if fairly used, they are respectably vigor- ous. It is a mistake to suppose that they are deficient in power of flight, unless their muscles have‘ been en- feebled by long incarceration. Their tail is not so much in their way as the train of the Peacock. It is true that it consists, or ought to consist according to the fancier’s rule, of three times the number of feathers which other pigeons can boast of; but it is an excellent aérial rudder notwithstanding. Like other pigeons, Fantails, if taken from home, will attempt to fly back to it again; and their qualifications as parents and nurses are far from being despicable. These birds, Willughby tells us, are called Broad-tailed Shakers, and the name is adopted in most of the treatises on Fancy Pigeons, though seldom made use of by fanciers. * Shakers,” he accurately says, “because they do almost constantly shake, or wag their heads and necks up and down; Broad-tailed, from the great number of feathers they have in their tails—they say, not fewer than twenty-six. When they'walk up and down,-they do for the most part hold their tails erect like a Hen or Turkey-cock.” The Warrow-tailed Shakers of the Pigeon-books are nothing more than imperfect Fantails, either in conse- PIGEONS. = 55 quence of cross-breeding, or from a temporary loss, luring one generation, of part of the hereditary pecu- liarity of the race. When Fantails breed with other Pigeons, in the offspring sometimes the fantail entirely disappears, sometimes a half-fantail remains, which would be a Narrow-tailed Shaker. Cases have occurred in which, by coupling a true Fantail with such a bird as the last«mentioned, the pure race was re-established. -_ Pigeons generally can bear long fasts, and perform Ong journeys better than common fowls. Their tena- city of life under starvation is considerable. As an Istance, an amateur had a white Fantail Pigeon which lived nine years, and died at last almost blind with old age. But the most curious thing which ever happened to her is, that she fell down a hothouse-chimney, and then walked along about sixty feet of the flue, that was hearly choked up with soot, before she got into the fur- _ lace, in which there luckily was no fire. The door hap- pened to be shut, and poor old Fanny lived there five days without food before her prison-door happened to be opened. When at last she came forth, instead of being milk white, she was all dingy, like a blackamoor. In another case reported to us on good authority, a Carrier Pigeon was shut up ina basket, and then forgotten for eleven days. By mere accident, the basket was opened, _ and the bird discovered. It was carefully nursed, and recovered eventually from the effects of the extraor- dinary fast it had undergone. Fantails are mostly of a pure snowy white, which, with their peculiar carriage, gives them some resemblance to - Miniature swans. Their neck is long and taper, and Curved into a serpentine form. From the very backward Position in which their head is held, it often touches the tail, and even is thrust behind it occasionally. The more this peculiar mode of strutting is exaggerated, the More valuable the bird is considered to be. Rarely, antails are quite black or slate-colour, and also yellow ; Now and then they are seen white, with slate-coloured #® patches on the shoulders, like Turbits. Fantails have a PIGEONS. very short beak, and are exceedingly full-breasted. Thé most singular habit which they have, is the trembling | motion of the throat, which seems to be caused by excite- \ ment in the bird. The same action is observed in the / Runts, in a less degree. The iris of thé Fantail is of a / dark hazel, the pupil black, which gives to the eye a fulness of expression quite different to what is seen in most other birds. Colonel Sykes, in the Transaétions of the Zoological Society, makes the coloti# of the iris an important guide in determining the affittities or dissimi- larities of species, believing it occasionally to manifest even generic distinctions. Now atnongst fancy pigeons the itis varies greatly, and is thought of much conse- quence, as is known to every ainateur. The cere at thé . base of the Fantail’s bill looks as if covered with a white powder. The Runts are by far the largest and heaviest race of domestic pigeons, and’ are less kiown and cultivated in this country than they deserve to be, mainly because their powers of flight are not sich as to afford much p amusement to the amateur. A paii of good Runts will | weigh two pounds and a half, or more. There are Leg- | horn Runts; Rotian Runts, and Spanish Runts ; but the truth is, that Runts of various breeds are to be found all along the shores of the Mediterranean. The most tes markable point respecting them is their extreme anti- quity. Pliny and other Roman writers make frequent ‘ mention of them, as Campanian Pigeons. The English name Runt is probably a corruption of the Italian Lronfo. Willughby ealls it “ the greater tame pigeon.” if placed in favourable ‘circumstances, Runts are very prolific birds. Twelve young ones in the course of the season is not an uncommon produce for a single pair. Their heaviness unfits them for being the oceupants of ordinary dovecots ; they have a difficulty in flying up to any height, and are therefore best accommodated in a low house or nesting-place, raised only a few feet from the ground. Many a rabbit-hutch would be very easily convertible into a convenient Runt-locker, where the | PIGEONS. 57 bitds might be petted, and wherein they would bring forth abundantly. The Runts prefer walking and rest- ing on the ground, to perching on buildings, or strutting on roofs. Hence Buffon very properly calls them Pigeons Monidains, which we might English by applying to them the designation of Ground Doves, were not that term already appropriated by a family of wild foreign pigeons. The eggs of Runts are much larger than those of other breeds. Buffon truly says that the mondains are nearly a8 big as little hens. We are told of one bird fatted up. to the weight of two pounds eight ounces, Runts vary in colour, also in having feet feathered or hot, and somewhat in bulk; but the limits of their Variations are not hard for the experienced eye to detect, though not easy to describe. A marked characteristic is the way in which they carry their tail, holding it up Ordinarily above the tips of the wigs, which some have Compared to the gait ofa duck. In Runts, the principal Standard of merit is weight; they are short-necked and very broad-chested. They prove themselves excellent Hurses, if accommodated with a nesting-place suited to theit habits ; and we believe that the want of being pro- Vided with that, is the sole cause why they have failed With some breeders, and that it has been recommended to take their eges or yoting from them to be brought up y other pigeons. Fulness of the cere at the base of the bill, terrestrial habits of life, and plumpness and_ inactivity of body, are among their principal character- ‘stics. Their prevailing colouts are shades of brown, - light slate-colour, and white ; cinnamon-colour and very dark slate are favourite tints with amateurs. The cooing Of Rents is less distinct than in other breeds, having a Sort of muffled sound. They tremble when excited, od though not so tiuch as the Fantails. Many travellers in ¢ taly have noticed, with retrospective rélish, the size and avour of these excellent birds, which attain there not Snly great magnitude, but for pigeons a very unusual gree of fatness. Hnelish sailors who go to the Medi- “tranean, are very fond of buying Runts at the ports 58 PIGEONS. they visit. They are great pets on board ship; they breed there in lockers and hencoops, and are sometimes allowed their liberty, and permitted to fly round about the vessel while she is pursuing her course on a fine day.: If the breeze is but steady, they get on very well, and enjoy themselves as much as they would in calm. weather on shore. Squally weather would be their ruin ; and then they are kept safe within-doors. Notwithstanding the disproportion of size and incon- gruity of habits, Runts breed freely with other domestic pigeons, and the half-breds are so excellent for the table, that in many situations it is well worth while rearing them with that object in view. _ The Trumpeter, in the language of fanciers, is very runtishly made, and nearly allied to that race of birds. It is considerably larger than the Dovehouse Pigeon, and approaches to the Runt in size. Trumpeters are very prolific, good nurses, and fatten well for the table; they are therefore a desirable breed to keep, if merely for that purpose, without any reference to their curious appearance. They have one great advantage over Runts, in being better flyers, and more able to save themselves out of harm’s way, as from the clutches of a cat, a rat, or a dog. The most usual colour of Trumpeters is pure white, though they are often found mottled with black and white in so regular and even a manner, almost every alternate feather contrasting in colour, as to give their plumage the general effect of a chessboard, or a black and white marble pavement. Their most distinguishing - characteristic is the tuft of feathers which sprouts from - the root of the beak; and the larger this tuft grows, the greater is the value set upon the bird. A well-grown moustache is the point which the amateur is advised most strongly to insist upon. It has a helmet-like turn of feathers at the back of the head, and should be very feather-footed and legged, or booted as we might call it. This soldier-like appearance and fierce military air, while cooing before its mate, probably suggested the appella- oS 5 Bren} BS a ples} oa . . & B 7 i 3 o a E : — = a