494 



Home Nature-Study Course. 



ican Animals," Stone & Cram, p. 142. Note that the pigeons have no 

 means of defense, their only escape is by flight. For supplementary 

 reading, see lesson X of this series. 



LESSON LIV. 



DIFFERENT BREED.S OF PIGEONS. 



Purpose. — To interest the pupils in different varieties of pigeons, 

 and to make them understand that these have been developed by man. 



The poultry shows 

 at fairs or elsewhere 

 afford the best oppor- 

 tunity for interesting 

 the pupils in the dif- 

 ferent breeds. There 

 are over one hundred 

 and fifty kinds of 

 domestic pigeons all 

 of which are sup- 

 posed to have been 

 derived from the 

 Rock pigeon, a spe- 

 cies native to Europe 

 and Asia. London is 

 the center of pigeon 

 fanciers, and there the 

 best of the fancy va- 

 rieties bring large 

 prices. 



The first mention of 

 domestic pigeons is over 

 3,000 years ago. Pliny- 

 speaks of Romans who 

 were ardent fanciers 

 who told with pride of 

 the breeding of their 

 favorites. The common 

 pigeon was brought to 

 America by the early 

 settlers, probably the 

 Dutch and Kuguenots; 

 later we received impor- 

 tations from England, 

 Photo, by Verne Morton. Germany, Belgium, Hol- 



Antzvcrp Homer Pigeons. '^"'^. I"dia and China. 



