7 HISTORICAL. 



of visiting her Majesty's aviaries at Windsor, in the year 

 1843, where there was " a beautiful collection of pigeons of 

 rare kinds." 



The ancient pastime of pigeon breeding continues to 

 flourish throughout Asia, North Africa, and Europe, as I know 

 from experience, and from the works of many recent travellers. 

 It is also spreading in America and in all English colonies. 

 In this country choice pigeons have become greatly enhanced 

 in value during the past twenty-five years, mostly on account 

 of the numerous exhibitions, held somewhere almost daily, 

 where prizes are offered which enable the best birds to win 

 considerable sums of money in the course of a year; so that 

 prices of from £10 to £100 are constantly being paid for good 

 specimens, according to the standards of excellence well under- 

 stood among breeders. 



In the present work I shall give an account of how to 

 keep pigeons in the way that experience has proved to be 

 best ; how to match up and breed them ; how to treat them 

 in health and disease; and describe every known variety. I 

 shall also give, in an Appendix, a list of books on the subject, 

 ancient and modern, with remarks thereon. 



