DOMESTIC PIGEONS. 



425 



liberty, except upon some parts of the coasts of England, Scotland, 

 Norway, and certain islands of the Mediterranean. They willingly 

 sacrifice their independence to live in pigeon-houses. They are 

 generally regarded as the founders of the numerous races of our 

 Domestic Pigeons. 



Domestic Pigeons probably sprang from the Rock-doves and are 

 of two kinds the Dove-cote Pigeons and the Aviary Pigeons. 

 The former enjoy almost complete liberty ; they traverse the country 

 all day to seek for food, and 

 sometimes even return to a wild 

 state ; the latter are quite tame, 

 and the door of their habitation 

 can be left open without danger ; 

 they go a little distance, and 

 always return to their domicile. 

 If Domestic Pigeons cause some 

 harm to our crops, they amply 

 compensate for these devasta- 

 tions by the services which they 

 render to agriculture. They are 

 equally valuable to the breeder 

 and consumer : the former de- 

 rives a certain profit from them, 

 and the latter an agreeable and 

 economical article of food. To 



give a sufficient idea of the resources which they supply to public 

 alimentation, we have only to state that certain species lay as many 

 as ten eggs a year. Further, they supply a manure which is very 

 efficacious in improving some soils. Raising pigeons necessitates 

 certain precautions which cannot be neglected without bad results : 

 the greatest cleanliness is necessary in the pigeon-house or aviary : all 

 turbulent individuals, which sow discord, and often injure the fecun- 

 dity of females, must be excluded ; and the races must be separated 

 as much as possible the one from the other, in order to avoid the r 

 production of sterile varieties. Amongst the domestic species the 

 naturalist can study at leisure the manners of Pigeons, and form an 

 exact idea of their natures and inclinations ; for he can observe them 

 from their first steps, making their early timid endeavours to raise 

 themselves in the air; afterwards noting at more mature age the 

 approaches of the sexes, -and their fidelity to each other through 

 years. We will examine rapidly the principal races of Domestic 

 Pigeons. 

 88* 



Fig. 162. Rock -pigeon. 



