238 ON THE REARING AND MANAGEMENT 



perhaps, will not enter the cote until the next day, but 

 will sit moping on the ground; and, if in breeding- 

 time, either a number of eggs may be spoiled, or se- 

 veral young ones starved to death/ 



" Pigeons are supposed to be more productive from 

 the breeds being crossed, in proof of which a few tame 

 pigeons were put into a dovecote ; and the consequence 

 was, that a more early and more numerous hatch of 

 young were produced than in any of the neighbouring 

 cotes.* 



" These birds have a great antipathy to owls, which 

 find their way sometimes into dovecotes ; and there is 

 no getting rid of such troublesome guests but by de- 

 stroying them. * Rats are terrible enemies to pigeons, 

 and will soon destroy a whole dovecote. Cats, weasels, 

 and squirrels will do the same. It will be necessary, 

 therefore, to examine the dovecote once every week 

 at least, very minutely,' to see that there are none of 

 these intruders. 



" Pigeons ' make an extraordinary good manure, 

 which, if worked up into a compost, instead of being 

 used in the present slovenly way, would be of still 

 more value.' " 



We also quote from London's Encyclopaedia of Agri- 

 * Experienced Farmer. 



