THE PRICE OF LIVE STOCK. 327 



similar if not equal to the dove-cots of France during the 

 monarchy. One of these pigeon-houses, with a stone roof, 

 exists, or did exist ten years ago, in the farmyard which now 

 occupies the site of Penmon Priory in Anglesey, and must have 

 afforded room to a large number of inmates. The reader, if he 

 consults the prices given of poultry, will see how large are 

 the annual sales of pigeons wherever these birds were kept. 

 The right of having a pigeon-house was confined to the lords 

 of manors, who could punish, in their own courts, any who 

 ventured on a similar privilege. Anciently, it seems, the 

 infringement of this privilege was a nuisance to the lord, if 

 not treated as a common nuisance. When feudal tenures 

 began to be obsolete, it seems that the right of destroying 

 pigeons was generally assumed. If so, the Act i Jac. I. cap. 27 

 met the case by stringent penalties. A Scotch Act of 1571 is 

 far more strict. The third offence was punishable with death. 

 But the Scotch law made very light of human life. 



It will be found, on investigating the tables given in the 

 second volume, that the price of cows was considerably less 

 than that of oxen. Bulls, too, were cheap, though the entries 

 are not numerous. These facts seem to prove that no 

 attempt was made to improve the breed. 



In the first year, however, of this enquiry, two bulls were 

 sold at Winchester, the price of which is higher than that of 

 oxen. Again, in 1299 a bull is sold at Maldon for 17^., a rate 

 far higher than usual. The entries, however, for this year are 

 always dubious, since it was the time in which the currency 

 of pollards was first allowed and afterwards suppressed. So at 

 Kingesnod in 1307, a bull is sold again at 17^., and one at 

 Farley for zos. in 1309. Again, at Letherhead one is sold in 

 1312 for ijs.y one at Farley in 1316 for 2O.r., one at Westshene 

 in 1317 for i8.r., one at Maldon in 1321 for 22,$. 6^., one at 

 Oxford in 1343 for 2,1*. id. y one at Market Overton in 1344 for 

 17^., one at Oxford in 1363 for i8.r., another in 1365 at 25^., 

 and one at Honiden in 1370 at 175-. 6d. These, however, 

 are the only prices found at and above 17^., and in almost 



