THE PLEASURES OF A PIGEON- 

 FANCIER. 



CHAPTER I. 

 THE PLEASURE OF THE FANCY. 



" MANKIND," says one who has written on the 

 History of Fiddles, " Mankind may be divided 

 into two classes those who play the violin and 

 those who do not." Our author, observing that 

 the former class constitute the minority (the 

 select and prescient few), says of the latter, 

 that is, the herd of men, with a lofty yet bene- 

 volent contempt, " Let them not despair. They 

 cannot all hope to play the fiddle. If they re- 

 spect, admire, and encourage those who do play 

 it, that is perhaps sufficient." 



The same sharp line of demarcation can be 

 pronounced by those who write on the History 

 of Pigeons. Mankind may be divided into two 



A 



