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 Encyclopedia of Agri- 

 * Experienced Farmer. 



