240 HISTORY OF 



The varieties of the tame pigeon are so nume- 

 rous that it would be a vain attempt to mention 

 them : so much is the figure and colour of this 

 bird under human controul, that pigeon-fanciers, 

 by coupling a male and female of different sorts, 

 can breed them, as they express it, to a feather. 

 From hence we have the various names of Crop- 

 pers, Carriers, Jacobines, Powters, Runts, and 

 Turbits ; all birds that at first might have acci- 

 dentally varied from the stock-dove ; and then, 

 by having these varieties still heightened by food, 

 climate, and pairing, different species have been 

 produced. But there are many species of the 

 wild pigeon which, though bearing a strong affi- 

 nity to the stock-dove, are, nevertheless, suffi- 

 ciently different from it to deserve a distinct de- 

 scription. The Ring-dove is of this number ; a 

 good deal larger than the former, and building 

 its nest with a few dry sticks in the boughs of 

 trees. This seems a bird much fonder of its na- 

 tive freedom than the former, and attempts have 

 been frequently made to render it domestic, but 

 they have hitherto proved fruitless ; for, though 

 their eggs have been hatched by the tame pigeon 

 in a dove-house, yet, as soon as they could fly, 

 they always betook themselves to the woods 

 where they were first produced. In the begin- 

 ning of winter these assemble in great flocks in 

 the woods, and leave off cooing ; nor do they re- 

 sume this note of courtship till the beginning of 

 March, when the genial season, by supplying 

 them with food, renews their desires. 



