284 



THE GENESEE FARMER 



September 10, 1831 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



SMALL ANIMALS. 



CoQtiDued from page 138. 



Pigeons. 

 Notwithstanding the multiplicity of the com- 

 mon dove, in our cities and villages, there is hard- 

 ly a bird which embraces within its species such 

 a vast variety of form, plumage and color, as the 

 pigeon ; — and perhaps there is none whose histo- 

 ry and habits are less known to common readers. 

 The raising of fancy pigeons in and about the lar- 

 ger cities of Europe, has become a great and prof- 

 itable business, and even in the city of New- York 

 and on Long Island it is carried on to a consider- 

 able extent. The beauty and variety of their plu- 

 mage, as well as their harmless and domestic hab- 

 its, render them at all times interesting objects of 

 care; and I venture to say, that whoever commen- 

 ces the raising of fancy pigeons and pursues it 

 systematically, will not only become exceedingly 

 interested in their care, but will soon make them a 

 source of considerable profit. 



The life of this beautiful and useful bird is said 

 to extend to about eight years; but it is useless 

 for the purpose of breeding after it has attained 

 half that age, and ought then to be destroyed, or it 

 will molest those which are in their prime. The 

 pigeon lays two white eggs, and sets fifteen days 

 after the second egg is laid. The female keeps 

 at the nest from 4 or 5 o'clock in the evening un- 

 til 9 the next morning ; she then goes off to feed 

 and the cock takes her place during the day. If 

 the hen delay, the cock leaves the nest at the usu- 

 al time, seeks her out and drives her to her duty; 

 the hen does the same in case of negligence in this 

 respect on the part of the cock. 



The young ones are usually of different sex- 

 es. For the first three days after they are hatch- 

 ed the female seldom leaves them ; after that time 

 the cock and hen attend to feed them indiscrim- 

 inately. The way in which the old supply the 

 young with food is singular. The parent birds 

 collect a quantity of grain and water in their 

 crops which are very capacious, and after it has 

 lain there until soft and macerated, they cast it up 

 into the throats of the young ones. The young 

 ones while fed by the cock and hen, are called 

 squabs, under six months old squeakers, and after 

 that age they are denominated pigeons, being in 

 a fit state to mate and breed. 



The common pigeon, as is well known, is ve- 

 ry easily reared; but the Fancy Pigeons require 

 much more care, and breed less frequently. The 

 consequence is, that Fanciers charge a high price 

 for them. I will now describe a few among the 

 vast varieties of pigeons, and then enlarge upon 

 their feeding, mating, diseases and remedies, lofts, 

 &C. &c. 



Several varieties of fancy pigeons are so much 

 alike in form, and in fact, differ so little except in 

 size and color, that it would be useless to describe 

 them all ; I shall therefore only introduce those 

 which are esteemed the most valuable. 

 The Common Pigeon. 

 Common pigeons are usually blue or ash color- 

 ed, with white backs and red legs. They weigh 

 about 13 ounces each, require but little attention, 

 and breed once a month for the greater part of the 

 year. 



The Stock Dove, or Wood Pigeon. 

 (Ul the beautiful varieties of the tame pigeon 



derive their origin from the wood pigeon. This 

 bird is of a deep blueish ash color; the breast 

 dashed with fine green and red, the sides of the 

 neck with shining copper color; the wings are 

 marked with two black bars, one on the quill fea- 

 thers, and the other on the coverts; the back is 

 light brown, and the tail barred near the end with 

 black, and considerably extended like a swallow's. 

 It is about the size of the Common Pigeon, but the 

 shape of its body about the same. This is the 

 bird which is so generally known, as the wild pi- 

 geon of our forests, and whose habits and num- 

 bers have been so frequently alluded to in our pub- 

 lic papers. 



The Turtle Dove 

 is a small and very shy bird. The top of the head is 

 ash colored, interspersed with olive, the chin and 

 forehead white ; there is a spot of black feathers on 

 each side of the neck curiously tipped with white ; 

 the back is ash colored with a tincture of olive 

 brown ; the quill feathers of a dusky brown, the 

 breast of a light purplish red, the extremity of each 

 feather yellow ; the sides of the wings are blueish 

 and the belly white. 



The Tumbler. 



This pigeon derives its name from its tumbling 

 backwards in the air when on the wing. It is a 

 very small bird ; its body is short, it has a thin 

 neck, is very full breasted, with a short round 

 head, and small spindle beak. The insides of 

 the eye should be of a clear pearl color. These 

 pigeons by their flight, afford great satisfaction 

 to Fanciers, for besides their tumbling, they will 

 rise to such a height in the air as to be almost im- 

 perceptible; and if good birds, and familiarized to 

 each other, they will keep such close company, that 

 a flight of a dozen may be covered with a hand- 

 kerchief. If the weather be warm and clear, they 

 will continue upon the wing for four or five hours ; 

 the favorite sort seldom if ever tumble, except 

 when they are beginning to rise, or when they 

 are coming down to pitch. 



The tumbler displays in its plumage a charm- 

 ing variety of colors ; red, yellow, dun, blue, black 

 white and silver. Tumblers should not be suf- 

 fered to have any connection with other pigeons, 

 for if they are once familiarized to fly with others, 

 they will by degrees, drop in their flight. Sparc 

 no pains or expense in the purchase of one or two 

 birds, that have been used to high flying ; they 

 will be of great service in training your young 

 ones to be lofty soarers. 



When the pigeons are well acquainted with 

 their habitation, turn them out, and put them upon 

 the wing once a day only ; a clear, bright morning, 

 especially for young birds is the best time. They 

 should never be let out on a misty morning, when 

 there are any signs of fog, rain, or high winds. It 

 should be a standing rule never to suffer a hen 

 tumbler to fly with egg. 



This variety of pigeon is now reared in this 

 village (Rochester) principally of the coal black 

 plumage. 



The Fan Tail, or Broad Tailed Shaker. 



This pigeon has a frequent tremulous motion 

 in the neck, which with the breadth of its tail, 

 gives it the name of broad taded shaker. It has 

 a taper handsome neck, of the serpentine form, 

 rather leaning back, like that of a swan; it is full 

 breasted, has a short beak, a tail composed of sel- 

 dom less than four and twenty feathers, and nev- 



er exceeding six and thirty, which it spreads like 

 that of a turkey cock, raising it up so thatjit almost 

 touches the head. When too crowded with fea- 

 thers it sometimes droops its tail, from mere 

 weight, which is considered a great defect, though 

 its other properties are ever so perfect. Every 

 large tailed bird of this species, which carries its 

 tail according to the rules of the fancy is of very 

 great value. Though the general color of its 

 plumage is white, yet there are some yellow, red, 

 blue and black pieds. 



This species of bird is also now raising j n this 

 village and are principally black pied, to wit. 

 black wings with the rest of the plumage white. 

 The Carrier. 



This in some particulars is the most valuable 

 and beautiful of the pigeon species. In size the 

 carrier exceeds many of the common pi»eons 

 its plumage is close, even and firm ; it is remar- 

 kable for the elegance of its shape, and by some 

 of the old fanciers was called the king of pin-eons 

 A naked, white fungous lump of flesh extends 

 from the lower part of the head to the middle of 

 the upper chap ; this is called the wattle ; it is usu- 

 ally met by two small protuberances of similar 

 flesh arising from the lower chap. The circle a- 

 round the black pupil of the eye should be fiery 

 red, and also encompassed with a circle of the fun- 

 gous flesh. When this flesh round the eye, is thick 

 and broad it denotes a good breeder. 



The following tripple properties belong to the 

 carriers ; three in the head ; three in the eye ; three 

 in the wattle; and three in the beak. The prop- 

 erties in the head consist in its flatness, strai«h!- 

 ness, and length. A carrier with a flat skull, a 

 little indented in the middle, and a long narrow 

 head, is greatly admired. The wattle of the eye, 

 should be broad, circular and uniform ; when the 

 eye is equal, full, and free from irregularities, a 

 is a rose eye and considered very valuable. The 

 wattle should be broad across the beak, and short 

 from the head toward the bill, and leaning for- 

 ward from the head. The beak should be low, 

 straight, and thick. If the beak be crooked it is 

 lightly 'esteemed; its color should be black and 

 thick, as a thin beak decreases its value. The 

 length and thickness of its neck are marks of ele- 

 gance. 



Its plumage is generally of a crow black, though 

 there are white, blue, and pied carriers. 



The original of these pigeons came from Per- 

 sia. It is called a carrier because it is frequent- 

 ly used to carry letters from one place lo an. 

 and such is the sagacity of this bird, thai though 

 it is carried hoodwinked 20 or 'M miles, 01 

 100, and then turned loose, it will immediately 

 hasten to the place where it was bred. In Tur- 

 key they call them couriers, and the Turk bfi i d 

 them in their seraglios, in large numbers, and 

 when a young one comes lo its full strength, they 

 carry it in a basket, about half a mile from homi 

 and then turn it out ; after this thi y carry il a Hole, 

 thru two, four, eight, ti n,twi ntj . &c. till al length 

 they will return from the farthest part of the king- 

 dom. There are two other spi ciesof pigeons which 

 are used as carriers, especially in England, to wit : 

 the hOTSt man and the drq 



In my next, I will continue this subject; and I 

 regret that that the village of Rochester does not 

 afford an engraver, that we might give cul^ u< 

 these different varici ii- •>-• 



