TRAPPING ILLEGAL. 157 



persons unlawfully killing, wounding, or taking any 

 house- dove or pigeon, under such circumstances as 

 do not amount to larceny at common law, shall for- 

 feit over and above the value of the bird, any sum 

 not exceeding forty shillings. Occupiers of lands 

 may lawfully kill pigeons destroying corn. 



At the Westminster Court of Requests, in Fe- 

 bruary 1829, a decision was made against TRAPPING 

 pigeons, the defendant being amerced in the price 

 of the pigeons and costs. There is, however, a 

 bye-law among the fancy, that a groat shall redeem 

 a trapped pigeon. But suppose the stray should 

 be a valuable bird, worth many pounds. 



The following singular detection of a thief oc- 

 curred on a late examination at Queen's Square, 

 Westminster : Mr. Bepy, in the Wandsworth 

 Road, had his pigeon-house robbed. A known 

 thief was stopped on the road with six fancy pigeons 

 in his possession, by Sergeant Reardon of the police, 

 and taken before the magistrates, but no evidence 

 appearing against him, he was discharged, and suf- 

 fered to take away the birds, which he claimed as 

 having purchased them. Cooper, an officer of the 

 court, being somewhat up to the pigeon fancy, and 

 seeing them above the common sort, purchased them, 

 and very commendably determined to find out the 

 real owner, which he effected in the following in- 

 genious mode. Selecting a fine bald-head, he at- 

 tached a note to its foot, with his address, and then 

 threw up the pigeon, which instantly flew to its own 

 home, and was recovered by its owner, who returned 

 it to Cooper, making him a present of the half- 

 dozen as a reward for his sagacity. 



