USEFUL BREEDS SQUEAKERS SQUABS. 157 



have kept, exclusive of the common, were TUMBLERS, 



HORSEMEN, CARRIERS, TURTLES, DRAGOONS, (com- 



monly called DRAGONS,) and RUNTS ; the latter both 

 Spanish and Leghorn, for their great size. As breed- 

 ers, no fancy pigeons will, in general, equal the com- 

 mon dove-house kind, unless, perhaps, with great care 

 and attention. 



The PIGEON is monogamous, that is, the male 

 attaches and confines himself to one female, and the 

 attachment is reciprocal ; the fidelity of the dove to 

 its mate being proverbial. Young pigeons are 

 termed SQUEAKERS, and begin to breed at about the 

 age of six months, when properly managed: their 

 courtship, and the well known tone of voice in the 

 cock, just then acquired and commencing, are indi- 

 cations of their approaching union. Nestlings, whilst 

 fed by the cock and hen, are termed SQUABS, and are 

 at that age sold and used for the table. The dove- 

 house pigeon is said to breed monthly, being well 

 supplied with food, more particularly when the 

 ground is bound by frost, or covered with snow. At 

 any rate, it may be depended on, that pigeons of 

 almost any healthy and well established variety, will 

 breed eight or ten times in the year ; whence it may 

 be conceived, how immense are the quantities which 

 may be raised. 



It is, nevertheless, with difficulty that one can 

 give entire credit to the calculations, in such re- 

 spect, on pigeons and rabbits; bringing to our re- 

 membrance, to compare small things with great, 

 the earths of gold of the celebrated Doctor Price, 

 which have been so greatly reduced in number and 



