Ill] OF PIGEONS 285 



For your pigeon-house you must get birds of the 

 right age — not young chicks and not old hens — and 



9 as many cocks as hens. Nothing is more prolific 

 than the pigeon. Thus within the space of forty days 

 a hen-bird conceives, lays, hatches, and rears its 

 young. And this is continued all the year round/ 

 the only interval being from the winter solstice to 

 the spring equinox. They have two young ones at 

 a time, and when they have grown up and come to 

 their strength these go on breeding at the same 

 time as their mothers. Those who fatten young 

 pigeons to increase their market value keep them 

 apart from the others as soon as they are covered 

 with down. Then they stuff them with chewed^ 

 white bread; in winter twice a day, in summer 



,0 three times, morning, noon, and evening; in winter 

 the middle meal being cut off. Those which are 

 beginning to get their wing feathers have their 

 legs broken,' and, left in the nest, are given over 

 to their mother's care, for so she feeds them and 



Totum annum. Cf. Columella (viii, 8, 9): Nam et octies 

 anno pullos educat si est bona matrix. 



^ Manducato. From a curious passage in Columella (viii, 

 10, 4) it appears that men were hired to do this chewing, and 

 that they got a good price for the work. Hanc quiiiam man- 

 dunt et Ha ohiciunt. Sed istud in maiore numero facere vix 

 expedite quia nee parvo conducuntur qui mandant et ab its 

 ipsis aliquanium propter iucunditatem (he is speaking of a 

 mixture of figs and flour) consumitur. 



' Inlisis cruribus. Columella (viii, 8, 12) repeats this, add- 

 ing: "the broken legs cause them pain for not more than 

 two days or at most three ** 1 



