70 PIGEONS. 



seed, made up in lumps and dried; which materially 

 assist them in breeding. 



Never let them want fresh water. The best food is 

 tares : the mornings and evenings are proper times to 

 give them their food, but never at noon, for fear of 

 breaking their rest, which they usually take at that 

 hour : roost is very necessary with the food they eat, to 

 make them thrive. 



Pigeons will live eight years, but they are only pro- 

 lific for the first four, afterwards they are worth nothing : 

 when once past that age, they deprive you of the profit 

 you might reap by others that are younger. 



If you wish to furnish your table with young ones in 

 the winter, you must not wait for them till they can fly, 

 but take them when they are grown rather strong, and 

 pluck the largest quills out of their wings, which will 

 confine them to their nests ; or tie their feet, by which 

 means they will be fat in a very short time. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS SORTS OF PIGEONS. 



I. Runts, the largest kind of pigeons, called by the 

 Italians tronfo^ may be divided into greater or smaller : 

 those which are commonly called the Spanish runts 

 are much esteemed, being the largest sort of pigeon, 

 but they are sluggish, and more slow of flight than 

 the smaller sort of runts; while the smaller are not 

 only better breeders, but quicker of flight, which makes 



