174 THE PIGEON. 



affords to other fowls, for its harsh and 

 never-ceasing cry keeps at a respectful dis- 

 tance all owls, hawks, and other birds of 

 prey. 



The stock of the common domestic Pigeon 

 is the Columbia livia of authors. The ring- 

 dove (C. palumbus) and the turtle-dove (C. 

 turtur] are often kept by the curious in such 

 matters, but cannot be said to be complete- 

 ly domesticated. Attempts have been made 

 to domesticate our well-known wild pigeon 

 (C. migratoria), but hitherto without suc- 

 cess.* 



A dovecot or pigeon-house, when at- 

 tached to any of the farm buildings, should, 

 in preference, be placed in one where no 

 noisy operations are carried on. The great- 

 est enemies they have to contend with are 

 cats and rats, and it is difficult to pre- 

 vent their access to the pigeon-house thus 

 constructed. A better plan is to raise a 

 boarded house, on a strong post, powerfully 

 braced, the interior sides of which are lined 



* See letter of De Witt Clinton, Med and Phil. Register, 

 vol. iii., p. 89. 



