BOOK VIII. VIII. 12-ix. 3 



because they think that if they are broken, pain, 

 and consequently emaciation, is caused ; but doing 

 so does not contribute at all to their fattening, for, 

 while they are trying to get rid of their bonds, they 

 are never at rest, and by this kind of exercise, as it 

 were, they add nothing to their bulk. Broken legs 

 cause pain for not more than two or at most three 

 days and deprive them of all hope of wandering 

 abroad. 



IX, The rearing of turtle-doves is of no benefit, Turtie- 

 because this kind of bird neither lays eggs nor hatches °^^' 

 its young in an aviary. A flight of them is ready for 

 cramming in the condition in which it is caught, and 

 can on this account be crammed with less trouble 

 than any other bird, not, however, at every time of 

 year. For in the winter, in spite of all the trouble 

 spent upon them, it is difficult to make them grow, 

 and yet the price of turtle-doves is lessened owing 

 to the greater abundance of thrushes. During the 2 

 summer, on the other hand, the turtle-dove grows 

 fateven of its own accord, provided it has easymeans of 

 getting food. Indeed it is only a question of putting 

 food in its way, especially millet, not that it grows 

 less fat on wheat or other cereals but because it 

 takes the greatest pleasure in millet-seed. In winter, 

 however, pellets of bread soaked in wine fatten 

 turtle-doves as well as wood-pigeons more quickly 

 than any other food. 



People do not construct either pigeon-boxes or 3 

 hollow cells as receptacles for turtle-doves as for 

 wood-pigeons, but brackets are fixed in a row along a 

 wall and hold small hempen mats with nets spread 

 in front of them, so that the birds are prevented 

 from flying about, because, if they do so, they lose 



369 



