320 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Williams's list, although it cannot be said to be exhaustive, 

 conveys a fair idea of the principal literature which exists 

 relating to fancy Pigeons, and will be very useful. Roughly 

 speaking, of the 140 titles, or thereabouts, which he quotes, 

 English writers are credited with 58 ; German (including 

 translations), 45 ; French, 21 ; Dutch, 3 ; Latin, 3 ; Italian, 5 ; 

 Spanish, 1 ; and Arabic, 1 . 



Amongst English books on this subject one of the rarest is 

 John Moore's ' Columbarium, or the Pigeon House ; being an 

 Introduction to a Natural History of Tame Pigeons.' 8vo, 

 pp. xiv. — 60. London, J. "Wilford, 1785. It is an original work, 

 and one to which subsequent writers on Fancy Pigeons have been 

 much indebted. It is of such rarity that only half-a-dozen copies 

 are known to exist, four of which are in the British Museum, 

 a fifth in the library of Mr. Esquilant, and the sixth in the 

 possession of Mr. Coombe Williams. In 1852 it was reprinted 

 by Eaton, and in 1874 by Wade, in Philadelphia, the latest 

 edition being that issued by Mr. Tegetmeier in 1879. Of these 

 we are acquainted only with the last named, which seems un- 

 fortunately to be not very accurate, for according to Mr. Coombe 

 Williams, although purporting to be a literatim reprint it contains 

 more than fifty misprints ! Wade's edition also is condemned as 

 having no pretension to be a literatim reprint. 



John Moore seems to have been somewhat of a celebrity in 

 his day. Pope addressed a poem of ten verses to him, and he is 

 mentioned by Swift in " a letter from a gentleman in the country 

 to his friend in town." His death, which occurred in 1737, is 

 recorded in ' The Gentleman's Magazine' for that year. 



Amongst other rare books on this subject in the possession 

 of Mr. Williams, is a curious volume in French by de Sacy, 

 printed in 1805. It is entitled ' La Colombe,' and is translated 

 from the Arabic, the Arabic and French texts being printed on 

 opposite pages. This is stated to be " very scarce." 



To judge by these and some other rarities which we notice 

 in the Catalogue, Mr. Williams may be congratulated on his 

 collection of " Pigeon books," and upon his useful list of them. 



