FANCIERS' JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



295 



PlQEOfJ DE[=Wnv>EplT. 



MOORE'S WORK ON PIGEONS. 



[Owing to these pages being nearly out of print, very few 

 of our readers have had the opportunity of perusing this 

 most original and meritorious work on Pigeons, published 

 in the year 1735. The author was a leader, in this fancy, 

 of later writers, who have gained some note for merit by 

 merely following his rare and original ideas. We will re- 

 publish a few pages occasionally of Moore's work until it is 

 completed, and thus give our readers an opportunity of 

 judging of its merits for themselves.] 



COLUMBARIUM 



THE PIGEON-HOUSE: 



BEING 



AN INTRODUCTION 



TO A 



NATURAL HISTORY 



OF 



TAME PIGEONS, 



GIVING AN 



ACCOUNT OF THE SEVERAL SPECIES KNOWN IN ENGLAND 



WITH THE METHOD OP BREEDING THEM, THEIR 



DISTEMPERS AND CURES. 



The two chief advantages which a real acquaintance with Nature brings 

 to our minds, are first, by instructing our understandings and gratifying 

 our curiosities; and next by exciting and cherishing our devotion. 

 Boyle's Experimental Philosophy, p. 2. 



BY JOHN MOORE. 



LONDON: 



Printed for J. Wilford, behind the Chapter-House in St. Paul's 

 Church-Yard. 



DEDICATION. 



SIR WILLIAM STAPLETON, Baronet. 



Sir: If either Philosophy or Novelty have any allure- 

 ments, the following performance, I natter myself, will 

 afford you some entertainment. 



Many subjects the naturalists seem to have exhausted. 

 Horses and dogs, and most of the animals that serve for the 

 conveniences or amusements of life, have undergone the 

 nicest inquiries ; while the pigeon, that contributes in some 

 measure to both, a domestic as it were of ours, has been 

 totally neglected. 



With a partiality usually shown to the victor, the hawk 

 has engaged the pen of many a writer ; but his prey, that 

 seems to fly to us for protection, has scarce met with that, 

 which even the wisdom of the legislature has allowed it. 



I have endeavored therefore in the following sheets to 

 do some justice to this bird, and have prescribed the best 

 methods, which long experience has furnished me with, for 

 its propagation and preservation. 



I have wisely learnt from it to seek a proper refuge 

 against any ill-natured censures. To this purpose I beg 

 leave to prefix your name to this work, and to assure the 

 world that you who have purchased pigeons at very con- 

 siderable prices, don't think the subject below your regard, 

 and that the author is, 



Your most obedient and most humble servant, 



J. MOORE. 



1735. 



THE PREFACE. 



Though the History of Birds in general has been given 

 us by many hands, and' in some parts in a very accurate 

 manner, yet the study of this genus of birds seems in a great 

 measure to be neglected by most of our naturalists, who 

 have given us but very short cursory descriptions of some 

 of the species, in which notwithstanding they have been 

 guilty of many great mistakes, and entirely left out many 

 others in their lists. It has amazed me to see so great an 

 indolence on this particular branch spread itself in such an 

 universal manner through all our ornithologists, especially 

 considering the vast opportunities they have had, or might 

 have had, to have given their readers the utmost satisfaction 

 by the most exact and ample descriptions. It is notorious 

 to all mankind, what vast numbers of these birds in all the 

 species have been and are still kept in this kingdom, not 

 only by persons in a lower rank of life, but even by persons 

 of the greatest distinction and the first degrees of quality, 

 who have held these birds in so great esteem, that they have 

 endeavored to attain at least an experimental knowledge of 

 them, purchasing, at a great expense, as many of the distinct 

 sorts as they could hear of, and cultivating them in their 

 own houses. Richard Atherton, Esq., of Atherton Hall, in 

 Lancashire, who was a gentleman both of will and ability 

 to prosecute his fancy in this branch of natural history, was 

 building a stately house in Lancashire, on the top of which 

 he designed to have four turrets, in which his pigeons were 

 to be disposed according to the nearness of relation between 

 the different species, but death put an end to the undertaking 

 in the year 1726, to the immense grief of all those gentlemen 

 ( To be continued.) 



