33 



THE GENEEATION OF PIGEONS. 



42. — "We come now to treat of the generation of this bird, that is, the 

 method it makes use of for propagation of its species ; and here I must 

 acknowledge myself obliged to Dr. Harvey (*) in his excellent treatise 

 of the generation of animals. 



43. — All animals therefore are distinguished into three sorts ; oviparous, 

 or such as are formed from an egg ; viviparous, or such as are produced 

 from the uterus alive and in perfection ; and vermiparous, or such as are 

 formed from a worm. 



between the beak and the eyes there is rather a depression in the hen, but this is only 

 noticeable to a practised eye, indeed the novice must not expect any rules by which he 

 can jud^e without practice; all rules, too, are liable to exceptions. 



(Brent.) — The ways and manners of the sexes are very dijfferent, and if it is desirable 

 to determine more positively the gender of an individual Pigeon, I would advise its 

 being placed in a matching pen by itself, and kept away from the company or even the 

 sight of any other Pigeon for a few days, but at the same time make it as comfortable 

 as possible, and feed it on stimulating food. Then by introducing a known hen to it, 

 if it is a cock, he vviU immediately play up to her. If it takes no notice, remove the 

 hen, and put in a merry cock, who will soon play to it, and if a hen she will show to 

 him, acknowledging his politeness by bows, twinkling of the eyes, a movement of the 

 throat as if swallowing, raising the shoulders of the wings, strutting about, sometime, 

 spreading her tail, and sweeping forward with a curtsey, and lastly pecking behind her 

 wiug ; if a cock a battle will be the probable result, 



(Brent.) — The play of the cock is louder, more prolonged, and sonorous, and some- 

 what resembles in sound, " ah coo-ther-a-coo ;" the hen's coo is abrupter, not so sono- 

 rous, and delivered more in a flurry, sounding more like *' butter-e-ca." The cock, 

 while playing, sweeps the ground with his spread tail, swells out his neck and crop, 

 raises and depresses his head, and often waltzes before the hen ; a salacious hen will 

 sometimes play up something like a cock, but she will always submit to a bold dashing 

 cock, and assume a more feminine deportment. 



(Brent) — Two cocks will occasionally pair, and even build a nest, and two hens fre- 

 quently do so, and lay and sit, if they are unprovided with mates. 



(Eaton.) — Two hens will frequently match up, where there are plenty of odd cocks, 

 lay four eggs, sit their time, and beat away the cocks. Where cocks and hens are parted 

 after the breeding season, it is not an uncommon thing for two cocks to match up and 

 sit as close as though they had eggs. I think it an im.common thing where two pair 

 of birds are matched up. They bred the first half of the season ; the two cocks de- 

 serted their hens, matched up, set, beat away their hens, if they attempted to go near 

 them. This I consider an uncommon occurrence, and could not understand it. I am 

 sorry it never struck me to observe whether either of the cocks sat at night : it is 

 natural for the hens to sit at night, unnatural for the cocks. 



(Brent.) — Sexes of Pigeons in the same Nest. — As an example of the uncertainty 

 of the sexes of young Pigeons in the same nest, I give the following. I have three 

 pairs of young Dragoon Pigeons now flying about, of this year's hatching ; one pair 

 from my best old birds are two hens, another pair from my birds that took a first prize 

 at Farningham, are two cocks, while the third pair from the same old ones are cock and 

 hen. 



(Brent.) — With respect to food, good authorities recommend good old tares and small 

 tick beans. From my own experience I prefer the small bean (" Heligolands") with an 

 occasional change of lentils, peas, wheat, or Indian corn (" Maize") ; but Pigeons will 

 eat all sorts of grain and seeds, and do very well on ahnost any kind, provided they have 

 their liberty, and can find such condiments as small stones, grit, lime in some form, and 

 green food. 



42. (Girtin, p. 135.) In treating of this subject, we must candidly acknowledge, 

 that we are somewhat indebted to the late ingenious Mr. John Moore, for the light he 

 has thrown upon it. 



* 42. (Mayor, p. 14.)— We are partly obliged to Dr. Harvet in his Treatise of the 

 Generation of Animals, and partly to other authors. 



