THE 



PEEFACE, 



6.— 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 num- 

 bers 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 endeavoured to attain at 



6. (Eaton.) — Entertaining so high an opinion of Mr, Moobe's Work, it is not my 

 intention to quarrel with him, he appears to me, to be somewhat hard to please, like 

 many more in the World — ^in several parts of his Work he bitterly complains of the 

 Naturalists and Ornithologists, of their indolence in not giving us an account of Fancy 

 Pigeons, and those that did gave us but very short cursory descriptions, and in this 

 have been guilty of great mistakes. Mr. Mooee might have saved himself a good deal 

 of uneasiness, if he had only asked himself the question, How can a learned man write 

 on a subject he does not understand ? It must be the work of a Pigeon Fancier to 

 write on Fancy Pigeons, considering the standards they are endeavoured to be brought 

 up to ; to sum it up, those who did not write, and those who did, did not please 

 Mr. Moobe. Imagine for a moment, two of your most eminent v^rranglers, who had never 

 kept a Pigeon in their lives, were set to wrangle on the five properties of a Pigeon, a 

 subject they were totally unacquainted with, knowing no more of the five properties of 

 the Pigeon than the Pigeon knew about them ; it would therefore follow, as wise men, 

 the less they say the better, I will now, my young Fancier, put it to you, will you 

 remain quiet and not write, or write upon a subject you do not sufficiently understand. 

 Mr. Moobe, in continuation of the same paragraph, says : " especially considering the 

 vast opportunities, they have had, or might have had," "what opportunities they 

 might have had," learned men, could not be made Pigeon Fanciers in five minutes ;" 

 neither by placing Fancy Pigeons in a shew pen for them to make their observations 

 upon, would have enabled them to have written upon the five properties ; they may 

 have ''exclaimed as many others at first sight — very pretty, very pretty indeed," 

 which reminds me of a gentleman, a good Fancier, who retired into the country, taking 

 with him his best birds, but what disheartened him when he bred a good bird, he had 

 no one about him to shew it to, who knew how to appreciate its properties, and others 

 who saw it said it is, very pretty : he would rather have heard a fault found with one 

 of the five properties, by a good Fancier, than that anything but sweet music, by 

 persons who do not understand them, by saying very pretty, very pretty indeed. 



