TO MY 



YOUNG AND INEXPEEIENCED BEOTHEE 



IN 



THE FANCY. 



The cause of my bringing out this Work is having sold all my Treatises on the 

 Art of Breeding and Managing the Ahnond Tumbler, 1st May, 1851, also all my 

 Treatises on the Art of Breeding and Managing Tame, Domesticated, and Fancy 

 Pigeons, 7th December, 1852. Under these circumstances, I consider- there is 

 no time to be lost in taking into consideration whether I will at empt t > bring 

 out an improved Work, or leave it to Fanciers more competent. All the ability 

 in the World will not bring out a Work unless there is the " Will," and not per- 

 ceiving the ''Will" of the acknowledged best Fanciers, I have weighed it 

 seriously and heavily in my mind that it would be anything but wisdom to leave 

 young Fanciers, who are springing up every day, without a Work to guide them 

 in the right path to acquire the knowledge of high standards, as laid down by 

 gentlemen of the Fancy, touching the properties of what first-rate Pigeons of the 

 different varieties ought to be. 



I consider it would be cruel to leave the aspiring young Fancier of yesterday, 

 or to-morrow, without a Work to guide him, and would be an act of base ingrati- 

 tude on ray part, considering the encouragement I have received from so large 

 a body of the gentlemen of the Fancy. 



In soliciting the favour of a very experienced Fancier, if it was not his inten- 

 tion to bring out a Work, provided he would favour me with his observations and 

 reflections, I would put it into print and give him the benefit of it by attaching 

 his name. He stated he had written a Work — that his intention was to have 

 presented it to the Society he was a member of: unfortunately a difference arose 

 in the Society, and it was his intention to burn the manuscript. 



I sincerely hope I shall be more fortunate with others. Should I meet with 

 no better success, by " hook or by crook" I must endeavour to bring out a Work 

 without their assistance, for I consider it would be " too bad" to leave the young 

 and aspiring Fancier without a Work to refer to. In soliciting the favour of 

 other excellent Fanciers to give me assistance from their observations and re- 

 flections, promising to give them the credit by attaching their names, the answer 

 I received from some was, "They did not know what to write about." I told 

 them "Pigeons." I believe some few may as^^ist me : I know a gre;it many will 

 not, simply because they don't approve of attempting to play the part of giving 

 away their experience, which might prove a fatal part to them, while they play 

 with such success their part of the " Dog in the Manger." It appears to me 

 monstrous strange tbat those who have the power to write have not the " will," 

 and those who have the " will" have not the power. I believe there are excel- 

 lent Fanciers of Pigeons, who never put a single observation or reflection upon 

 paper as regards "Pigeons." I sincerely hope you will not copy them, at the 

 same time well knowing you cannot take a lesson out of their book. 



You will perceive I am under great obligations and owe an immense debt of 

 gratitude to B. P. Brent, Esq., the author and brother Fancier, for his kindness 

 in allowing me permission to make what use I please of his series of papers on 

 Pigeons, extracted from the "Poultry Chronicle," "The Field, the Farm, the 

 Garden, and the Country Gentleman's Newspaper." I cannot find language to 

 express the debt of gratitude I owe to him, especially for assistance on our 

 native Doves, the Toys, and foreign Pigeons, &c. &c. 

 A 2 



