180 



575. " The notes and corrections in this book have been made, some ten, some twenty, 

 and some thirty years ago, and up to the present time, as they occured to me from 

 experience. 



Margate. John Boys." 



676. WiKDUS, p. 4 and 5. His remarks as regards the prices of Almonds, — " M. 

 1805 and 6. Excellent birds were to be had at five gxiineas a pair, although occasion- 

 ally they reached from ten to fifteen guineas ; they are much improved since that 

 period, but most difficult to be met with." 



577. Page 6. " Those who criticise and scoff at this Fancy should take care not to 

 become a Florist Fancier, or an admirer of improved Horses, Dogs or Sheep ; nor ex- 

 change his ignorance for the knowledge of the best Piccatees, DahHas, Tulips (worth 

 ten and twenty guineas a piece), Roses (of which there are 1500 varieties), Anemonies, 

 Heart-ease, Kanunculusses, Auriculars, &c. &c. &c."* 



578. Page 7. "Writing from experience, " and by practice and experience to know 

 how to mix and improve the color of the Feather by the matching of the males and 

 females." Writing of what are beauties and what are imperfections : " Those wliose 

 experience enables them to produce variety of Feather, may, by the matching of the 

 parents, also learn something of Nature's laws in the marriage and qualification of 

 human parents, both in personal forms and principles, by inheritance either of health, 

 disease or sense." 



579. Page 12. On the handling of a Pigeon : " The mode of handling a bird shews 

 at once whether the holder is a Fancier or not, even a wild and violent bird will become 

 quiet in the hand of an experienced Fancier." On a badly formed head, " which is 

 termed Mous-ey." 



580. Page 13. Writing on the property, beak, " it should never exceed six-eighths, 

 at the present day some are barely five-eighths. — 1848." 



581. Page 14. '*The Lofts. The best Fanciers will devote three or four rooms to 

 his birds." The area ; ''by keeping the birds from strangers, and taming them wdth 

 hemp seed to feed out of the hand, they may be caught and handled as easily as a dog 

 or cat. 



582. Page 15. On drafting young birds into another aviary. " By all means." 



583. Page 16. On laying : " an experienced Fancier will always know within a few 

 hours when the hen will lay her first egg of another nest ; and I have found, in general, 

 that a cock will not hunt and peck his hen so fiercely when his hen droops and laps 

 her wings ; but where he does he should be caged close to the hen's nest until she has 

 laid her first egg." 



584. Page 17. On the warmth of the loft or aviary. "But warmed air is most 

 valuable." On dust : " All dust on the floor is certain to settle upon the oily feathers, 

 and make the birds look filthy." Objecting to a cat in the loft , " I strongly object to 

 a cat's guardianship." 



585. Page 18. On pairing : " In 1851, I had only two thin-shelled eggs, and Paired 

 twelve young ones in very cold weather, from sixteen pairs hatched in February." 



586. Page 19. Advantage of separating birds ; " Birds separated during winter may 

 be rematched with perfect ease in February." 



587. Page 20. On counteraction ; ''except as to their being both of too muchfea- 



* Page 6. J. M. E, — His marginal notes here apply to those Splatherers, who (as, 

 Solomon beautifully observes, " you may bruise in a mortar, yet you cannot obtain 

 gumption out of them") ridicule the Pigeon. It may be pardonable in some of these, 

 simply because they are void of brains, not having been handed down to them ; or they 

 may have received an injury on a " large pimple," growing out at the top of their neck, 

 which will never come to a head. But it is unpardonable in learned men, who attempt 

 to write upon the Pigeon, who only burlesque the Pigeon ; nevertheless, do not be ill- 

 natured to such, but throw around them your mantle of love and charity as I mean to 

 do, and to deeply lament and regret that learned men should attempt to write or ridi- 

 cule a subject they do not understand. 



