12 Fancy Pigeons. 



Some amusing verses on fancy pigeons will be found in Vol. 6 of the 

 " New Foundling Hospital for Wit," ptiblished in 1784. 



" The New and Complete Pigeon Fancyer, or Modern Treatise on 

 Domestic Pigeons, by Daniel Girton, of the county of Bucks, price only 

 Is. 6d.," followed the 1765 book, probably as it got out of print, and to 

 supply a felt want. This has no date. It passed through many editions, 

 of which I have seen five, all differing somewhat in the title pages. 

 What I take to be the earliest, is that published by Alex. Hogg, at the 

 King's Arms, No. 16, Paternoster-row. The publishers of the later 

 editions are Alex. Hogg and Co., H. Hogg, and J. Bailey. On the back 

 of the title page of the first edition is an advertisement of the " New 

 and Complete Bird Fancyer, or Bird Fancyer's Eeoreation and Delight," 

 by Mr. Wm. Thompson, who afterwards, in the last editions of Girton, 

 supplants him as the author of the "Complete Pigeon Fancier." It 

 is, then, "By Mr. William Thompson, assisted by Mr. Daniel Girton, 

 of the County of Bucks." The name Girton is supposed to be a worn 

 (7e;i3l(!iJie taken from Moore's " Columbarium," where, speaking of turbits, 

 the author says, "I have seen a flight of them kept by one Girton, that 

 would mount almost high as tumblers . ' ' 



" Girton, rtlux.5 Thompson," is a duodecimo, and from the type of the 

 various editions, some being modern and others old, I fancy the publi- 

 cations extended from about 1780 to 1820. Some of the later editions are 

 curtailed in the subject matter ; the earliest is paged up to 140, but 

 commences at page 13, though there are not twelve pages of preface and 

 title. All have a folding plate, containing the figures of twelve fancy 

 pigeons, copied in small from the treatise of 1765. The book contains 

 but little original matter, being merely a compilation from Moore and 

 Mayor, by which title it will be easier to designate the 1765 book, and 

 is one of a series of handbooks published by A. Hogg and his suc- 

 cessors, and uniform with the "Complete Bird Fancyer," "Complete 

 Farmer," and others. It can usually be purchased for 5s., or less, but 

 uncut copies, clean as from the press, such as I have had, are worth 

 more. The Chinese pigeon mentioned by Girton would seem, from the 

 description, not a domestic pigeon, but a wild dove. 



The next pigeon book was an entirely original one, entitled " A New 

 and Complete Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing the Almond 

 Tumbler, by an Old Fancier." Two editions are said to be in existence, 



