40 



is doing and keep a pedigree of every bird in his flock by 

 a simple method of bookkeeping, as follows: 



When the squabs that are to be kept as breeders are being 

 banded the band numbers of the parent birds should be 

 taken and set down in this way: 



Squab numbers. Parents' numbers. 



Cock III. 84-67. 



Hen 112. 84-67. 



In making this record the number under the head "Par- 

 ents' number" is always set down in the same way, the 

 name of the father first and the mother next. 



It is but very little trouble to keep such records and the 

 value of them is very great, for the pigeon-keeper can refer 

 to his records at any time and find how any bird that was 

 hatched in his lofts has been bred. 



This enables him constantly to select the best producers 

 and feeders and improve his stock all the time, selling off 

 the inferior ones and keeping up a high standard, which 

 will in time give him a reputation for squabs or breeding 

 stock that will be valuable to him, as he will get higher 

 prices than he could get for ordinary stock. 



