DEDICATION. 



EVERY BOOK should be dedicated to somebody, 

 therefore, why not a book on pigeons '? 

 Yet, as 1 ponder over my list of friends, I 

 find so many endeared to me by that " good 

 comradeship " which is so universal among fanciers, 

 that I hesitate to select any particular one, for fear 

 the others might feel hurt. Therefore after much 

 deliberation I have decided to select a man who is 

 not only a blood relation to every fancier in the 

 world, but was in fact the first fancier, and the first 

 man to test a Homer pigeon. 



So with every fear of giving offense thrown to 

 the winds, I hereby dedicate this work to that good 

 old soul 



(last name unknown) who (Genesis VII. chapter) sent 

 forth a dove from the ark. It returned to him, and 

 he sent it forth again, and yet a third time And 

 right here I want to call down Noah, if he had any 

 idea that his birds were " a crack lot, " for wlien 

 he sent it out the third time, it refused to "home" 

 but located itself somewhere else. 



However, I fail to find that Noah had done any 

 blowing about the quality of his stock, and so am ^ 

 willing to let the matter drop. 



The reader will therefore simply accept the fact 

 that this work is dedicated to his own blood relative 

 Noah, and let it go at that. 



The Author. 



