240 NATIONAL STANDARD SQUAB BOOK 
some of our birds and watch their behavior in connection with our birds. 
You will know the sex of our birds by the bands on their legs, and when you 
have determined by the actions of your birds what the sex of them is, catch 
them and band them, putting a band on the right leg of the cock and a band 
on the left leg of the hen. It is impossible to band a squab four or five days 
old with a seamless band so as to designate the sex. You cannot tell the 
sex of a squab or young pigeon until it discloses by its actions at mating age, 
four or five months, what it is. If you put a seamless band on a young 
squab, the object is to show the age, not the sex. The best way for the 
business squab breeder is to put an open band on the leg of the squab, showing 
its age, by its date, and bearing a distinguishing number which you refer 
to in your records. You can put this band on either the right leg or the left 
leg of the squab. When the young bird grows up to mating age and you 
find out its sex, then change the band to either the right or Tet leg to suit 
the case. 
It is not a difficult matter to determine the sex of a pigeon by watching, 
for sooner or later you will see actions that will tell you. You must not be 
guided much by a little quarrelling which you sometimes see going on. Two 
hens will quarrel the same as two cocks. If two or three pigeons are ex- 
tremely puzzling to you, handle them in this manner: Take them out of 
the breeding pen and put each pigeon in a small coop or box in the dark and 
keep them there for two or three days, each pigeon in a separate box or coop. 
Feed and water them regularly, then take them out of their little coops and 
put them into mating coops with other birds. They will generally disclose 
their sex as they are anxious for companionship after being shut in so long. 
Another way to do this is to take two birds and put them into a mating 
coop, one on each side of the partition, and put a bag or other covering over 
the coop so that the place will be darkened for two or three days. Feed and 
water daily. Then take off the covering and take out the partition in the 
middle of the mating coop and watch the two birds as they come together. 
The beginner should familiarize himself with the billing, treading and 
driving as he sees the birds. We have had customers write us and declare 
that we had shipped them squabs because they had seen what they thought 
young birds taking nourishment from the older birds. What they really 
had seen was a male bird kissing or billing with a female bird, a matter 
entirely different. 
The male and female mates not only bill, tread and drive, but they nestle 
close at times, each running his or her bill through the feathers on the neck 
and head of the other. 
Pigeon breeding is an ancient hobby and pastime in England. An English 
writer, Dixon, years ago described their love affairs in choice words. It is 
a pretty sight, said Dixon, to see pigeons at liberty when ‘‘ courting.”” They 
begin to go together in pairs, except while associated with the flock at feeding- 
times; and when they are resting on the roofs, or basking in the sun, they 
retire apart to a short distance for the purpose of courtship, and pay each 
other little kind attentions, such as nestling close, and mutually tickling 
the heads one of another. At last comes what is called “ billing,” which is 
in fact a kiss, a hearty and intense kiss. As soon as this takes place, the 
marriage is complete, and is forthwith consummated. The pair are now 
united, not necessarily for life, though usually so, but rather durante bene 
placito, so long as they continue to be satisfied with each other. If'they are 
