IXTRODUCTIOX. XV. 



sue it that they quickly found that it considerably 

 augmented their income year by year, and now these 

 self-same men have abandoned their trades and pro- 

 fessions and live entirely out of the income derived 

 from their Pigeons. 



.\LL ST.^RT LE\-EL. 



Whatever position a Pigeon lover may ultimately- 

 attain in the p-ancy he has to start like all his fellows 

 at the bottom rung of the ladder. None of us com- 

 mence the breeding of Pigeons with a ready-made 

 storehouse of knowledp-e. True, some have a greater 

 aptitude for dealing with live stock than others, and 

 more quickly grasp the lessons that must be learned, 

 yet they have to go through the probationary stage 

 just the same as their more slow-witted brethren. 

 From this it will be gathered that health, relaxation, 

 recreation, pleasure, and profit may all be found in the 

 Pigeon Fancy. 



TO .^ID THE NOVICE. 



I have said that my chief object in writing this 

 work is to aid the beginner to so advance that he 

 may readily grasp and overcome the mysteries, the 

 difficulties, and the intricacies of the art of becoming a 

 successful breeder and exhibitor of high-class Pigeons. 

 " Pigeons, and all about them," is not an advanced 

 treatise. It does not profess to cater for the experi- 

 enced breeder, but rather for the novice, who, devoid 

 of the knowledge derived from actual experience, needs 

 some guidance, some assistance in dealing with the 

 mazy problems that arise and confront him in his 

 early efforts. 



In a work of this character, in which space is 

 necessarily limited, not much can be said upon the 

 different breeds l\Iy notes upon them will be brief, 

 but I shall devote all the space that is needful to the 

 more practical side of Pigeon keeping, and to give such 

 instruction in housing, feeding, and rearing as wni 

 enable my readers to reach to the heights and delights 

 of exhibiting, in which I shall also stri\'e to direct their 

 ciTorts to a pleasurable and successful issue. 



