110 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



these manias and panaceas, few have been 

 more ridiculous than the exaggerated value set 

 upon poultry in general; and the enormous 

 prices at present given for a breed of fowls 

 neither excelling in flavor, hardy, nor beau- 

 tiful. This folly is exaggerated in valuing 

 the species not for size, early maturity, or 

 egg productiveness (in which they excel) ; 

 but from slight differences in plumage, shape 

 of comb, and feathered or naked legs — as 

 ridiculous a system as that of " valuing" 

 rabbits by the length of their ears, or pigeons 

 by the spread of their tails, — modes by which 

 their owners ought rather perhaps to be 

 valued. If farmers are not mere " farmers" 

 either of birds or beasts; if high prices are given 

 for animals of an improved breed — it is be- 

 cause they possess, or are supposed to possess, 

 some real and intrinsic superiority, and have 

 cost the improvers or importers considerable 

 trouble and expense. The introduction of 

 new or superior kinds of domestic animals 

 from foreign countries, is indeed a matter of 

 much importance ; and, if carried out in a 

 systematic manner, might lead to great bene- 

 fit to the country, as well as profit to the 

 importer. Why should Cochin China fowls 

 monopolise all our efforts ? And if they are 

 of so much importance, no doubt great num- 

 bers, superior to most that have yet been 

 imported, might be obtained from the Cochin 

 Chinese at very low rates ; and would turn 

 out a good investment, if even half the 

 present quoted prices were obtained in Eng- 

 land. It is very likely, however, that the 

 breed may soon degenerate in this country, 

 and thus a constant import be necessary, if 

 not profitable. 



With regard to other animals. Why 

 should the Australian kangaroo and the 

 American llama be confined to menageries, 

 and not be found occasionally in our pas- 

 tures ? In Texas, it seems, there is a kind of 

 rabbit, called, from its size, the "jackass 

 rabbit,' 1 '' often weighing as much as 501bs. 



The passenger pigeon of America is a very 

 large and well-flavored variety, it being six- 

 teen inches long, and twenty-four inches in 

 the spread of its wings ; its hue chiefly slate 

 color. They emigrate in millions, and feed 

 on acorns and beech-mast. Their most fre- j 

 quented roosting-places are covered to the , 

 depth of several inches with their dung, over 

 thousands of acres ; all the trees being 

 killed, and nothing growing for years after- 

 wards (what a good substitute for guano, if ' 

 it could be brought to us cheaply enough). 

 In their breeding-places, herds of hogs are 

 fed on the young pigeons or squabs, which are 

 also melted down as a substitute for butter ; 

 or lard. The felling a single tree often pro - | 

 duces two hundred squabs, nearly as large 

 as the old ones, and almost one mass of fat. \ 

 When the flocks of full-grown pigeons enter | 



a district, clap-nets and guns are in great 

 requisition ; and wagon-loads of pigeons are 

 poured into the town, and sold at fifty, 

 twenty-five, and even twelve cents per dozen. 

 This makes the highest price about twopence, 

 and the lowest a half-penny each. Why could 

 not this large pigeon, whose migratory habits 

 are principally caused by search for food, be 

 introduced into this country as a tame 

 variety ; or, by crossing with our native 

 breeds, enlarge the size ? or in the same 

 way as fresh mutton was sent from Aus- 

 tralia, be sent in casks potted in their own 

 fat, to supply us with cheap pigeon pies ? 



And the same with a cross with the 

 large Texan rabbit, or the wild American 

 turkey — the latter being far superior in size 

 and appearance to its degenerate descen- 

 dant, the tame turkey ? They are sometimes 

 four feet in length, and five feet from 

 wing to wing. 



The canvass-back ducks of America are 

 there boasted of exceedingly as a delicacy ; 

 yet although a great variety of useless water- 

 fowl have been introduced merely as an or- 

 nament to the ponds and streams of our gen- 

 try, no attempt has been made to bring this 

 kind to our farm-yards and tables. Even 

 if it was found impossible to tame the pure 

 breed, a cross with our own might be effected. 



In the capercalzie, or cock of the ivood, a 

 bird of the grouse species, but nearly as 

 large as a turkey, once indigenous in Scot- 

 land, but now only found in the north of 

 Europe, and in the bastard, the largest 

 European land-bird, the cock weighing from 

 twenty-five to twenty- seven pounds, we have 

 examples of two fowls well worth the trial 

 of domesticating by the amateur or intelli 

 gent agriculturist — a trial which, if success- 

 ful, would probably repay quite as well as 

 competition about the color of a feather, or 

 the shortness of a tail ; and in time would be 

 the means of affording a constant, certain, 

 and moderately-priced supply, which is never 

 the case while animals remain in a wild or 

 half-wild state. W. 



THE FANCY PIGEON SHOW 



OF 



THE PHILO-PERISTERON SOCIETY. 



To the Editor. — Sir, In your recent 

 notice of this Society's Grand Exhibition of 

 Fancy Pigeons, at the Freemasons' Tavern, 

 the names of two of the exhibitors are in- 

 correctly printed. I hardly need point out 

 to you, how very annoying this mistake must 

 be to the respective parties ; and I feel sure 

 you will readily make the amende honorable. 



Speaking of the rare excellence of the 

 Poicter Pigeons, you assigned the honor of 

 rearing them to " Mr. Butt." The name 

 given, should have been Mr. Bult, of Horn- 

 sey. 



