ZOMrtST/C PIGEONS. 



425 



liberty, except upon some parts of the coasts of England, Scotland, 

 Norway, and certain islands of the Mediterranean. They willingly 

 sacrifice their independence to live in pigeon-houses. They are 

 generally regarded as the founders of the numerous races of our 

 Domestic Pigeons. 



Domestic Pigeons, probably sprang from the Rock-doves, are 

 of two kinds — the Colombier Pigeons and the Aviary Pigeons. 

 The former enjoy almost complete liberty ; they traverse the country 

 all day to seek for food, and 

 sometimes even return to a wild 

 state \ the latter are quite tame, 

 and the door of their habitation 

 can be left open without danger ; 

 they go a little distance, and 

 always return to their domicile. 

 If Domestic Pigeons cause some 

 harm to our crops, they amply 

 compensate for these devasta- 

 tions by the services which they 

 render to agriculture. They are 

 equally valuable to the breeder 

 and consumer : the former de- 

 rives a certain profit from them, 

 and trie latter an agreeable and 

 economical article of food. To 



give a sufficient idea of the resources which they supply to public 

 alimentation, we have only to state that certain species lay as many 

 as ten eggs a year. Further, they supply a manure which is very 

 efficacious in improving some soils. Raising pigeons necessitates 

 certain precautions which cannot be neglected without bad results : 

 the greatest cleanliness is necessary in the pigeon-house or aviary ; all 

 turbulent individuals, which sow discord, and often injure the fecun- 

 dity of females, must be excluded ; and the races must be separated 

 as much as possible the one from the other, in order to avoid the 

 production of sterile varieties. Amongst the domestic species the 

 naturalist can study at leisure the manners of Pigeons, and form an 

 exact idea of their natures and inclinations ; for he can observe them 

 from their first steps, making their early timid endeavours to raise 

 themselves in the air; afterwards noting at more mature age the 

 approaches of the sexes, and their fidelity to each other through 

 years. We will examine rapidly the principal races of Domestic 

 Pigeons. 



Rock-pigeon. 



