THE rOVECOT PIGEON. 



245 



and retire to that of my neighbour, I cannot claim 

 them. However^ in order that dovecot pigeons 

 may not fall into the hands of those who contri- 

 bute nothing to their support, the legislature has 

 enacted a fine of forty shillings, to be paid by him 

 who has been convicted of having shot a dovecot 

 pigeon. 



This act, till of late years, was of great use to 

 the farmer ; for it enabled him to raise this useful 

 bird in vast abundance : but now the times are 

 changed. The owners of dovecots have to com- 

 plain, not only of bargemen, who shoot their pigeons 

 along the whole line of the canals whenever an 

 opportunity offers, but also of a plundering set of 

 land vagabonds, who attack the dovecots in the 

 dead of the night, and sometimes actually rob them 

 of their last remaining bird. The origin of this 

 novel species of depredation can be clearly traced 

 to the modern amusement, known by the name of 

 a pigeon-shooting match. A purveyor is usually 

 engaged by the members. He offers a tempting 

 price to poachers and other loose characters, and 

 they agree to supply him with any quantity of 

 dovecot pigeons, to be ready for the day on which 

 the cruel exhibition is to take place. Generally, 

 under the covert of a dark night, these hired thieves 

 go to the place where they have previously seen a 

 ladder, and carry it off to the devoted dovecot, 

 upon the outside of which they mount, and with 

 great caution fix a net to the glover, or aperture, 

 on the top of the^ building. After they have 

 effected this, they descend from the roof, and im- 

 R 3 



