PIG 
die of afpaclous court-yard j becaufe Pigeons be- 
ing naturally timid, they are alarmed at the fmall- 
eft noife. With regard to the fize of the dove- 
houfe, that muft depend entirely on the number 
of birds intended to be kept ; but It fliould rather 
be too large than too little: and as to its form, the 
circular fhould be preferred to thefquare; becaufe 
rats cannot fo eafily climb up the former as the 
latter. It is alfo much more commodious ; be- 
caufe a perfon, by means of a ladder turning on 
it's axis, may vifit all the nefts in the houfe 
without the leaft difficulty, which cannot be ef- 
fedled in a fquare houfe. 
A Pigeon-houfe fhould alfo be built in the vi- 
cinity of water, that the birds may convey it to 
their young ; and, as they carry it in their bills, 
it acquires a wholefome warmth before it is con- 
figned to their offspring. The covering of the 
houfe fhould be fo very compaft, that no pofll- 
bility may remain of any wet penetrating ; and the 
whole fl:ru6ture fhould be covered with hardplaif- 
ter, and white-wafhed within and without. There 
fliould be neither window nor aperture to the 
eaftward ; but thefe fhould always face the fouth, 
that the rays of the fun, of which Pigeons are 
very fond, may have free accefs. 
The nelts in a Pigeon-houfe Ihould confifl of 
fquare holes, made in the walls, of a fufficient 
fize to admit the cock and thehento fland in them. 
Thefirft range of thefe nefts fhould not be lefs than 
four feet from the ground, and the wall under- 
neath very fmooth, that rats may not be able to 
reach them. Thefe nefts fhould be arranged in 
quincunx order, and not diredly over each other : 
nor fhould they be continued any higher than 
within three feet of the top of the wall; and the 
upper row fhould be covered with a board projedl- 
ing a confiderablediftance from the wall, left vermin 
Hiould findfome means or other to come at them. 
Duhamel thinks that Pigeons neither feed 
on green corn, nor have bills fufhciently ftrong 
to fearch for it's feeds in the earth; but only pick 
up fuch grains as are not covered, which would 
infallibly perifh, or become the prey of other 
animals. ' From the time of the fprouting of the 
corn,' fays he, ' Pigeons live chiefly on the 
feeds of wild uncultivated plants, and therefore 
confiderably leflen the quantity of weeds that 
would otherwife fpring up ; as will appear from 
a juft eftimate of the quantity of grain necefiary 
to feed all the Pigeons of a well-ftocked dove- 
houfe.' But Worlidge and Lifle adduce fads in 
oppofition to this opinion. The latter relates, that 
a farmer in his neighbourhood affured him he had 
known an acre fown with peas ; and rain com- 
ing on, fo that they could not be harrowed in, 
every pea was carried off in half a day's time, by 
Pigeons. And the former fays, that it is to be 
obferved, wherever a flight of Pigeons alights, 
there they fill themfelves, and return again where 
they firft rofe, thus traverfing a whole field in order. 
Indeed, the injury which thefe birds do the 
hulbandman is fuch, that we may fafely rank them 
among fome of his greateft enemies : and the 
greater, becaufe farmers in general have not the 
privilege of erefling dove-houfes ; whereby they 
might receive a fhare of their own fpoils ; none 
but the rich being allowed this privilege. The 
poor are deterred even from the defence of their 
own property by the feverity of the laws : for, by 
an aft paffed in the reign of his prefent Majefty, 
it was enaded, that if any perfon lhall ihoot at. 
P I G 
or by any any means kill or take, with a v/ilful 
intent to deftroy any Pigeon, he fliall, on convic- 
tion thereof, by confeffion or oath of one witnefs, 
before one juftice, forfeit twenty fhillings to the 
profecutor; and, if not immediately paid, fuch 
juftice fhall commit him to the gaol or houfe of 
correftion, for any term not exceeding three 
months, nor lefs than one; unlefs the penalty be 
fooner paid. 
The Pigeon was the favourite bird of Venus. 
According to Homer, Pigeons took care to pro- 
vide for the nourifl-iment of Jupiter; a fable 
founded on the fame word fignifying, m the Phoe- 
nician language, either a Pricft or a Pigeon ; for 
it is faid that the priefts of Cybele took care of 
the nouriftiment of Jupiter. The inhabitants of 
Afcalon entertained a fovereignrefpeft for Pigeons: 
they neither prefumed to kill nor eat them, through 
fear of feeding on their gods themfelves. Pigeons 
were alfo confecraced by the AfTyrians ; becaufe 
they believed that the foul of their famous Queen 
Semiramis had fled to heaven in the fhape of adove. 
Silius Italicus informs us, that two Pigeons 
formerly refted on Thebes : that one flew to Do- 
dona, where it communicated the virtue of deli- 
vering oracles to an oak ; and that the other, 
which was white, paflTed over the fea to Lybia, 
where it fettled on the head of a ram, between the 
two horns, and gave oracles to the people of Mar- 
marica. The Pigeon of Dodona alfo delivered 
oracles. Philoftratus fays it was of gold ; that it 
fettled on an oak, furroundedby people who went 
thither, either to facrifice, or confult the oracle; and 
that there were always priefts and prieftefles there, 
who gained a good maintenance by the obla- 
tions. And, if we may credit the poetic Sopho- 
cles, the Pigeons of the foreft of Dodona gave 
Hercules an oracle which determined the end of 
his life. 
Pigeon, Carrier. See Carrier. 
Pigeon, Barbary. This bird is of a dark 
colour, inclining to black ; the bill, legs, and 
feet, are black ; and round the eyes there is a 
fmall flefhy circle. A tuft of feathers rifes from 
the back part of the neck, over the top of the 
head. Some of this kind are feathered on the legs 
and feet, but others are not. They likewife differ 
in colour; but the blackeft are moft efteemed. 
Pigeon, Jacobine. This bird is alfo called 
the capper, from a tuft of feathers on the back 
part of the head, turning towards the neck, like 
the cap or cowl of a monk. The bill is fhort ; 
and the irides are perlaceous. 
Pigeon, Broad-tailed Shaker. This va- 
riety receives it's name from it's head and neck 
being continually in motion. The number of it's 
tail-feathers is twenty-fix ; and, when the bird 
walks, it carries it's tail upright like a hen. There 
is another variety, denominated the narrow-tailed 
Shaker. 
Pigeon, Runt. This is the greater domeftic 
Pigeon ; being nearly as large as a pullet. It 
varies it's feathers like the common fort ; and flies 
much flower than other kinds. 
Pigeon, Tumbler. Birds of this fpecics are 
of various colours. They receive their name 
from their extraordinary motions in flying, fre- 
quently turning themfelves in the air, and pro- 
ceedir-}; with an undulating and irregular motion. 
Pigeon, Helmet. The head, tail, and prime 
feathers of the wings, in this fpecies, are of a 
diftind colour from the reft of the body. 
Pigeon, 
