150 
BISET OR WILD ROCK-PIGEON. 
and ill a state of fermentation, is injurious to the 
liealtli of the birds, and also prevents tliem making 
use of the lower tiers of nest-holes. In point of si- 
tuation, a gentle acclivity, exposed to the south, and 
open to the rays of the sun, in which the pigeon de- 
lights to bask and repose, is the most favourable. 
It ought not to be too far removed from a plentiful 
supply of water, as the pigeon is a great and frequent 
drinker ; neither too closely surrounded by trees, as, 
when near, they interfere with the free egress and 
ingress of the birds, and are supposed to be disagree- 
able to them, from the noise they make in winds 
and storms. The pigeon being a bird of a timid na- 
ture, and easily alarmed, the house should stand at 
such a distance from all the other offices, as not to 
be incommoded by any noise or movements about 
them. From a pigeon-house of tolerable dimensions, 
a produce of many dozens of young may annually be 
procm'ed, and that for nearly eight months out of 
the twelve, as they are in full breeding from March 
till the end of May, and again from August till the 
close of November ; and all that is required to keep 
up the breeding stock, is to permit a limited portion 
of the latter hatchings to escape. 
In its natural state, the plumage of the pigeon is 
as follows : — Bill blackish-brown ; the nosti’il mem- 
brane red, sprinkled, as it were, with a white powder. 
The irides pale reddish-orange. The head and throat 
are bluish-gray. The sides of the neck and upper 
part of the breast are dark lavender- purple, glossed 
