The Pigeon» 
BOY’S DEPARTMENT. 
“ All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy,” is 
a homely adage, but a good one. A most estimable 
and energetic clergyman, himself a self made man, and 
the successful tutor of some of the most efficient public 
men now in active life, used frequently to say, on the 
exposure of some of the mischievous tricks his grace¬ 
less students were constantly plotting, “ it was the 
hardest thing in the world, to put a man’s head on a 
boy’s shoulders if it could have been accomplished, it 
would have proved the most foolish; for it’s very likely 
the head and shoulders would have changed places at 
manhood. To adapt the occupation to the capacity, 
both of mind and body, is the only true science, in the 
education of youth of both sexes, and all conditions. 
There is an instinct and nature, inbred and inherent, in 
every human being, and to mature and bring out this 
seminal principle to its fullest capacity, it is not neces¬ 
sary to thwart nature, but to guide it; not to engraft 
new and unknown elements of character, but to draw 
out and mature, discipline and direct, such as are al¬ 
ready implanted. With each and every one of them, 
there is the germ both of good, and evil, and the orna¬ 
ment or disgrace they are to prove to their race, de¬ 
pends as to which of these opposing principles predom¬ 
inates. We daily witness, from apparently the same 
original materials, but subsequently subject to different 
influences, the most opposite results of character; the 
most exemplary, wise and good on one side, and the 
most profligate, depraved and hardened on the other; 
saint and devil issuing from the same stock, and matur¬ 
ing their most luxuriant fruit from the same soil. We 
deem it not among the unimportant matters of good 
husbandry, that some rational employment be afforded 
the young folks, suited to their dignity and importance, 
and calculated to awaken their zeal and elicit their 
genius ; and while the parent is employed with the im¬ 
provement of his cattle, and horses, and sheep, and 
swine ; and applying the principles of Tull and Davy 
and Liebig to his tillage and crops ; he must give the 
boys something to bring out the resources of their 
young minds. And if he can’t find something to inter¬ 
est and improve them, they will either stultify or de¬ 
teriorate ; the last being altogether the most probable 
result, for evil influences are always sufficiently abund¬ 
ant to enlist the idle urchins that are waiting for em¬ 
ployment. Standing still with any reasonable degree 
of intelligence, is out of the question, when OTIC6 CT1 | 
the track of life, the being must go forward to fulfil 
its destiny. The course to be followed out is frequent¬ 
ly determined in childhood. How important then to 
give this the right bias. The slightest, almost impercep¬ 
tible divergence of the curve, if pursued gradually, leads 
to a course directly opposite from the starting point. 
To implant in the breasts of our young readers, some 
of the fascinations of the pursuit of nature in her 
varied operations, we shall occasionally give them a 
field of their own to occupy, and to begin with, shall 
offer them some choice directions for selecting, rearing 
and managing the various breeds of pigeons. And we 
must insist, that in this, the boys shall have pretty 
much their own way. The parent may advise occa¬ 
sionally, but not direct. Let the youngsters have all 
the responsibility, and our word for it, if they have a fair 
field, they will hereafter prove troublesome competitors 
on your own ground whether it be Short Horns or South 
Downs, or whatever your hobby happens to be. Billy 
Gray claimed as much merit for drumming well while 
a lad, as for his conspicuous success as a merchant in 
mature life, and the mother of Washington, in reply to 
the eulogium of Lafayette on the splendid career of 
her soldier son, said very meekly but comprehensively, 
“ ah, George was always a good boy,” 
Gobbet says, “ It is not supposed that there could be 
much profit attached to pigeons ; but they are of this 
use. They are very pretty creatures ; very interesting 
in their manners; they are an object to delight child¬ 
ren, and to give them the early habit of fondness for 
animals and of setting a value on them, which, as I 
have often had to observe before, is a very great thing.” 
The Stock Dove, or original of the pigeon genus, 
according to Buffon, in its natural or wild state, is thus 
described: “ with a fine neck of a reddish gold color, 
its wings marked with two black bars, one on the quill 
feathers, and the other on the covert; the back white, 
and the tail barred near the end with black.” The 
Ring Dove is yet held by naturalists to be distinct from 
the Stock Dove, and it would seem that the Turtle 
Dove is equally so from both. In this country the Blue 
Dove (house pigeon) is the most common, and the only 
species of these are the Ring Doves, or wood pigeons, 
and the Turtle Doves, which are to be found in all 
parts of Southern Britain, breeding during the spring 
and summer, and retiring to the deepest recesses of the 
woods in the winter season, whence, probably, the 
Turtle has been supposed to emigrate. I am assured 
by a Spanish gentleman, that in Barbary they have 
pigeons equal in size to fowls, but incapable of flight. 
Throughout the woods and plantations on the domain 
of Warwick Castle, the Turtle Dove abounds in multi¬ 
tudes, flying in pairs, and lighting on the turrets of the 
castle. Their loud and mournful cooing is heard on the 
road at a considerable distance. Much pains have been 
taken, hitherto ineffectually, to reduce their numbers. 
Both in the ancient and modern world this beautiful 
and variegated genus of birds has been cherished by 
man as a source of amfusement and gratification to the 
eye, as well as profit, in the article of provision for the 
table. Besides it was reckoned by certain nations of 
antiquity unlawful to deprive them of life. The useful 
qualification of Messenger, appertaining to the Asiatic 
and African species of the pigeon, is of great antiquity : 
and we read, in the time of the Crusades, of an Arab¬ 
ian prince who had a sort of telegraphic communica¬ 
tion kept up in his dominions through the medium of 
pigeons, that carried letters, and were regularly 
relieved at appointed posts. From these, doubt¬ 
less, the breed celebrated in Europe under the name of 
the Carrier has proceeded. In modern times, those 
varieties which are kept for the purpose of amusement 
and show, are styled Fancy Breeds, and they form a 
distinct article of commerce in cities and great towns, 
the varieties, as they chance to be in fashion, bring¬ 
ing a considerable price. From the earliest times the 
pigeon fanciers of London have had a club, in which 
premiums are awarded, and the notable science of the 
fancy, through the method of crossing colors and 
forms, is promoted and perpetuated. The chief ob¬ 
jects of the fancy have hitherto been those varieties 
styled Almond (probably ermine,) Tumblers, Carriers, 
and the birds with great crops, the most fashionable 
variety of which is the Pouting Horseman. The spe- 
scific merits of these breeds are indicated by their 
names. The tumbler exercises his faculty in the air, 
but is chiefly valued for his peculiar form and variegat¬ 
ed plumage. The Carrier, as a messenger, cuts the 
air with almost inconceivable swiftness. This is the 
columba tabellaria, the famous carrier, or messenger, 
between Aleppo and Alexandria in Egypt. The 
Pouter extends his crop to a size attractive to curios¬ 
ity, and by his grotesque attitudes and familiarity with 
man, engages his attention. 
