6 
THE NATURAL HISTORY 
The eflefls of cultivation are fcen more or lefs 
in every animal under our care. Canary birds 
are now bred with crefts, fome with yellow lea¬ 
thers, fomc mottled, and by combining thele va¬ 
rieties other new varieties will probably take 
place. 
An account then of every different race of 
Pigeons, is not fo properly the natural hiftory of 
the bird, as an account of the art and induftry of 
man, applied to this particular object. 
The Stock Dove is fo called becaufe it is the 
ftock or ftem from which probably molt of the 
others fprangj for however numerous the fpecics 
of Pigeons may appear, it is very poffible that a 
few only exift in nature, and that the reft are va¬ 
rieties, the natural effe<5t of domeftication at firft, 
and particular attention afterwards. 
The Stock Dove, which is the Pigeon in its 
wild ftate, breeds but once or twice in the year; 
they migrate into England in great numbers from 
colder climates at the approach of winter, fome 
indeed flay with us the whole year, breeding in 
woods, on trees, in the holes of trees that are 
decaved, or in the crevices of rocks, whence it 
has fometimes been called the Rock Pigeon, and 
the Wood Pigeon. 
Wbilft 
