THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION.— May 13, 1800. 
124 
this, and a ci-divant cockerel must be put with them, a bird 
of “ a certain age,” say two years old. We arc 1 particular in 
naming the age, because we once saw a very fine old fellow 
strutting, as well as gout and the infirmities of age would 
allow him, by the. side of some very smart pullets. We 
laughingly said to the owner, that they reminded us (revers¬ 
ing the personages) of the marriage in the “ Rake’s Pro¬ 
gress,” by Hogarth. “Why," said the lady, “you advised 
me to put an old cock with pullets." These mentioned will 
then be properly mated, and after the five or six first eggs 
of each pullet have been used for food, the others may be 
set. We have so lately given instructions about early 
chickens, we shall not repeat them. 
Many builders of model cottages have abandoned the plan 
of erecting them in pairs, because the security afforded by 
the system was more than counterbalanced by the quarrels 
of the occupants. They are found to be every way pre¬ 
ferable if some distance apart. .Tust so when the young 
mothers are removed from the common dwelling-house to 
the nursery—let not their abodes be placed close to another. 
Feed the chickens well; let each hen have but five, and you 
will stand well, if you make a proper selection. 
We have always thought that the rules of matching should 
not be too rigorously insisted upon; but we have lately be 
come more stringent on that head. When London was 
some time since very short of troops, and when a change of 
costume was in course of adoption, we saw a number of the 
Guards marching, some with the new tunic, some with the 
coat. It was painful to the eye ; and as we view things solely 
as they bear on poultry, we resolved that absolute uniformity 
was desirable. 
The pullets should be as much alike as possible; more 
latitude may be allowed to the cock; but even he should 
bear positive marks of being of the same strain. 
Before a young lady is presented, she undergoes a regular 
tuition, and continually rehearses all the phases of the great 
event. The leap from the nursery to the drawing-room is a 
large one. So is the change from the run of a meadow to 
an exhibition pen. The fowls should have their rehearsal; 
they should be put in for some days before the exhibition, 
for an hour or two at a time ; they should be fed in it, and 
taught, not only to bear the confinement, hut to come for¬ 
ward, and woo the gaze of the Fates in the shape of .Tudges, 
who will hold their hopes of distinction in their hands. 
There is little prospect of success for birds that seek the 
darkest corner of their temporary “ prison-house.” 
Just as a practised match-maker withdraws her charge 
from the ball-room before daylight, and limits her gaieties 
to just so much as can be borne without detriment to her 
charms; so really good chickens should not he over-exhi- 
hited; but the amount of fatigue they can bear should be 
carefully estimated, with a view to the preservation of their 
beauty and health. 
THE STOCK DOVE, COLUMBA (ENAS. 
Ger. Die Hoi.ztaebe. French. Biset des Bois. 
The Stock Dove, so-called from its building its nest in the 
stocks or holes of trees, is the second in size of our native 
Doves or Wood Pigeons. It appears to be well known to most 
of the early naturalists, but the Blue Rock Pigeon has been 
so frequently confused with it as to cause mistakes, therefore 
it is necessary to direct attention more particularly to their 
points of difference. In size the Stock Dove is the same as 
a common Pigeon, measuring in length about thirteen inches, 
and in width, from tip to tip of the expanded wings, twenty- 
six inches. The heak is about an inch long, dove-shaped, 
and of a whitish flesh-colour, having a purplish tinge at the 
nostrils; in the young the beaks are at first dark horn- 
coloured, but become white as they gain maturity ; the fore¬ 
head is full and rounded; the iris of the eye dark brown; 
the neck is shorter and thicker in appearance than the 
| common Pigeon’s; the shanks are short and dull red, 
I feathered slightly over the hocks; the toes flexible, and the 
! nails black. The colour of its plumage is a rather dark 
| ashen-grey; the neck has a greenish gloss, like other 
Pigeons, but it does not extend so far as in the tame 
| Pigeons; and the reddish-brown tinge across the lower part 
of the crop is very dull; there are two black spots on the 
wings, which do not run across the wings in two distinct 
bars as in most Blue House Pigeons ; the rump is greyish- 
blue; the tail barred with black at the extremity; and has 
the light band across the underside of the feathers like the 
Ring Dove; and the marginal edge of the outer tail feathers 
is not so white as in the tame Pigeons; in other respects 
they differ much from the house Pigeons. Their arboreal 
habits, perching and building on trees, frequenting the 
woods, the difference of their voice, their manners and mode 
of playing to their mate, as well as their roving habits, 
mark them as quite distinct from the tame Pigeons. 
The Stock Dove is found in all parts of temperate Europe, 
in woody places. With us they breed in pairs, rather 
isolated, in Parks, or woods, preferring to place their nest 
in a hollow tree, or one thickly covered with ivy. Some 
naturalists say they also build on rocks, but such, I believe, | 
is probably a mistake, owing to their being confused with 
the Blue Rock Pigeon. They lay two eggs at a brood, and 
hatch twice in the year. The cock’s manner of playing to 
his mate is very peculiar; eyeing her with a peculiar sideways 
look he will make a peck at her, or feign a blow at her with 
his wing, then swelling out his neck, depressing his head to 
the earth, he makes a profound bow, at the same time 
spreading out and elevating his tail, giving vent to his 
adoration in a low hollow tone, like, Oh-hoo-ooo,—the first 
note being delivered audibly, the last dying away to a faint 
whisper. They feed on corn and seeds of various kinds. 
In autumn they congregate in small flocks and leave this 
part; whether their migration is only partial, or not, I do 
not know, but T believe they leave this country entirely, as I 
never see any in winter, and in summer they are tolerably 
plentiful in this neighbourhood. 
The young, if taken from the nest, may be easily reared 
tame, but if left too long they rarely become so ; if reared 
singly with a domestic Pigeon they remain, and stop at 
liberty with the other rigeons, till the autumn migration, 
when mine have always then left, never to return. If a 
pair are brought up together, even so tame as to feed from 
the hand, I have always found if they had their liberty they 
gradually withdrew to the woods, their returns becoming 
less and less frequent, and that only for food. It is sur¬ 
prising what power of wing they have. I have seen a bird, 
with the whole ten flight feathers of one wing cut close, 
when frightened, flutter along about a foot from the ground 
till it had gained sufficient impetus to clear a six feet fence. 
I have paired them with Dragoon Pigeons, and, though 
they breed tolerably freely, nearly all the young died at 
about ten days old; out of about thirty hatched, only four 
lived to fly out, one of which I exhibited at the Surrey 
Zoological and Metropolitan Shows, December, 1853, and 
January, 1854 ; but all died before the spring, except one 
that was bred from a blue Antwerp cock and hen Stock 
Dove,—this I trained, and found her (for it was a hen) to 
fly remarkably sharp. She paired with a cock Dragoon, but 
never showed any signs of breeding, and at last died sud¬ 
denly. Some naturalists say they breed freely with the tame 
Pigeons, but as these seem to confuse them with the Blue 
Rock Pigeon, as before mentioned, I conclude it was that 
bird that caused the error. Their flesh is considered finer 
flavoured than the tame Pigeon’s.—B. P. Brent. 
GEESE LAYING SOFT EGGS. 
I think by this time “Upwards and Onwards" must be 
somewhat vexed with his remarks at the foot of his com¬ 
munication. If ray letter had been attentively read, he 
would have found my boy more truthful than it appears 
your correspondent has given him credit for; and how his 
letter is to remove any strictures of mine on poultry fancies 
I cannot for the life of me see, unless I leave a vast deal to 
imagination, and deduce as great and lucid a conclusion 
that he means well as in my case; only there is this 
material difference, “ my Geese will not prove hens.” 
I cheerfully reply to “ G. M.”—The sixteen drachms of 
castor oil were tided over for a week (a drachm being a 
moderate-sized teaspoonful), and not too much for a large 
fat goose ; indeed, 1 should begin with three in the morning, 
and, if not thoroughly satisfactory, the same the next morn¬ 
ing. You need not trouble yourself about Carrot soup, or 
