•108 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[September 25. 
afterwards daily diminishing the quantity, and finally not 
giving them any, as soon as most of the. second brood are 
hatched. The second manner of stocking a dove-house is 
] to put pigeons in at fifteen days old, which are not strong 
enough to fly and leave it; we must nourish them by opening 
their beaks until they can feed themselves, and never keep 
! them prisoners. As they gain strength they will come to the 
| door, but dare not at first go beyond it. By degrees they get 
| bold, fly round the dove-house without straying far from it, 
■ recognise the outside of the habitation, return there, attach 
| themselves to it, and do not leave it again. When young, 
we must feed them until they begin to lay the second time. 
Whatever means we make use of to stock a dove-house, 
we must always choose birds hatched in spring. Those 
hatched in May are the best, because they have acquired all 
their strength before winter arrives, and this season will have 
no influence on their constitution. 
The colour of the young pigeons ought, also, to be taken 
into consideration in choosing them for stock. Wo have fre¬ 
quently remarked, that when a bird of prey chases a flight 
of pigeons, if it can find one white one among them, it gene¬ 
rally becomes its victim. In short, it appears that this 
colour is a certain aim for the hawk. In order to prevent 
this inconvenience, we give the preference to dark-coloured 
birds. Many economists carry this precaution so far as to 
visit the nests regularly, and take away a,ll the white ones, 
which they send into the kitchen. They are considered 
more delicate than the others. White pigeons, however, 
have had the reputation of being the most fruitful of all; 
though some amateurs who write on these birds have 
rejected this opinion without examination. We know that 
the more ancient a race of pigeons is in its state of domesti¬ 
city, and the more trouble that has been taken with it by 
man, the more fruitful it is. This long slavery shows itself 
by the variety of colour in the plumage; and the most 
striking change of colour is certainly that of the dark-grey, 
brown, and black, into white. But if in the stock-dove the 
white shows a more ancient origin, a variety more estranged 
from its first character, we should not be surprised to find 
that the birds adorned with it may be more fruitful. 
If we wish to see a dove-house prosper, we must not take 
any young ones from it until the third year, because by this 
means we shall increase the number, and the young ones 
born in the habitation, and becoming attached to it, will 
thrive much better than those which have been removed to 
it, in spite of all the precautions we may have been able 
to take. 
DESCRIPTIONS OF PIGEONS. 
ELEVENTH RACE. 
Runt Pigeon (Columba domestica). —These beautiful birds 
are naturally found placed between the Warted and the 
Looking-Glass pigeons. They very closely resemble the 
first by the thickness of the membranes which cover 
their nostrils, and the red ribbon of the eyelids; but they 
are not so high on the legs, and generally have a shorter 
neck. They may easily be distinguished from all other 
pigeons by the small red circle surrounding the eyes, and 
the red colour of their eyelids, by their whitish iris, and, 
finally, by the two beans that form their mushroom (or 
wattle). This race is very common in Italy. 
Common Runt (Columba domestica vulgaris. See Cut ).— 
The largest of the dovecote pigeons after the Persian and the 
Large Warted. It has no tubercles above the beak, but a 
red border round the eyes; pearled eye, or, but rarely, a 
yellow iris. No tuft, low on the legs, naked feet, wings rather 
drooping, plumage of different, but almost always uniform 
colours, usually a blackish brown rather inclined to purple, 
with a kind of red and green reflection on the neck; it is 
also blue, dun colour, fawn, red, black, and a blue sparkling 
black. It flies badly, does not stray far from home, and is 
moderately productive. 
Mixed Runt ( Columba domestica mista). —More elegant 
and active than the preceding. It has been produced by 
crossing the Common Runt with the Batavian Warted Pigeon, 
A small mushroom on the beak, eye pearled, or, but rarely, 
a yellow iris. It differs especially from the Common Runt 
in its legs, which are longer, as well as in its figure, and in 
its thin and long neck; otherwise it has the same plumage, 
dun colour, black, &c. It produces well, and flies better 
than the other, although it has less space between the two 
extremities of the wings. 
Bastard-carrier Runt ( Columba domestica pseudo tabel- 
laria). —This very much resembles the Persian Pigeon, as 
well in its brown plumage, as in its eyes encircled with a 
naked skin, and its nostrils covered with a thick membrane. 
Some authors have thought that these pigeons are employed 
by the inhabitants of Cairo, Aleppo, and Alexandria, to 
carry despatches, but this statement appears very doubtful, 
for this heavy species flies very badly; and as all pigeons 
have the skill of returning to their dovecote when taken 
from it, it does not appear to us at all probable that they 
should have chosen the one decidedly the least capable of 
attaining the desired object. Another and still more con¬ 
vincing reason is, that whatever may have been said by the 
travellers Pietro della valle and Thevenot, no one is more 
astonished than the inhabitants of Cairo, Alexandria, and 
Aleppo, when we talk to them about Carrier Pigeons, of 
which they have not the slightest idea. Further, the 
Bastard-carrier Pigeon no longer exists in France, at least 
we have never seen it there. Willoughby says it is very 
long, and high on its feet. 
Andalusian or Spanish Runt ( Columba domestica bcelica 
nigra). —Always black, or dun colour; head mixed with 
grey feathers ; in other respects, it very much resembles a 
Common Runt Pigeon; a filament round the eyes; no 
tubercle on the nostrils ; the eye pearled. 
Cloaked Runt ( Columba domestica palliata). —The samo 
form; red all over the body except the cloak, which is white; 
a filament round the eyes, and pearled eye. 
Grey Spotted Runt (Columba domestica cincrea punc¬ 
tata). —One of the largest of the race. Beak with mem¬ 
branous nostrils ; a ribbon round the eyes, and iris inclined 
to yellow ; the end of the plumage grey, speckled with black 
all over the body ; the spots closer together on the throat; 
feet slightly shod. This pigeon is very productive. 
Least Feathered-legged Runt (Columba domestica bcclica 
calculosa). —It resembles the Common Runt, but its colour 
is dun or tawny, with the ends of the feathers of the cloak 
and throat of a pale colour, approaching to a clear flame 
colour. It is not rough footed; has a border round the 
eyes, and white iris. Its nostrils are simply membranous. 
This bird is very fruitful. 
Cream-coloured Runt (Columba domestica Candida cafiea). 
—The smallest of the race. It has rather a thick mem¬ 
brane on the nostrils, a filament round the eyes, and a yellow 
iris. Its feet are naked, its plumage is cream colour, with 
two stripes of a deeper colour on the flight. This pigeon, 
which is very pretty, has also the essential quality of being 
very productive. 
Silver Runt ( Columba domestica argenlaia). —The bottom 
of the head white, mixed witli a light slate colour; neck 
