



FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
295 


















LAL he 
Pigeon Department. 

MOORE'S WORK ON PIGEONS. 
[Ow1nG to these pages being nearly out of print, very few 
of our readers have had the opportunity of perusing this 
most original and meritorious work on Pigeons, published 
in the year 1735. - The author was a leader, in this fancy, 
of later writers, who have gained some note for merit by 
We will re- 
publish a few pages occasionally of Moore’s work until it is 
merely following his rare and original ideas. 
completed, and thus give our readers an opportunity of 
judging of its merits for themselves. ] 
COLUMBARIUM 
THE PIGEON-HOUSE: 
AN INTRODUCTION 
NATURAL HISTORY 
OF 
TAME PIGEONS, 
GIVING AN 
ACCOUNT OF THE SEVERAL SPECIES KNOWN IN ENGLAND, 
WITH THE METHOD OF BREEDING THEM, THEIR 
DISTEMPERS AND CURES. 
The two chief advantages which a real acquaintance with Nature brings 
to our minds, are first, by instructing our understandings and gratifying 
our curiosities; and next by exciting and cherishing our devotion. 
BoyLe’s EXPERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHY, p. 2. 

BY JOHN MOORE. 

LONDON: 
Printed for J. WILFORD, behind the Chapter-House in St. Paul’s 
Church-Yard. 
1735. 


DEDICATION. 
TO 
SIR WILLIAM STAPLETON, Baroner. 
Sir: If either Philosophy or Novelty have any allure- 
ments, the following performance, I flatter myself, will 
afford you some entertainment. - 
Many subjects the naturalists seem to have exhausted. 
Horses and dogs, and most of the animals that serve for the 
conveniences or amusements of life, have undergone the 
nicest inquiries; while the pigeon, that contributes in some 
measure to both, a domestic as it were of ours, has been 
totally neglected. 
‘With a partiality usually shown to the victor, the hawk - 
has engaged the pen of many a writer; but his prey, that 
seems to fly to us for protection, has scarce met with that, 
which even the wisdom of the legislature has allowed it. 
I have endeavored therefore in the following sheets to 
do some justice to this bird, and have prescribed the best 
methods, which long experience has furnished me with, for 
its propagation and preservation. 
I have wisely learnt from it to seek a proper refuge 
against any ill-natured censures. To this purpose I beg 
leave to prefix your name to this work, and to assure the 
world that you who have purchased pigeons at very con- 
siderable prices, don’t think the subject below your regard, 
and that the author is, 
Your most obedient and most humble servant, 
J. MOORE. 
THE PREFACE. 
TuovueH the History of Birds in general has been given 
us by many hands, and in some parts in a very accurate 
manner, yet the study of this genus of birds seems in a great 
measure to be neglected by most of our naturalists, who 
have given us but very short cursory descriptions of some 
of the species, in which notwithstanding they have been 
guilty of many great mistakes, and entirely left out many 
others in their lists. It has amazed me to see so great an 
indolence on this particular branch spread itself in such an 
universal manner through all our ornithologists, especially 
considering the vast opportunities they have had, or might 
have had, to have given their readers the utmost satisfaction 
by the most exact and ample descriptions. It is notorious 
to all mankind, what vast numbers of these birds in all the 
species have been and are still kept in this kingdom, not 
only by persons in a lower rank of life, but even by persons 
of the greatest distinction and the first degrees of quality, 
who have held these birds in so great esteem, that they have 
endeavored to attain at least an experimental knowledge of 
them, purchasing, at a great expense, as many of the distinct 
sorts as they could hear of, and cultivating them in their 
own houses. Richard Atherton, Esq., of Atherton Hall, in 
Lancashire, who was a gentleman both of will and ability 
to prosecute his fancy in this branch of natural history, was 
building a stately house in Lancashire, on the top of which 
he designed to have four turrets, in which his pigeons were 
to be disposed according to the nearness of relation between 
the different species, but death put an end to the undertaking 
in the year 1726, to the immense grief of all those gentlemen 
( To be continued.) 
