eafier terms than in their abfolutely wild ftate, they are for the
moft part fatisfied with their fituation; yet thefe may be called
but half domefticated, as they vary but little in colour, and are
very apt to return to fuch haunts as one may fuppofe them to
have firft pofleffed in their wild ftate. But it is far otherwife
with what are called tame Pigeons: thefe, looking only to their
keeper for food, fearch no further ■, nay, were they deprived of
that, would be near perifhing for want, not being accuftomed to
provide for themfelves. I mean here thofe kept by Pigeon fan-
tiers, who teach them to bear the confinement of the houfej and,
finding therein plenty of meat and drink, they have no occafion to
regret the want of liberty. Indeed there are many Pigeons kept
by various people, which are called tame, but are not attended
to with that degree of ftri&nefs which the fancy Pigeons are;
and though they may find fome food at home, yet are obliged to
feek the remainder abroad.
In its wild ftate the Pigeon has two broods in a year, but in
its firft ftate of confinement in the dove-houfe fometimes three;
and fo on in proportion, to their almoft total confinement, or
domeftic ftate; for in this laft cireumftance they lay fo often as
ten and even twelve times in a year. This, on confideration,
will not appear fo wonderful as at firft might be imagined, as it
alfo holds good in feveral kinds of poultry, the origin of which
is well known not to vary in the wild ftate. But this is not all j
for it is to this ftate of domeftication, if I may fo call it, that we
are indebted for all the varieties of the fineft fruit, luxuriant
vegetables for the table, and variety without end of the flowering
part of the creation ; wholly occafi'oned by culture, and all of
which will again degenerate, as well as thofe of the animal creation,
on their return to a ftate of nature.
3 Pigeons
Pigeons feldom or .never lay more than two eggs at a time 5
they fit from fourteen to feventeen days before the young are
hatched; and it is for the moft part obferved, that one proves a
male, the other a female *.
Befides their being efteemed as a delicacy for the table, they
are valued on other accounts. Their dung is thought to be fo
good amendment for fome kinds of land, that it has been fetched
fixteen miles, and a load of coals has been given for a load of i t f :
it is alfo ufed for tanning the upper-leathers of Ihoes, as well
as applied as a catapldfm to this day.. Indeed formerly falt-petre
was collected from it. The greateft ufe of Pigeons is at IJpahan
in Perfia, where there are7 recorded to be above three thoufand
Pigebn.-houfes, and thefe kept by the 'Turks alone, as Chrijlians.
are not allowed to keep any J. Tavernier fays, that their dung
is ufed to fmoke melons. The ufual way taken to entice Pigeons
to remain where they are intended, is to place what is called a
J‘alt-cat near them j this is compofed of loam, old rubbijh, and:
fa ll, and will fo effe&ually anfwer the purpole as to decoy them
from-other places, and is therefore held illegal.
♦ Trifling as this number may appear, yet on fuppofition that we allow Pigeons>
to breed nine times in the year, the produce from a Angle pair, at the end of
four years, may amount to the number of 14,762. See Amcen. Ac. vol. ii. p.
3#.— StillingfleePs Trails, 75.—Linnaus makes the number amount to more than
18,0004
t Plat.
t Dr. Pococke mentions the frequency of Pigeon-boufet in Egypt ; adding, that
the Pigeon-houfe is reckoned a great part, of the ellate of the hulbandman ; and
the common proverb in thole parts is, that a man who has a Pigeon-houfe need
not be careful about the. dilpofal. of his daughter. See Pococke* s Travels, vol. i.
p. 2io* pi. 8.
We