Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-26
PIGEONS. PEyUlTARETIEs.
Some Points lA6OI;t Ea1tGiis, POHters.
TGniaie-s, Carriers and JucOSiIis.
From the New York Sun.


counter in the bird fancier's store. while the
al it admiringly. Occasionally the pigeon in
fated its neck, lowered its head, and went
round and round in q circle. at the same time
cooipc loudly. The green parrot in tie window
stared at it with manifest discomfort. and the
white racaw, which usually amused itself by
watching the goldfish, shriekcd.
g IIeis the handsomest fanta pigeon that
have ever SEEN the bird fancier said. - Just
received him and his mate from a friend who
lives in the country. The pair cost IS. but /
would not sell them for considerably more. Just
look at his tail have counted thirty two large
feathers in it. You see the fan is double. Tie
female bird is in that cage there"
The pigeon referred to was not so large as tic
one on the counter. She was more deiicateiy
omit. The meek was graceful and slender. and
there was sinai! white crest on the hack OF the
head. Her tail. however, was as iuli as tina: of
TIE other, but was not so much spread.
Nv ~ do you not let her cut Oh the counter.
too" the reporter inquired.
she is too timd. Just watch her moment
and You will see by the motion of her neck and
the tWitching CT her wings that she is afraid
and is on the alert for danger. intend to keep
the pair for breeding. and have great hopes
iCr Their progeny. fantail pigeons according
~ KY htStN. uic the HdAuSOlIcSb Oh the ttlisle
pigeons. never saw one which was not per-
lectiy graceful. They fly prettly, and grow
tame very easily"
Are there many varieties of fancy piceors?"
Il think that there are about twenty. The
best known are the iantas sO-called because
their tails look like a spread fan: the .Iacohin
which has on It's head q ruff of raised feathers
Ike the mood OF a monk: the pouter, which can
initiate its ccS0pha@uS until it distorts Itself cut
OF all reasonable shape; the tunnbler, wiicl ir5
high in the air and then drops down -tumbng
over and over like an acrobat sprinrlnm from a
traIeze. and the carrier pigeon, which is often
used to carry letters miles and miles. The Jaco-
bin IS nos 4 bad looking pigeon. 1t is small
aid elegantly shaped. 1t generally has white
wings and tail and a brown hood"
What particular beauty is there in the pou-
teri"
II never could see any. 1t swells up its neck
until It's head can scarcely be seen Then it re-
vol7cs Itself as though on pivot and acts as
il it thought Itself the swell pigeon of the town.
They are rather costly, and sometimes sell as
hiLh rs so pair. They often grow very large,
and are much sought by pigeon f;inciers."
Are there many pigeon faucicrs?"
Quite large number There are more. how
ever. in the country than in the cities. Tie
pigeon is 4 most curious bird. and its habits are
really Interesting. | have studied their rcculi-
aIities for years, and l don't know what has
gwen NE greater satisfaction"
They are not considered remark able"
THAT is because they are not generally I'M
derst0od ls0metimes think that they can al
most reason inteiiScntly, and know that they
communicate with each other some wav. I've
seen pigeon leave its coop and fly of. and be
gone maybe two hours. Then it returned. ac-
coananicd by two other pigeons. Which at once
proceeded to take up their residence on the
premises. friend of mine who lives up town
was very partial 10 pigeons. and erected III his
rear yard large pigeon house. in which
were sixteen compartments. He had seven or
EIGHT pairs OF Pigeons. some 0fwhfch were valu-
able. Every morning he fed them with cracked
corn and wheat, and, as he had plenty of leisure
watched then for hours. One morning he missed
a pair of iantais. and thought that some one
might have climbed over the fence at night and
stolen them. The following morning there VIZ S
another pair less at the feeding spot but he
noticed that on top Of the pigeon house were
two gray pigeons which did not make any effort
TO eat with the other pigeons. When the meal
was over and the pigeons We're back on the house
tn" strangers went among the others in most
hu'in"sa-lihe way. Nv friend says that it looked
for all the world as if they We're TRYING to per-
snade his pigeons to do something unusual
Willie he was watching the strangers flew away
followed 10y another pair of his pigeons which
did not return. The next day the GRAY common
pigeons showed up promptly, and in less than IL
fortnight from the time that he missed the first
pair he had not pigeon left"
Did he ever find cut what became of them?r
''lie thought that they could not be very far
oil. and. learning that q grocer who lived
dozen blocks away hsd great many pigeons
he spoke 20 him of his loss. The grocer took
him to his stable yard, where he saw all his
pigeons. The grocer laughed and said that he
had pair OF gray pigeons which had brought
more than hundred strange pigeons to his
place. Ny friend got his pigeons back and
took them home again. Pigeons cant be kept
at home il they don't want to stay, unless their
wings are clipped or they are kept cOoped up.
In the first instance. there are b" chances that
the neighbors' cats viii eat them, and in the
second. there is no satisfaction in having
pigeons if YOU can't see them flying around. If
you want to keep pigeons buy pair Of pigeons,
and put them ill one OF the compartments of the
house. and then put piece Of wood against the
door. so that they cannot get out. Of course.
you must not shut out ali the air. Keep them
there overnight, and then. after throwing some
feed about the house. take away the obstruc-
ton. They will probably come out and fly to
nei@hboring house top. BY and by they will
fly back to your pigeon house, and week later
you cannot drive them away"
DO fanc;ers lose pigeons which are not en-
tic"d away by other pigeons:"
"freduently Pigeons like company. and are
likely 10 go where there ere large gatherings
There is brewery up town that has mere
pigeons to the square foot than any place | have
ever sccn-I couldn't begin to tell how MANY
Most OF them. I'm told, were never bought by
the prOplletors. but were either attracted by the
one can keep pigeons within the radius of
mile of the brewery"
''What are the characteristics of pigeons?"
81 could not begin to describe them all. They
are nOticeabiy aiiec; tomato. and il was probably
from this reason the anCieRts held them sacred
to Venus A pigeon. YOU know. was said to
have been her constant attendant. Pigeons are
also very jealous. I've noticed a male pigeon
get into great rage because it happened to see
another pigeon near its mate, and drive it out of
the DcighbOrhOod'
How does the male pigeon act when the te-
male is sitting:'
Very considerably indeed. Why ne sits on
the eggs half the time. while the female flies
around and stretches her wings They seem to
or the other thinks it ought to be relieved The
Young pigeons are the u9iest things in the
world. Ill attempt to describe them They are
perfectly helpless, and for a long time they are
entirely destitute Of feathers They pass their
time squeaking for food which is given to them
10y their parents even when they are good-sized
pigeons. 1t is amusing to see them fed
Are there very handsome wild pigeons:'
Yes. indeed. there are. There is pigeon
tiful. 1t is about eighteen inches long and has
a pale blush gray body. with gOiden-green
back. wings and tail, and is OF q deep chest
varies with every motion, and rivals the hues
OF the hulnming bird. 1t is called the nutmeg
pigeon, think. because it's chief food is the
nutmeg. 1t also eats figs"
There is one thing about pigeons which l
fn M y fI,n ;,,l