Connecticut western news., 1886-12-29
FANCY PIGEONS.
Something About Their Char
 acter and Value.
Costly Because T.s vttietisa are Scarce and
 Beautiful. |

OoauIiiuls
 "Piease tell me something about pig eons," said New York Tribune repor- ter the other day to one of the most ex- tensive dealers in those birds in the' city.
 ''The varieties you see here are limited,' he said, Gas keep only stock that is fancy in the strictest sense and there fore dear. Here are Jacobins, so called, I presume, from the peculiar shape of their head feather, which resembles the Phrygian cap; they are very beautiful birds and with the barbs, pouters and carriers bring high prices. Ihave known pair of barbs to bring $500, and I myself have sold one for $40. They are dear because they are scarce and they are beautiful, the two things that give value to diamonds and very pretty women. Pouters are also very rare birds; they do not breed as fast as the ordinary pigeon, and are therefore in demand. Carriers are valuable be- cause they are useful, and it is to me 8 matter of surprise that they are not utilized in this country more than they are. They are now raised and kept for the amusement of connoisseurs, and yet the time may come when it will be a matter of regret that the birds have been neglected"
 "How do you make that out9"
 "Well, you know they are useful in war for carrying dispatches when all other means of communication arc in possession of the enemy. They were used by the confederates in the civil war, and extensively in France in the Franco. German war. Now the newspapers say our Navy is not worth much and our coast is comparatively defcnceless. If this is true, what is to prevent British or even Turkish fleet taking possession of New York, Philadelphia and Balti- more and the force accompanying them breaking up or possessing the railroad and telegraph lines centering in these citiesa Answer me that"
 "True, but what kind of bird is this, the white and browna"
 "That is tumbler. These birds also bring high prices. They love to fly high 1 into the air, until they are almost lost to sight, and thes, turning somersault after somersault, descend with great rapidity until they almost touch the ground"
 "Why do they do thats"
 'T really can't say. Pigeons are not communicative as rule, but I presume it amuses them. There are different sorts ot tum mblers. Some make mighty efforts to perform somersault, but can. not accomplish it; they can only go hall way, which is termed 'fall,' and again others of them can do three-quarters which is tipping the head and tail.' That pretty milk-white bird is nun, so called from he1 feathery hood, and he with the big craw is pouter. Pouters grow to large size. Oh, yes; pigeons breed very fast, almost as fast as rabbitts and if it were not for the fact that they have so many enemies would soon become nuisance. The common run have young ones once every two months, and it is not unusua to see pair feeding their 'squealers while breaking their shell to assist later progeny into this wicked world.
 should say there are hundreds of thou sands of them in New York, chief, owned by Germans, who are great raiser and importers of pigeons and canaries 1 What we call fancy birds, however, ar' not good breeders; if they were the. would be no longer fancy. Of cours large numbers of pigeons are eaten Most people like pigeon pie, and ther are eplcures among us who consum large numbers of pigeons eggs, raw ant cooked. The ladies say they are goo' for the complexion. Owing to this an' the causes already stated-seeing tha the average pigeon lives eight years the birds do not increase as rapiply a they otherwise would if left undis | +nrha6