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THE
Country Lady's
DIRECTOR
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JANUARY
I Shall in this Month take particular notice of the Pigeon, whose
Characteristicks are chiefly to have short Legs, and their Feet of a
reddish Colour, to have long Wings, and to be quick of Flight; in which the
spreading of their Tail-Feathers greatly contribute, as well as to guide
them in the Air. They by for the most part two Eggs for one sitting, and so
more; but breed often in the Year. When Pigeons are once paired, it is
observed they are very constant to one another, and assist each other in
the Incubation or Sitting on the Eggs, as well as in bringing up and
feeding the young ones; and moreover it is remarkable, that a Pigeon has no
Gall-Bladder.
The sorts are, first, the blue wild Pigeon, which is the most frequent in
Dove-Cotes, but is not very large, nor disposed to breed so early in the
Spring as some others: they are, however, a hardy kind, and will thrive any
where, if there is plenty of Water; for tho' they are not of a watery Race,
yet it is observable, that they covet to be where it is, and that they feed
frequently upon the Banks of Rivers and Ponds. I have known that where
there were two Dove-Cotes, that stood within a Mile of one another, and one
of them was near a River, and the other remote from it, the Pigeons of the
House distant from the Water, left their Habitation to reside in that next
the River, even tho' they had an Allowance of good Feed at home.
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