• " First, the female bird laid only one egg at a time. In most cases, she laid only one egg a season. So when hunters began killing millions of birds, more birds died each year than were born.
• " Second, Passenger Pigeons lived in big flocks. That made them good targets for hunters. They also mated more efficiently in big flocks. When the flocks got smaller, the birds didn't have as many offspring.
• " Third, when people cut down the forests where the birds lived, the birds lost their food and shelter.
• " Fourth, Passenger Pigeons were not able to change their habits to save their lives. If they had split into pairs, for instance, they might have lived where there wasn't much food, and hunters wouldn't have shot so many at one time.

Perhaps no other bird has exerted such a strong influence on the imagination of western civilization as the pigeon, or its symbolic ancestor, the dove. The ancient Hebrews celebrated it as a symbol of love and fertility, while the Greeks believed that it carried the original source of life.

Man's fascination with pigeons bore practical aspects, too. The homing instinct (which still escapes scientific explanation) and the grace and quickness of pigeons in flight made them invaluable in wartime.

Kligerman begins his journey into the world of pigeons with the words of Pat Sottile, a devoted Brooklyn pigeon fancier: "On the roof . . . you're a natural enemy. In the streets you're friends. But... on the roof . . . its dog eat dog. You raise up your flock? I'm gonna raise up mine ... to get yours. 'Here we are introduced to Greenpoint's own special breed of pigeon fancier and la guerra, the pigeon game as it is played in New York'.

In Belgium, the pigeon-racing capital of the world, however, the pigeon fanciers are of another class altogether. Here, crack Racing Homers are raised in aristocratic circles where gentility reigns supreme. In Europe, too, we learn of the fabulous dovecotes of centuries ago that housed thousands of pigeons at once.

If the history and lore of pigeons are rich, then certainly A Fancy for Pigeons reflects the phenomenon. Whether Kligerman is bringing to us the excitement of pigeon-racing, the painstaking preparation involved in showing pigeons, or the colorful personalities of those who have become enamored of this fabulous bird, he presents his subject with charm and contagious admiration. Including valuable information on the craft of raising pigeons and appendixes of the major pigeon associations and journals, they are all here-Tumblers, Flights, Homers, and Pouters-superbly illustrated and lovingly described in this truly unique birding adventure."

A good read for anyone. Not just the pigeon fancier.

$40 24oz 1971 Very good issue, but previous owners have name stamp and have written page numbers next to the breeds in the index to help find them quickly. A nice touch for ease of use and should have been printed as part of the index, but it detracts from its original condition.

Ed's book of laughs is just that, a book full of cartoons about the hobby. These great cartoons were certainly written for those in the hobby and pokes just about all of the hobbies idiosyncrasies. To any fancier, each cartoon will bring a chuckle as it reminds them of similar experiences of their very own. This paperback gem was published in 1966 in Great Britain and we have seen nothing like it since, unfortunately. A truly rare piece that is in excellent condition with of course some tanning from age.

As the title page proclaim, Chas. Siegel's was America's largest pigeon supply house and one of the oldest as well. This catalog was published when catalogs were still substantial, and this one numbered R-67 was most probably published for that year, but certainly no later than 1971 as determined by the selling price of APJ's at $3 per year. APJ's went to $4 per year in January of 1972. It is a very good source of pigeon memorabilia and even some comical relief. The change in pricing is always interesting. For just one example the small leg message bands used by the armed services during WWII were $4.75 per dozen. Today, when you can find one, they are closer to $15 each.