104 Mr. E. Blyth's Drafts for a Fauna Indica. 



of which are, besides, kept chiefly by the Moguls in the Upper 

 Provinces, and it is there that observations should be recorded of 

 them. A chapter is devoted to the rearing of pigeons in the 

 Ayeen Akbaree, and a number of breeds or races enumerated ; 

 but nothing definite can be understood of their distinguishing 

 characters. The different kinds are chiefly esteemed for perform- 

 ing sundry aerial evolutions, and returning at once from any 

 height at an accustomed signal. But to quote the work cited : 

 " There are also many other beautiful pigeons, which, although 

 they neither wheel nor tumble in the air, yet perform many 

 pleasing tricks ; amongst these are the following : — The Kowkhj 

 which seems to say the words yak-roo. The Luckeh [fantail'], 

 whose cooing is very agreeable, and he carries his head with 

 astonishing pride and stateliness. The Lowtun, who upon being 

 shaken, and then put upon the ground, jumps about with strange 

 convulsive motions.^' [This may be seen at any of the Calcutta 

 bird-dealers ; shaken two or three times in the hand, and the 

 head more especially, the poor bird tumbles about in a fit for 

 some seconds, when the owner recovers it by blowing hard in 

 its face. They are chiefly black and white and bare-legged, with 

 a crested occiput, but present no other marked distinction.] 

 '' The Kehrnee, who has such amazing affection for his hen, that 

 when he has flown out of [human] sight, if she is exposed in a 

 cage, he instantly drops down upon it ; they descend either with 

 both wings spread, or with one open, or else with both shut. 

 The Ruhteh is a pigeon famous for carrying letters ; but any 

 pigeon may be taught to do this. The Neshwaree ascends in the 

 air till he is out of sight, and remains so [«. e. absent ?] for a day 

 or two, after which he alights on the ground. There are also 

 many other kinds that are valuable only on account of their 

 beauty, such as the Sherazee^, the Shushtree, the ShashenUf the 

 Jougeeah, the Rezehdehn, the Muggessee, the Komeree, and the 

 Gowlah ; the last [or intermedia in its natural state] is a wild 

 pigeon, of which, if a few are taken, they are speedily joined by 

 a thousand others of their kind. There are people who obtain a 

 livelihood by sending these pigeons to feed abroad, and making 

 them vomit up the grain, by giving them water strongly impreg- 

 nated with salt. A pigeon is said to live to the age of thirty 

 years.^^ Among the kinds commonly bred about Calcutta 

 are fine Powters (Gulla-p'hoola-f), both feather-legged and bare- 

 legged ; Fantails {Luckah) of indisputable merit, but poor help- 

 less monstrosities, except in the eyes of connoisseurs, some of 



* Sarajoo, Beng. A large black pigeon, with white rump, quills and 

 under-parts from the throat; generally very true to this colouring. 

 t 'Swollen throat,' or, litevaWy, full gullet {gula). 



