357 HOMING PIGEONS. 



that of tlie flying Tumbler on a large scale. Although some 

 birds have measured more, Ifin. in face, from the point of 

 the beak to the centre of the eye, may be considered the 

 standard for a cock of the Tumbler type, hens being about 

 y^gin. less. 



The Antwerp Carrier Pigeon. 



On the Continent, the pigeon now chiefly used for match 

 flying is the Antwerp Carrier, or Belgian Yoyageur, which 

 has been bred from a judicious mixture of several long and 

 high-flying varieties. The first of these — a pigeon that can 

 itself do long distances — is the Smerle of Liege, which is 

 quoted in Mr. Tegetmeier's book as capable, when matured, of 

 doing 500 miles in twelve hours, in fine weather. The Smerle 

 is the opposite in appearance of the Dragoon type, being 

 arched and broad in skull, with a short, thick beak, and with 

 evident appearance of Owl descent, some of them even show- 

 ing the frilled breast. The next mixture is the Continental 

 Cumulet, a pigeon noted for the length of time it can keep 

 on the wing. I have seen it mentioned that these pigeons 

 have flown as long as thirteen hours at a stretch, the distance 

 covered during that time being probably several hundred 

 miles. They are of various colours, but blacks and reds, 

 with white tails or white flights, or with both, are known as 

 varieties, while pure whites, ticked with red on the head and 

 neck, are also a well-known race, distinguished in France as 

 Pigeons Volant cou-Bouge. The Cumulet is much alike in 

 size and shape to the common clean-legged flying Tumbler, 

 but is rather longer in beak. It has a pure white iris, which 

 is larger than usual in pigeons, the pupil being small and 

 contracted. The third ingredient of the composite bird now 

 known as the Antwerp Carrier is the English Dragoon, 

 known in Belgium as the Bee-Anglais. The fusion of these 

 three varieties has taken place during the present centiuy, 

 and a race of pigeons has been established remarkable for 



