- Antiquiijj — TJie Carrier, 179 



source of amusement, and of gratification to 

 the eye, as well as of profit, in the article of 

 provision for the table. Among certain of 

 the nations of antiquity, however, pigeons 

 were held sacred; and their lives no one 

 dared assail. The useful qualification of 

 MEssExNGER, appertaining to the Asiatic and 

 African species of the pigeon, is of high an- 

 tiquity ; and we read, in the time of the 

 Crusades, of an Arabian prince, who had 

 a sort of telegraphic commmiicaiion kept 

 up in his dominions, through the instrumen- 

 tality of pigeons, which carried letters, and 

 were regularly relieved at the appointed 

 posts. From those, doubtless, the breed ce- 

 lebrated in Europe, under the name of the 

 CARRIER, has proceeded. 



In modern times, those varieties v^hich 

 are kept for the purposes of amusement and 

 show, are styled fancy breeds, and they 

 form a distinct article of commerce in cities 

 and great towns, i!ae varieties, as txic^ 

 chance to be in fashion, bringing a consi- 

 derable price. In London, the pigeon fan- 

 ciers inimemorially, I believe, have had a 



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