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A HISTORY OF 



let fly at Tyburn, when the cart is drawn 

 away; pretty much as when some ancient hero 

 was to be interred, an eagle was let off from 

 the funeral pile, to complete his apotheosis. 8 

 The varieties of the tame pigeon are so nu- 

 merous, that it would be a vain attempt to 

 mention them : so much is the figure and co- 

 lour of this bird under human control, that 

 pigeon-fanciers, by coupling a male and fe- 

 male of different sorts, can breed them, as 

 they express it, to a feather. From hence 

 we have the various names of croppers, carriers, 

 jacobines, powters, runts, and turbits: all birds 

 that at first might have accidentally varied 

 from the stock-dove ; and then, by having 

 these varieties still heightened by food, cli- 

 mate, and paring, different species have been 

 produced. But there are many species of 

 the wild pigeon, which, though bearing a 

 strong affinity to the stock-dove, are, never- 

 theless, sufficiently different from it to de- 

 serve a distinct description. The ring-dove 

 is of this number; a good deal larger than 

 the former, and building its nest with a few 

 dry sticks, in the boughs of trees. This 

 seems a bird much fonder of its native free- 

 dom than the former; and attempts have 

 been frequently made to render it domestic; 

 but they have hitherto proved fruitless, for 

 though their eggs have been hatched by the 

 tame pigeon in a dove-house, yet, as soon as 

 they could fly, they always betook themselves 

 to the woods where they were first produced. 

 In the beginning of winter these assemble in 

 great flocks in the woods, and leave off coo- 



In the Annual Register for the year 1765, we read of 

 an experiment which was made, by which the velocity of 

 flight in these birds was pretty well ascertained. A gen- 

 tleman, for a trifling wager, sent a carrier-pigeon from 

 London by the coach, to a friend at St. Edmondsbury ; 

 and along with it a note, desiring that the pigeon, two 

 days after its arrival there, might be thrown up precisely 

 when the town clock struck nine in the morning. This 

 was accordingly done; and the pigeon arrived in London, 

 and flew into the Bell Inn in Bishopsgnte-street. at half an 

 hour past eleven o'clock of the saim morning ; having 

 flown 72 miles in the space of two hours and a half. 



Some years ago this animal was made use of for a very 

 extraordinary purpose. During the drawing of the Lot- 



ing; nor do they resume this note of court- 

 ship till the beginning of March, when the 

 genial season, by supplying them with food, 

 renews their desires. 



The turtle-dove is a smaller, but a much 

 shyer bird, than any of the former. It may 

 easily be distinguished from the rest by the 

 iris of the eye, which is of a fine yellow, and 

 by a beautiful crimson circle that encompass- 

 es the eye-lids. The fidelity of these birds 

 is noted; and a pair being put in a cage, if 

 one dies the other will not survive it. The 

 turtle-dove is a bird of passage, and few, or 

 none, remain in our northern climates in win- 

 ter. They fly in flocks when they come to 

 breed here in summer, and delight in open, 

 mountainous, sandy countries. But they build 

 their nests in the midst of woods, and choose 

 the most retired situations for incubation. 

 They feed upon all sorts of grain, but are 

 fondest of millet-seed. 



To this short list might be added a long 

 catalogue of foreign pigeons, of which we 

 know little more than the plumage and the 

 names. Indeed, the variety of their plumage 

 is as beautiful, as the names by which they 

 are known are harsh and dissonant. The 

 ocotzimtzcan, for instance, is one of the most 

 splendid tenants of the Mexican forests; but 

 few, I believe, would desire to learn the name, 

 only to be informed that it is covered with 

 purple, green, and yellow, plumage. To de- 

 scribe such birds, the historian's pen is not 

 half such a useful implement as the painter's 

 pencil. 



tery, a gang of sharpers, distributed in various places, de- 

 vised a scheme for making this bird the instrument of 

 their plunder. One of these was to bring with him a car- 

 rier-pigeon, and wait in the Guildhall till a large prize was 

 drawn, and with all possible despatch to place the fortu- 

 nate number under the wing of the pigeon, and let him 

 loose. This intelligence was faithfully conveyed to his 

 associate, in a much more speedy manner than by the 

 usual mode, and he was directed to ensure the number to 

 whatever amount he thought proper. It is probable, that 

 from this circumstance might arise the application of the 

 common cant term pigeon, to any one who had been over- 

 reached and cheated. 



