50 PIGEON RAISING 



win states, is where the homing pigeon has got- 

 ten his power of endurance, fleetness, and the 

 wonderful feat of carrying his crop full of food 

 undigested through an entire day's flight, the 

 operation of digestion being stayed during flight 

 in order to feed the young at the nest. 



The rock-pigeon also has a deep love of 

 home, a trait that has been carried down 

 through centuries of breeding in an unblem- 

 ished state to his latest fancy descendant. 



It is supposed that pigeons were first domes- 

 ticated solely for the purpose of supplying the 

 table; at least an early record, more than 3,000 

 years B. C., signifies their use for that purpose 

 by the Egyptians; also in the Bible, Numbers 

 11:32, "homers" are spoken of as food for 

 the Israelites. 



From this we should conclude that the hom- 

 ing variety was the first deviation from the 

 parent stock. He certainly comes nearer in ap- 

 pearance and is invariably used as the staple 

 rejuvenator of the other varieties when weak- 

 ened by too much inbreeding. No other species 

 of bird has been studied with the same degree 

 of care that he has. For centuries this breed 

 has been employed in war, in sport, and in many 

 scientific experiments. The reason he has been 

 so largely used for homing is due to the fact 



