32 THE PIGEON-FANCIER. 



the King of Oude, who is probably owner of the 

 greatest number of choice pigeons in the world, 

 his stock numbering thousands." Affection for 

 animals is innate in the Oriental nature ; this 

 probably^s owing in a great measure to the re- 

 ligious ideas prevalent with them. Mahomet 

 in the Koran tells his followers : " There is no 

 kind of beast on earth, nor fowl that flieth 

 with its wings, but the same is a person like 

 unto you : then unto their Lord shall they 

 return." 



The Oriental, thus instructed to regard animals 

 as his fellow-creatures, and as going on like him- 

 self to an immortal destiny, naturally treats them 

 with respect and with some share of courtesy and 

 benevolence which he manifests for the beings 

 of his own species. The effect of such a system 

 after many years is remarkable. Creatures which 

 in our country fly from man with habitual terror 

 readily enter into his society in the East. I 

 have often in Syria, says Lamartine, seen birds 

 caught in the morning by the children, and per- 

 fectly tame in the evening, having need neither 

 of cage nor string to retain them with the family 

 that had adopted them, but fluttering freely among 

 the oranges and mulberry trees of the garden ; 

 coming when called, and perching of their own 



