296 FANCY PIGEONS. 



"The only tiling that seems inclinable to favour the Opinion, 

 that they are original, is a strain of this kind brought over 

 from Scanderoon, which will fly very great Lengths and very 

 swift ; but still the Answer readily occurs, that they may be 

 bred originally the same way at Scanderoon, and so transmitted 

 to us, however, non nostrum est inter vos tantas componere Lites, 

 that is, we shan't take upon us to determine such Controver- 

 sies as these. 



"There are of this kind, of all Manners of Feathers; but 

 the Blue and Blue-pieds are most noted to be genuine and 

 good, and if flown are very good breeders. 



"These are one of the sorts of Pigeons that are chiefly 

 made Use of in England, for the carriage of Letters, or fly- 

 ing of Wagers; because those that are possess'd of the true 

 original Carriers, which are at present very scarce here, pay 

 too dear, and have too great a Value for them, to risque 

 their being lost upon every trifling wager. 



" These Pigeons when regularly flown, twice on a Day, that 

 is, turn'd out alone and put upon wing without any others, 

 will fly very large Circumferences, so that after they have 

 made a Tour or two round your own House, they will fly 

 four or five Miles out at Length and so maintain the Circuit 

 for an Hour or two: This the Fancyers call going an End, 

 and is what Daniel Moggs, who was one of the oldest Fan- 

 cyers, meant, when he jocularly us'd to bid his Pigeons 

 maintain their Length. 



" This Practice is of admirable Service to 'em, when they 

 come to be train'd for the homing Part." 



And the following is the whole of what Moore says about 

 the Dragoon: 



"This Pigeon is absolutely and without dispute a bastard 

 Strain, being bred originally between a Horseman and a 

 Tumbler, and by matching their breed often to the Horse- 

 man, they will obtain a tolerable Degree of Stoutness. 



"This Pigeon is a very good breeder, and as they are 



