364 FANCY PIGEONS. 



500 miles. Twice have races been organised from Rome to 

 Belgium, a distance of some 900 miles, but with so little 

 success, both as to time and the percentage of returns, that it 

 is now recognised that this long fly can only be attained at 

 too great a sacrifice. 



The following interesting account of the origin of the Belgian 

 Homing Pigeons was sent to me, in 1880, by M. Yictor La 

 Perre de Boo, so well known on the Continent for his researches 

 into the subject, and as the adviser of nearly all the Con- 

 tinental Governments as to the adoption of these pigeons for 

 war purposes. 



" As regards the Belgian Homing Pigeons, they are very much 

 like our street dogs (chiens de rue) ; they are the result of 

 numerous crossings between the Carrier and the different 

 varieties of pigeons which existed in Belgium about a century 

 ago. In other words, they are degenerated Carriers, as the 

 wattle on the upper mandible of the beak and round the eye 

 shows clearly. Some have thick, short beaks ; but as a rule 

 they have thin beaks, like those sent you by M. Gere. 



" There are some birds with round heads, very short beaks, and 

 frills like Owls ; but they are very small birds, and are not so 

 much liked in Belgium as the large Antwerp birds, their wings 

 not being so powerful. These birds have undoubtedly been 

 obtained by crossing the degenerated Carrier with the Owl. 



" The Carrier was brought to Belgium by Dutch sailors, got 

 neglected, and soon degenerated. 



" There are also birds with white eyes, and these are supposed 

 to be a cross between the degenerated Carrier and the Pigeon 

 Volant, or Highflier (the Cumulet). 



"But all these birds have been crossed, as I state in my 

 book, dans nos fermes et nos basses cours, with the Pigeon 

 Biset (the Blue Bock Pigeon) and all the other varieties of 

 pigeons which existed in Belgium a century ago, as is gene- 

 rally the case with pigeons which are kept only for table 

 purposes. 



