30 SHECARRIE'S METHOD OF 



pigeons, which the wealthy often fly for large sums 

 of money, but they are equally adroit in stealing 

 them. I had a couple of the Vizier's large 

 pigeons given to me, which I valued as a curiosity ; 

 in less than a month they were stolen, with several 

 other rare and pretty ones ; the common pigeons 

 that were kept in the same place all remained ; so 

 I concluded that they did not think them worth 

 the trouble and risk of taking away. 



Wild blue pigeons are plentiful throughout In- 

 dia, and in the upper provinces they may be met 

 with in such very large flights as few would 

 believe without seeing. Green pigeons are also 

 common in India; they never alight on the 

 ground, are always in trees, and most commonly 

 in the wild fig, which is their principal food, where 

 it is very difficult to discern them, their colour 

 being so exactly like the leaves. 



In the lower parts of Bengal, wild ducks, wid- 

 geon, and teal, are often taken by means of 

 earthern pots ; a number of these pots are floated 

 amongst them in the lakes where they abound, to 

 the sight of which they soon become reconciled, 

 and approach them fearlessly. A man then goes 

 into the water up to his chin, with one of 



