34 SIIECARRIE'S METHOD OF 



had exercise enough, he calls them by whist- 

 ling loudly; upon which they immediately de- 

 scend, and fly straight into the cage or box. 

 They are sometimes allowed to run about the 

 streets to pick up grain strewed by the market 

 people, but they return to their houses when- 

 ever called. Many of them have brass bells 

 fastened to their legs, which tingle as they 

 run about; I believe they are put on chiefly for 

 ornament, yet I think it probable that they 

 keep offkites and hawks from darting on them. 



The natives are not only expert at training- 

 pigeons, which the w r ealthy often Jiy for large 

 sums of money, but they are equally adroit in 

 stealing them. I had a couple of the Viziers 

 large pigeons given to me, which I valued as a 

 curiosity; in less than a month they were sto- 

 len, 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. 



