BIUDS. 2 1 1 



seen, upon these occasions, flying directly into the clouds to iiii 

 amazing height; and then, with the greatest certainty and exact- 

 ness, directing itself, by some surprising instinct, towards home, 

 wliich lies sometimes at many miles distance, bringing its mes- 

 sage to those to whom it is directed. By what marks they dis- 

 cover the place, by what chart they are guided in the right way, 

 is to us utterly unknown ; certain it is, that in the space of an hoar 

 and a half they perform a journey of forty miles ; which is a degree 

 of despatch three times greater than the fleetest quadruped can pcr- 

 foim. These birds are not brought up at present with as much 

 care as formerly, when they were sent from governors in a besieg- 

 ed city to generals that were coming to relieve it without ; when 

 they were sent from princes to their subjects with the tidings of 

 some fortunate event ; or from lovers to their mistresses with 

 expressions of their passion. The only use we now see made of 

 them is to be let fly at Tyburn, when the cart is drawn away : 

 pretty much as when some ancient hero was to be interred, an 

 eagle was let off from the funeral pile, to complete his apotheosis.* 

 The varieties of the tame pigeon are so numerous, that it 

 would be a vain attempt to mention them : so much is the figure 

 and colour of this bird under human control, that pigeon-fanciers, 

 by coupling a male and female of different sorts, can breed them, 



♦ In 17t>5, an experiment was made, by wliicli the velocity of fliglit in theso 

 birds was pretty well ascertained. A gentleman, for a trifling wager, sent 

 a carrier pigeon from London by the coach, to a friend at St Edmondsbury ; 

 and along with it a note, desiring that the pigeon, two days after its arrival 

 there, might be thrown up precisely when the toHTi clock struck nine in the 

 morning. This was accordingly done ; and the pigeon arrived in London, 

 and flew into the Bell Inn in Bishopsgate-street, at half an hour past eleven 

 o'clock of the same morning ; having flown 72 miles in the space of two 

 hours and a half. In 1803, another experiment was made, by which the 

 pigeon was ascertained to perform a distance of 83 miles in three hours and 

 seven minutes. 



Some years ago this animal was made use of for a very extraordinary pur- 

 pose. During the drawing of the Lottery, a gang of sharpers, distributed 

 in various places, devised a scheme for making this bird the instrument of 

 their plunder. One of these was to bring with him a carrier-pigeon, and 

 wait in the Guildhall till a largo prize was drawn, and with all possible des- 

 patch to place the fortunate nmnber luider the wing of the pigeon, and let 

 liim loose. This intelligence was faitlifuUy conveyed to his associate, in a 

 much more specd^ manner than by the usual mode, and he was directed to 

 ensure the number to whatever amount he thought proper. It is probable, 

 tliat from this circumstance might arise tlie application of the common cant 

 icrm pigeon, to any oue w ho had bccu ovcr-reathcd and cheated, 



