CHAP, iv.] ENGLISH CARRIERS. 139 



De Beranger was the poet, or perhaps the prophet of 

 Socialism, and it would have been well for himself, as for 

 others, if all his Chansons had been as harmless as 

 this one. It will be no great loss to the rising genera- 

 tion, if the Pigeons do carry utterly away a great part 

 of M. de B.'s poesie and amours ; but they will cer- 

 tainly remove them riot to the heavens, but to some 

 lower destination. As Carlysle said of Diderot, who- 

 ever has read De Beranger ought to wash thrice in 

 running water under a good hydropathic douche for 

 instance after the perusal, and be clean, if he can, by 

 those means. 



The English Carrier is mostly black in colour, and 

 has the fleshy excrescences around the eyes, and at the 

 base of the bill, much more developed than the Ant- 

 werp birds. It is above the ordinary size of Pigeons, 

 and its form is a happy combination of strength with 

 gracefulness. Its beak is long and straight, in contrast 

 with that of Turbits and Tumblers ; its head is long 

 and oval ; its neck thin and taper. The Antwerp Car- 

 rier is still more slim in its proportions, with great length 

 of wing. Its colour also is more various. Well-bred 

 birds of both varieties are often kept during their 

 whole lives in dealers' cages, and then little observation 

 of their movements can be made ; but when indulged 

 with liberty they are impetuous and active, even more 

 so than the Rock Dove, which would be the next best 

 bird to employ as a letter-carrier. Such incarcerated 

 birds can sometimes be bought with a warranty of their 

 having never been flown, but even then great caution 

 must be exercised in letting them out for the first time. 

 They are apt, in their joy at emancipation, to dart off in 

 a straight line, as if by some instinctive impulse, even 



