TRAINING PIGEONS IN THE EAST. 173 



to their qualities, as baghah qarapilk (with hlack eyelids), abyari, 

 palangnigari, rekhtah i)ilk. There are also many Pigeons which 

 do not perforin charkhs and bazis, but are distinguished by their 

 colours or by peculiar tricks. Thus (1) the Kokah Pigeon, the 

 voice of which sounds like the call to prayer ; (2), the Baghah, 

 which utters a peculiar voice in the morning to wake up people ; 

 (3), the Luqqan, which struts about proudly, wagging its head, 

 neck, and tail ; (I), the Lotan : they turn it about, and let it off 

 on the ground, when it will go through all motions which a half- 

 killed fowl goes through. Some Pigeons will do so when the 

 keeper strikes his hand against the ground, and others will show 

 the same restlessness when on leaving the cage their beak is made 

 to touch the ground; (5), the K'herni. The cock shows a 

 remarkable attachment to the hen : though he fly up so high as 

 to be no longer visible, if the hen be exposed in a cage, he will 

 get restless and drop himself instantly down to join her. This is 

 very remarkable. Some of them come down with both wings 

 spread, others close one ; some close both, or they change 

 alternately the wing which they close in flying; (C>), the Rafh 

 Pigeon is chiefly used for carrying letters, though any other kind 

 may be trained to bring letters even from great distances ; (7), the 

 Nishawari Pigeon will fly up, and follow its cage to whatever place 

 it be taken. It will fly out of sight, and stay away for a day or 

 two, when it comes down and remains in its cage ; (8), the Parpa 

 'having feet covered with feathers) will inhale air (?), and act as 

 if it sighed. 



Some Pigeons are merely kept for the beauty of their 

 plumage, the colours of which receive peculiar names. Thus 

 they are called shirazi, shustari, kashani, jogiyah, rezahdahan, 

 magasi, and qumri. Wild Pigeons are called golah. If some of 

 them are caught they will be joined by a thousand others; they 

 soon get domesticated. They return daily to the fields, and get 

 on their return salt-water to drink ; this makes them vomit the 

 grain which they had eaten in the fields. The grain is collected, 

 and given as food to other Pigeons. 



People say that Pigeons will but rarely live above thirty 

 years. 



Four sers of grain will be sufficient for one hundred of such 

 Pigeons as are made to fly ; but for other Pigeons five sers are 

 required, or seven and a half if they pair. But flying Pigeons 



