TRAINING PIGEONS IN THE EAST. 253 



were mated. From the white Pigeons were obtained coloured 

 young ones, and from coloured birds white ones. Different kinds 

 of Pigeons were thus crossed, and the characteristic markings of 

 some were produced in others, to such an extent that the account 

 of these different breeds and their various colours and names 

 filled a large volume. 



Abul Fazl says the Emperor recognised ten grades. I say 

 that these grades indicated their order of merit. The Emperor 

 divided all his Pigeons into several grades. Those of the first 

 grade were the very best of their kind, rare, and obtained at 

 great cost. According to Abul Fazl, they were brought in and 

 sold by poor people, who were paid so much for them by the 

 Emperor that they became rich. Those of the second grade 

 were mongrels, or Doghla, the word being a corruption of Doghal. 

 The Sheikh says that the price of second-grade Pigeons was 

 three rupees per pair; of the third, two and a half; of the 

 fourth, two; of the fifth, one and a half; of the sixth, one; 

 of the seventh, twelve annas ; of the eighth, eight annas ; 

 and of the ninth and tenth, six annas.* He states that 

 amongst the Emperor's Pigeons the descendants of Molina 

 held the first rank, all other breeds giving place, amongst 

 which that called Ashki was regarded as distinct. Then 

 comes the Char-zarahi breed, whose ancestor was one of the 

 Magasi Pigeons of Hayi Alii, of Samarkand. I say that these 

 two breeds, Ashki and Char-zarahi, are quite unknown at the 

 present day, nor does anyone know anything about them. Abul 

 Fazl says that Oodi Pigeons have descended from a cross of these 

 two noted breeds. I understand that Oodi and Magasi birds are 



* The Sheikh mentions three ashts as the price of the ninth- and tenth- 

 grade Pigeons. I have translated " three ashts" as " sis annas," my reason 

 being that asht is not a Persian word. There is, indeed, no such word in 

 Persian, except ashta, which means " haste," and can have no connection 

 here. Besides this the letter t is not in either the Persian or Arabic 

 alphabet, although the soft t or tad is. The hard t is either Hindi or 

 English. Now in Hindi, asht means eight, and the Sheikh, who calls the 

 equivalent of eight annas nirn,—i.e. half a rupee,— meant by three ashts 

 three- eighths of a rupee — i. e. three two-anna pieces, or six annas. Since at 

 that time Bhahsta was the dialect generally spoken, asht was the common 

 name for the then current coin worth two annas ; hence the employment of 

 this term by Abul Fazl. 



