TRAINING PIGEONS IN THE EAST. 255 



any feats, still delight many people by their variegated colours. 

 Koka, for instance, charms us by its melodious voice. In my 

 opinion, however, Yahu is the Pigeon whose voice is indeed 

 charming ; but any Pigeon which coos musically is called Yahu : 

 they coo every morning like devotees. Bugha awakens us at dawn 

 with its sweet notes ; it has probably derived its name from the 

 guttural sounds which it produces. Abul Fazl (or, as he was 

 also called, Allami), observes that Laka has a very haughty 

 bearing, and moves its tail and neck in an ostentatious manner. 

 But Alai {i. e. the writer) says that the Laka breed still exists, 

 and really struts very gracefully. Allami remarks that the Lotan 

 breed when released becomes agitated, and flutters on the ground 

 like a wounded bird, or one that has been half- sacrificed; some- 

 times it will begin to flutter if an open hand is struck on the 

 ground before it, and sometimes also when it comes out of its 

 cage and touches the ground with its bill. This kind of Pigeon 

 has a white crest on the head, and as it has a great deal of 

 moisture or humidity in the head it is apt to flutter about as if 

 wounded. This fluttering is of three kinds — viz. dusti, kalami, 

 and havai. If you give it a shake, by grasping its neck between 

 your fingers, it will fall over and flutter, and this is called dasti ; 

 secondly, if it fall and flutter on your striking it with your finger 

 on the bill it is kalami; thirdly, when it falls over, through 

 fright, or even at the flight of a bird overhead, it is called havai. 



Khirni Pigeons are noted for their flying. Abul Fazl says the 

 male flies so high in the air that it almost disappears from view, 

 but as soon as the female is brought out in a cage and shown, the 

 male at once descends and is soon by her side. In coming down 

 some of these Pigeons descend with one wing contracted and the 

 other expanded, while others have both extended or both pressed 

 closely to their sides. I say that this Khimi Pigeon is not 

 Kheira, for this is only the name of a colour, viz., a Sabz Pigeon, 

 with a white head, but not spotted. It has, moreover, no such 

 quality as above stated. Hence this Khimi Pigeon is quite dif- 

 ferent from the Vilaite Pigeon. Here in India no one has ever 

 heard of a Pigeon so attached to its mate that it comes down 

 from the air at the sight of it, though all Pigeons are more or less 

 attached to their mates, and will fly down to them from the 

 adjoining walls or houses. They evidently recognise them, and 

 seldom leave them alone when they are about to lay. 



