TRAINING PIGEONS IN THE EAST. 257 



other Pigeons are fed on a mixture of seven kinds of grain, viz., 

 nee, pulse or chana, moonz, china, kajar or kojar (a product of the' 

 eastern parts of India), Lahdara (a produce of Oudh), and millet. 

 Here in India, I say, they receive nothing but bajra, though in 

 the eastern provinces and Bengal, they are sometimes fed on 

 dhan also. 



Abul Fazl states that a great number of the Emperor's ser- 

 vants looked after his Pigeons, and gained an insight into the 

 art of Pigeon-keeping, and he names the most celebrated of 

 them: — 



Kabutar-bag.— Kul Alii of Bukhara, Hasti of Samarcand, 

 Mulla Yada (son of Mulla Ahmud Chela), Mukbil Khan Chela, 

 Kawga Sandal Chela, Momin Harir, Abdul Latif Bukhari, Kajah 

 Kasin Balkhi, Habib Shahr Sabzi, Sikandar Chela, Maksud 

 Sawarkundi, Rajah Pahlwan Chela, Ira Nund, &c. 



The members of this establishment belong to the Military 

 Department, and hold different ranks in the army. A foot- 

 soldier's monthly pay varies from 2 rs. to 48 rs. One of them, 

 Habib Shahr Sabzi, is the same Kabutar-baz who resided in 

 Shaharkash, or as it is also called, Shahar Sabz. He was sum- 

 moned from Farghana in Turkestan. Mention is made of Habib's 

 coming to India in a letter, which also contains an account of 

 several kinds of Uranan, or Flying Pigeons, being received from 

 other countries. All these events occurred in the 9th and 10th 

 centuries. Beyond this nothing is known of Akbar's Kabutar- 

 bazi, of which nothing save a dry story survives. 



It has neither been, nor can probably be, ascertained when or 

 where this diversion first commenced. In Persia, of course, 

 it can be traced to the time of the Safavis ; and after the year 

 800 a.h. it was pretty well known in that country; while in Tur- 

 kestan, the native gentry, called Khavanin, used to indulge in it 

 so early as in the year 700 a.h. Following are the names of 

 some of the gentlemen who were fond of this diversion :— Babir 

 Abu Sayid Mirza, Omar Sheikh Mirza, and Shahrukh Mirza, who 

 traced their descent from Amir Taimar Gorkan. 



In India it originated, and was perfected in the time of Akbar 

 the Great. Among the Hindi Rajahs it was rarely indulged 

 in, the reason being that to catch a bird and to keep it hungry, 

 to make it fly and perform other works of labour is opposed to 

 their religious prejudices, and regarded as cruelty, although 



ZOOLOGIST. — JULY, 1888. X 



