56 



151. — The only thing that seems inclinable to favour the opinion, that 

 they are original, is a strain of this kind brought over from Scanderoon 

 which will fly very great lengths 'and very swift ; but still the answer 



cannot agree at this meeting, and take leave of each other, wishing each other luck, 

 &c. One thinks a little country air, and being a disciple of Old Isaac, desirous of see- 

 ing how his brother Bobs are going along, betakes himself to Dagenham Eeach, and 

 to his surprise meets his brother Fancier and Bob, whom he had only parted with in the 

 morning — the one went by Train, the other by Coach. They expressed their surprise 

 and exclaimed, like Darby and Joan, who had agreed to enjoy themselves, for once, 

 with a Duck and Green Peas, Hot ! and on table ; ready to begin. Knock at door ! 

 A cousin, wife, and fovir children drop in, and the exclammation is, " Who'd have 

 thought of seeing you !" Neither being desirous of renewing the argument on Carriers 

 or Horseman, but are lost in wonder and astonishment at the beauty of the scenery, and 

 exclaim, " How delightful is the scene of Hural Nature to the Philosophic eye and con- 

 templative mind ! and agree to walk together to witness what sport had attended their 

 brother trollers ; the first they enquired of had taken two jack, the second had taken 

 two pike, and another, Brother Bob, had taken two fish — a term weU understood by 

 anglers. Now, here are jack, pike, and fish taken. What is the difference ? For 

 argument sake, and to lay a trap for you I will say there is none, and that all three are 

 the same fish. Do not be too cunning, and tell me that a pike is a year older than a 

 jack, otherwise I shall put the question, and ask you, Are your stout birds, for the first 

 two or three years, Horseman, and as they grow old and become heavily wattled, then 

 they turn into Carriers, although the same bird ; which only proves that the Horseman 

 is the original bird, and the Carrier by the art of man. 



(Eaton.) — In the same paragraph (150), on the matter in dispute I find "Or" tmce, 

 and in Paragraph 151, one "May be." This is not very definite to argue upon ; there- 

 fore, to render it more clear, and define it to you, I had better throw in the words, 

 " Perhaps, it is possible, but rather improbable ;" I have thrown some light upon these 

 words "or" and "maybe," As we are upon the subject of wonderful Flying Bu*ds, 

 there are people in the world who say pigs "may" fly ; others say they are " very un- 

 likely birds," It is the last of my thoughts to dwell upon this subject. I believe I 

 never should, had Mayor and Gietin said a little upon it. Instead of copying MooRE 

 only, word for word, I could not in my conscience let this, the most useful bird we 

 have in the whole Fancy (the Horseman) pass unnoticed ; considering that it has con- 

 tributed in bringing to perfection the English Pouter, the Pouting Horseman, the Dra- 

 gon, and also the Carrier itself, I shall require something more in argxmaent from those 

 who differ from me, than mere " 'Tisn't, 'Tisn't.". I shall, therefore, fall in with the 

 views of MooRE, the pre-eminent, and not trespass upon your valuable time, to deter- 

 mine such controversies as these. 



(Brent.) — The Horseman are of various colours, black, white, blue, and pieds pre- 

 dominating. 



(Brent.) — Having described the two extremes — Carriers and Horseman — it will 

 show their differences ; but Pigeons are to be met with of all the various intermediate 

 grades. If kept in health by exercise and judicious feeding, they are good breeders ; 

 if not, they become idle and inferior nurses. If kept for fljang, they must be trained 

 young and kept in constant practice, or the best will prove but indifferent homing bii-ds, 

 though from their great value as fancy birds, they are but little flown, and consequently 

 soon become, fat, heavy, and unfit to fly, 



(Brent.) — I have had the large White Horseman, or, as they are called in France, 

 the Swan-necked Egyptians, that could scarcely rise eight feet from the ground ; but 

 the young ones, while in training, flew with astonishing rapidity, and went an end 

 well, 



(Brent.) — They would also outstrip my Antwerps in homing eight or ten miles, 

 though they appeared to have gTcat difficulty in first starting off, seeming almost un- 

 able to rise till they got in full swing, when they went along in fine style, having much 

 the appearance of wild ducks while flying in the air. 



