101 

 COLUMBA NUMIDIOA ALBA. The Mahomet. 



236. — This Pigeon is no more in reality than a white Barb, which 

 makes the red tuberous flesh round the eyes look very beautiful. All 

 that can further be added with regard to this Pigeon, is to assign the 

 reason, why this name of Mahomet is given to it, which I take to be 

 this. 



237. — Mahomet, the imposter prophet of the Turkish religion, and 

 author of the Alcoran, is reputed by some authors, and those of good 

 note, as Scaliger, Grotius, and Sionita, to have made use of the following 

 stratagem, to induce the credulous Arabians to believe that he conversed 

 frequently with the Holy Spirit, and received from his mission as a pro- 

 phet, and the new doctrines he was about to broach. 



238. — This imposture he carried on in this manner ; he took a young 

 pigeon of this kind which we are now describing, and which by the im- 

 maculate whiteness of its plumage, was not an improper emblem of purity 

 and the celestial dove : this bird he brought up by hand, and made it very 

 tame and familiar, till at last he taught it to eat meat out of his ear, which 

 he might easily do, especially if he fed it with rape or hemp seed there, 

 which all pigeons are naturally fond of, till at last the Pigeon would come 

 frequently to search for its food there. This bird he imposed upon the 

 Arabians to be the Holy Ghost, whispering the dictates of the Almighty, 

 and teaching him the precepts of his new law, and from hence, this bird 

 is called after him by the name of Mahomet. (*) 



more elongated bodies : their pinion feathers are all rather long. I fear, however, it 

 is rather diflS.cult to describe their peculiar carriage. * 



233. (Bkent.)— Note. — The Barb is the Polish Pigeon of some writers. 



236. (Eaton).— I believe Mooke is right in stating the Mahomet to be nothing 

 more than a white Barb, which, he states, makes the red tuberous flesh round the 

 eyes very beautiful. I do not fancy the red tuberous flesh round the eye on a white 

 Barb any more than the wattle on a white Carrier or Horseman ; it appears to me fer- 

 ret-eyed or sore-eyed. I fancy Barbs and Carriers look best black ; the contrast is 

 greater with the red tuberous flesh or wattle. At a show, a good Fancier called my 

 attention to a splendid pair of white Pouters ; he asked me what I thought of them ; I 

 said — " A magnificent pair of birds ;" he said they looked to him like a pair of plaster 

 of Paris birds ; he being a greater admirer of the pied Pouters. The pair I am writing 

 of were sold in the room for nine pounds. 'Tis impossible we can account for our 

 fancies ; I think it is wisely ordered that we do not fancy all things alike ; for instance, 

 if all of us fancied necks, breasts, and scrags of mutton, who would eat the shoulders, 

 legs, and loins ? Again, if all fancied the clods, stickings, shins, and the " stare-ing 

 quarter" — the head — answer me this question — Who would eat the roast beef, such as 

 the ribs or sirloins ? I repeat it is wisely ordered that we should diff'er in our fancies. 

 I sincerely hope, " May the difference of opinion never lessen friendship" among true, 

 honest, and good Fanciers. 



* 238. (Mayor, p. 141.) — So far Mr. Moore ; and I think he has extremely well 

 accounted for its being so called ; but it is the opinion of many Fanciers, that the bird 

 called a Mahomet is nearly a cream coloured, with bars across the wings as black as 

 ebony, the feathers very particular, being of two colours ; the upper part or surface of 

 them appearing of a cream, and underneath a kind of sooty colour, nearly approach- 

 ing to black ; as are likewise the flue-feathers, and even the skin, which I never ob- 

 served in any other Pigeon but these ; its size much like that of a Turbit, with a 

 fine gullet, and, in lieu of a frill, the feathers rather appear like a seam : the head 



