The Feather's Practical Pigeon Book 



to various parts of his dominion. Towers were built at 

 various points along the routes, and at these points were 

 stationed watchmen whose, business it was to look after 

 the welfare of the pigeons. Numerous instances in 

 which pigeons were used as messengers by the ancients 

 are on record thus establishing the fact of the antiquity 

 of pigeon flying. 



France and England, before the days of the telegraph 

 and the telephone, used pigeons as means of transmit- 

 ting important financial news and racing events, from 

 one capital to the other, and in our own America, Car- 

 riers were often used for this purpose before Morse 

 with his great invention annihilated space. Btelgium 

 has long been noted for its splendid varieties of Homing 

 Pigeons, and it is from this quarter that we have re- 

 ceived some of the best stock known in America, and 

 as Antwerp has long been the principal port from which 

 shipments have been made we have come to know all 

 this variety of birds as Antwerps. 



All pigeons are very much attached to their homes, 

 but all have not the organ of locality developed alike. 

 Some birds when taken but a short distance from home 

 become dazed and lost, and while they show every evi- 

 dence of delight when returned to their home, they do 

 not seem to have the faculty to find it of their own ac- 

 cord. Others again have this organ largely developed, 

 and it is this that enables them to find their way when 

 taken hundreds of miles from home, 



"O'er moor and fen. 

 O'er craig and torrent," 



till that home is reached. 



Undoubtedly by careful breeding and training this 

 quality has been improved and encouraged and has given 



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