CHAPTER XLV. 



THE MAHOMET PIGEON. 



The Mahomet, formerly known in England as the mawmet, was first 

 described by Willnghby in 1676, who says: "Mawmets, called (as I 

 take it) from Mahomet, perchance because brought out of Turkey, nota- 

 ble for their great black eyes, else like to the Barbaries." WUlughby 

 must either have seen such pigeons or had his description of them from 

 others. When Moore wrote his book some sixty years later, he knew of 

 no pigeons " notable for their ^eat black eyes," but he describes the 

 Mahomet as "no more in Reality than a white Barb, which makes the 

 red tuberous Flesh round the Eyes look very beautiful." In the preface 

 to the "Treatise on Pigeons" (1765), the author admits that his 

 book is " on the plan of Mr. Moore," but says that he has corrected 

 some of his errors and made many additions. After mentioning Moore's 

 description of the Mahomet, he proceeds : "So far Mr. Moore; but it 

 is the opinion of many fanciers that the Bird called a mahomet is nearly 

 of a cream colour, with bars cross 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 approaching to black ; as are likewise the flue-feathers, and even 

 the sMn, which I never observed in any other Pigeons 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 is short and inclined to be 

 thick ; hath an orange-eye, and a small naked circle of black flesh round 

 the same ; and a beak something resembling that of a bullfinch, with a 

 small black wattle on it." 



In the pages of the Poultry Chronicle (1854-55) will be found a 



