THE CAKEIEK PIGEON. 



I)oints," as it is termed, viz., three of the head, three of the 

 heak, three of the wattle, and three of the eye. The head 

 should be long and straight, and flat on the top ; the beak 

 should be straight, and long, and thick ; the wattle should be 

 broad at the base, short from the head to the bill, and leaning 

 forward ; and the eye should be laarge, and round, and uniform. 

 A bird possessing all these qualifications^ and being only of 

 one colour, and that dark blue, may be esteemed a first-class 

 bird, that is, taking a " fancier's " view of the subject. Dim- 

 coloured birds, " oirmamons," are the least valued, though, 

 without doubt, they possess as much sagacity and power of 

 flight as any. !Firnmess of- feather is an unerring sign of a 

 good constitution, and a long wing of speed and endurance. 

 As the carrier grows old he loses Ms lithe, active appearance, 

 and his wattle increases in bulk. By these tokens you may 

 judge of a bird's age. Their genuine plumage is black, and the 

 feathers set remarkably close to the body. ' These blacks occa- 

 sionally throw a dun, which duns are thought generally to have 

 the best heads. Other colours are sometimes to be met with, 

 but are rarely so good, and have almost invariably the 

 great blemish of black eyes. They should be' trained while 

 young, and afterwards kept in exercise, or they become fat and 

 idle, and theiar organ of " locality," or whatever it may be that 

 enables them so marvellously to track their way, becomes 

 weakened from want of use. They are shy, rather uniritendiy 

 birds, and excellent breeders and nurses, if kept in a natural 

 ■ state, but if allowed to become too fat they are less careful of 

 their ofispring. 



The way of sending a despatch, or attaching the letter, is 

 simply^ to write that which it is desired to communicate on a 

 small piece of light paper, — say about three or four 'inches 

 square. This is rolled up about the size of a goose-quill, and 

 laid between two of the tail feathers, where it is secured by 

 means of a piece of fine binding wire, which is pushed into 

 one or both the shafts of the feathers. Their vanes are then 

 wrapped about the paper by twisting the wire round and 

 round, so thaf the pigeon carries it without being in the least 

 inconvenienced in its flight. Some persons, I beheve, wind tlie 

 paper round the shank of the foot, o;r leg, and fasten it with 

 worsted. 



The Belgians have always been remarkable for their fond- 

 ness of pigeon sports. It is recorded that in the yea* 1825, 

 " The Society erf Amateurs," at Antwerp, Sent ninety danders 



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