PIGEONS. 



to fly for a prize. They were started from the French capital 

 at seven o'clock in the morning, and by noon of the same day 

 thirteen of them had reached home. The first arrived at half- 

 past eleven o'clock. 



The true Antwerp carrier is comparatively a rare bird. It 

 is sidt supposed to be indigenous to the country whera it is 

 found, but to be simply the descendant of tame pigeons who 

 have lost their homes, and betaMng themselves to such se- 

 cluded and airy sites as the ancient towers and steeples the 

 city of Antwerp affords, have there increased and multiplied. 

 The size of the Antwerp carrier is nearly that of our familiar 

 blue rock ; its plumage is mostly mealy, with bright brown 

 bars across the wings, and the neck of a reddish tint. The 

 beak is slender and dove-shaped ; the eye full and glittering, 

 Kke two pink-tiated pearls. The forehead is rather full and 

 round. 



As already mentioned, this bird is seldom met with. Says 

 Mr. Brent, " so choice are the few persons that keep them 

 that they rarely can be induced to part with them, and so wild 

 and restless are the birds in a strange place that it would be a 

 rare occurrence for them to breed there ; their wild nature and 

 the indomitable desire to return to their native home cause 

 them to be ever on the alert to escape ; and should ^ey be 

 confined securely for a year, or even more, they will frequently 

 at the expiration of that time, from, their shy, restless disposi- 

 tion, be found willing and capable of returning to their old 

 abode, though the journey may be one or two hundred miles." 



The Liege, or " short-faced Antwerp," although not quite so 

 clever as his cousin, who owns the proud title of " the true," is 

 more desirable, inasmuch as it will sooner get reconciled to a 

 new home. It is supposed to be a cross between the owl and 

 the turbit, two sorts of pigeon very common in the Low 

 Countries, where the Liege is more prevalent than elsewhere. 

 It is very somber in plumage, chiefly whole coloured, mealy blue, 

 or blue chequered. In July, 1828, fi%-six carriers, brought to 

 London from Liege, were flown in the neighbourhood of A1 - 

 dersgate-street, at thirty-four minutes past four o'diock, a.m. 

 One of them reached its destination, a distance of about three 

 himdred miles, at twenty-four minutes past ten o'clock the 

 same morning, having thus accomplished its journey in five 

 hours and fifty minutes. The other pigeons followed in suc- 

 cession, and all of them reached Liege at noon. In July, 

 1829, in a flight " against time," forty-one birds were loosed at 



