HOMING BIRDS. 95 



give — would not have called one of them down, or delayed them one minute, when 

 starting on that perilous journey. The match was lost by five minutes, the first 

 bird reaching Antwerp at, I believe, five minutes after one, thus having done the 

 180 miles in five hours and five minutes. Stragglers kept dropping in at intervals 

 during the whole afternoon, and ten or twelve were lost at sea. 



" I can hardly believe that the above-mentioned birds found their way from 

 London to Antwerp with no other assistance than the power of vision alone, 

 although I certainly do agree with Mr. Tegetmeier, that the very fact of the 

 pigeon requiring instruction at the hands of man before it can accomplish even a 

 short distance, proves that it is not gifted with the natural instinct of the wild 

 migratory bird. 



" I do not think there is a cleaner-made bird than the pigeon, whether we watch 

 the common dove-house bird, toying with his mate on the ridge of the dovecote in 

 all the purity of his white or mottled blue plumage, or as we gaze in astonishment 

 on the majestic proportions of the Pouter, or the exquisitely beautiful plumage 

 of the almond Tumbler — a beauty which the finest bed of tulips can never rival. 

 The keeping of pigeons entails but little expense, and the lover of these birds 

 has this satisfaction, which no other bird fancier can feel — for he knows that 

 his little favourites do enjoy a certain state of freedom, which the poor caged 

 song-bird too often pines for in vain. 



'"And pray, sir, are you in the fancy now ? ' perhaps the reader may ask. ' No, 

 sir; I have given up pigeons, and taken to eagle owls.' " 



Among the false statements which find their way into print respecting the 

 homing birds, none ever exceeded in absurdity the paragraph which announced 

 the return of two pigeons from the Arctic regions. This statement, as quoted by 

 the Eev. E. S. Dixon in his " Dovecote and Aviary," is as follows : — ■ 



"It appears that Miss Dunlop, of Annan Hill, presented Sir John Ross, on his 

 leaving Ayr on his chivalrous expedition, with two pairs of Carrier pigeons, an old 

 pair and a young one. It was arranged that he should despatch the young birds 

 when he had fixed himself in winter quarters, and the old ones when he fell in 

 with his missing friend Sir John Franklin, in search of whom he was about to 

 expose himself to Arctic dangers. The gift was kindly meant, but very foolish ; 

 the lady had much better have presented the voyager and his crew with an 

 enormous and well-seasoned pigeon-pie to eat, and a barrel of good Scotch ale to 

 drink, on first coming in sight of the ice ; for hope deferred maketh the heart sick, 

 both with friends at home and with sailors abroad. On Sunday, the 13th of 

 November, 1850, two strange pigeons were observed flying about the dovecote at 

 Annan Hill, which, being under repair at the time, was unfortunately shut. 

 Suspicion was excited, and on next Thursday they were traced to the seat of a 

 neighbouring gentleman, and one was secured. 



" The fact of their being captured elsewhere, proves that they were only a pair of 

 stray pigeons, in search of a home they knew not where, and not Miss Dunlop's 

 pigeons come back again. 



