Beeton's book of poultry and domestic animals - Thurman Lodge ...

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. Dimcoloured
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 occasionally
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 thafthe 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 fondness
of pigeon sports. It is recorded that in the yea* 1825,
" The Society erf Amateurs," at Antwerp, Sent ninety danders
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