The Bill, or Beak, is moderately long, and black. These Birds are of
that Nature, that tho' they are carried many Miles from the place where
they were bred, or brought up, or have themselves hatch'd, or bred up any
young ones, they will immediately return home as soon as we let them fly.
Perhaps this may, in some measure, depend upon the Affection the Male or
Female bear to one another. When they are to be used as Carriers, two
Friends must agree to keep them, one in _London_, and the other at
_Guilford_, or elsewhere; the Person that lives at _Guilford_ must take two
or three Cocks or Hens that were bred at his Friend's at _London_, and the
other two or three that were bred at _Guilford_; when the Person at
_London_ has occasion to send an Express, he must roll up a little piece of
Paper, and tie it gently with a small String pass'd thro'it about the
Pigeon's Neck. But it must be observ'd before, that the Pigeons you design
to send with a Message, be kept pretty much in the dark, and without Meat,
for eight or ten Hours before you turn them out, and they will then rise
and turn round till they have found their way, and continue their Flight
till they have got home. With two or three of these Pigeon's on each side,
a Correspondence might be carried on in a very expeditious manner,
especially in Matters of Curiosity, or those things which tend to publick
Good.
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