Levi in his book The Pigeon refers to racing pigeons first being developed in Belgium and England during the Nineteenth Century. He further says that they came about from the crossbreeding of a number of other breeds, primarily the Smerle, French Cumulet, English Carrier, Dragoon, and the Horseman (now lost). From the high-flying Cumulet, the Homer received its endurance, the ability to fly for hours on end without tiring. From the Carrier, it inherited the ability to find its way home from great distances.