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DEDICATED

TO THE YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED FANCIER.

A

TREATISE

ON THE ART OF

BREEDING AND MANAGING

TAME, DOMESTICATED, FOREIGN,
AND

FANCY PIGEONS,

CAREFULLY COMPILED FROM 3 THE BEST AUTHORS, WITH OBSERVATIONS AND REFLECTIONS,
CONTAINING ALL THAT Is NECESSARY TO BE KNOWN OF TAME, DOMESTICATED, FOREIGN
AND FANCY PIGEON S, IN HEALTH, DISEASE, AND THEIR OURES.

BY

_ JOHN MATTHEWS EATON.

3.2 5-9 2s
Vee ene

———_——_;

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~ © All that a Man knows, or ever will know,
is by? Clsciotioa cr Rbllestion.”

LOocKE,

PUBLISHED FOR, AND TO BE OBTAINED OF, THE AUTHOR,
81, UPPER STREET, ISLINGTON GREEN, LONDON, N.

1858.

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TO MY

YOUNG AND INEXPERIENCED BROTHER

THE FANCY.

The cause of my bringing out this Work is having sold all my Treatises on the
Art of Breeding and Managing the Almond Tumbler, 1st May, 1851, also all my
Treatises on the Art of Breeding and Managing Tame, Domesticated, and Fancy
Pigeons, 7th December, 1852. Under these circumstances, I consider there is
no time to be lost in taking into consideration whether I will at empt to bring
out an improved Work, or leave it to Fanciers more competent. All the ability
in the World will not bring out a Work unless there is the ‘¢ Will,” and not per-
ceiving the “Will” of the acknowledged best Fanciers, I have weighed it
seriously and heavily in my mind that it would be anything but wisdom to leave
young Fanciers, who are springing up every day, without a Work to guide them
in the right path to acquire the knowledge of high standards, as laid down by
gentlemen of the Fancy, touching the properties of what first-rate Pigeons of the
different varieties ought to be.

I consider it would be cruel to leave the aspiring young Fancier of yesterday,
or to-morrow, without a Work to guide him, and would be an act of base ingrati-
tude on my part, considering the encouragement I have received from so large
a body of the gentlemen of the Fancy.

In soliciting the favour of a very experienced Fancier, if it was not his inten-
tion to bring out a Work, provided he would favour me with his observations and
reflections, I would put it into print and give him the benefit of it by attaching
his name. He stated he had written a Work—that his intention was to have
presented it to the Society he was a member of: unfortunately a difference arose
in the Society, and it was his intention to burn the manuscript.

I sincerely hope I shall be more fortunate with others. Should I meet with
no better success, by “hook or by crook” I must endeavour to bring out a Work
without their assistance, for I consider it would be “ too bad”’ to leave the young
and aspiring Fancier without a Work to refer to. In soliciting the favour of
other excellent Fanciers to give me assistance from their observations and re-
flections, promising to give them the credit by attaching their names, the answer
I received from some was, “‘ They did not know what to write about.” I told
them ‘‘Pigeons.’”’ I believe some few may assist me: I know a great many will
not, simply because they don’t approve of attempting to play the part of giving
away their experience, which might prove a fatal part to them, while they play
with such success their part of the ‘“‘ Dog in the Manger.’ It appears to me
monstrous strange that those who have the power to write have not the ‘ will,”’
and those who have the ‘will’’ have not the power. I believe there are excel-
lent Fanciers of Pigeons, who never put a single observation or reflection upon
paper as regards “ Pigeons.’’ I sincerely hope you will not copy them, at the
same time well knowing you cannot take a lesson out of their book.

You will perceive I am under great obligations and owe an immense debt of
gratitude to B. P. Brent, Esq., the author and brother Fancier, for his kindness
in allowing me permission to make what use I please of his series of papers on
Pigeons, extracted from the ‘‘ Poultry Chronicle,’’ ‘The Field, the Farm, the
Garden, and the Country Gentleman’s Newspaper.’’ I cannot find language to
express the debt of gratitude I owe to him, especially for assistance on our
native Doves, the Toys, and foreign Pigeons, &c. &c.

A 2

lv.

Also to John Boys, Esq., the highly-respected and worthy magistrate of Mar-
gate, Kent, for his truly beautiful notes, observations, and reflections on the
Almond-Tumbler, which I have inserted in this Work after my Almond-Tumbler.
You will perceive I owe these two gentlemen an immense debt of gratitude.
Whether I sha!] be under obligations to others, I cannot inform you here, as this
part of the Work will be in the hands of the printer to-morrow. If any, I pro-
mise to attach their names to the remarks I receive from them.

I have made up my mind to take a high standard, and you will think so, too,
when I inform you, my inexperienced brother Fancier, that I shall attempt to
bring out a Work,—or compilation,—or mass of information on the subject
(Pigeons) I believe no man under the sun ever compiled. I am prompted to do
so, believing itto be my last attempt or effort on Pigeons. “The subject will not
allow of it, owing to the true, beautiful, and fixed standards, now 1858, being
the same as when Mr. John Moore brought out his work, ‘ Columbarian,’ 1735.”
I am sensible we have occasionally new varieties brought from foreign parts,
which scarcely look like P.geons. Fanciers feel grateful to exhibitors for exhi-
biting any new varieties, although they take little or no notice of them, com-
paratively speaking, simply because they cannot work any good with them.

It is the last of my thoughts to endeavour to impose upon Fanciers that the
Work I am endeavouring to bring out is all new matter. The Fancy will not
allow of it. As I stated before, the standard laid down by John Moore, 1735, is
the same standard, with very trifling exceptions, to what the standards are now,
1858, the time of my endeavouring to write this Book, which I shall endeavour
to prove by and bye. I think it would be wasting your time to read and mine
in endeavouring to write more on the cause of my bringing out this Work. I
told you the fact that I had sold all my former Works, and seriously considered
whether it would be right and fitting to leave the young and inexperienced
Fancier without a Work of reference worthy to guide him to a knowledge of. the
properties of the different varieties of Pigeons.

I scarce know whether it is worth my while to write, or yours to read, an idea
just flashed across my mind; while I have my pen in hand, I may as well put it
on paper, and see how it looks. You are aware there are some crotchetty inen,
who play the parts of old ladies with this disadvantage—their intellects being
more weak than their legs, who draw inferences or assumes that a man must be
an incorrigible blackguard, notwithstanding his station in life, whether a peer or
artisan. I do not approve of writing on such poor, weak, addle-pated nincom-
poops, who are so weak in their heads as to be frightened at their own shadows
(boys never do), which proves the brain is becoming soft (query, was it ever
hard and clear?). After the death of Mr. Neal, late the excellent Chairman of
the Southwark Columbarian Society, I had the honour to be chosen Chairman,
and filled the office since October, 1853, being between four and five years. I
have presided over between fifty and sixty members; I am not aware I ever
heard a bad word escape one of the member’s lips. ’Tis true at times visitors,
not knowing the rules of the society, may make a trifling mistake, and if it is
considered unparliamentary, he is called to order: no one was ever given in
custody. You must not suppose our members are like members of Parliament,
or that we turn our meetings into a bear-garden. I am informed the original
Columbarian Society, that existed over 100 years (now unfortunately defunct),
and presided over in the cream of its day by the late Sir John Sebright, num-
bered seven members of Parliament at one time, and, I strongly contend, none
the worse for that.

Extracted from John Boys’, Esq., notes.

‘“‘ Those who criticise and scoff at this Fancy should take care not to become a
Florist Fancier, or an admirer of improved Horses, Dogs or Sheep; nor exchange
his ignorance for the knowledge of the best Piccatees, Dahlias, Tulips (worth ten

V.

and twenty guineas a piece), Roses (of which there are 1500 varieties), Anemonies,
Heart-ease, Ranunculusses, Auriculars, &c. &c. &c.”’

Extract from the “ Cottage Gardener and Country Gentleman’s Companion”?

“‘ Time was, not'many years since, when ‘a Pigeon Fancier’ was associated in
all men’s minds with Costermongers, Pugilists, Rat-catchers, and Dog-stealers,
and for no other reason that we can discern than that the majority of P geon
Fanciers were artisans—men who lived in the courts, alleys, and other by- places
of the metropolis. Such men, in those days, drew towards them no sympathy—
they were the profane vulgar—the pariahs of Society—and their pursuits were
deemed scaweely fit to be mentioned within audience of ‘ears polite.’ The
Auricula and the Polyanthus became ‘ vulgar flowers,’ for they were pets of the
Manchester and Spitalfields weavers; and the remnant of this bad spirit lingers
with those who talk of abandoning Pine-culture, now that this fruit 1s become
familiar to ‘common people.’ .Such pride and exclusiveness would have a
heaven for gentility, with a wide gulph between that and the heaven of the poor.

‘‘Gladdened are we by the. knowledge that these sentiments are gradually
lessening both in intensity and in the number.of their aisciples, and respect for
the man, rather than a belief iu the degradation of his pursuit, is now felt for him
who shows a taste for the purer occupations of life. Rega

* The cultivator of a Pansey in a court-yard of Whitechapel, and the breeder
of Pigeons in Drury Lane, is now more often thought of as.one:who exhibits a
praise-worthy frame of mind—and that the love of nature implanted in our first
parents in their state of innocence being yet uneffaced, he is raised in the scale
of worthiness. It is justly felt that he clings to all he can ofthe country—that
though he cannot have a flower-border, he finds the best substitute within his
reach in a flower-pot upon his window-sill—though he cannot have a poultry-
yard, he has ail he can of its tenants, over which to be*solicitous in thé pigeon-
hutches of his attic. The man in whom such tastes remain and triumph over all
opposing difficulties, so far from being altogether bad, is one in‘ whim much that
is estimable prevails. .We have too long watched’ and made notes among
Cottage Gardeners not to have had this fully proved,:and* to ‘rejoice in the
knowledge that it may be admitted as arule, that he who loves the country loves
virtue too. age ee i ha Mae ic.

‘‘ How strong the prejudice must have been against the pursuits of the masses
was never so strongly demonstrated as in the prejudice against the breeding of
Fancy Pigeons. The Dove, or Pigeon, is associated-with all that is holy in
Christianity, and with much that was held sacred in Mythology. Its very name
in Hebrew, Jona, is derived from a word signifying gentleness, and from the
day it brought the olive-leaf to the ark, both the plant and its winged bearer
have been esteemed emblematical of peace. Even the Brahmins tell of their
deities assuming the form of the Dove; Mahomed had an attendant spirit in the
same form; and in the same similitude has appeared the Divine Spirit. Yet,
notwithstanding this sacred association, notwithstanding the gentleness and
beauty of the bird, its rearing and cultivation, until very recently, has been
anathematized as ‘a low pursuit.’

“ Common sense is prevailing, and, consequently, prejudice is giving way even
here, and we are weil pleased with the prospect of seeig the breeding of Pigeons
improve.”

Provided two of our richest peers. One had a hobby in Race-horses, the
other took no pleasure in them, but his hobby and delight was in Pigeons. He
cou'd equally afford to give as much for a Pigeon as the other for a Racc-horse,
and, after all, prove most economical, without being pregnant with the danger.
There are very few among us that can afford to breed Race-horses, and few

V1.

among us but what could afford to breed a pair of Pigeons. Who ever heard of
a man taking his own life on account of a Pigeon? What awful accounts have
we read on account of a Race-horse!

It is almost more than flesh and blood can endure, by way of governing or
commanding my temper, when I think of those Splatherers, who (as Solomon
beautifully observes, “‘ you may bruise in a mortar, and yet you cannot obtain
gumption out of them’’) ridicule the Pigeon. It may be pardonable in some of
these, simply because they are void of brains, not having been handed down to
them; or they may have received an injury on a “‘large pimple,’’ growing out
at the top of the neck, which will never come to a head. Ny

I am at a loss, also, to find language to express my gratitude to the gentlemen
of the Press, for the very high testimonials they have thought fit to give upon
my former Works (which are inserted at the end of the Work), with these
flattering testimonials, combined with many entreaties from Fanciers of all parts
of the country to whom I have applied for their observations, &c. &c., urging
me to bring out the Work, I have hinted to them.

Solomon says there is nothing new under the sun. You will find there is
something new in this Work. Some of you might.be desirous of having a Pre-
face to the Work. I have thought fit to put one at the end of the Work (pro-
vided you have time and inclination to read it), so as to bring you sooner to the
point, ‘‘as the Lifeguardsman said to the Chinaman.”

I shall, as before, in my former Work, take Mr. John Moore’s Work, Colum-
barium, or the Pigeon-House, for my text, who I consider the pre-eminent of all
Pigeon Fanciers. I shall call in the aid of professional men, who declare there
is nothing like leather, and determined, like me, to stick to the last.

I have promised you great things—I believe not more than true. I will
endeavour to cater and glean for you. I have taken a high standard: should I
find I have taken too high a standard, or the Work is too big for me, it would be
cowardly and a want of wisdom on my part to abandon it, and leave the young
Fancier without a Work. Therefore, I hope you will accept the will for the
deed. I have endeavoured to glean and cater for you, my inexperienced brother
Fancier, and believe me, I am as ever thine, to serve thee, a brother Fancier,
who has devoted time, care, and attention to the subject.

With grateful acknowledgments for past favours,
The Author,
JOHN MATTHEWS EATON.

8], Urrer Srreet, Istincton,

Late 7, Istincton Green,
Lonpon (N.).

5th March, 1858.

COLUMBARIUM:

THE TiGLUN HOUR
eee | HISTORY
TAME PIGEONS

ACCOUNT OF THE SEVERAL SPECIES KNOWN IN ENGLAND WITH
THE METHOD OF BREEDING THEM, THEIR DISTEMPERS
AND CURES.

The two chief Advantages, which a real Acquaintance with Nature brings to
our Minds, are first, by instructing cur Understandings and gratifying our
Curiosities ; and next by exciting and cherishing our Devotion.

Bor.r’s EXPERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHY, p. 2.

BY JOHN MOORE.

LONDON :
Printed for J, WIL¥ORD, behind the Chapter-House in St. Paul’s Church-Yard.

1735

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DEDICATION.

WE DAAIN IS

TO
SIR WILLIAM STAPLETON, Baronet.

Sir, ae
1.—If either Philosophy or Novelty have any allurements, the following
performance, I flatter myself, will afford you some entertainment.
2.—Many subjects the Naturalists seem to have exhausted. Horses
and Dogs, and most of the animals that serve for the conveniences or
amusements of life, have undergone the nicest enquiries; while the
Pigeon, that contributes in some measure to both, a domestic as it were of

ours, has been totally neglected. es

3.—With a partiality usually shewn to the victor, the Hawk has
engaged the pen of many a writer: but his prey, that seems to fly to us
for protection, has scarce met with that, which even the wisdom of the
Legislature has allowed it. oe

4,.—I have endeavoured therefore in the following sheets to do some
justice to this bird, and have prescribed the best methods, which long
experience has furnished me with, for its propagation and preservation.

5.—I have wisely learnt from it to seek a proper refuge against any
ill-natured censures. To this purpose I beg leave to prefix your name
to this work, and to assure the World that you who have purchased
Pigeons at very considerable prices, don’t think the subject below your
regard, and that the Author is, Gs ou ea te i aes e

Your most obedient and most humble Servant,

J. MOORE.

1. (Eaton.)—To my young and inexperienced brother Fancier. I have thought fit
to Number the Paragraphs of the late Mr. Joun Moore’s Work, (although it is not
so in the Original,) conceiving it to be the easiest mode I could adopt, it bemg my
intention briefly of calling your attention to some of the Paragraphs contained in his
Work, and having carefully read and entertaining so high an opinion of his work—
COLUMBARIUM, or Tue Picron Hovsz, I shall, as I observed before, be brief as
possible, so as not to swell the book out beyond the reach of the more humble Fancier.

2 (Eaton) and 3. (Eaton.)—Mr Moor: appears deeply to regret the Pigeon should
have been so long neglected by our Naturalists, while Horses, Dogs, and Hawks, have
undergone the nicest enquiry.

4, (Earon.)—There is not any account upon record, that any Pigeon-Fancier (for no
other could do it) ever contributed so much original matter to the Pigeon-Fanciers as
did the late Mr. Joun Moors, which I will endeavour to prove, by and bye, before I
have gone through his Work ; he was the Pre-eminent of Pigeon-Fanciers.

5, (Eaton.)—It would appear there were illnatured Fanciers when Mr JoHn Moorr
wrote his Book, 1735; being a good general, and anticipating some illnatured censures,
he sought protection under a Fancier, Sir WiLL1AM STAPLETON, Baronet, to whom he
dedicated his Work. I think it will be right here to inform you, who and what
Mr. Moore was, and taking the most simple way, the best: it not being my intention
of publishing his account of some Medicines prepared by him, with a faithful narrative
of some Cures effected by them ; the account of the Medicines and Cures take up one
quarter of the book, and has nothing relating to Pigeons. Mr. M. describes himself
thus :—Mr. Jonn Moors, Apothecary, at the Pestle and Mortar, in Lawrence
Pountneys Lane, the first great gates on the left hand from Cannon Street, who
formerly lived at the Pestle and Mortar, in Abchurch Lane, London.

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THE

PREFACE.

LLLDLILIN

6.—Though the History of Birds in general has been given us by many
hands, and in some parts in a very accurate manner, yet the study of this
genus of birds seems in a great measure to be neglected by most of our
naturalists, who have given us but very short cursory descriptions of
some of the species, in which notwithstanding they have been guilty of
many great mistakes, and entirely left out many others in their lists. It
has amazed me to see so great an indolence on this particular branch
spread itself in such an universal manner through all our Omithologists,
especially considering the vast opportunities they have had, or might have
had, to have given their readers the utmost satisfaction by the most exact
and ample descriptions. It is notorious to all mankind, what vast num-
bers of these birds in all the species have been and are still kept in this
kingdom, not only by persons in a lower rank of life, but even by persons
of the greatest distinction and the first degrees of quality, who have held
these birds in so great esteem, that they have endeavoured to attain at

6. (Eaton.)—Entertaining so high an opinion of Mr. Moore’s Work, it is not my
intention to quarrel with him, he appears to me, to be somewhat hard to please, like
many more in the World—in several parts of his Work he bitterly complains of the
Naturalists and Ornithologists, of their indolence in not giving us an account of Fancy
Pigeons, and those that did gave us but very short cursory descriptions, and in this
have been guilty of great mistakes. Mr. Moors might have saved himself a good deal
of uneasiness, if he had only asked himself the question, How can a learned man write
on a subject he does not understand? it must be the work of a Pigeon Fancier to
write on Fancy Pigeons, considering the standards they are endeavoured to be brought
up to; to sum it up, those who did not write, and those who did, did not please
Mr. Moors. Imagine for a moment, two of your most eminent wranglers, who had never
kept a Pigeon in their lives, were set to wrangle on the five properties of a Pigeon, a
subject they were totally unacquainted with, knowing no more of the five properties of
the Pigeon than the Pigeon knew about them ; it would therefore follow, as wise men,
the less they say the better. I will now, my young Fancier, put it to you, will you
remain quiet and not write, or write upon a subject you do not sufficiently understand.
Mr. Moors, in continuation of the same paragraph, says: “ especially considering the
vast opportunities, they have had, or might have had,” “what opportunities they
might have had,” learned men, could not be made Pigeon Fanciers in five minutes ;”
neither by placing Fancy Pigeons in a shew pen for them to make their observations
upon, would have enabled them to have written upon the five properties ; they may
have ‘exclaimed as many others at first sight—very pretty, very pretty indeed,”
which reminds me of a gentleman, a good Fancier, who retired into the country, taking
with him his best birds, but what disheartened him when he bred a good bird, he had
no one about him to shew it to, who knew how to appreciate its properties, and others
who saw it said it is, very pretty : he would rather have heard a fault found with one
of the five properties, by a good Fancier, than that anything but sweet music, by
persons who do not understand them, by saying very pretty, very pretty indeed.

Xil,

least an experimental knowledge of them, purchasing, at a great expense,
as many of the distinct sorts as they could hear of, and cultivating them
in their own houses; RicHarp ATHERTON, Esq., of Atherton Hall, in
Lancashire, who was a gentleman both. of will and ability to prosecute his
fancy in this branch of natural history, was building a stately house in’
Lancashire, on the top of which he designed to have four turrets, in which
his pigeons were to be disposed according to the nearness of relation
between the different species, but death put an end to the undertaking in
the year 1726, to the immense grief of all those gentlemen of the Fancy
who had the honour of his acquaintance: he was a very compleat judge
of a Pigeon and would spare neither cost nor trouble to procure the best ;
he had one pouting cock which he valued at five pound, anda very choice
collection of many other kinds. The same methods have been taken in
most other countries as well as‘ England, to gain this experimental know-
ledge, as in Holland, France, Spain, Germany, Turkey, Persia, and
Morocco. In the three last of which places, the Monarchs* themselves
have officers, called keepers of the Pigeons. Having thus mentioned the
King of “Morocco, give me leave to entertain you with the following story
out of the Sieur. Mouette in his travels through that kmgdom.

(Eaton.)—The loss of a spirited Fancier like RicHaRD ATHERTON, Esq., of Atherton
Hall, Lancashire, who, as Mr. Moore observes, was a gentleman both of will and
ability, besides being a very complete judge of a Pigeon, and would spare neither cost
or trouble to proeure the best, and had a very fine collection, must have been severely
felt by the gentlemen of.the Fancy of that day ; and is equally as severely felt by the
gentlemen of the Fancy of the present day, when they sustain the loss of a good
Fancier. It is quite clear that in Mr. Moorr’s day, as now, that not only the lower
rank of life, but even persons of the greatest distinction and the first degrees of quality
kept Pigeons ; I would here particularly guard you against having too great a variety
of Pigeons, otherwise you will know a little of the species, but nothing about one as it
ought to be known. It is a grievous thing, when we hear talk of a man being so clever
at all things, yet nobody would employ him, simply because he is not sufficiently clever
in one thing ; the fact is, he is Jack-of-all-trades and master of none. Now I sincerely
hope you will not make such a Fancier as this ; I have heard some of the best Carrier
Fanciers, and some of the best Pouter Fanciers, when asked their opinion on the
Tumbler, have stated that they knew nothing of the properties of the bird, not having
studied them, owing to having given their whole attention to one species, either the
Carrier or Pouter ; nevertheless, I should be very sorry to give either of these Carrier
or Pouter Fanciers (I have in my mind’s eye) the choice of going into my aviaries or
lofts, to pick out what Tumblers they chose, although, comparatively speaking, they
did not know the Tumbler, as compared to the Carrier or Pouter. I am sorry when-
ever I hear of a Carrier or Pouter Fancier giving them up; they are most splendid
birds, and well worthy the attention of good Fanciers. It is possible there may be a
few Fanciers that have a good general knowledge of Fancy Pigeons, there are many
more who labour under a delusion by supposing they know, which they do not. The
five properties of the Tumbler, Carrier, and the Pouter, are so opposed to each other in
the standard as laid down by the Gentlemen of the Fancy, that only bothers and con-
fuses the young Fancier if he attempts too much at once ; therefore, my advice to the
young Fancier is, to make himself master of one of the species of the Fancy first, and I
have no doubt his observations and reflections will teach him that he has his work to
do, in giving his whole attention to one species. I have very little opinion of a person
becoming A. 1. in the Fancy, who strives for too much at once; therefore, I caution
you not to attempt with different sorts. But to return to Mr. Moore’s amazement
and astonishment, he might have saved all this, if he had simply drawn this inference—
How very few were competent to write on the subject, it being the work of a Fancier.

X1il.

7.—There was among the other captives in Morocco, one Bernard
Bausset, a youth about twenty-five years of age, and one of the family of
the Baussets, ancient consuls of Marseilles and born in the town of
Aubaigne in Provence; he had the keeping of the King’s Pages’ Clothes
and Arms, and of the Stores laid up at the first gate of the Seraglio ;
besides which, he taught two of the king’s children to speak Spanish.
That prince having taken a liking to, and desiring to raise him higher than
the Christian religion would allow of; he tried all possible means to
oblige him to become a Mahometan, and perceiving he could not prevail
by fair means, very often had recourse to severity and ill usage. Being
one day highly provoked at his constancy, and laying hold of the pre-
tence of two or three bits of straw he saw lying before him, and of
Bausset’s neglecting to cause the way between the two gates of the
Seraglio to be swept, he caused him to be stripped stark naked, and two
blacks, with each of them a handful of leather straps to give him above

7. (Eaton.)—In part Paragraph 6 and ending with Paragraph 12, Moore says,
‘‘ having thus mentioned the king of Morocea, give me leave to entertain you with the
following story, &e.,” read ending with Paragraph 12. I think it amounts to some-
thing more than a story, I will endeavour to weigh it in the scales of truth and see if it
proves wanting. A youth about twenty-five years of age, &c. There are some of our
English bonny buxom lasses, who would not mind taking this ‘“‘ youth” of twenty-five
years of age into captivily and making a jolly good husband of him, it is certain he has
some good properties about him. A Mahometan trying to make a Christian a Maho-
metan very natural proves him zealous, as we Christians are to make Mahometans
Christians, and praiseworthy on both parts. But who stole his meals? Were it those
who prayed for him? which you will read by and bye. Again, a wall three hands
thick, was it made of mud? The lyons undermined, did they burrow like rabbits ?
Again, he ran and leaped in among four lyons of monstrous size, who had not been fed
for three days. He was more pluckey than I should have been, for if I was ordered to
be hung to-morrow, I should confer the honour on the Sheriff, or some of his partners,
to carry me to the gallows ; not being desirous of accelerating, aiding, or assisting my
own destruction, if there by hook or by crook, with the utmost courtesey and politeness,
solicit the favour from the finisher, polisher, or who gives the finishing touch to the
law, to have the kindness to place the rope under my arms, as I was rather ticklish
about my neck. Again, we were all at prayers. Who were all at prayers ?—Maho-
metans praying for a Christian, utterly impossible. Again, made holes through the
wall, this is why I asked in a former part if the walls were made of mud, if of stone,
these people would have been very useful at Sevastapool, or any strong fortified place,
at a seige—impossible. Again, a Spanish woman, having a abundance of wit without
‘the least immorality, gained the king’s affections. I have nothing to say here, simply
very natural, only the difference of religion ; besides it will give me time to think the
more. This woman had the charge of the king’s pigeons and fed the lyons, kept them
three days without food, a wide contrast between feeding pigeons and lyons, she must
have been a man of all work, I think anything but a tender hearted one. There is not
any account given of her that she was fond of reading novels, otherwise 1 should think,
as we have it recorded, when the husband exclaimed, when he found the scrubbing
brush in the beef-steak pie, “‘ Was not she a tidy one.” Again, all the Pages ran and
left the king alone, ‘‘ query,” at all events not very accomplish Pages, or an easy, soft,
merciful behaved Mahometan king—I think this ‘‘wo’nt” do; Bausset leaped in at
four came out at nine. This is called a story, I believe it goes further, and may with
truth be set down as a downright lie; call things by their proper names, then I do not
care what you call them. I do not avcuse Mr. Moore of telling a lie, he distinctly
states he copied it out of the Sicur Mouette, in his travels through that kingdom, The
only part worthy of notice, as Mr. Moors observes, is, it shews that even kings have
been proud to confer the greatest favors upon those who were no more than the keepers
of their pigeons.

XIV.

five hundred stripes; so that his body was all over as black asa shoe. In
this condition, he sent him with two heavy chains to be cured in our
prison, and several days after called for, and asked him, why he stayed in
the Bitte, so they call the Slaves’ Prison, whilst his meal was stolen. It
seems that day a sack had been taken out of one of the magazines that are
near the gate of the Seraglio. Sir, said Bausset, I stayed there ever since
you sent me, and durst not come away, without your orders. Hereupon
the king struck at him with a spear, and hurt him under the right eye, and
then ordered his guards to cast him into the Lyon’s Walk: that walk is
like a court between four high walls, joining to the castle, and was parted
from our Bitte or prison, by a wall, but three hands in thickness, which
the lyons once undermined, and had like to have got in to us.

§.—The youth hearing that sentence pronounced, ran to the ladder that
went up to the place, intending to throw himself in, before any other came
todo it. The king dismounted from his horse, and went up after, bidding
him change his religion, or he should be immediately devoured by the
lyons. Bausset resolutely answered, he was not at all concerned at it,
since that was the way to make him happy ; for they could take but one
life from him, which would end gloriously, and he had rather the lyons
should devour his body, than that his soul should become a prey to devils.
Hereupon the king drew near the edge of the wall, to cast him down head-
long; but Bausset, who observed him narrowly, perceiving his design,
leaped himself amidst four lyons, of a monstrous size, who had not been
fed in three days.

9.—Those creatures beholding their prey, rose up, and roaring put
themselves in a posture to fall on him, whilst he offered up his prayers to
heaven. But they as if with-held by some secret Power, presently lay
down again. Yet some of them soon after got up, and made towards him,
and being near passed by, without touching him, among the rest, one that
was most ravenous came up to him seven times, and passed by as often.
Thus the captive, like another Daniel, praised God, amidst those fierce
creatures, which had not the power to hurt him.

10.—The king, who withdrew as soon as he fell in, sent twice to see
whether he was devoured, and in case he was not, to offer to take him out,
if he would turn Mahometan ; but he returned them the same answer he
had given to the king himself. We were all at our prayers to implore
the divine assistance upon him, and having made some holes through the
wall, that parted us from lyons to see, we encouraged him to be resolute
and die, rather than renounce his religion, which he zealously promised us.

11.—In the meanwhile a Spanish woman captive went to petition the
king for Bausset’s deliverance. She was called Mary of the Conception,
born at St. Lucar de Barrameda in Andalusia ; came to Mamora, to carry
home her husband, who was banished, and they were both taken returning
into Spain. Having abundance of wit, without the least immodesty, she
had gained the king’s affections, who granted her whatsoever favour she
asked either for Moors or Christians. She was called the common mother
of all persons in distress, for she never thought much to sue for them.
Her husband, whose name was John de Cormona, and she, had had the

XV,

charge of the king’s Pigeons and fed the lyons. The king having a kind-
ness for Bausset, was pleased she should intercede, and gave orders imme-
diately to have him taken out. No sooner had he spoke the word, than
all the pages ran, striving who should be foremost, and left the king alone,
-at the first entrance into the Seraglio, which so highly offended him, that
he called them back, and laid eight of them on the floor, all bloody and
wounded with his scimitar.

12.—However, when his wrath was appeased, the captive woman re-
doubled her entreaties so earnestly, that he could not refuse her, but
ordered that she should go with her husband and one Prieur, a surgeon of
Poitiers, to take Bausset from among the lyons, which was accordingly
done, when he had been there five hours; for he leaped in at four, and
came out at nine. Some days after, the lyons shewed not the same respect
to three Faquers or Doctors of the Law of Mahomet, who took upon them
to reprove the king for his cruelty, and were therefore cast into the same
place, and immediately torn in pieces by the lyons. This story was well
attested, brought to Paris, and put into the hands of the reverend fathers
the mercenarians of Paris, to satisfy such as may call the truth of it in
question. However, I had not made use of this story, only as it shews
that even kings have been proud to confer the greatest favours upon those
who were no more than the keepers of their Pigeons. Thus we see how
the knowledge of these birds has been propagated and encouraged in most
parts of the World at a very great expense, while every observer had still
this natural History to obtain in the same experimental and costly way,
and was often grossly imposed upon by having a mixed strain put into
his hands instead of the real species ; yet notwithstanding all this, and the
ease wherewith it might have been accomplished, I find an almost pro-
found silence among the Naturalists upon this head.

13.—I have, therefore, ventured first to launch forth into this new
science, not being insensible that I shall leave much room for others to
make great improvements, if any shall hereafter think it worth their while
to follow that track which I have only pointed out to them; and I hope
the learned world know how to make allowances for a first attempt in the

13. (Haton.)—To the young and inexperienced Fancier,—I am particularly desirous
of calling your attention to Paragraph 13. ; it is nearly worth the whole of the paragraphs
put together, until we come to consider the properties of Pigeons as laid down by the
standards, which we have to breed up to and surpass if possible.

(Eaton.)—The late Mr. JoHn Moore states positively, without evasion or
equivocation, that he was the first to launch forth into this new science. I am bound
to believe him, having never seen an earlier Work on the subject. At the time I am
writing, 1858,—Mr. Moorr’s Work was published in 1735, being 123 years ago,—
the inference I draw, it is true ; it would be folly ina young Fancier to state it was
not true, unless he was prepared to prove it by books of an earlier date, as old Fanciers
would know, that the young Fancier was not old enough to recollect it. It is my
intention to reprint the whole of the late Mr. Jonn Moorr’s Work upon Pigeons
word for word, and if any inaccuracies arise, it will be the fault of the Compositor, it
not being my wish to alter a single letter, believing his Work to be the original upon
Fancy Pigeons, and is the groundwork from which all other Works on the subject have
been taken, which, by-and-bye, I shall endeavour to prove; had it not been the fact,
Fanciers of that time would have contradicted ; Authors, Compilers, and Commentators,
would have handed it down tu posterity ; and to prove my assertion, I would recommend

XVi.

the young Fancier to obtain as large a library as possible on the subject. I shall give
you the late Mr. Jonn Moore’s Work, Columbarium: or the Pigeon House, word for
word. There will not be any occasion for you to strive to obtain a copy, and which
if you did, I believe would be labour in vain ; you may strive to obtain an earlier copy.

(Eaton.)—I would recommend you to obtain a Treatise on Domestic Pigeons, in-
scribed to JOHN Mayor, Esgq., the Author concealing his name, printed for and sold by
C. Barry, Ingram Court, Fenchurch Street; sold likewise by P. STEVENS, near
Stationer’s Hall, Ludgate Street; A. WEBLEY, Holborn; and J. WALTERs, Charing
Cross, 1765; also a Work—The Complete Pigeon Fancier, by DANIEL GirTIN, Esq.
printed for ALEXANDER Hoee, 16, Paternoster Row, London; also, a Treatise on the
Almond Tumbler, Author not named, printed for ALEXANDER Hoce & Co., 16,
Paternoster Row, London, 1802 and 1804; also, the Naturalists Library, that part
which relates to Pigeons ; Ornithology, Vol. 5th, part 3rd, by PRIDEUX JOHN SELBY,
Esq., F.R.S., E.F.L.S., M.W.S., &. &.; W. H. Lizars, 3, St. James’s Square,
Edinburgh; 8. Hicuury, 32, Fleet Street, London ; and W. Curry, Jun., and Co.,
Dublin, 1835 ; also, the Dovecote and the Aviary, by the REVEREND H. 8S. Dixon, M.A. ;
Joun Murray, Albemarle Street, London, 1851; also, PETER BOSWELL, on Pigeons,
sold by GEORGE RovrLEDGE, 36, Soho Square, London.

(Eaton.)—I cannot help thinking but that I am justified, and I think this the best
place to call the attention of the Gentlemen of the Fancy to a very great error, that is
printed-in a little Book,—being a compilation on Bees, Pigeons, Rabbits, and Canary
Birds, by Peter Boswett, Esq.,—Greenlaw, to be obtained of GroRecE ROUTLEDGE,
36, Soho Square, London, 1846. The “error” which I wish to call your attention to,
is in page 42, of the Work, and runs thus :—The best authenticated Treatise on Domes-
ticated Pigeons, especially regarding the fancy varieties, was published by Barry, of
Fenchurch Street, in 1765. That Treatise has been succeeded by Moorz’s Colum-
barium, and some others, founded on their authority ;—the very reverse is the fact of
the case, Mr. Moorz’s Work “ preceded instead of succeeded,” exactly thirty years.
Mr. Moorsg’s Work’was published in 1735 ; whereas, the Work published by Barry, of
Fenchurch Street, was 1765, and is inscribed to Joun Mayor, Esq., the Author con-
cealing his name. It is very likely that Joun Moors, the Pigeon Fancier, was in
Heaven at the time the Work was printed. (There is something in the year 1765
which I never can forget, and that was, the year my late excellent and much respected
Father was born, December 7th, 1765.) The compilation in which this error is
discovered, is, as I said before, a little Work, and, although there are errors in it which
could only te discovered by Pigeon Fanciers, it is carefully compiled by PETER
BoswELl, Esq., that if he had the two Works by him, the error would not have crept
in, and no doubt will be rectified in the next edition ; at the same time little knowing
how much of his Work, although not taken direct from Mr. Moore’s Work, (possibly
he never saw it) contains so much original matter belonging to Mr. Moors, but taken
from Mayor’s Work 1765, which he copied the greater part from Moorr’s Work 1735.
I have obtained all the Works on Pigeons I possibly could, and never read in any old
Work that Moors succeeded Mayor, ‘‘on the contrary,” Mayor succeeded Moore 30
years, the dates of the book will prove, which I have by me, Moorz 1735. Iam
rather surprised Mayor had not a little more candour or honour in acknowleding
Mookrk, from whose works he cabbaged the greater part of his work, he simply men-
tions his name twice throughout his work.—See 238 Paragraph, Mayor, p. 141, “So
far Mr. Moors, &c.” and paragraph 246, Mayor, p. 125, but, as Mr. Moore observes,
“Tis pity to seperate those venerable sons of clergy and female saints.” GIRTIN also
only mentions Moore's name twice, Paragraph 42, GIRTIN, p. 135, “we are indebted
to the late ingenious JoHN Moors, &c. &c., and Paragraph 73, GIRTIN, p. 113, “In
treating of the diseases on Pigeons, we shall follow the late Mr. Joun Moors, &c., &c.”
At this time there is a great demand of having the right men in their right places, and
it may be as well to have authors on Pigeons in the right places, viz. :—

Wigs: AIAN LOO fo coy 8 oP Yes 0 oo Kone yin

Mr oS ORN DEAWOR oo o5) co ne/-& ce y-:)-o ioe eae

Di ae BEWARE ATION ha cin has ohn eo ieee
I have a very strong presentiment, and cannot help believing in my conscience but
that Mr. DANreL GriRTIN was the author of the work dedicated to Mr. JoHn Mayor,
the author concealing his name. That he afterwards brought out the same work, with
few additions and remarks, and attached his name to it—DaNIEL GIRTIN.

XVI.

_ (Haton.)—TI informed you the little Work treated upon Bees, Pigeons, Rabbits,
and Canary Birds. Allow me simply to inform you all l know about Bees. On one
fine summer's evening; about 50 years ago, a schoolfellow and I were going to a place
called the Pound, in the New River, to bathe, in passing through Canonbury Fields we
stopped to see a gentleman who was at Fly Fishing with house flies, which he had in a
bottle, we were surprised, how fast he caught the various fish ; we made up our minds
to try our luck at this new science of Fishing, for neither of us, I believe, had seen it
before, at all events, with such success ; I can almost fancy I now see us on the bank,
for I have a strong recollection of the fact—although my schoolfellow, brother Bob,
(George Freeman), for we were two young disciples of old “Izaac,” is dead ; my much
respected old schoolfellow, Henry Major, and myself followed him to the grave—with our
traps ready to begin Fly Fishing ; we had stiff bottom rods, this was not from choice but
from necessity, we knew well what we stood in need of; having our pockets oftener
to let than tenanted, 1 hope I may be spared the trouble of trying to impress it upon
your minds that we were poor, not from choice but from necessity. All being now
ready to commence Fly Fishing, we discovered we had made a little mistake, that of
coming without the flies in the bottle; we were too good pupils of old Izaac to be
daunted, owing to our forgetfulness, recollecting that hope and patience supports the
Fisherman. It was a beautiful fine evening when we saw the gentleman Fly Fishing ;
but the following evening when we thought of going at it, was bitter cold, we looked
round the fields and trees for May flies (although in June), or any other fly, we were
not particular, flies being scarce owing to the coldness of the evening, we looked hard
for flies, it was labour in vain ; we got disheartened for that evening and agreed to put
up our traps. I felt as though I wanted something to warm and waken me up ; at this
moment a Bee came flying by, I knocked it down with my hat, told my schoolfellow I
xpected to take a large Chub with it ; I almost imagined I heard the fish say to my
bait as I intended—Tll eat you, body and all; I expected the hook would stick in his
gill or somewhere ; I was not particular, but reasoned that a large bait deserved a
large fish, I was sanguine in my mind I should catch a rum-un—so f did ; have a little
patience with me, I will tell you all about it, I was a good arithmetician, and under-
stood Cocker well for my age ; a little learning is a dangerous thing,—I was aware the
Bee had a sting, and supposed the fang or trunk in the head was the sting, but not be
wrong in my Cocker, and it is acknowledged in a multitude of council there is safety.
I consulted my brother Bob where its sting was, he pointed to me its fang or trunk,
which made me doubly sure and confirmed my opinion, (I thought two heads better than
one if they were only calves’ heads, and then best hot, which they proved to be) ;
although I had knocked the Bee down with my hat, I had only stunned it; being aware,
as I thought, where its sting was, and acting with the utmost caution, narrowly watch-
ing with my eyes his trunk, I proceeded with the courage of an Angler, but with an
especial eye (on its trunk lest it should sting me) to place it on the hook ; quick as,
lightning I dropped my rod, as though red hot ; I was half way down the field on
one leg before you could have said “Jack Robinson,” my brother Bob ran after me, to —
know what was the matter ; do you suppose I could stop and tell him,—no more than
the man with the steam leg,—if it had been possible, [ could have stopped, it would.
have bothered me, not knowing myself; my brother Bob no doubt thought I was;
crack’d ; he certainly was right this time, decidedly wrong as to where the sting
was ; I knew I was crack’d, it was very small, what it wanted in size was made up
with virulence. I have often thought of it in my sober moments. At last, my legs.
stop’d, when I came to my old school-fellow all in a sweat—no. doubt, a cold
sweat—Il had a colour like a turnip, although my head red-hot ; we looked volumes at
each other, the subject would not do to dwell upon. It is said there is not any
mistakes in figures, although persons may be out in their Cocker; I had several ideas
in this little affair, I thought I wanted warming, and, waking up, I thought a large
bait deserved a large fish ; I made sure of catching a rum-un, I did not care where the
hook caught so it held fast, it was all carried out by the Bee hooking in the tender part
of the thumb—a Jack, a John, and a Flat—it might have been worse, it. might have
jaw lock’d me, Several fly rods since then have come into my possession ; I believe I
never attempted since, whenever I see a Bee IE am lost in wonder and astonishment
at it. Those beautiful words of Watts, How doth the little busy Bee, &e—‘ How”
indeed, too big for Solomon to answer—comes to my mind, at the the same time always
keeping a respectful distance from them for auld lang syne ; I richly deserved all I
B :

XVIile

got, for knocking down an industrious Bee, and received my reward, I have not the
slightest wish to scrape acquaintance with them again ; I apologized to you to allow me
to tell you all I knew about Bees, I have now informed you. .

(Eaton.)—In Paragraph 14, Mr. Moore says, I sometimes endeavoured to relax
the mind, by throwing in some diverting parts of history, which though not altogether
necessary to the main purport of the Treatise, will, I hope, answer the end for which
they were designed. Mr. Moore knew, as a wise man, there was a time for all things—
a time for hard thinking, and a time to relax the mind. I am confident no one will
make a good Fancier who has not his head placed on his shoulders in the right way,
and his brains properly scraped, and then it will avail you nothing unless you exercise
those brains in deeply thinking. A thorough good and acknowledged Fancier, never
acquired his experience by mere accident, but the result of observation and reflection.
I entertain very little opinion of that Gentleman joining a Fancy Pigeon Society, sup-
posing he knows all about it, unless it be true, (if so, so much the better,) or it opens
his eyes to conviction that he is at sea or all abroad, there is hope this person, in due
time, will be a Fancier.;.on the contrary, that Gentleman never will that-imagines he
sees and perceives all at once, or first sight. It is possible he may do for the first Lord
of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Cabinet Minister, or any thing else (save
a Fancier.) It is wise to mind our stops, and be a little too slow, than like the fast
Man upon Town, or Lis Country Cousin—the Go-a-head man. To return to my old
friend Cocker, to give us the total of this Paragraph; Mr. Moore knew from his
observation and reflection, there was not any possibility of gaining a thorough know-
ledge of Fancy Pigeons, but from long study and experience. He was fully sensible
that studying the. points and properties of the birds are often tedious and irksome,
therefore threw in some diverting parts of History ; I have no doubt some of the young
Fanciers will think I handle the matter too serious ; I do not wish to deceive the
Fancier, but plainly to inform him, he has his work to do; I am fully as sensible as
Mookz, it is dry work, and requires to be enlivened up by facts, stories, and anecdotes.
I sincerely hope I shall be able to get up the steam, and render the subject as pleasant
as possible, giving everything its due consideration, or weighing it in the balance. I
fancy I am of too serious a mood to try my hand at wit, at the same time, it is not
Philosophy to be-unhappy to-day, because we may be miserable to-morrow, I cannot
help thinking we may as well be merry as sad. I cannot tell, my young Fanciers, how
you feel in reading it ; I,.who am writing it, feel dry, and as Parsons beautifylly wind-
up, having finished this Pint, let’s have a Full Pot.

(Eaton.)—I hope against hope, you have obtained the small Library of Books,
written by various Authors on the Subject, we have under consideration, as before
recommended ; at all events, I hope you have tried. It may be that you have obtained
the Works. My object in advising you to obtain as large a Library of Works, and of
the earliest dates, upon the subject; then commencing by reading carefully over a few
times the earliest date, say JoHN Moors, 1735, then read the Work dedicated to JOHN
Mayor, 1765, thirty years after Moors, carefully comparing the Work 1765, to the
Work, and as you read and compare Works together, interline with your pen what you
find in the second book, what you find in the first, do not interline that which is not
in the first book, which leaves the un-interlined original matter due to the Work 1765 ;
follow up plan by comparing DANIEL GiRTIN’s Work, without date, to the two former
works, interline all you have read before, but not that information which is not con-
tained in the two prior books, which leaves the un-interlined original matter due to
Mr. Dantet GIRTIN; proceed in the same way with the Columbarian Work of 1802
and 1804, and that which you do not interline is original matter, is due to the late
celebrated Almond Fancier and the Author WINDUvS, Esq., Solicitor, Southampton
Buildings, Holborn. Follow up the same plan with regard to the Naturalist’s Library,
vol. 5, part 3, on Pigeons, by Pripeux Joun SELBY, Esq. F.RS., E.F.L.S., M.W.S.,
&c. &c. 1835. Also, the Dovecote and the Aviary, by the Rev. E. 8. Drxon, M.A.,
&c. &c. 1851, and what you have not read or discovered in prior dates give each
Author according to the earliest dates the credit of originality, and nothing more ; when
you come to read over all the Works you can obtain, after my style of interlining, you
will then find out to whom the credit is due, as to originality. Read, also, the Natural
Histories, Encyclopedias, some of the larger Dictionaries, &c. &c. in search of original

matter, then discover how far the Works are the echo and re-echo of Mr. Moong’s

x1x.

advancement of any kind of knowledge.(13*) I am very sensible that
proper Icons are of very great service to illustrate a Work of this nature ;
but this piece being in its kind new, and not being able to guess at
what reception it may meet with from the World; I knew the expenses
of exact cuts would swell the price too high for many that may have a
mind to purchase this Work; and on the contrary, that if they are not
delineated with the utmost accuracy according to their various charac-
teristicks, they only puzzle the mind, and render the description of them
more obscure ; and, therefore, I chose rather to have none, than bad ones.

14.—In the sequel of this Work, I have endeavoured as near as possible
to give exact criterions for the knowledge of each distinct species; and
being aware that bare descriptions are often tedious and irksome, I have
sometimes endeavoured to relax the mind by throwing in some diverting
parts of history, which though not altogether necessary to the main pur-
port of the Treatise, will I hope answer the end for which they were
designed.

15.—Being well assured that this book will fall into the hands of many
of the illiterate part of mankind, who are altogether ignorant of the terms
of Art, and even in the meaning of many words of more frequent use
among the politer part; I have for the sake of such added an Alphabetical
Explanation of the less common words made use of in this Treatise.

16.—So hoping it will have the desired effect, of pushing on some abler
Pen, I commit it at once to the candid censure of Mankind.

Work, and Works of prior date ; if Mr. Moorr:had seen some of the Works recently
published he would have thought it a burlesque upon Pigeons.

(Eaton.)—Mr. Moors, in the same Paragraph, states, “‘ Not being insensible that
I shall leave much room for others to make great improvements.” Query? I very
rauch doubt whether any Fancier could surpass his Observations and Reflections ; if a
Fancier could not accomplish it, no ether Writer could; with regard to others follow-
ing in the tract, which he says ‘‘I have only pointed out to them ;” from whatever
cause very few have followed him, although many have promised. If ‘it were possible
for Mr. Moore to have seen the progress, that Authors and Pigeon Fanciers, have
made after One Hundred and Twenty-three Years, he would not have had occasion to
hope, the Learned World knew how to make allowances for a first attempt in any
kind of knowledge.

13* (Haton.)—Moreover, he is fully convinced “that proper Icons are of very great
service to illustrate a work of this nature,” &c. It is my intention to illustrate this
Work with the best engraved coloured portraits of Fancy Pigeons, as encouraged by
the acknowledged best Fanciers, that ever lived. It will be seen they have never been
surpassed. Mr. Moore observes, ‘‘ the Work being New, and not knowing whether it
would be attended with profit or loss,” —that appears to me to be the true reading of
it—besides swelling the price too high for many, he abandoned having Portraits rather
than bad ones, which shewed his good sense. I only wish it were possible he could
witness the Icons, as he’called them, that will accompany this Work ; it is possible,
provided we could find, and place the engravings that will accompany this work over,
his le like the * S ad Bee over Tom Moody’s grave, that he is Seehy ran down.

COLUMBARIUM:

OR, THE PIGEON HOUSE.

THE INTRODUCTION.

17.—Zootoey, or the History of Animals, has been a task in all ages
deemed worthy the consideration of the best and ablest Philosophers, and
many branches of this useful history have been handed down to us from
them in an elegant and instructive manner, showing us the beauty and
wisdom of providence and our great Creator, in the formation of such an
almost infinite variety of creatures, and raising our thoughts to the sbu-
limest notions of that tremendous Being, whose almighty fiat gave them
birth ; at the same time teaching us to adore his bounty and goodness in
making mankind their superior, and submitting them all to his use. The
contemplation of God in his creatures sets us such a lesson of humility, as
ought to make the proud man blush, and humbly prostrate himself before
the throne of that omnipotent invisible Deity, whose hand supports him in
common with the brute creation.

18.—I could wish some abler pen had undertook the work now before
me, but having examined most of the writers on these subjects, and find-

17. (Eaton.)—Emperors, Kings, Queens, Princes, Nobles, with the best and ablest
Philosophers in all ages, have considered Pigeons worthy their consideration and taking
great delight in them; ought it not to make the proud stiff necked ignorant man to
stoop, who attempts to ridicule and burlesque the Pigeon, he is in some measure to be
pitied, because he knows no better. I sincerely hope, from Mr. Moorz’s beautiful
remarks, it will urge us Fanciers on, to endeavour to improve the beautiful properties
of the Pigeon, and contemplate their beauties and persevere in endeavouring to improve
their properties and raise them to a higher standard. We ought to feel grateful to
Mr. Moor: in calling our attention, or reminding us while passing through the wilder-
ness. We are creatures, not the Creator, although all is vanity under the Sun, we
should embrace as large a share of happiness (free from vice) while travelling through
the wilderness, and should not be disheartened or hip ourselves by contemplating
whether our Pigeons, after death, shall fall into the hands of a wise man or a fool.

_ 18. (Eaton.)—Mr. Moorz, over and over again, appears to deeply lament and
deplore the task of writing, or giving information to the Pigeon Fanciers, had not
fallen to the lot of some abler pen than himself. In commenting on his writings to
the same effect prior, I made use of this word—Query. I repeat now again, Query ;
and ask, If ever there was a Fancier who could have done more than Mr. Moorn
did, considering it was the first attempt at this new Science, and not having
any tract or line pointed out to him to follow? He had examined most of the
writers on these subjects, and finding in them either no account at-all, or else a very
imperfect and superficial one, which for a due opportunity to examine the Bird they
were describing, they have generally taken up at random and upon credit. Mr.
Mook: says, “I thought it, in some measure, incumbent on me to attempt a Natural
History of this kind, partly as having in my house most of the sorts to be described,
and partly to provoke other Gentlemen who have more skill and ability to rescue this
part of the History of Animals from that obscurity it has so long laboured under.”

21

ing in them either no account at all, or else a very imperfect and super-
ficial one, which for want of a due opportunity to examine the bird they
were describing, they have generally taken up at random and upon credit;
I thought it in some measure incumbent upon me to attempt a natural
history of this kind, partly as having in my own house most of the sorts
to be described, and partly to provoke other gentlemen who have more
skill and ability, to rescue this part of the history of animals from that
obscurity it has so long laboured under.

19.—In order therefore to render this treatise, (which has been so long
due from one part of my countrymen, I mean the naturalists, and so long
desired by another) as compleat as possible, I shall divide this book into
two parts; in the first I shall treat of the method of keeping, breeding,
and preserving of Pigeons, and in the second I shall give an account of
the different sorts, endeavouring to clear up all obscurities, and render the
knowledge and distinction of the several species facile to all those, who

When the idea first took possession of Mr. Moorz’s mind, to attempt a Natural
History of Pigeons, it appears to me, the wand of the enchanter was over and guided
him. It was a luckey thought for the Gentlemen of the Fancy, a fortunate thing no
one else had attempted it prior, otherwise it might not have been half so well executed,
and have been the means of preventing Mr. Moore writing upon the subject, which he
executed with such masterly skill, the loss of which would have been a loss indeed.
Do not for a moment suppose I am so vain, puffed-up, or conceited, as having more
skill and ability than other Fanciers, the great fact is, the only thing that. urges me on
to write is “ I have the will, others the ability, not the will,” and my great desire is to
lay before the young Fancier such a mass of information as never appeared before on
Pigeons, besides handing down to posterity Mr. Moorz’s original Work,-word for
word, from which all other Works are taken, except some Toys and Foreign Pigeons,
for which we are greatly indebted to Mr. B. P. Brent, which you will read by and
bye.

19, (Eaton.)—Mr, Moore observes in this Paragraph, ‘in order therefore to
render this Treatise, which has been so long due from one part of my countrymen, I
mean the Naturalists, and so long desired by another,” (alluding to the Pigeon Fancier,
although he does not exactly say so in his Work, which from beginning to end, is
entirely written and confined to the Pigeon Fancier.) Mr. M. cannot help thinking
that the Naturalists had greatly slighted the Gentlemen of the Pigeon Fancy. Could
a Naturalist have written upon a subject unless he was a Pigeon Fancier? It is pos-
sible a Naturalist might compile and write upon a thousand different animals and birds
for the general reading of the millions, as lions, tigers, elephants, rhinoceros, camels,
dromedaries, camelopards, &c. ; or birds, the eagle, ostrich, or the titlark, and Cochin
China fowls, &. &c. I am not aware that Naturalists have raised a standard, or
how many properties constitutes the standard, as laid down to test the lion or tiger
by, &c. ; this may arise simply from the want of pluck on the part of the Naturalists
not going into their dens, examining their properties or points, for fear of catching
cold. Gentlemen who delight in the song of birds, and who understand their song, as
laid down by Bird Fanciers, have as much right bitterly to complain as Mr, Moorsg,
that the Naturalists had entirely overlooked them, and had not given any account of
the execution song birds execute ; imagine to yourself, a match made by two Bird
Fanciers, each, supposing they had the best titlark between wood and wire, to sing a
match for half an hour, as a matter of course the bird performing the most execution
would win; would it be right and fitting to appoint a Naturalist to keep score
unless he was a good Bird Fancier, understood their song, such as weeting,
chouing, fearing, whisking, laughing, rattling, and their objectionable song, such as
snuffling, shiting, &c.? I tell you plainly it is the office of the Bird Fancier ; how
frequently do you hear persons say sweet, sweet, pretty dick ; supposing the bird to

R2

either do or may hereafter delight in the contemplation of this innocent
part of the creation ; that by comparing any bird with the characteristics
here given, they may be able to determine not only the species itself, but
to form a tolerable judgment whether it be of the better sort or not: and
to this end I have not only examined those birds of each sort which I
keep myself, but have had recourse to, and consulted most of the oldest
and most experienced persons that kept pigeons and delighted in this
fancy.

Say sweet, instead of weet? They do not understand them, whereas, a Bird Fancier
would remain quiet and listen to their song and execution.

(Eaton.)—Whenever I attend Ornamental, Domestic, Poultry, and Fancy Pigeon
Shows, after viewing the Pigeons, my attention is called to Fowls of whatever variety.
Not keeping Fowls, I know little or nothing about them, as they ought to be known ;
my attention would be directed to those Fowls that had taken Ist, 2nd, and 3rd prize
of the different varieties: I have obtained the best Works, not that I know anything
more about them. As every one has a beginning, I cannot in my conscience help think-
ing that of obtaining the best Work, as laid down by the Gentlemen of the Poultry
Fancy to guide me is the first step in the right path, to obtain knowledge of the
standards of the various Fowls that obtained the greatest ntimber of points, or pro-
petties, as laid down; say five for argument, or seven or nine, it being necessary to
have an odd number, otherwise the two best birds might equally divide the properties,
then the prize could not be awarded. I said five for argument ; supposing one bird to
obtain shape and feather, two beautiful properties ; but the bird shewn against it, ob-
tained the other three properties, whatever they may be, the prize must be awarded by
the judges to the bird that obtained the three properties, notwithstanding the other
bird possessed shape and feather, which, as I observed before, are truly beautiful pro-
perties ; if, on the contrary, the prizes are awarded to the general appearance of the
bird, it is a clear proof there is not any standard laid down, (it is high time there was)
which leaves the Judges and Fanciers in the dark, not knowing what they are aiming
at. Surely, it is not the work ofa Naturalist to lay down a standard, but the work of
Fowl Fanciers. ’

(Eaton).—As we are on the Fancyand Shows, we are generally called together by
the bill of fare, viz., “A Grand Show of Ornamental, Domestic, Useful, and Fancy
Poultry and Pigeons, &c. &c.” Poultry has its fashions like other things, a few years
ago Cochins were the fashion, now the Spanish ; the Game Fowl will never be forgot,
the Dorkings are always in tune with belly Fanciers, of which there are an amazing
quantity, who cannot see any beauty in a Pigeon, except it is roast or in a pie, these
belly Fancies complain two Pigeons take off the sharp edge of their appetite ; they are
great Fanciers of the large Runts that will weigh two and a quarter pound each. Of
all the Fowls, as regards fancy Fowls, none ought to rank so high, nor have so high a
prize awarded them, as the truly beautiful pretty little Lilleputian consequential aristo-
cratic and game Bantams. It is the only single Fowl that there is a society of the first
men in the country. It is held at the Gray’s Inn Coffee House Tavern, London, to
improve their beautiful properties and raise them to a higher standard of perfection.
This society has existed for many years, and was presided over by the eminent and
spirited Fancier the late Sir John Sebrigh.

(Eaton.)—I am of opinion I shall dwell rather long on the subject I am about to
take in hand. You may omit reading it for the present ; read it at your leisure, and
proceed to the Pigeons at once, provided you think fit.

(Eaton.)—To the disgust of Gentlemen Pigeon Fanciers, unfortunately there are
some few men to be found who take upon themselves the onerous duties of awarding
prizes to Pigeons, which they know they are incompetent to do, not knowing the pro-
perties of the different varieties of Pigeons—in fact, to speak plain, comparatively
know no more about Pigeons than Pigeons know about them. My knowledge of
Gentlemen Pigeon Fanciers, with their knowledge of Fowls, I feel convinced they are

23

equally as competent to award the prizes to Fowls as the Fowl Fanciers are to Pigeons,
and would do it equally as honest. Then what folly to mar the pleasures of a Poultry
and Pigeon Show, by a niggardly and false economy by calling upon men to do that
which they are incompetent to do, when first-rate London Fanciers, who do not want
to make a profit out of Pigeon Shows, on the contrary, simply to award the bird or
birds that are entitled to the prize or prizes, irrespective whether they belonged to
the peer or the peasant. When you consider the enthusiastic London Fanciers, as I
said before, who are not desirous of making a profit out of Pigeons, only that the best
birds may win, should the society or show be a small one and economy a consideration,
depend upon it one good judge is better than three muffs, besides the pleasantness and
harmony that will attend the show, for if dissatisfaction should attend the awarding of
the prizes, it may cause such a schism that another show will not be attempted.
Therefore, while good London Fanciers are to be obtained at a sovereign or guinea and
a return ticket, why run the risk of destroying theshow for ever ? |

The Preston, in Lancashire, Show, very judiciously required the exhibitors to name
gentlemen who they thought competent for judges. The committee are not bound to
choose who you or I may mention. I named two gentlemen for Pigeons (one was
chosen) whose judgment and honesty in awarding prizes I consider not second to any
Fanciers who are A 1. Fowls I do not pretend to know anything about, therefore did
not name any gentleman. There was another beautiful condition in this show, pro-
vided the 1st prize or prizes were withheld—the judges had to give an account of the
why or the wherefore, and carried to the next prize or prizes. This was a noble and
- generous act on the part of the committee, freeing it from all meanness, besides calling
upon the judges to give their why and wherefore in withholding prizes. I am sensible
there are some Pigeon Fanciers so up to their work, as touching the standard laid down
for the various varieties of Pigeons, if asked by the committee why a bird won or lost,
that would give satisfaction ; at the same time I am equally sensible that other judges
would not, but insist upon it that they had awarded the best bird or birds without giv-
ing the why or the wherefore, which is not satisfactory, a judge simply pointing out the
properties as laid down by the standard, gives satisfaction to all, and especially to the
exhibitors, many of whom know the properties of a Pigeon as well as the judge or
judges. I don’t believe there’s a thorough good Fancier that cares about being beat by
better birds, although he thought his own the best under the sun, until he saw better.
This was simply his mistake, fortunately not the judge or judges. It is very different
when a Fancier is beat with worse birds. What will allay him? It is not so much the
value of the medal; ’tis the honour and glory of carrying it off. I receive many
letters from Fanciers of different counties, on various subjects connected with Pigeons.
A few daysago I received a letter from a very spirited Fancier ; part of the letter is as
follows :—I am rather astonished to find that Mr. has beaten me with
He never has before. I beat at the Show, also at the Show ; all the same
birds, &c. &e. Ido not say by the same judges, for 1 know on one occasion there was
a different judge, placed in the room of one of the others. You may reason that the
birds might have been out of condition. I do not believe so out of condition that their
properties could not be discovered. It is a want of judgment when birds are awarded
upon feather or mere appearance alone, for, after all, feather is only one property out
of five. A pair of very superior birds may be put in a pen at a Show, and not.match
exactly as regards feather, although capable of taking the other three, or even four pro-
perties out of the properties as laid down by the standard to test the birds. Where too
much of this nonsense is carried out by incompetent judges, for simply to take a par-
ticularly neat pair of birds, not objectionable in any of their properties, but far from
being good in any of their properties, save only feather, is to do away with the
standard, and reduce it to one property only, feather, or—the toss of my hat! Such
judges require strong memories to recollect how they formerly awarded the same birds,
otherwise there never will be an end to this ‘‘see-saw work.” But, acting strictly up
to the five properties, as laid down by the standard, will always prove which are the
best birds, and will, if once the best birds, always remain so, unless fresh birds are
brought against them that are better. You may reason the birds will grow old (so will
you and me). Is that any reason they are to be despised? Did you never see an old
bird extra good in all its properties save feather? The cause of my writing so much on
the subject, is to guard judges from awarding prizes to Pigeons by any rule save only
the right one, which is by the five properties as laid down by the standard. There are

24

Fanciers who contend that it cannot be a white Pouter if it has black in the beak, and
would disqualify it from showing, although there are not any properties in the head of
the Pouter according to the standard laid down. Yet the same Fanciers would allow
a black Carrier to be shown with a white beak. Now, where is the consistency,
although, according to Mr. Moore’s standard, a Carrier is reckoned to have twelve
properties, all in the head, viz., three in the beak, three in the wattle, three in the
head, and three in the eye? The three properties in the beak are to be long, straighé,
and thick. Moore and Mayor says nothing of the colour of a Carrier’s beak, but
GIRTIN (page 63) says beak a black colour. As there is not any property in the head
of a Pouter, and as there is mention as touching the colour of the beak of a Carrier, I
think it would be only fair to carry the stain or black beak of the Pouter with the
feather, letting the Pouter lose one property, ‘‘feather,” which is gread odds, one out
of five, and proceed upon the other four properties. It was so at the Crystal Palace
Winter Show, January, 1858, and showed the judgment of the judges. I would not
disqualify a white Pouter, being shown as a white Pouter with a black beak, any more
than I would a black Carrier with a white beak. I have seen splendid birds with these
beaks. "Tis possible a cunning Fancier might make a match with a Gentleman
Fancier (taking him off his guard) that he would show a black mottle Tumbler against
him for the five properties. This cunning Fancier might put in a bird that cost 1s.,
calculating he might find a grizzle feather in the bird of his opponent, although the
owner would not take many pounds for it, and declare that his opponent had lost the
match by stating his bird was a grizzle and not a black motile. Unfortunately there
are few such men in the Fancy, and men that know what birds are, they are cunning
men, not Gentlemen Fanciers. If a wager was made to show a Pouter, for all pro-
perties, and a white Pouter put in with a black beak, taking three properties out of
five, would win. But if a wager was made to show the best white Pouter, the party
losing might demur, by stating the other was not a white Pouter, having a stain beak,
although, generally speaking, the colour of the beak runs with the colour of the feather
of the bird. If it is not a white Pouter, then, what is it? There are excellent Carrier
Fanciers who prefer a streaky beak on a black Carrier, and some will go so far as to
prefer a few white feathers underneath, near the anus or vent, believing the birds
coming from a better strain. Almond Fanciers prefer a Kite, with a white beak,
rather than the colour of the bird, as more likely coming from two Almonds. Again,
generally speaking, an Almond has a white beak, but where an Almond has a deal of
black in its break, it often happens that it has a stained, dark, or even a black beak.
Some Fanciers, to answer their purpose, would even, if they dare attempt it, say it was
not an Almond with a black beak. Then, what is it ? some would say a splash. If it
is an Almond, it is an Almond, although it may have a splash or stain beak. There is
no accounting for the crotchets some Fanciers have got into their heads. For instance,
a pair of Tumblers ; you know the cock has five properties, the hen also five properties,
making ten, whether good or bad, that is to be decided by the judges, provided they
are up to their work, as laid down by the standard. You know a pair of Carriers have
also between them ten properties ; also a pair of Pouters. Therefore, if either a pair
of Tumblers, Carriers, or Pouters can take six properties out of the ten, ought by all
means out of common honesty to have the prize awarded to them. It is evident the
birds shown against them had good properties, and kept the pair in check, otherwise
the pair that took the prize would have taken more properties. It is possible, if a pair
of Tumblers lost two properties, they were a broken or bad eye, and a wry beak.
Simply to disqualify birds from conterding for prizes on this account, viz., from a
broken or bad eye, or from a wry beak, only proves that the judges are not, and never
were, up to the mark. For once a thorough good Fancier, always a good Fancier,
though infirmities may grow upon them that they cannot get about their avaries or
lofts as they did fifty years ago, yet they do not forget what the properties of birds
ought to be. You might equally as well with justice disqualify a pair of Carriers with
hooked and spindle beaks, or with pinched eyes, as a Tumbler with a wry beak, or a
bad eye from whatever cause; or disqualify a pair of the finest English Pouters ever
witnessed simply because they do not exactly match in colour of Feather and markings,
viz.—chap, bib, pinion, chain, clear thighed, after all only one property out of five ;
provided I could find language to rivet it on your mind. By all means, look for the
bad properties of the birds, the good ones will shew at sight, with truth and honesty
give the properties to the birds that possess them ; above all things do not disqualify

29

altogether birds from showing, simply because it has one bad property, viz.—it may be
a broken eye, or a crooked beak, or an odd Feather, for the bird might take three pro-
perties out of the other four, therefore, the winner, by taking three properties out of
the five, a proof it was the better bird. If too much of this nonsense is allowed of
disqualifying birds there is no knowing where it will end, and what advantages may
be taken of the young and inexperienced Fancier, who are not able to contend with
more experienced Fanciers ; there is a line to be drawn, for example, if two Fanciers
agree to show two black-pied Pouters, the one showing a blue-pied Pouter, thinking he
might be allowed to lose on Feather, disqualify the bird at once, for it is not a black-
pied Pouter, and give the prize to the other bird provided it is‘a black-pied Pouter. On
the contrary, if two black-pied are shewn, and there should be a kitish Feather about
it, do not disqualify this bird, provided the other is better in Feather, by all means let
it take this property (Feather), and proceed on the other four properties. It is equally
applicable to black, red, yellow mottles, and all other Pigeons, therefore let the judges
act with integrity, uprightness, and truth, as the breath of their soul; if they know they
are incompetent to award the prizes of Pigeons, let them give it up and give place to
more competent men, otherwise they will be branded with infamy ; although not inten-
tional, only simply from a want of knowledge of the five properties. A few evenings
ago at a Pigeon show, a gentleman, who is. acknowledged by the Fancy to be a good
Fancier, although having very strange crotchets in head, he would not admit as a pair
of Tumblers, if one Tumbler had a beautiful pair of pearl eyes and the other a broken,
gravel, or bull eye, as it is termed by Fanciers, but he would admit them as a pair of
Tumblers provided the pair were both gravel eyed. Now I simply appeal to Fanciers,
is it not better to have one bad property than four in the eyes of a pair of Tumblers, for
should the cock have extroardinary good eyes, although his hen a broken or bad eye,
he may make a tie with the other pair shown against them, that is one, and one as re-
gards the properties of the eyes ; ‘tis startling, to think of putting in a pair (a queer
pair) of tumblers with gravel eyes, which would most assuredly lose by their eyes two
properties out of 10, and must they not be a rare pair of tumblers, to take six properties
out of the other eight to win. I did not approve of this gentleman’s logic, while
listening a thought flashed across my mind, if two gentlemen were walking together,
one gentleman with a wooden leg, the other without a wooden leg, he would not
acknowledge them a pair of gentlemen ; but if any one would break the leg of the
other gentleman, and put him on a wooden leg, then he would admit them as a pair of
gentlemen, I simply appeal to your experience whether it is not better to have one bad
property than two. ‘There is a little joking going at the present time, a gentleman
having made a wager, that a white Pouter ought to have an orange eye ; there is not
any property laid down in the head of the Pouter—the head, beak, eye, or wattle.
The eye of the Pouter is generally a gravel eye ; for a white Pouter the Fanciers are
more pleased with a black or bull eye, the term used by Fanciers.

(Eaton.)—With regard to Pigeons, Fanciers consider worthy of a standard ; namely,
the Tumbler, Carrier, and English Pouter: for instance, if the Tumbler possessed shape
and feather, two grand properties; if another Tumbler is shewn against it, possess-
ing the properties of head, beak, and eye, the bird taking three properties out of the
five, according to the standard laid down by the Gentlemen of the Fancy, must of
necessity be awarded the prize. Again, if a Carrier possessed length and thinness of
neck, length of body, and great width of chest, which is, after all, only one property
(shape), also the head ; if another Carrier is shewn against it, possessing the properties
of beak, wattle, and eye, the bird taking three properties out of the five, according to
the standard laid down, must be awarded the prize. Again, if an English Pouter
possessed the properties—shape, and beauty in feather ; if another English Pouter is
shewn against it, possessing the properties of length of body, length of legs, crop,
the bird taking three properties out of the five, according to the standard laid down by
Fanciers, must be awarded the prize, notwithstanding the general appearance of the
bird possessing shape and feather, which, as I said before, is truly beautiful.

(Haton.)—Having a standard laid down to test the birds, creates harmony, and re-
moves unpleasantness. If two Gentlemen of the Fancy agree to shew two Almond
Tumblers for a bottle of wine, bowl of punch, or a rump and dozen ; if they are two
true, honest, good Fanciers, and their hearts in the right place, they do not require the
judges to tell them, which has lost or won, knowing that one bird has taken three,

~ four, or.the five properties, although the bitd that lost, the owner would not take ten

kh

26

pounds for; moreover, it silences the inexperienced Fancier, who shows for the five
properties—his bird possessing shape and feather. The inexperienced Fancier, from
the general appearance of his bird, supposes he has won, but the judges inform him he
has lost, upon head, beak, and eye, he is satisfied ; taking the general appearance of a
bird, and not having a standard, is a very childish affair, and produces ill will. It is
useless for judges to inform gentlemen they have lost, and that is all they will say ; it
is better to have a standard, and point out the properties on which they lost, which
would give satisfaction ; besides, there are Fanciers (after the decision of the judges)
are equal as good judges, if not superior in judgment, for it often happens that the
judges do not keep birds ; at all events, they have no right to have any birds contend-
ing for the prizes. If there is not any standard, and you take the general appearance
of the bird, you might as well have young ladies from boarding-schools, for judges, who
would look out birds and call them very pretty.

(Eaton.)—The first time I had the honor of attending the Columbarian Society, held
at the Gray’s Inn Coffee-house, London, when the Almond Tumbler that took first prize
‘was shewn me, I expressed my surprise, (being a young head and beak fancier) ; French
Stevens, Esq., an extraordinary Fancier, made it clear to me, when he stated it was the
only bird in the pen that came up to the standard—Feather, which I will give you, viz.
three colours—black, white, and yellow, in the nine first feathers of each wing, and twelve
in the tail ; see J. M. Earon’s Almond Tumbler, Paragraphs 413 to 416 on Feather. The
Columbarian Society takes notice only of the Almond Tumbler, and very judiciously
have their first prize (Feather), to prevent Fanciers running from Feather. If, on
the contrary, there had been three Almonds, all standard birds, then the Umpires would
have awarded the prize to the bird that obtained three properties out of the five, viz.
Feather, Shape, Head, Beak, Eye. It sometimes happens that the first prize is not
awarded, owing to a standard bird (Feather) not being exhibited.

(Eaton.)—This late celebrated Society had another standard for Almond Tumblers,
for the bird that takes most properties out of the five, namely, Head, Beak, Eye, Shape,
and Feather, this bird is, generally, the Lion of their Anniversary. It so happened,
the bird which was a standard feather and took the first prize, came into the possession
of a friend of mine. I could have had the bird but would not, being a short-faced head
and beak Fancier, and the bird possessing only one property out of five, which was
feather. How different was the case with regard to the bird that was the Lion of the
Day, which was shewn for the five properties! I could have wished to have bought
that bird, but I knew it would have offered an insult to the Gentlemen forming that
Society, although they have arule privately among themselves, any member of the
Society has the privilege of putting up any bird in the pen to auction, the owner of the
bird has one bid and no more; if the owner of the bird is satisfied with the highest bid,
the bird is sold ; on the contrary, if the owner puts a higher price on the bird, which
often gives a fresh fillip, competion begins again, and whoever is the highest bidder
obtains the bird: the bird I am writing of was sold for many guineas, I know the
gentleman who purchased it. It was so as regards a pen of Bantams, H , Esq.
put on them £50, Sir John Sebright offered £50 1s. and claimed them.

(Eaton.)—Why I should have written so much about the standard, I am at a loss
to know, unless it is to throw out a gentle hint to judges, who have a standard to test
the birds by—to act strictly up to the standard as laid down, not forgetting themselves,
and taking the general appearance of the bird, or to those Fanciers who appoint judge
to award prizes where no standard is laid down; taking the general appearance of the
bird, which is sure to give dissatisfaction. In a former part I mentioned very learned
men, Naturalists, could write and edify the general reading of millions; I now inform
you, they could not write to satisfy a few Gentlemen Pigeon Fanciers, unless they were
Pigeon Fanciers themselves ; Naturalists did write upon Pigeons. Did they please Mr.
MoorE? Certainly not. If we knew his private thoughts, for aught we know, in his
estimation instead of being Naturalists, he may have set them down as naturals, for
writing on a subject they did not understand. Looking over some Works pub-
lished since Mr. Moorr’s day, were it possible to have shewn Mr. Moore some of
coloured engravings of Pigeons, to have asked him what birds they were, he, no doubt,
would have answered he thought they belonged to the eagle, or vulture specie, being so
unlike Pigeons. He expresses his surprise and amazement at the indolence of all our
Ornithologists ; he had examined most ofethe writers on the subject, and finding in
them no account at all, or else a very imperfect and superficial one, (for want of a due

av

20.—But not to detain you any longer with the introduction, I shall in
the first place give an account in what manner to build your loft.

THE METHOD OF BUILDING A LOFT.

21.—A pigeon loft ought to be built to the south ‘or south-west, the
sun lying warmest on them from those quarters ; but‘if you have not that
convenience, you’ may make ‘a hole in the roof of your house, and there
lay your platform, smaller or larger as you ‘think proper. A carpenter
that is used to such wotk will put you in a method, always remembering
to erect proper works to keep off those tormentors of the gentlemen of the
Fancy—the cats, for in one,.night’s time they will make a very great
havock, and are generally observed to destroy those pigeons which you
most value; so that ’tis better to be at some charge first, to prevent the
incursions of such dangerous and fatal invaders, who seldom or never give
any quarters.* | a

22.—Let your loft be large enough to contain the number of pigeons
you intend to keep, always allowing at least two holes or breeding places

opportunity to examine the bird they were describing), they have generally taken up at
random, and upon credit. He says, ‘“‘I thought it in some measure incumbent upon
me to attempt a Natural History of this kind, and to this end I have not only
examined those birds of each sort which T keep myself, but have had recourse to, and
consulted most of the oldest and experienced persons that kept Pigeons, and delighted
in this Fancy.” He certainly adopted the most wise course he could pursue, to carry out
his object. The idea of disqualifying a pen of birds ‘‘ altogether,” simply because they
do not exactly match in Feather, although they can take six, seven, or eight properties
out of the ten, proves such a void of judgment on the part of judge or judges, that if
the Fancier or Fanciers were near a farm-house, where hay or straw bands could be
obtained, I think the ill-used and disgusted Fanciers would almost be justified in drag-
ing the judge through a horse-pond, which he knew he richly deserved for doing that
which he was incompetent to do, besides teaching him a lesson for the future. I shall
conclude these remarks, by a truly beautiful observation, taken out of a letter to me
by WituIam Tones, Esq.

(ToncE.)—With regard to the general appearance of a bird, it is really wonderful to
see how some (who call themselves Fanciers) are carried quite away, overlooking every
consideration, save that of Feather, which it must be admitted is truly a fine FINISH.
But as everything must have a begining it must be infinitely better to attach the
greatest importance to that which constitutes the FOUNDATION, leaving all artistic em-
bellishments to a future season. Comparisons are sometimes odious and perhaps this
may be considered an instance, many a good bird is passed over without comment
simply because he is clothed in a bad skin, although, did he but possess his brothers
coat and ‘‘ vice-versa,” how great would be the change.

21, (Haton.)—At various times, as my judgment and observations have improved,
I have brought out three different diagrams of building or fitting up a Pigeonary in
an Aviary, Room, Place, &c. &c.

* 21. (Mayor, p. 2.)—Notwithstanding the cats are natural enemies to Pigeons, it
is a common thing to see one in most Pigeon lofts, which are put in there when young,
and by proper methods being used with them, such as sometimes beating them with a
dead Pigeon, and holding an egg, made hot, to their nose, which intimidates them
from touching the eggs, &c., they naturally become afraid of them, and will never hurt
either the eggs or Pigeons, provided they are constantly supplied with food ; they are
extremely necessary in a loft, by keeping it clear of rats and mice, which are full as
destructive to the Pigeons as the cats, by sucking their eggs, killing the young ones,
and even the old ones, &c.

.

28

for every pair; for the more room they have, the more quiet they will
sit, and breed the better; I once knew a gentleman, who could not raise
three young ones out of nine pair of breeding pigeons all the spring, and
for above three months after, only by keeping them straitened in too
narrow a compass: Whereas, about the latter end of August, or beginning
of September, he moved them into a larger loft, and the same pigeons
bred well, even then, and through the most part of the winter. The
reason of this inconvenience is this, salacious cocks will often be playing
to, and disturbing the others as they sit, and others who want room to sit
will fight for nests, and by this means destroy both eggs and young ones.

23.—To make your breeding places, you may erect shelves of about
fourteen inches broad, allowing eighteen inches betwixt shelf and shelf;
for otherwise your. tall powters, by. being forced to crouch for want of
height, will get a habit of playing low, and spoil their carriage. In these
shelves erect partitions at about the distance of three feet, fixing a blind
by a board nailed against. the front, on each side of every partition; by
this means you will have two nests in the length of every three feet, and
your pigeons will sit dark and private. You may if you please, fix a
ae between each nest, to prevent - the young ones from running to

e hen, when sitting at the other end, and cooling her eggs; for in breed-
ing time, when the young ones are about three weeks old, the hen, if a
good breeder, will lay again, and leave the cock to take care of, and bring
up the young ones.

25.—In every nest you must put a straw basket, or earthen pan, both
which are made and adapted to this very purpose; for besides that by
this means the eggs are prevented from rolling out of the nest, you need
never handle your young pigeons, if you have a mind to look on them,
which often puts them into a scouring. Some like the basket best, as
judging it warmest, and not so liable to crack the egg when first laid ;
others are for the pan, as not so apt to harbour vermin, and say that the
foregoing inconveniences are easily remedied by giving them a sufficient
quantity of clean straw, or frail ; the frail is most valued because it lies
hollow, and will last a great while, for when your young ones have left
their nest, ’tis but taking hold of the ends of the frail, and the dung will
shake off it, and the frail be as fit for use as before.

26.—As for your trap or aviary, it is always built ona platform or floor
of deals, on the outside of your house, that your pigeons may have free
passage into it; itis formed of laths nailed so close together, that the
smallest pigeon can’t make its escape through it. Some build these very
small, with three doors, one on each side, which all draw up together by
pulling a single string, intending chiefly to catch stray pigeons, whom they
decoy into it, by strewing hemp-seed, or rape and canary, which all
pigeons are very fond of. Others build them very wide and lofty, so that
four or five persons may conveniently stand in them together, with a shelf

23.—See J. M. Eaton’s Almond Tumbler, paragraphs 531, 532, and 533.
25.—Ibid, paragraphs 537 to 541.

a9

or two on every side, (*) designing them to give room and air to pigeons
of the homing sort, which they are obliged to keep confined ; this prac-
tice is of very great use, by keeping such prisoners in a good state of
health.

27.—In order to complete your loft, you must furnish it with proper
meat boxes, and bottles and stands for water.

28.—Your meat-box ought to be formed in the shape of a hopper, as a
reservoir for their food, it must be covered over on the top, to prevent
them from dunging among the grain; from hence the meat descends into
a square shallow box, fenced in with rails or holes on each side, to keep
them from flirting the grain over on the floor amongst their own dung.

29.—Your water-bottle should be a large glass bottle, with along neck,
holding three or four gallons, and its belly made in the form of an egg to
keep them from dunging on it. This bottle should be set upon a stand
or three-footed stool, made hollow at top to receive the belly, and let the
mouth into a small pan, your water will by this means gradually descend
out of the mouth of the bottle, as your pigeons drink it, and be sweet and
. clean, and always stop when the surface of the water meets with the

mouth of the bottle.

30.—The reason of which is this, the belly of the bottle being entirely
close at top, keeps off all the external pressure of the atmosphere, which

* 26. (J. M. Eaton.)—With a small private cupboard, to take a wee drop with
these four or five brother Fanciers for ‘‘ Auld Lang Syne,” should the mornings be cold
and frosty ; or, vice versa, to quench the thirst, should it be hot or oppressive when
their coppers are hot.

27 to 830.—See J. M. Eaton’s Almond Tumbler, paragraphs 550 to 557.

(BRENT.)—The best mode of furnishing a loft: for Pigeons between the spars of an
outhouse roof. The first thing to be done is to lay a floor, if that is not already there,
and to secure every crevice and corner in every direction against the inroads of any
vermin, from a mouse to a cat; this done, a door is made for the convenience of in-
specting the birds and cleaning them out. An opening must be made to admit of the
egress and ingress of the Pigeons, and also to admit light ; this opening should be on
the south or south-west side, if convenient, about a foot from the floor. The opening
should be provided with an alighting board or platform for the pigeons to pitch on, and
protected by a lathwork trap, or some sort of lattice door, which can be closed at plea-
sure if it is required to capture any of the birds or to confine new ones, permitting
them to see the exterior a few days before they have their liberty. The exterior being
thus completed, the interior can easily be furnished with shelves about eight or nine
inches broad, and secured to the rafters at about eighteen inches above each other, the
interstices between the rafters, roof, and back of the shelves should be fitted up with
pieces of board, and a ledge about three or four inches high in front will convert these
shelves into troughs, eight or nine inches broad, and three or four deep, which are to be
divided into nests by nailing an upright partition against each rafter; every second
partition should project about five or six inches beyong the front ledge to prevent one
pair from taking the whole row, which they will otherwise do. At the intermediate
partitions it will be as well to place a short perch or roost about an inch and a half
square, and about eight or nine inches long, which will facilitate the passage of the
rightful owners from one to the other of their own pair of nests, and serve as a resting-
place for the old birds, and being placed on a level with the upper ledge of the front
ledge, it will be a convenient position to feed their young from. The nests should be
made of stout well-seasoned wood, planed smooth, and all crevices stopped so as not to
harbour any insects. This arrangement is intended for the inside of a slanting roof,
and I have found it answer exceedingly. well.

30

pressing hard upon the surface of the water in the pan, which is contiguous
to that in the bottle, is too potent for the small quantity of air, which is
conveyed into the belly of the bottle with the water, and which conse-
quently, as being the lighter matter, rises to the top of the bottle, as it
stands in its proper situation, but the water being sucked away by your
pigeons, that it no longer touches the mouth of the bottle, the confined air
exerts its power, and causes the water to descend till they become con-
tiguous as before.

(BRENT.)—Country gentlemen, when, they keep Pigeons usually build a dovecot as I
have described in my former paper when writing about the dovehouse Pigeons, and
these are usually tenanted by common birds.

(Brent.)—In towns where the flying Pigeons are kept, the loft under the roof of the
house, or some out-building, is their frequent abode; this should be floored, and the
skirting well secured against the entrance of rats and other vermin. From the rafters
shelves may be suspended and divided into nests, or as some prefer these on the ground,
they may be made in pairs all round the floor ; light should be let in through a glass
window at the end, or a skylight in the roof, and an opening should be made in the
roof with a trap-door of some sort, that a person may occasionally put his head and
shoulders out to look about. A platform of boards must be laid for the Pigeons to
alight on, at the entrance, and on this should be placed their airery or trap, which is a
framework of laths, with three doors, letting down .and pulling up with a cord; on the
top of the trap several square holes of about four inches wide are left, which are called-
“tipping holes ;’ and at the sides of the trap at each corner are wires, suspended on a
pivot, which fall against a small ledge that prevents their swinging outwards, these are
called ‘ bolting-wires.” .The tipping-holes and bolting-wires are always useful to allow
any pigeon to enter from without when the trap is closed, though no pigeon can get out
of them when rightly made at least it very rarely happens ; and such traps are in con-
stant use, by means of which the owner has always command over the Pigeons, and
can shut them up, let them out, or catch any he pleases on the shortest notice. The
loft should be provided with a ‘‘ hopper” or meat-box so constructed that it supplies a
trough at the bottom as long as ‘there is any food in the box; the trough must be
guarded by wires, or the Pigeons are apt to knock the corn over and waste it. The
water should be placed in a large earthen fountain or water-bottle : the best forms are
those that are made like a large round bottle, inverted in an earthen stand, with holes
all round for the Pigeons to drink from: metal fountains are very objectionable ; iron

may perhaps be an exception.

(BRENT.)—The “salt cat” is good for all Pigeons, and should be placed in a jar with
holes all round for the Pigeons to peck through, and covered with a lid. It is thought
by some that Pigeons injure a roof, but the damage they do is so very trifling, if any,
that it is scarcely worth notice ; they cannot possibly loosen any tiles by pecking,
though by running over an old roof they may occasionally shake down a tile, or slate,
that was previously loose, but which would of necessity have fallen the next high wind
had the Pigeons not been there ; the mortar they eat is only that which time and the
weather has crumbled and made soft, and which would be washed down by every
shower. A bath is good for Pigeons, and they take great delight in washing, but it is
not necessary for them always to have it, and it should be so placed that their splash-
ing may dono harm. Green food, too, is beneficial for them ; they will eat almost any
sort of smooth-leaved greens or lettuce. The best food for Pigeons are small beans or
old tares, but where they have plenty of exercise almost any sort of grain will do, pro-
vided it is occasionally changed. It is almost impossible to describe the inside arrange-
ments of a loft, so various are tastes, and so much does it depend on circumstances ;
but the Pigeons must not be too crowded, and each pair must have two nests. Some
prefer earthen pans for them to breed in, others let them nest on the boards or in boxes,
but in either case the nest should be somewhat secluded, and the nest, as well as the
whole loft, often cleaned out. Birch twigs and heath or heather I consider the best
materials for the nest, though straw will do I like the Pigeons to build their own

31

THE METHOD OF MATCHING OR PAIRING YOUR
re PIGEONS.

31.—Your loft pee thus finished and equipped, my next instructions
shall be, how to match or pair your pigeons together; and here we must
observe, that though they are very constant when mated to each other,
seldom or never suing a divorce, except when either of them grow sick or
very old, yet it is sometimes very difficult to make bee Sel to your
liking.

32.—The best way peers to effect ae you dente on this head, is
to erect two coops, usually called by the Fanciers matching places, close
together, let the partition between be made of lath, that they may see
each other, and you may easily contrive it so that they may both eat and
drink out of the same vessels; feed them often with hemp-seed, which
will make them salacious, and when you observe the hen to sweep her tail
and shew to the cock, as he plays in the other pen, you may then ry her
in to him, and they will soon be matched.

33.—But if for want of this convenience, you are obliged at first to put
them both into one coop, always put the cock in first, fur three or four
days or a week, and let him get master of the place, especially if the hen
be a virago, or else they will fight so much as: perhaps may settle in them
an absolute aversion for ever after; but if the cock be first master of the
house he will beat the hen, if obstinate, into compliance.

nests ; others do not, but put sawdust in. . their nest-pans. Care should be fakes to place
the nest so as the young cannot fall out, or they will be liable to be pecked and even
killed by the other Pigeons, whose domains they may unfortunately get into, as each
pair takes possession of a certain part, and drives all others from it. The two nests for
one pair should be so situated that the young may not run into and disturb the old
ones when again sitting.

(BREnt.)—It is also necessary in alllofts to have a few ae pens, where any
Pigeons can be confined for pairing, or any other purpose. :

(Brent.)—The fitting up of a large Pigeon-house or aviary for fancy sorts will depend
much on the taste or inclination of the owner, but attention to the arrangement of the
nests may be found useful. Shelves about nine inches wide should be erected eighteen
inches apart, and divided by upright partitions at three feet distances; a nine-inch-
wide board or slab should be placed up in front at each end of each partition, so as to
form two secluded retreats for the nests ; the nest-pans if used can be placed in these
recesses, and a brick or ledge put across to keep them steady ; in the middle of each
division should be a partition about five or six inches high, which will prevent the
young in one nest running into and disturbing the old birds when sitting again—this
partition will also form a roosting place for the old birds ; the shelves may be made of
well planed boards, but thin slate slabs would be found better, not being so apt to har-
bour vermin.

(BRENT.)—When fresh Pigeons are introduced into the Pigeon-house they should not
be let out till they have fixed upon and taken possession of a nest-place, to facilitate
which a framework of laths is useful to hang in front of the shelves, and so confine them
to the nests it is desirable for them to take for a few days; but they should also be
allowed to go into the trap a few times before they have full liberty, that they may
learn the way in and out of their habitation. Attention to these hints may save much
trouble and many losses. Beware of cats.

31 to 36.—See J. M. Eaton’s Almond Tumbler, paragraphs 428 to 438.

32

34.—Your pigeons being thus matched, turn them loose into your loft,
and let them chose what nest they best like, or if you have a mind to fix
them to any particular nest, you may effect it in this manner.—Make a
lath machine, the length of your breeding places, closed in at top and
bottom with boards, and projecting out as far as your loft will conveniently
allow; one of your top boards must lift up with hinges, in order to put
in meat and water, this you may hang before any hole, and put your
pigeons in it, and when they have been five or six days used to the nest,
take it away, in the night is the best time, and they will keep to that
nest.

35.—The same method may be used, and is very good, to prevent your
strain being adulterated by a false tread, which an over salacious hen will
often submit to. Therefore keep them up by this method till the hen has
laid both her eggs, then take it away and give them their liberty, till the
hen has fed off her soft meat, then the hen will begin to be salacious
again, therefore at that time confine them as before, and you are sure to
keep your strain pure and entire. This method is somewhat troublesome,
and therefore not worth using but for your best pigeons ; as for those who
breed for the dish, ’tis no matter whether they are bastardized or not.

TO KNOW A COCK FROM AN HEN.

36.—Having thus informed you how to mate or pair your pigeons, I
shall next give you some instructions how to form a tolerable judgment
whether a pigeon be cock or hen, for in this point the best and oldest
Fanciers have been sometimes deceived ; for this purpose, therefore, take
the following rules.

37.—The hen has generally a shorter breast-bone than the cock.

38.—Her vent, and the os pone or bone near the vent, is more open
than in the cock. ele

39.—Her head and chesionss are °thinnes, and she does not look so bold
as the cock,

-40.—Her coo is shorter, and nothing near so loud and masculine as the
cock’s, besides the cock frequently makes a half round in his playing,
which the hen does not, though a merry rank hen will sometimes show,

and play almost like a cock, and if very salacious, will sometimes tread
another pigeon.

41.-——And lastly, in young pigeons, that which squeaks longest in the
nest, is generally reputed a hen.

41.—(Mavror, p. 26.) Where there are two in a nest, the largest is thought to. be a
cock.

(Brent.)—It is rather difficult to determine, but the larger of the two in the nest is
generally considered to be the cock, and that which squeaks longest, the hen ; but it is
a popular error to suppose that every nest contains a pair, for they are quite. as often
two of the same sex as one of each ; those that are accustomed to Pigeons become so
well acquainted with their faces that, they can almost to a certainty_tell the sex at a
glance ; the cock has a bolder look, the bill stouter at the base, and the cheeks fuller ;

33

THE GENERATION OF PIGEONS.

42.—We come now to treat of the generation of this bird, that is, the
method it makes use of for propagation of its species; and here I must
acknowledge myself obliged to Dr. Harvey (*) in his excellent treatise
of the generation of animals.

43.—All animals therefore are distinguished into three sorts ; oviparous,
or such as are formed from an egg; viviparous, or such as are produced
from the uterus alive and in perfection ; and vermiparous, or such as are
formed from a worm. 3

between the beak and the eyes there is rather a depression in the hen, but this is only
noticeable to a practised eye, indeed the: novice must not expect any rules by which he
can judge without practice; all rules, too, are liable to exceptions.

(BREnt.)—The ways and manners of the sexes are very different, and if it is desirable
to determine more positively the gender of an individual Pigeon, I would advise its
being placed in a matching pen by itself, and kept away from the company or even the
sight of any other Pigeon for a few days, but at the same time make it as comfortable
as possible, and feed it on stimulating food. Then by introducing a known hen to it,
if it is a cock, he will immediately play up to her. If it takes no notice, remove the
hen, and put in a merry cock, who will soon play to it, and if a hen she will show to
him, acknowledging his politeness by bows, twinkling of the eyes, a movement of the
throat as if swallowing, raising the shoulders of the wings, strutting about, sometime,
spreading her tail, and sweeping forward with a curtsey, and lastly pecking behind her
wing ; if a cock a battle will be the probable result.

(Brent.)—The play of the cock is louder, more prolonged, and sonorous, and some-
what resembles in sound, “ ah-coo-ther-a-coo ;” the hen’s coo is abrupter, not so sono-
rous, and delivered more in a flurry, sounding more like “‘ butter-e-ca.” The cock,
while playing, sweeps the ground with his spread tail, swells out his neck and crop,
raises and depresses his head, and often waltzes before the hen; a salacious hen will
sometimes play up something like a cock, but she will always submit to a bold dashing
cock, and assume a more feminine deportment.

(Brent.)—Two cocks will occasionally pair, and even build a nest, and two hens fre-
quently do so, and lay and sit, if they are unprovided with mates.

(Eaton.)—Two hens will frequently match up, where there are plenty of odd cocks,
lay four eggs, sit their time, and beat away the cocks. Where cocks and hens are parted
after the breeding season, it is not an uncommon thing for two cocks to match up and
sit as close as though they had eggs. I think it an uncommon thing where two pair
of birds are matched up. They bred the first half of the season; the two cocks de-
serted their hens, matched up, set, beat away their hens, if they attempted to go near
them. ‘This I consider an uncommon occurrence, and could not understand it. I am
sorry it never struck me to observe whether either of the cocks sat at night: it is
natural for the hens to sit at night, unnatural for the cocks.

(BRENT.)—SEXES OF PIGEONS IN THE SAME NEST,—As an example of the uncertainty
of the sexes of young Pigeons in the same nest, I give the following. I have three
pairs of young Dragoon Pigeons now flying about, of this year’s hatching ; one pair
from my best old birds are two hens, another pair from my birds that took a first prize
* Farningham, are two cocks, while the third pair from the same old ones are cock and

en.

(BRENT. )—With respect to food, good authorities recommend good old tares and small
tick beans. From my own experience I prefer the small bean (“ Heligolands”) with an ~
occasional change of lentils, peas, wheat, or Indian corn (“ Maize’); but Pigeons will
eat all sorts of grain and seeds, and do very well on almost any kind, provided they have
their liberty, and can find such condiments as small stones, grit, lime in some form, and
green food. ;

42. (GIRTIN, p. 135.) In treating of this subject, we must candidly acknowledge,
that we are somewhat indebted to the late ingenious Mr. Joun Moors, for the light he
has thrown upon it.

* 42. (Mayor, p. 14.)—We are partly obliged to Dr. Harvey in his Treatise of the
Generation of Animals, and partly to other authors.

C

34

44,—Though in fact the foetus of all kinds of animals is produced from
an egg; the only reason therefore of this distinction is, that in some
animals, this egg (if I may be allowed the phrase) is hatched, or brought
to perfection in the uterus, whereas all of the feathered kind emit or lay
this egg, and produce their young from it by incubation.

45.—The Pigeon, therefore, is an oviparous bird; I call it a bird,
because all that belong to this genus feed their young ones for some con-
siderable time after they are hatched ; whereas, the young ones of the fowl
kind will search for their own food, and eat it themselves almost as soon
as they are discharged from the shell of that egg in which they were pro-
duced.

46.—It will not here be amiss to give some account of the production
of the egg. Nature produces in the ovary, or upper matrix of the hen or
female bird, a great cluster of small yolks, sticking together like a bunch
of grapes, which from this similitude Dr. Harvey calls a vitellary, and
adds that in Pigeons, he has observed this cluster of eggs to be all of a
like magnitude, excepting only two which were larger than the rest, and
were now ready to descend into the lower uterus or womb.

47.—The cock in the act of coition impregnates these eggs, and by a
wonderful operation of Nature renders them prolifick; we shall not take
upon us here to determine the method by which this is performed, but
shall content ourselves with observing that there is a spot at each end of
the egg, called by the learned, chalazz, from the resemblance of a small
hail-stone, and, vulgarly, the cock’s treadles; these, by a mistake, have
been accounted to proceed from the emission of the male, and to contain
the plastic virtue of the foetus, but experience has abundantly proved that
these treadles are to be found in all eggs, whether they are prolifick and
fruitful or subventaneous and addle.

48.—It is the opinion of most, and that not without great probability,
that all the eggs a hen will ever lay, are contained in this vitellary or
cluster, and that as soon as this number is exhausted, she will become
effete or barren. Some people therefore to abuse mankind, and vend a
useless bird, will oil the vent of a barren hen and force an egg into it, to
make you believe she is not effete; if you happen to be thus imposed on,
that you may not lose your seasons of breeding, by keeping such a hen
matched to a good cock, we shall give a method to prove whether she be
effeete or not. When the cock drives her hard to nest, give her a pair of
eggs, and let her hatch them and bring up ; pursue this method for two or
three pair, if you value her, and if she be not barren; this, and cross-
matching her, that is pairing her to another cock, will effectually bring her
to laying. :

49.—Before we leave this head, we cannot omit mentioning the
dalliances made use of by this bird before coition, which are in a manner
endearing and peculiar only to them. And here the cock when salacious,
will by a voice at that time peculiarly harmonious, and by several pretty,
and as we may call them, foppish gestures, woo the female, and endeavour
to incline her to his embraces ; she, if consenting, will soon shew it by
her motions, as sweeping her tail, spreading her wings, and giving a nod
wae "=o oond sir, vou mav if von vlease: fre

35
thence they proceed to billing, in which action the hen will put her beak

into the cock’s, who seems to feed her, after this she will squat and readily
receive his tread.

50.—Your hen by this means being rendered prolific, they will seek
out a nest, or convenient place, for the repository of their eggs, into
which they will carry straw, frail, feathers, and such other materials, as
they find proper to form a warm and soft reception for the egg, neither
party being at this time idle, though some are more industrious than
others, on this account, who will lay their eggs almost on the bare
boards.

51.—When a hen is nigh the time of her laying, her mate will pursue
her from place to place, not suffering her to be quiet in any place but her
nest, out of a peculiar instinet, I suppose, fearing his offspring should be
lost, by her dropping her egg in some place improper for incubation. And
here you must observe that some. cocks are so very hot, that they wont, at
such a time, suffer a hen almost to eat, this will render her very weak,
and often make her lay a thin-shelled or imperfect egg ; to prevent this
inconvenience, the best way is to take the cock from her, till the egg
become to a greater perfection in the uterus.

52.—Pigeons though they will make a great increase in a year, yet it
is not from the number of eggs they lay at one time, for they lay but two,
and then immediately proceed to incubation, but from the frequency of the
repeated hatchings, which generally happen once in five or six weeks, ac-
cording as they are good or bad breeders.

53.— When a Pigeon has laid her first egg, she rests one day between,
and on the succeeding day lays her second; they generally stand over the
first egg, which, if you please, you may call an improper incubation, till
the next is laid, and then sit close, that both young ones may be hatched
at once, or pretty nearly; though some will sit close on the first, and by
that means hatch one young one two days before the other.

54.—The time of a Pigeon’s incubation, which trouble is equally
divided between the cock and hen, except that the hen always sits at
night, is nineteen or twenty days from the first egg, and seventeen or
eighteen from the last, at which time you ought to observe whether the
eggs are hatched or not, for two special reasons :

55.— First—Because your young ones, for want of due heat, which
often happens if the old do not sit close, may want strength to extricate
themselves out of the shell, and so die in it for want of air and proper sus-
tenance; for the nutriment they received from the internal part of the egg
is by this time exhausted; whenever therefore an affair of this nature
happens, if the egg be chipped or cracked with the force of the young one,
break the shell all round with your nail, or the head of a pin, and you
will find your account in it.

56.—Secondly—If your Pigeons do not hatch, because their eggs are
a a Nes ts eee ee eR EB Se, * a ee OD

53 to 58.—See J. M. Eaton’s Almond Tumbler, paragraphs 439 to 441.
53.—See J. Eaton’s Almond Tumbler, paragraphs 516 to 523.
C 2

36

addle, or otherwise, you ought to give them a pair, or at least one young
one to feed off their moist meat, which would else make them sick, and
they will be apt to lay again too soon, which will weaken them very
much.

57.—The young ones being thus ushered into the world, naturally
leads us to take a view of the manner in which it receives its first suste-
nance. We have already mentioned soft meat, which is nothing else but
a fine soft liquid pap prepared as it were by instinct by the parents, by a
dissolution of the hard grains in their craw, against the time that the
foetus is first disclosed, when weak, naked, and helpless; this soft meat
they throw up out of their craw, taking the beak of their young ones in
their own, and by this means injecting it into theirs; with this meat
they continue feeding them for six or seven days, when they begin to mix
some harder food amongst it, until at length they feed them with all whole ©

grain.
THEIR DIET.

58.—We come now to treat of their diet, or .the food proper for
Pigeons. (*) The Pigeon is a granivorous bird, and may be fed with
various sorts of grains, as tares, horse-beans, pease, wheat, barley, hemp-
seed, or rape and canary, of each of which in their order. (+)

59.—Of all grains, tares are found to be most adapted to these birds,
and old tares are much the best, for the new are very apt to set your
Pigeons into a scouring, especially the young ones; the same will like-
wise happen from old tares, if they have by any means been touched or
immersed in salt or sea water; for though Pigeons love salt, yet too much
is very pernicious, as for instance, if in a voyage you give them salt
water instead of fresh you will soon kill them.

60.—Horse-beans are the next food to tares, but you must take care to
get them as small as possible; there are a sort which they call small
French ticks, which are good food, and somewhat cheaper than tares, but
liable to two inconveniences ; first, they are much harder of digestion, and
consequently, will not so readily make soft meat for the young ones.
Secondly, your Pigeons are sometimes apt to be choaked with them,
especially young ones, and such whose oesophagus or gullet is any ways
inclinable to be small, as in most long necked Pigeons it is. I had a
carrier the other day, which fell down off my house into the yard, and
when it was taken up, (I not. being at home) it gaped, as I was informed,
as if for want of breath, and died in a few minutes. It was very fat, and
seemingly in good health; I opened it, to see if I could find any cause
from within, but all its internals seemed perfectly sound and in good

* 58. (GIBTIN, p. 113.)—The common Pigeon gives but little trouble, yet the fancy
birds require a great deal of attendance.

+ 58. (Mayor, p. 27.)—The late grand duke of Tuscany, who was a very great
Fancier, used to feed them with the stones of grapes, which in that country are very
plentiful and call them together by ringing a bell.

oe ne aa J. M, Eaton’s Almond Tumbler, paragraphs 550 to 554, ‘ With re-
gard,” &c,

Oo”

order; at last examining more strictly, I found a horse-bean, and that not
a very large one, sticking in the lower part of the gullet, which, with some
little difficulty, I pulled out; and this, I verily believe, was the only
cause of its death.

61.—Pease, wheat, and barley are apt to scour your Pigeons too much,
therefore you ought to give them very little, if any, of this sort of food.

62.—There is a sort of diet, called Scotch meat, which is pease, beans,
and tares mixed together, some people feed their Pigeons with this,
because cheap, but the beans are generally apt to be too large.

63.—Hemp-seed, rape and canary are food that Pigeons are very fond
of, but by no means ought to be made their constant diet.

64.—N.B. Even French tick beans are not proper for Dutch Croppers,
or any large cropt Pigeons, because they are apt to make them gorge.

THE SALT CAT.

65.—Being thus entered on the head of diet, it necessarily leads us to
consider a certain useful composition called by the Fanciers a Salt Cat, so
named, I suppose, from a certain fabulous oral tradition of baking a cat in
the time of her salaciousness, with cummin seed, and some other ingre-
dients as a decoy for your neighbour’s Pigeons ; this, though handed down
by some Authors as the only method for this. purpose, is generally laughed
at by the Gentlemen of the Fancy, and never practised.

66.—The right salt cat therefore is, or ought to be thus made: Take
gravel or drift-sand, loom, such as the brick-makers use, and the rubbish
of an old wall, or for want of this a less quantity of lime, let there be a
gallon of each; add to these a pound of cummin seed, a handful of bay
salt or salt petre, and beat them all up together into a kind of mortar,
mixing them up with stale urine, and your Pigeons will take great delight
in it.

67.—The gravel or sand helps to scour their craws, and is of great
service to digestion.

68.—The loom being of an unctuous, oily nature, is a very great
assistance to them in the discharge of their soft meat, or other meat when
they are feeding young ones.

69.—The lime or rubbish helps to harden the shell of their egg; and
you will find by experience, that when with egg they are prodigiously
fond of lime, and will have it some way or other, if possible. By this
means therefore you keep them from pecking the mortar off your own,
or your neighbour’s houses, though the damage from thence accruing
cannot but be very trifling; for the whole length of their beak, and farther
they cannot go, cannot reach far enough to loosen any tile that is naturally
firm.

70.—The salt and urine is a great provocation to drink, and this is no
small service to your Pigeons, which are of a very hot nature.

71.—The cummin seed, which has a strong smell in which Pigeons

38

delight, will keep your own Pigeons at home, and allure others that are
straying about, and at a loss where to fix upon a habitation.

72.—The best way is to put your salt cat in jars, with holes in the
sides for them to peck it out, and a cork at top to prevent their dunging
on it, and to keep off the rain, or any other contingencies if exposed to
the weather.

DISTEMPERS OF PIGEONS.

73.—We come now to treat of the several distempers incident to birds
of this kind, and to prescribe the various remedies generally made use of
in their cure. : .

74.—1. The first disease therefore that we shall take notice of is, the
corruption of the egg in the uterus; this generally proceeds from an
unmatched hen being over salacious, by reason of high feeding, or some
ether cause, who will often without the coition of the male engender eggs,
but seldom without his concurrence <either perfect them or bring them
forth, so that they will corrupt in the womb; the only remedy for this is
to put her to a cock‘in time; ¥ Sargtie aut aecied~

75.—2. The wet roop next falls under our consideration, and in this
case, once in two or three days give them three or four pepper corns at
most, and put a handful of green rue in their water, you may let all your
Pigeons drink of it, for it is very healthful. ,

76.—8. The dry roop, which you generally distinguish by a husky
cough ; and I am apt to believe proceeds from a cold, to which they are
very liable, especially in molting time ; to cure this, give them every day
three or four cloves of garlick.

73 to 98.—See J. M. Eaton’s Almond Tumbler, paragraphs 558 to 565. “As a,”
&e.

73 to 98. (GiRTIN, p. 124.)—In treating of the diseases relating to Pigeons, we shall
chiefly follow the sentiments of the late Mr. Joun Moors, who was not only a very
judicious Fancier, but also a gentleman of the faculty, who spared no pains to make
himseif acquainted with the diseases of these birds, and to apply the best method of
cure, therefore, without further apology, we shall take him for our guide. Mayor and
GIRTIN gives word for word the late Mr. Jonn Moore; on distempers and cures, and
nothing more.

73 to 98. (Eaton.)—I would strongly recommend the young and inexperienced
Fancier to put in practice the remedies as laid down by Moors, whenever any of his
Pigeons are suffering from distempers or accidents from whatever cause. I entertain a
much higher opinion of the remedies prescribed, when I ascertained from his Work,
Columbarium, or the Pigeon-house, that he was a medical man: his Work shews how
great an observer he was of a Pigeon, which he only kept as a fancy, and to relieve the
mind. I cannot help thinking, one who thought so hard and deeply on a Pigeon,
thought equally as hard, or more deeply on his profession, and was a credit and an
ornament to the profession to which he belonged ; and it must be so with you, pro-
vided you think hard and deeply on the Pigeon. I am then convinced that you are
blessed with the means to think hard and deeply on matters of infinite greater import-
ance. Entertaining so high an opinion of his advice and instructions <ll throughout
his Work, I advise you that if unfortunately any of your Pigeons are overtaken with
diseases or accidents, which most assuredly they will, apply Moorr’s remedies, and the
sooner it is discovered the better, remembering the Poet’s advice, ‘‘ A stitch in time,
saves nine.”

39

77.—4. The next distemper that falls under our cognizance is, the
canker, which proceeds mostly from the cocks fighting and pecking each
other, though some people have assured me, that giving them water in a
tin vessel, will likewise throw them into this disease. The method of cure
is this, take burnt alum and honey and rub the part affected every day
and it will cure it; but if this happens not to take effect, dissolve five
grains of roman vitrol in half a spoonful of wine vinegar, add it to the
former composition, and rub the part affected. Some people will take off
the scurf and make it bleed, before they apply the remedy, but I am apt
to believe, you will ‘generally find it searching enough without.

78.—5. If the wattles or flesh round the eyes of the carrier, horseman,
or barb, are pecked and torn, wash them first with stale urine for several
days ; if this does not do, dissolve two drams of alum in an ounce and a
half of water and wash the part grieved ; but if the case be very stubborn,
mix twenty grains. of red precipitate with half, an ounce of honey, anoint
the part therewith and it will certainly effect the cure.

79.—6.. Pigeons, especially in the Summer season, are apt to be
troubled with small ‘insects, which the Fanciers term lice; in this case,
smoak their feathers well with the hecian by fohasen, and it will infallibly
kill them.

80.—7. There is another sort of sina’ vermin, which are very trouble-
some, and will often kill your young ones in the nest, by creeping into
their ears, &c., especially when first hatched, and always prevent their
thriving; to hinder this, strew tobacco dust in the nest, and over your
young Pigeons, and it will destroy these vermin, SESS are EG Aee pigeons
bugs by some, and by others the blacks. ,

81.—8. Another disease to which they are Scena is gizzard-fallen,
that is, the gizzard falls down to the vent. The gentlemen of the fancy,
say it proceeds from weakness, though I rather believe it is caused by
feeding with too much hemp-seed. I know no cure for this malady,
unless nature herself works one, which it sometimes will in young
pigeons.

82.—9. The next distemper is what the Fancy calls navel-fallen; in
this case, there is a kind of bag hanging down near the vent. This malady
is generally desperate ; and if giving them clary, or some other strengthen-
ing things won’t cure them, I know nothing that will.

83.—10. Pigeons are liable to be pap-arsed, as the fancy call it. This
distemper proceeds either from a natural innate weakness, or from a cock’s
being too salacious and treading his hen too often; I know no cure for it,
except flying will do it. Young pigeons and carriers are most subject to
it especially if not flown.

84.—11. Some pigeons, as croppers, and powters, are apt to gorge
themselves, that is, when they have been too long from grain, they will eat
so much that they cannot digest it, but it will lie and corrupt in the crop
and kill the pigeon. If this therefore at any time happens, take the fol-
lowing method.

40

85.—Put them in a strait-stocking, with their feet downward, stroak-
ing up the crop, that the bag which contains the meat may not hang
down ; then hang the stocking upon a nail, keeping them in this manner,
till they have digested their food, only not forgetting to give them now and
and then a little water, and it will often cure them ; but when you take
them out of the stocking, put them in an open basket or coop, giving them
but a little meat at a time, or else they will be apt to gorge again.

86.—If this does not effect the cure, you may slit the crop from the
bottom with a penknife or sharp pair of scissars, take out the corrupted
meat, wash the crop, and then sew it up again. This method has been prac-
tised with some success, though the crop will not be so round as before.

87.—Others will tie that part of the crop, in which the undigested meat
lies, tight round with a string, and let it rot off. This method never fails,
though it spoils the shape of the crop.

88.—12. The next and most fatal distemper incident to this kind of
birds is the vertigo, or (as generally styled by the Fancy) the megrims ;
in this disease the pigeon reverts or turns its head, in such a manner, that
the beak will lie on its back, and will flutter and fly about at random.
This distemper is usually reckoned incurable, and indeed it too often
proves so; though I once had a turbit, of the owl kind, taken with it in a
violent manner. Some gentlemen seeing it, advised me to pull the head
off; 1 told them, I would first try if I could not cure it, which they asserted
to be impossible ; however, I took about a quarter of a pint of water, an
ounce and a half of spirit of lavender, one drachm of spirit of sal armo-
niac distilled with quick lime; these I mingled together, then I tasted it,
and found it, too strong for the bird, and therefore added a little more
water; I believe in three or four hours, I poured down its throat, at three
or four times, a spoonful and a half of this mixture, for I had rather it
should die than live in that condition; at last it began to discharge a
white slimy substance upwards and downwards, but did not care to feed
that day; the next day I found it better, but still it would hold its head on
one side or awry. This medicine I gave it every third or fourth day, still
lessening the quantity; I gave it garlic the days betwixt, and sometimes
two or three peppercorns till perfectly recovered ; I am not certain whether
this pigeon ever bred afterwards or no.

89.—18. If your pigeons do not molt off kindly, or stop in their molt-
ing, so that they don’t throw their feathers well, it is a certain sign of

88.—12. (Eaton.) The vertigo, or megrims, I have observed, attacks the birds
in bitter cold weather, where the lofts are very high and cold, and the birds are not ©
’ allowed to fly at large. It sometimes happens in this complaint the birds keep their
necks out straight and stiff as a poker, only twisting or moving their heads a little (and,
if I may use the term, appear like stuck pigs). From observation you will perceive
the complaint lies in the head. The only cause I can give for it is, that the cold
weather affects the bird’s head, read paragraphs 557, 558, 559, and 565. I recollect
taking and pointing out Moors, paragraph 88, and I have no doubt it was the pre-
scription that cured my black mottle cock. I put it in a basket before the fire in hopes
of more circulating its blood. Some Fanciers make a small incision in the roof of the
mouth to let out a little blood. See J. M. Eaton, Almond Tumbler, paragraph 565.

4]

an ill state of health; to remedy this, the following method will be of
use.

90.—Pluck their tail-feathers out, and put them up in some warm
place, allowing them a larger portion of hempseed with their ordinary
food, a little saffron, or clary, steeped in their water, is likewise very
beneficial ; some will give them elder-berries or cochineal for that pur=
pose.

91.—14. Your pigeons likewise, especially in molting time, will be
subject to scouring, which keeps them very poor, low, and out of flesh.
To cure this, give them pump-water with a lump of chalk in it, or put
about the quantity of two horse beans down their throats every day; if
that don’t effect the desired end, give them some smiths forge water down
‘their throats which is very binding. A gentleman told me, that having
been informed, that gravel was good for his pigeons, he gave them some
of the grit that is left in the trough under a grindle stone, where they
ground edge tools, and it bound them so much that it killed most of them -
a little of this may therefore be good in case of scouring.

92.—15. There is another distemper, which is called the small pox, in
which there rise, on their legs and wings, and body, eruptions or pustules
full of a yellow matter. Some open them, and apply burnt alum and
honey, or touch them with Roman vitriol, and it will cure them.

93.—16. When your pigeons are sick, lowering, or hang their wings,
give them every day a spider or two, wrapt up in butter, and if you dare
trust them let them fly.

94.—17. Pigeons will be sometimes lamed, and the ball of their foot
swelled, either through cold, or the prick of a nail: in this case, spread.
some venice turpentine on brown paper, apply it to the part, leave it there
till well, which it will be in a very few days.

95.—18. The flesh-wen comes next under our consideration, which is no
more but a fleshy tumour, arising on the joints of the wings or legs: this
may be either cut off, or opened, and after having taken out the kernel,
wash it with alum waiter.

96.—19. The bone-wen is an ossificated tumor, arising upon the joints
as before: this is seldom or never cured, and the pigeon that is affected
with it will never breed. Some pretend to cure it by a composition of
quick lime and black soap; but if you make it too strong, or let it lie on
too long, it will take off the leg or other part that ’tis applied to, for it isa
caustic.

97.—20. The last distemper I shall take notice of is a core, so called
because it resembles the core of an apple ; it is hard and generally of a yel-
lowish colour, intermixed with red, and is usually found in the anus or

97.—20. (Mayor, p. 34.) We come now to treat of the several distempers incident
to birds of this kind, and to prescribe the various remedies generally made use of in
their cure. Mayor made a slight omission here, forgetting to mention he took word
for word from Moors ‘‘ On Distempers, Prescriptions, and Cures,” without having the
candour to acknowledge it. GIrTIN has more candour.

42
vent. This when ripe may be forced or drawn out; and in order to ripen
it and keep them loose, give your pigeon so affected a purge of tobacco; a
very small quantity is sufficient: I have known this make them discharge
the core themselves. I once knew a pigeon affected with. this sort of

malady, in the one or throat, some part was taken out, but the
bird died.

"THEIR USEFULNESS.

98. —Having thus instructed you how to redd: preserve, ‘and c cure your
pigeons, we shall next show their usefulness in kutian life.

99.—It is a bird well known to be much used by, way of food ; and hae
I shall give you the remarks of one. or two authors on this head. Mr.
Lemery i in his treatise of foods, after having advised to the choice of young
pigeons, that. are tender, fleshy, and well fed, proceeds thus, ‘‘ They are
nourishing, s somewhat binding, strengthening, and provoke urine: they,are
looked upon to be good for iabig the reins, and to oexpel the Brees mat-
ters that stick there. wae Aa ae i

100.—As_a pigeon: grows he SO vaidiaortiaies te Hat its, Ae apes
dryer, and more solid ; harder of digestion, and so fit to, produce gross and
melancholy. humours 5, and hence it is, that some authors have condemned
the use of pigeons, and look upon them to be bad_.food.

101.—‘‘ They agree at all times with any age and. constitution, but those
that are melancholy ought to. make use of them more moderately than other

persons.’

102.—Dr. Salmon in.his Seplasium, or English Physician, which I look
upon as the best book he ever wrote, says, ‘“‘The flesh is not so easy of
digestion as that of chickens. Authors say that eating of their flesh is pro-
fitable against the plague, insomuch that they who make it their constant
or ordinary food, are seldom seized with pestilential distempers. Others
commend it against the palsie or trembling. Others say it is of great use
and advantage to them that are dim-sighted- The flesh of young pigeons
is restorative, and of good use to such as are in consumptions, and to tre-
cruit the strength of such, as are getting up, or newly recovered from some
great sickness: It is indeed savory and good food, and not much inferior
to the most esteemed. The anus of a live pigeon, applied to the biting
of a serpent, viper, or rattle snake, draws away the poison and cures the
sick, being renewed as often as the pigeon dies; applied to the soles of
the feet in a fever, it draws away the fever, and helps the megrims or
head ache. Cut up alive and applied to the place pained, eases the pain
and draws away the malignity, if any be ; for the vital spirit yet remaining
in the hot flesh and blood, do insinuate themselves through the pores of
the skin, into the blood of the sick person, now dispirited and ready to
stagnate, enduring it with new life and vigour. Potestates made of the
flesh, admirably cure consumptions, and restore wasted flesh.

103.—‘“ The blood put warm into the eyes allays pain, cures blear eyes
and also green wounds. ‘
104.—‘* K of the blood 3ji, honey 3vj, white sugar candy 31); grind

49

them together till they are well mixed, for the purposes aforesaid ; as also
against suffusions, hey gree oe cones eee and waists of the
eyes.

105.—“ The coats of ihe senile kK ve ee ee 31). opium in
fine powder 4 grains, catechu in fine powder 9ij; mix them. Dose 12 or

13 grains-every night on going to bed... ,. 6)

106.—*‘ The Doctor has left us in the dark se distemper this vite eae
is designed to cure, but I am apt to believe it is for a diarrhoea, yet I
can’t see of what use the coats of pigeons stomachs ean & unless from
their diuretic quality.

107.—“' The feathers. B of the Tohes of then ER, sanguis ceeeen ee ce
bole, sheeps blood dried, fine aloes, ana, 3) Fenanvecd nem It.stops sib
in any part, being applied.”

ho Rida - a “ae

THEIR DUNG. - apo

108.—Having thus shown you sométhing of the usefulness of this bird,
both in food and physic, I cannot omit saying something of its most ¢ excre-
mentitious part. m

109.—The dung therefore Ane pigeons challengeth the priority, not ‘only
of the dung of fowls, but of all other creatures MARES on the account
of its usefulness in human life..

110.—Its benefit in cadesleate is so well Een to some freuen that
Puat gives an account of those that have fetched it sixteen miles, and
given a load of coals in lieu of it. Where he observes, that in the place
it was fetched from, , it would have done more hurt than good, whereas
where it was carried, it did as much good as double the charges: in the
one soil it cured the barrenness, whereas in the other it would have poisoned
the fertility.

111.—It is of a very hot nature, from the nitrous quality wherewith it
is endued, and therefore it is a very excellent soil for a cold, moist natured
ground. It is generally used for wheat and barley that lye afar off, and
not easily to be helped. One load of it is worth ten load of other dung,
and will go as far in manuring of land. It is generally sown after the
same manner as the grain, and harrowed in with it.

112.—It is likewise extraordinary good soil for a hop garden.

113.—Tanners make use of it in tanning the upper leathers, and if you
pick and sift it, will give you eightpence a bushel for it, provided you send
it home to their own houses; so that this article, and the, young sqabs
will nearly, if not quite maintain your pigeons in food, provided you buy
it at the best hand, and take care to keep them clean.

114.—Dr. Salmon, in his treatise before mentioned gives us the following
account of its usefulness in medicine.

115.—*“‘ It is, says he, of common use in cataplasms or plaisters which
rubify or draw strongly. Beaten, sifted, and mixed with water-cress seeds,
it is good against chronic diseases; such as the gout, megrim, vertigo,
cephalzo, pains in the side, cholic, apoplexes, lethargies, &c.”

44

116.—After this he gives us several recipes in which the dung of pigeons
is a main ingredient, as,

117.—1 &. Of the dung in powder Ziiij, barley meal or flower Ziij,
vinegar q. f. mix them, to make a cataplasm against scrophulous and other
like hard tumors.

118.—‘*2 Rk. Of the powder of the dung 3ij, bears grease Ziiij, pep-
per in powder 3j, oil of cummin seed 3{$; mix them for an oil against
baldness. |

119.—“3 RK. Of the dung in powder Ziiij, black soap Ziij, oil of
amber 3j, Mithridate, 3i1j ; mix them for a cataplasm to ripen a plague
sore. :

120.—‘*4 RK. Of the powder of the dung 3j. Powder of winter cher~
ries Z(3 Cromwell seed 3ij; mix them and make a powder against the
stone. Dose, from 3f{$ to 3}.”

121.—This dung is used likewise in salt-petre beds, and is of very great
advantage in the nourishing and production of it; and till the days of
Oliver Cromwell, we had no salt-petre brought from abroad, but it was
made at home, from a mixture of pigeon’s dung, fowls dung, hogs dung,
fat earth and lime, which with another ingredient will form salt-petre, only
it must be kept covered with a shed, to prevent or keep off the rain, that it
may only mix with the nitrous quality of the air; and therefore when this
commodity is very dear, as it often has been, and may be again, the salt-
petre men produce it after this manner to this very day, by throwing in the
scum or refuse of their salt-petre amongst it.

122.—Thus we have shown the various uses even of the most dis-
esteemed and excrementitious part ; but before we leave this head, we can~
not forbear mentioning the following story out of Tavernier, in the fourth
book of his first Volume of Persian Travels, page 146.

123.—Says he, speaking of the people of Ispahan, ‘‘As for their
Pigeons, they fly wild about the country, but only some which they keep
tame in the City to decoy the rest, which is a sport the Persians use in hot
weather as well as cold. Now in regard the Christians are not permitted to
keep Pigeons, some of the vulgar sort will turn to Mahometans to have
that liberty. There are above three thousand Pigeon-houses in Ispahan,
for every man may build a Pigeon house upon his own farm, which yet is
very rarely done, all the other Pigeon houses belong to the king, who draws
a greater revenue from the dung than from the Pigeons; which dung, as
they prepare it, serves to smoak their melons.”

COLUMBA TABELLARIA. The Carrier Pigeon.

124.—The Carrier is larger in size than most of the common

124. (Eaton.)—Mr. Moorz observes, a Carrier is larger in size than most of the
common sorts of Pigeons ; this is true, he measured one, whose length, from the point
of the beak to the extremity of the tail, was fifteen inches, though not one of the
largest, weighed near twenty ounces. I believe a Carrier cannot be too long from the

45

sorts of Pigeons: I measured one the other day, whose length
from the point of the beak to the extremity of the tail was fifteen
inches ; this, though not one of the largest, weighed near twenty ounces.
Their flesh is naturally firm, and their feathers close, when they stand
erect upon their legs, their necks being usually long, there appears in them
a wonderful symmetry of shape beyond other Pigeons, which are generally
crowded on heaps.

125.—The upper chap of the bill is half covered from the head, with a
naked, white, tuberous, furfuraceous flesh, which projects or hangs over
both its sides on the upper part nearest the head, and ends in a point
about the middle of the bill: this is called the wattle, and is sometimes
joined by two small excrescences of the same kind on each side of the
under chap.

126.—This flesh is in some carriers more indeaatile to a blackish colour,
which is generally the more valued.

127.—The eyes, whose iris, or circle round the black pupil, is generally
of the colour of a reddish gravel,(*) are equally surrounded with the same
sort of furfuraceous matter, for about the breadth of a shilling; this is
generally thin when it spreads wide, and is most valued, yet when the flesh
round the eye is thick and broad it shows the carriers to be of a good blood
that will breed very stout ones.

128.—This bird is often esteemed, by the gentlemen of the Fancy, as
the King of Pigeons, on account of its beauty and great sagacity ; for
which reason Mr. Hickman, a distiller in Bishopseate-street (not of the
family of the lymg Hickmans) when living, always kept a silver hatchet

point of the beak to the extremity of the tail, neither can it stand too high, provided it
is done with length of neck instead of length of legs, with a short neck ; I do not know
that it is desirable to have such a heavy bird, it looks runtish ; this Ay I do know,
it is desirable it should have a wonderful degree of symmetry, shape, carriage or style. I
once saw a Carrier, at one of the acknowledged best Carrier Fanciers we have, he
pointed it out to me, and said, with age it would make one of the most extraordinary
Carriers that ever was seen. Sometime after, seeing an excellent Carrier Fancier, I
asked him if he had seen Mr, ’3 promising young Carrier, he said he had, that it
was not a Carrier, but a goose. I think I have seen better Carriers ‘‘ Multum in Parvo,”
with all their beautiful properties conspicuously showing, than in the heavy large birds,
that have the appearance of courseness. Jt is laughable at times to hear one Fancier,
comparatively speaking, cut off the nose of a brother Fancier. This may arise from
having been contradicted before, and biding his time, the first opportunity to pay with
interest after a time. A Fancier must have a firm determined opinion of his own (I
had nearly said right or wrong), otherwise I think he never will be a Fancier if tossed
about by every wind or tide of pretended consequential Fanciers. I know some
Fanciers that have asserted things, so stick to it, sooner than eat their own words, would
die first, for in course of time Fanciers forget them ; I would as soon attempt to bag a
bull, that i is, put my hand down its throat, catch hold of its tail, and turn him inside
out, as to attempt to convince some. They are wrong after asserting a thing, at the
same time a Fancier must have a firm opinion of his own.

gems (Mayor, p. 86.)—* But should be a fiery red.” (GiRTIN, p. 61.)—‘‘ Of a red
brick-dust color,”

127. (Eaton.)—Mayor is decidedly right as to the iris of the eye, the more fiery red
ae the better, and it is the opinion of the best Carrier Fanciers of the present

ay

46

and block, on which hé decently chopped off their heads, alledging, that
being of the blood royal, they ought not to die after the same manner as
the vulgar herd, |
129.—A carrier is generally reckoned to have twelve properties, viz.
Three in the beak,
Three in the wattle.
_. «,Three in the head.
laa - Three in the eye.
130.—To begin therefore with the first, the properties of the beak are to
be long, strait, and thick. | ik
131.—As to its length, an inch and a half is reckoned a long beak,
though there are very good carriers that are found not to exceed an inch
and a quarter. SBE et Storm 2 |
132.— The straitness of the beak: adds a wonderful beauty to its
length, and if otherwise it is said to be hooked-beaked, and is not so much
esteemed. sii a sti 3 i

133.—The thickness of the beak is likewise a very gfeat commendation,

129. (Eaton.)—According to Mr. Moors, (Paragraph 129,) a Carrier is reckoned to
have twelve properties, &c. and all in that small portion of the bird—the Head ; allow-
ing no property to test the Carrier by that standard, laid down with regard to the
wonderful symmetry and elegance of shape ; although in former times it was called by
the Gentlemen of the Fancy ‘‘the King of Pigeons,” for its elegance and sagacity. An
umpire, unequal to the office he was filling, might award the prize from the general
appearance of the bird (its elegance and symmetry of shape) although it was not laid
down as one out of the twelve properties to test the Carrier by, and I think we are
greatly indebted for the judicious remarks of Mayor. After all, my brother Fanciers,
I will be candid, and inform you, that I do not believe the Carrier to be an original
bird, but bred up to the highest possible pitch, by the Fancier, from the Horseman—
when at this high pitch or standard then it is called a Carrier, nor is it possible to pre-
vent the degeneration by any art whatever, which I shall endeavour to prove when I
come to the Horseman.

131. (Eaton.)—In Moore's day an inch and a half was reckoned a long beak,
although at this time, there are beaks that would measure one inch and three quarters,
and some few two inches ; it is infinitely better to have a beak one inch and a half in a
right position, possessing the properties, straight and thick, than have a beak upon
which tricks have been played when young and coaxed to the length of two inches, and
spindle beaked. The experienced Fanciers are aware how some measure, as I said
before. Position, thickness, and straitness of the beak causes the admiration of
Fanciers ; if you refer to my set of six coloured portraits, “‘ life size,” and examine the
Carrier, you will find the beak two inches full, and if measured from the back of the
head to the end of the beak, nearly three inches, understanding that in some parts of the
country they measure this way. I once saw three Carriers at a show, if measured
round the hook beak (instead of straight) would have measured two and a half inches,
awfully hooked beaked and looked anything but what a Carrier’s beak should look.
When I pointed it out to the party to whom they belonged, the answer I received was,
that the horn was allowed to grow to decide a wager, I thought a pretty sort of wager.
He put the beak of one of them into his mouth and bit off about three-fourths of an
inch, the beak appeared straighter and not so hooked beak. I thought if it had been
possible to have worked this two and a half inch beak up as you can putty, and formed
a beak as it ought to be that Moore states in Paragraphs 130, 131, 132, and 133 ;
simply think of this Gentlemen Carrier Fanciers, who are so rampant for long beaks,

133. (GIRTIN, p. 63.)—Beak a black color.

47
and if it fails in this point it is said to be spindle beaked, which diminishes
something of its. value.

134.—The next three properties are ieee of the wattle, ited Peni to
broad across the beak; short from the head towards the apex, or point of
‘the bill, and tilting forward from the head; for if otherwise it is said to
be pegg-wattled, which is very much disesteemed ; and, therefore, some
people (*) to impose upon mankind, and enhance the price of an indifferent
bird, have artificially raised the hinder part of the wattle, filled it up with
cork, and wired it in with fine wire, in such a manner as not to be easily
perceptible, especially to gentlemen who are not adepts in the Fancy.

135.—We now come to consider the properties of the head, which are its
length, its narrowness, and its flatness. When a Carrier has a long, narrow
head, and a very flat scull, it is much admited, andif otherwise itis said
to be barrel headed.

133. (Eaton.)—Fanciers generally make use of the term box beak, well understood
by Fanciers ; I cannot say I admire the term, for it does not clearly define the mean-
ing to a young Fancier who resides in the country, and has not the advantage of meet-
ing many Fanciers. -The construction I put upon it is, that it is deep, thick, and
somewhat square ; the term I like best is, thick or deep, the contrary of broad or wide,
otherwise the Carrier must have a wide head, the contrary of what. it should have.
See Paragraph 135, Moors, its narrowness, &c., for a Carrier cannot have a broad or
wide beak with a narrow ‘head, neither is it coveted or desired, on the contrary, a parti-
cularly narrow, deep, and thick beak the reverse of a spindle beak.

* 134. (Mayor, p. 82.)—“ To impose upon the ignorant.”

134. (Eaton.)—Moore beautifully observes, “short from the head towards the
apex, &c.” I have heard some good Fanciers say, they did not care if the wattle on the
beak came down to the end of the beak, I said good Fanciers, because I know they are
good Fanciers ; there is no accounting for taste, as the old woman said when’ she
kissed the cow, is not the picture striking. The wattle on the beak should in fact tilt
both ways, from the head towards the beak and from the beak towards head, snug and
compact, showing one half of the beautiful deep thick or box beak. I know an acknow-
ledged first-rate Fancier, a Gentleman who has been a Carrier Fancier thirty or forty
years, who is trying all he knows to breed his carriers without wattle on the under
beak, while others strive to have as much on the under as on the top beak, and contend
that the wattle on the upper and lower beak should resemble a walnut pealed, and
equally divided. However good Fanciers differ in minor points, they all agree in the
majors, and all good Fanciers agree when they see a good bird; at the same time, when
the wattle reaches near the end of the beak, the wattle appears in a slanting direction,
the opposite of what it ought to be. The beautiful deep thick or box beak in Paragraphs
125 and 134, Mr. Moors states, the bill is half covered from the head with wattle,
short from the head towards the apex or point of the bill. It appears to me the Carriers
in Moorr’s day made a more decided dead stop of the wattle on the beak, shewed more
of the beak and less wattle under the beak. I have not any doubt when some of the
Carrier Fanciers read this account, they will waggishly say, the Fanciers in Moornz’s
day did not know how to obtain wattle, or putty, as some good Fanciers judiciously
call it, when over-crowded and not in the right place. It is not so much the quantity
as the position, for a Carrier, generally speaking, never looks better than when two and
a half or three years old.

135. (EatTon.)—The narrowness of its head is decidedly one of its greatest beauties,
particularly if long and straight, with a slight hollow impression or dent in the middle,
the contrary of round or barrel headed as it is called ; and if possible the head should
not run out wide at the back of the head, but even all the way through, not any wider
behind than in front of its head.

48

136 —The last three properties are those of the eye, which ought to be
broad, round, and of an equal thickness; for if one part of the eye be
thinner than the rest, it’s said to be pinch-eyed, which is deemed a very
great imperfection ; whereas if it has the contrary properties, it is said to
have a rose-eye which is very valuable.

137.—To these, some add the distance, which is between the hinder part
of the wattle, and the edge of the eye; but I cannot allow this to bea
property, because when a Carrier comes to be three or four years old, if the
eye is broad and the wattle large, they must of necessity meet : the dis-
tance therefore seems to be rather a property of the horseman, of which
more in its proper place.

188.—Another distinguishing mark of a Carrier is the length and thin-
ness of its neck, which some call a property; and it must be allowed to

136. (Haton.)—It generally happens if one part of the eye is thinner than the rest, it
is at the back of the eye ; my attention was called to this by one of the most experienced
successful- Fanciers that ever lived, the late John T. Sawyer, Esq., of Portman Square,
London. There are many Fanciers living at this time, 1858, who know what I am
about to state is true, he was the Fancier who brought the Tumbler, Carrier, and
Pouter, to a nearer state of perfection than any other Fancier in his day; I shall never
forget his remark to me when shewing me Carriers, he stated if a young Carrier be
thinner or pinched at the back of the eye it never would have a good or rose eye, if, on
the contrary, the wattle is stout or thick at the back of the eye, it will have a good or
rose eye. This remark is particularly worth the young Fanciers attention, in looking
after young Carriers and how they will make up, as regards having a good or rose
wattle eye.

137. (Eaton.)—I think it might not perplex some of the younger Fanciers if Mr.
Moore had added the words on the beak, it would then read thus,—‘“‘ to these some add
the distance, which is between the hinder part of the wattle ‘on the beak’ and the edge
of the eye,” &c. &c. I think without those three words it might bother the young Fancier,
otherwise paragraph 137 I think cannot be improved.

138. (Eaton.)—In Mr. Moone’s day, according to paragraph 129, a Carrier was
reckoned to have twelve properties, &c., and all in that small portion of the bird the
head, allowing not a single property to test the Carrier by, as touching length and thin-
ness of neck, length of body and feather, notwithstanding their wonderful symmetry,
elegance, and shape, although in former times it was called by the Gentlemen of the
Fancy ‘‘the king of Pigeons,” for its elegance and sagacity. A judge unequal to the
office he was filling might award the prize, although it was not laid down as even one of
the twelve properties to test the Carrier by, is its shape, carriage, style, length and
thinness of neck, and length of body. Standing erect on its legs, the broader the chest
the better, slenderness of girt ; after all this is only one property out of the five proper-
ties, according to the standard laid down by Mayor, which is noticed by Moorz in
paragraph 138, but not laid down by him as a property. I think we are greatly in-
debted to Mr. Mayor, page 84, for the judicious remarks he makes as touching the
properties of the Carriers, he says,—“ but in my opinion the above twelve properties
would be better and not so liable to be confused, if they were reduced to five properties,
viz. :—

Ist. The Beak.

2nd. The Wattle.

érd. The Head.

4th. The Hye.

5th. Length and thinness of neck, and length of body.”

But as the Gentlemen of that Fancy have not yet taken upon them to fix a proper
standard, as has been done for the Almond Tumbler and the Pouter, the above is sub-
mitted to their consideration. The reducing the twelve properties to five simplifies, and

49

add a very great beauty to this bird, especially considering the breadth of
its chest. (*) :

139.—Its feather is chiefly black or dun, though there are likewise blues,
whites, and pieds of each feather, but the black and dun answer best the
foregoing properties ; yet the blues, and blue pieds are generally esteemed
for their scarcity, though they will not usually come up to the properties
of the foregoing feathers. (+)

is generally adopted by the Gentlemen of the Fancy who are appointed to the office of
judges at shows, in former years, and at the present time (1858) ; at the same time
good Carrier Fanciers do not allow one of the twelve properties in the head to escape
them.

* 138. (Mayor, p. 83.)—‘‘The broader the chest the better, for which reason the
head should incline backward, which shows it more advantageously.”

139. (Haton.)—As the black and dun answered best when Mr. Moorz published his
work in 1735, so they do now after a lapse of 123 years ; at the same time, generally
speaking, blacks are the greatest favourites, even provided they are equal in their pro-
perties, owing the contrast of the black feather and the wattle being the greater. “Tis
said a good horse cannot be g bad colour ; a good Carrier may.

(Eaton.)—It does not necessarily follow, simply because Moore in his ar-
rangement of the Carriers’ properties—beak, wattle, head, and eye, and Mayor,
who follows with the addition—length and thinness of neck and length of
body—if we added this last property of Mayor’s to Moorn’s twelve, we
should make thirteen properties in the Carrier, and four, or five as laid down by
Mayor. Were I asked to arrange the properties of the Carrier, according to their best
properties, I should regard length and thinness of neck, length of body, great width of
chest, slenderness of girt, standing erect on its legs, &c., after all, as combining only
one property, shape or carriage, which I consider the grandest property in a pigeon,
with few exceptions, viz.,—in the Powter length of leg or limb, the Barb the eye, &c.
At the same time shape and carriage is a grand property in every pigeon. I have heard
some Fanciers state there is a difference between shape and carriage. I never heard
any one define the difference ; I consider shape and carriage synonymous. Second pro-
perty, the head ; third property, the beak ; fourth property, the eye; fifth property, the
wattle. ‘The properties then would be as follows, viz. :—

1st.—Length and Thinness of Neck, Length of Body, great Width of Chest, Slen-

derness of Girt, Standing erect on the Legs, &c.

2nd.—The Head.

drd.—The Beak.

4th.—The Eye.

5th.—The Wattle.

Selecting Head as second property, which is its length, its narrowness, and its flat-
ness—having an exceedingly narrow, even head. Although so desirable, ’tis certain
you will not have a wide, broad Beak, which is a fault. ’Tis possible you may have a
deep, thick box-beak, which is so desirable. Third property, the Beak, long, straight,
and thgck, I cannot help thinking that a bird having these three grand properties, the
other two are likely to follow, viz., Eye and Wattle. “Tis certain a bird possessing the
first three properties I have laid down came from superior birds. ‘‘A wag” may say
anything ; therefore it may be as well to put into his mouth a few words what to say—a
*‘Speary Dragon” or a “Skin-um.” A good Carrier Fancier knows what such a bird
as I have been describing comes from, and what it is likely to breed. Fourth property,
the Eye, broad, round, thick, a rose-eye, &c. Fifth property, Wattle, broad, short and
tilting. To sum up the whole, as a sum of addition, I simply put it to you by rule of
subtraction, which property can you subtract from the five properties without greatly in-
juring the bird? 1] tell you plainly, you require all the properties in an eminent degree
to constitute an extra bird or an A 1 Carrier.

+ 139. aaa p. 84.)—But, in my opinion, the above twelve properties would

50

140.—The original of these Pigeons came from Bazora, in Persia,
being sometimes brought by shipping, and sometimes in the caravans ;
hence by some ignorant people they are called buffories.

141.—This city is situate about two miles distant from a river called
Xat Arab, whichis formed by the meeting of the two great rivers Tigris
and Euphrates; near this place is a small house, like a hermitage, dedi-
cated to Iza ben Mariam, that is, Jesus the son of Mary; in passing which
place, the Mahometans themselves very devoutly offer up their prayers:
there is likewise a considerable quantity of land, whose revenues belong to
this chapel.

142.—We come now to give an account of the name which is given to
this pigeon, and it is called a Carrier, because it is frequently made use of
to carry a letter from one place to another. And such is the admirable
cunning, or sagacity of this bird, that though you carry them hood-winked,
twenty or thirty miles, nay I have known them to be carried threescore or
a hundred, and there turned loose, (*) they will immediately hasten;to the
place where they were bred. The Dutch call this pigeon bagadat, I sup-
pose, from a corruption of the name of the city Bagdad, which was for-
merly old Babylon which Nimrod built, because they judge this pigeon in
its way from Bazora to be brought through that city.

be better, and not so liable to be confused, if they were reduced to five properties,

viz. :—
ist. The Beak.
2nd. The Wattle.
8rd. The Mead.
4th. The Hye.

5th. Length and Thinness of Neck, and Length of Body.

But as the gentlemen of that Fancy have not yet taken upon them to fix a proper
standard, as has been done for the Almond Tumbler and the Pouter, the above is sub-
mitted to their consideration. The reducing the twelve properties to five, simplifies,
and is generally adopted by the Gentlemen of the Fancy, who are appointed to the
office of Judges.

140. (Eaton.)—It is not my intention to attempt to bother you as to where this
pigeon came from ; ’tis pleasing work to look at a pen of exquisite Carriers, as I have
many times seen, and difficult enough to breed a better bird.

* 142. (GirTIN, p. 65.)—The winged messenger no sooner finds itself at large,
than its love for its native home influences all its motions. It immediately flies up
into the clouds to an almost imperceptible height, and then with great certainty and
exactness, darts itself, by some unknown intuitive principle, towards its nativemspot,
which is frequently at the distance of many miles, bringing its message to the person to
whom it is directed. By what visible means they discover the place, or by what com-
pass they are conducted in the right way, is equally mysterious and unknown ; but it
has been proved, by experiment, that they will perform a journey of forty miles in the
space of one hour and a half; which is a degree of dispatch three times sooner than
the swiftest four-footed animal can possibly perform.

(GIRTIN, p. 66.) —Extraordinary attention was formerly paid to the training of these
pigeons, in order to be sent from governors in a besieged city to generals that were
coming to succour it; from princes to their subjects, with news of some important
transaction.

51

143.—In Turkey they call them Bagatins or Couriers, and the Turks
and Persians make a common practice of breeding this sort of Pigeons in
their Seraglios, where there is one, whose business it is to feed and train
these birds, for the use afterwards designed, which they do in this manner :
when a young one flies very hard at home, and is come to its full strength,
they carry it in a basket, or otherwise, about half a mile from home, and
there they turn it out; after this they will carry it a mile, then two, four,
eight, ten, twenty and so on, till at length they will return from the farthest
parts of the kingdom. This practice is of admirable use; for every Ba-
shaw has generally a basket full of these Pigeons sent him from the grand
Seraglio, and in case of any insurrection or other emergent occasion, he
braces a letter under the wings of a pigeon, whereby its flight is not in the
least incommoded, and immediately turns it loose, but for fear of their
being shot or struck by a hawk, they generally dispatch five or six; so
that by this means, dispatches are sent in a more safe and speedy method,
than could possibly be otherwise contrived.

144.—N.B. If a Pigeon be not practised when young, the best of them
will fly but very indifferently, and may very possibly be lost.

145.—Litueow in his travels gives the following remarkable account :
after having told us of pigeons, that in forty eight hours would carry a letter.
from Babylon to Aleppo, which is thirty days journey, he proceeds thus ;
** The city Ptolemais was besieged by the French and Venetian armies, and
was ready to fall into their hands, when the soldiers beheld a pigeon flying
over them to the city, who thereupon set up so sudden and so great a shout,
that down fell the poor airy post with her letter, which being read, was
found to contain, that the Sultan was coming towards them with an army
sufficient to raise the siege, and would be with them in three days; the
Christians having learnt this, sent away the Pigeon with another letter, to
this effect ; that they should see to their safety, for that the Sultan had

143. (GirTIN, p. 67.)—In the Hast, they formerly kept relays of these Pigeons in
constant readiness to carry expresses to all parts of the country. When the governor
of Dalmatia heard the news of the death of Orillo, he let fly a Pigeon under whose
wing he had fastened a letter; this fled to Cairo, from whence a second was dis-
patched to another place, as was customary, so the death of Orilla was made known
to all Egypt, in the space of a few hours! but the simple use of them was known in
very early times: When Modena was besieged, Brutus, within the walls, kept
an uninterrupted correspondence with MHirtius without, and this by the assist-
ance of Pigeons, setting at nought every stratagem of the besieger, Anthony,
to stop these winged couriers. In the times of the Crusades there were many in-
stances of these birds being made useful in the service of war. Tasso relates
one during the siege of Jerusalem; and Joinville another, during the crusade of
St. Louis.

145 and 146. (Eaton.)—As touching the shout, &c., I believe that you believe as
I do—that the account smells too much of Major Longbow. If you believe it you do
believe it ; if you give your assent to it, it is quite another thing. A man only be-
lieves that which he does not disbelieve ; the moment a doubt crosses his mind he no
longer believes. A man may give his assent toanything ; but this does not prove he be:
lieves ; it only proves that he is a weak-minded man, or that which is worse, a hypo-
crite ; for instance, you or I may never have seen Napoleon the First ; we never
doubted his existence; but thatthe shout of men should cause a Pigeon to lose the
power of its winys, I set down as a downright lie.

D 2

52

such other important affairs, as rendered it impossible that he should come
to their relief. Upon the reception of this letter the city was immediately
surrendered to the Christians; upon the third day, the Sultan arrived accord-
ing to his promise, but perceiving how matters went, returned again with
his army.”’

146.—That passage of making the Pigeon fall to the ground by the
shout of the soldiers, seems a little too much to savour of Romish super-
stition ; for it appears a little unphilosophical, to imagine that the air could
be so far broke by a shout, as to render the strong pinions of so swift a
bird useless.

147.—Ovip likewise, in his Book of Metamorphoses, tells us that Tau-
rosthenes, by a Pigeon stained with’purple, gave notice of his victory at the
Olympic games, the very same day on which he gained it, to his father at
7Egina.

148.—Wixtovucuey also in his Ornithology, and with that I shall con-
clude the account of this bird, produces the example of the ancients in
making use of Pigeons for the conveyance of letters; thus Hiritius and
Brutus at the siege of Modena, by means of Pigeons held a mutual corres-
pondence with each other.

147, 148. (Eaton.)—The Carrier, no doubt, derived its name from its great cunning,
sagacity, its love for its native home, which it appears never to forget or forsake—the
home where it was reared. Imagine a sweep had bred and reared one of the
most undeniably best Carriers that ever was reared, and it had its liberty to fly about.
It afterwards so happened that, for its elegance and properties, it was purchased to
adorn our MostGracious Majesty’s poultry house or pigeonary at Windsor, confined two
years to breed from ; its young, as a matter of course allowed to fly, would stop, being
at home ; but the parent bird, at the expiration of its two years’ confinement—having
been pampered with all the best food and seeds that could be procured for it—do you
suppose it would stop? Many would suppose it would, being in such comfortable
quarters. You may suppose it comfortable quarters ; the Carrier, longing, by power-
ful instinct, for its first home, might consider it captivity. The keeper of the Pigeons,
sensible he had got several of this bird’s strain, some equally as good, if not better,
that flew and stopped at home, and fancying the parent bird was losing flesh, becom-
ing mopish, and out of condition, owing to having been so long pent up, determines to
give it its liberty at all hazards, knowing where to find the bird at its original home.
Do you suppose this Carrier would stop, after all the kindness, as some would call it ?
The Carrier did not consider it kindness ; on the contrary, captivity. Certainly it would
not stop after it was let out; it might plume its feathers ; it would then mount the ele-
ments and look for its native home, which it would reach in about half-an-hour, for
they are known to fly a mile a minute, as you may often see in Bell’s Life, The Field,
Cottage Gardener, The Poultry Chronicle, and other papers.

There are people in the world who suppose from hearing of a Carrier Pigeon carry
ing and bringing home a letter or message, that it will act the part of a postman ; that
you have only to write a letter or note, twist it round the leg, inform the bird where to
take it to, or put on the direction, viz. :—

Fuzzamuzzy Aldiberontickosphofogo, Esq.,
14, Straight Street, Crooked Lane,
Near Tooley Street,
In the Borough.

(Haste—Private.) S. E.

Carrier Pigeons cannot be made to play the part of a postman. They will not
take a letter to your next door neighbour, although it will bring home a letter, mes-
sage or note, neatly twisted and secured round its leg, from a distance of one hundred
miles or more !

53
COLUMBA TABELLARIA MINOR. The Horseman.

149.—This Pigeon in shape and make very much resembles the Carrier,
only it is smaller in all its properties, viz. Somewhat less in body, shorter
necked, the protuberent flesh upon the beak smaller, as likewise that
round the eye, so that there remains a larger space or distance between
the wattle and the eye, in this Pigeon than in the Carrier. They are gene-
rally more inclined to be barrel headed, and their eye somewhat pinched.

150.—It is to this day a matter of dispute, whether this be an original
Pigeon: or whether it be not a bastard strain, bred between a Carrier
and a Tumbler, or a Carrier and a Powter, and so bred over again
from a Carrier, and the oftener it is thus bred, the.stouter the horseman
becomes.

(Brent.)—The English Carriers and Horseman Pigeons are so inseparably connected,
that in describing one I must also describe the other. ‘Indeed, I believe the Horseman
to be the primitive stock, and that the English Carrier is the effect of the high cultiva-
tion of the former, those points of excellence which the Fancier most highly prizes
being more highly developed in the Carrier. As I consider the Horseman as the ori-
ginal, I will first draw attention to them. They appear to have come originally from
Persia, and also to have been bred extensively in Turkey and Egypt, where they have
been long used as mediums of communications. They are fine, noble birds, being con-
siderably larger than the generality of Pigeons. Their beak is long and stout, and
covered at its base with a great quantity of wattle, wrinkled, whitish-looking skin, or,
in other words, an extreme developement of the nose; the eyes are also surrounded
with a broad circle of the same appearance called the sere. The neck is long and
rather bent, the feathers often opening a little in front of the bend, exposing a small
streak of red skin. The chest is very broad and full, the shoulders wide ; the bend
of the wings stands rather out from the sides, the legs and feet very stout ; the tail and
pinion feathers are rather short for the size of the bird, the former being carried some-
what elevated.

(Brent.)—The English Carrier differs from this in the greater development of the
fancy points on which Fanciers lay great stress, and according to their merits in this
respect are they of proportionate value. The beak must be long, thick and straight ;
the wattle large, high, and leaning slightly forward. The old Fanciers admired it most
when of a blackish tint ; the sere round the eyes should be broad, even, and round,
which is termed a rose-eye; if uneven it is called pinch-eyed, which is a great defect.
The head is long, narrow, and flat on the top ; the colour of the iris is of a bright gra-
velly red. The neck must be long, thin, and without bend ; they should be broad
across the back, but small in the waist. The pinion feathers of the wings, as also the
tail, should be very long and not carried up, consequently, they are much more elegant-
looking birds than the Horseman; in colour they are mostly black or dun,—the duns
generally have the best heads.

150. (Haton).—If it were a matter of dispute in the year 1735, (it is more so now,
in the year 1858.) It is quite clear that none of us are able to recollect whether this
be an orignal bird or not, nevertheless, if we have brains, as I said in a former part
of this work, let us endeavour to exercise them. After reading Moors, and com-
paring Mayor and Girtin’s Work to Moorr’s, they are both the same, only altering
a few words, which is the same as regards the sense, or differently placing the para-
graphs ; now as none of us can recollect, and as it was a matter of dispute one hun-
dred and twenty-three years ago, we have the same right to exercise our judgment
(however little it may be) as they had in the year 1735, when the book was printed, .
and from which this subject under consideration is taken. I shall endeavour to tread
in the footsteps of that humble and modest Fancier, who I style the pre-eminent
of Fanciers—the late Mr. JouN Moors, who repeatedly in his work expressed his wish

o4.

that the work had been brought out by more able pens, and hoped it would provoke
others with more skill and abilities to follow in the tract which he had only pointed out,
to which I gave my hearty Amen. (Query.) Do not for a moment suppose that I
consider myself equal to the task; but as a humble, unassuming Fancier, like Moors,
I tell you boldly and fearlessly, without evasion or equivocation, that the Horseman is
an original bird. That is my opinion. I throw down the gauntlet to provoke others
to take it up ; some of you may say, that, although written in such humble language,
you should give us the why and the wherefore it is your opinion ; I will endeavour to
do so. All the Authors state the Horseman is a hybrid, in shape and make very
much resembles the Carrier, only it is smaller in all its properties, viz., less in body,
shorter necked, the wattle on the beak smeller, as likewise that round the eye ; there re-
mains a larger space or distance between the wattle on the beak and the eye in this Pigeon
than in the Carrier. They are more inclined to be barrel-headed, and their eye some-
what pinched. To sum up this account, although it comes the nearest to a Carrier
than any other Pigeon, altogether less than any of its properties (save thickness of
neck, broad head, and the want of elegance.) ,1 put, it to the experienced Carrier
Fancier, whether this bird, taking all its properties into consideration, is a Carrier in
miniature. Certainly not. How comes it to be short and thick-necked and broad-
headed? There are Horseman of all manner of -feathers,and pieds ; but Carriers are
chiefly blacks, duns, and blues. I have often asked Fanciers, how they distinguished
between a Carrier and a Horseman? They have thought it too delicate a question to
answer. I have, in conversation with some of the most experienced Fanciers, heard
them say, if, in breeding from a pair of Horseman, they throw and breed an extra-
ordinary bird, they call it a Carrier ; if, on the contrary, they breed from an extraordi-
nary pair of Carrier plain birds, then they are called Horseman; I believe this to be
near the mark. What is there, then, in a name!

(Eaton).—I know two Gentlemen, stout Bird Fanciers (this is the term generally
made use of by the Fanciers of Carriers and Horseman) ; one gentleman said he had
nothing but Carriers, the other said he had nothing but Horseman ; I admired the
Horseman of the one better than the Carrier of the other, which-only proves ‘‘ What
there isin a name? It would appear contradictory if we come to the feather, for if
Carriers breed Horseman and the Horseman Carriers, how comes it to pass. that we
have so few Carriers but are principally blacks and duns ?—for we have Horseman of
all colours. I am sensible we have Carriers also, but very few comparatively speaking.
In Horseman the blue and pied are most noted to be genuine and good. Then how
comes it to pass we have so few blue and blue-pied Carriers, unless the blacks and dims
answer best to breed up to? It was so in 1735, and is now, the blacks and duns hay-
ing been so bred together. If you were to breed from two blacks or two duns, or from
a black and a dun, who would say what the colour of their young would be? Very
likely a black and a dun in every nest, or contrary to the colour of the parent biras
from which they are bred ; yet being a black and dun simply, for ought I know, the
blacks and duns have been bred together hundreds of years back as they are now, I
have no doubt, if the blues had been brought up as the blacks and duns have been, we
should have had as elegant for ali properties, which so characterises the Carrier for that
elegance and wonderful symmetry of shape beyond other Pigeons. Whereas, the
Horseman appears a short, dumpy, thick-neck, broad-headed bird. How did it obtain
that broad head? Never from the Dragon, Tumbler, or the Pouter, is my opinion ;
but that the Horseman is the original bird, and the Carrier is not. Do you suppose
for a moment that the Carriers of the East are like the engraving of the Carrier that
accompanies this Work ? (see) It is my opinion that it is no more like it than the
Antwerp Carrier is like it ; but who knows what the spirited experienced English Fan-
cier will bring the Antwerp Carrier to in the next fifty years. I have seen Dragons
that appeared to come nearer in shape and symmetry to the Carrier than some Horse-
man (but with less wattle), appearing more like a Carrier in miniature. I stated it to
be my opinion that the Horseman was the original bird, and not the Carrier, and I will
endeavour to prove my assertion. Imagine to yourself an old and experienced Faucier,
of forty years standing, possessing tle acknowledged best strain of Carriers, to die,
and all he possessed willed over to his nearest and only relation, a nephew, and among
other things, this beautiful strain of Carriers comes into his possession: being grateful
for what he has received, he is determined not to part with this strain of Carriers ~

55

knowing the immense pains, and the delight his uncle took in them (although a novice
himself.) Iwill simply put the question to the experienced Carrier Fancier, How
many years he will give me before this remarkably fine strain of Carriers degenerate
into the original Horseman? You may put a question, and ask me whether they would
degenerate more, by lowering from the Horseman to the Dragon !—to which I should
certainly answer No; believing the Horseman to be the original bird, and would not
sink below its-nature. Again, to try.to prove my assertion, I believe the Carrier bred
up to the standard, was, and is bred up by the most experienced Fanciers, from obser-
vation and reflection, and a thorough knowledge of these birds ; nevertheless, he has
to exercise all he knows, by counteraction and art, assisted by nature, who sports and
freaks at times, and produces a wonderful-and extraordinary Carrier. Now, having
this Carrier, and selecting the best Carrier from your aviary or loft, I simply put the
question: to experienced Carrier Fanciers, (it is useless to put it to any one else; you
might as well put it to Aldgate pump), Can you depend upon their young being extraordi-
nary Carrier birds, as they are called? Who, from their experience, would answer
No! there being such a tendency in these high bred birds to degenerate and throw
back ; and this is the cause why a good Fancier would rather have the cast-offs of a
good strain, than an apparent good bird that he knew-nothing, about. It frequently
happens that Fanciers are very strong and well up with these birds, and would not take

_twenty guineas a--pair for them, and -have not parted with their best birds,; and if
you ask them how they are going along, or with what succces they have met dur-
ing the breeding séason, the answer is, ‘‘ Very bad, and not bred a bird,’” “The mean-
ing is, not worthy to:be mentioned, owing to-the tendency there is to degenerate. It
is equally as easy, if not more so, to breed the Carrier up from the Horseman, as to
breed your short-faced Tumblers: for the five properties, from the -rough long-faced
common flying Tumblers, having such a tendency to degenerate. Again, the same
takes place with regard to the English Pouter, when bred up to the highest pitch, there
being such a tendency to-degenerate. | aa ae

(HATON.)—The Horseman has been a very useful bird among Fanciers (which no one can
deny) has aided and assisted the Fancier in bringing to perfection more Pigeons than any
other.—The English Pouter or Cropper, see paragraph 161; the Pouting: Horseman,
paragraph 182; and the Dragon, paragraph 156, and what I have beon contending for,
the Carrier, paragraph 124. The experienced Fancier would be able to discover the
original bird, the Horseman ; not the Horseman bred up to the highest possible pitch,
from the selection of the two best Horseman in the aviary or loft, Nature aiding and
assisting by giving a little one in ; and an accidental hit would. produce an extraordi-
nary bird, then it would be called a Carrier, although the same.‘bird bred from Horse-
man ; neither the hybrid Dragon, first, second, or third breed, for the oftener they are
bred over to the Horseman the stouter they become; but there appears something so
particular in the character of the original Horseman, its broad head, its short thick
neck, and its dumpiness, as compared to the Carrier. If we were at a Horseman or
Carrier show—please yourself ‘‘ with which name”—for, as I said elsewhere, What is
there in a name ?—mark the remarks you would hear ; it is possible some would say, I
do not know when I have seen a better show of stout birds, take them all for all. You -
would find a difference of opinion, some saying I should choose that black cock if it
were a little narrower in the head, or more snake-headed, with a little hollow or dent in
the middle, for we are inclined to think it is rather barrel-headed ; others would say,
give me the dun hen, provided it was longer and thinner in the neck, not so short and
thick, but more swan-necked ; others might say, that is the bird for me, provided it
possessed more carriage, and was not so spindle-beaked, which proves the difficulty of
breeding out the properties of the original marked Horseman ; and it is truly astonishing
to think what beautiful birds they are, when you come to consider with what difficul-
ties the Fancier is beset, in producing the Carrier with all its elegancies, and maintain-
ing the five properties, as laid down for the standard by the Gentlemen of the Carrier
Fancy, viz.,—beak, wattle, head, eye, shape, all combined in a single bird, and coming
from the original bird, the Horseman.

(Eaton).—Imagine to yourself two Fanciers, one styling himself a Horseman Fan-
cier, and the other styling himself a Carrier Fancier, having contended for a long time
as to whether the Horseman or the Carrier is the original bird—both arguing all they
know as regards these birds, which is not a little, being two good Fanciers—but they

56

151.—The only thing that seems inclinable to favour the opinion, that
they are original, is a strain of this kind brought over from Scanderoon
which will fly very great lengths*and very swift; but still the answer

cannot agree at this meeting, and take leave of each other, wishing each other luck,
&c. One thinks a little country air, and being a disciple of Old Isaac, desirous of see-
ing how his brother Bobs are going along, betakes himself to Dagenham Reach, and
to his surprise meets his brother Fancier and Bob, whom he had only parted with in the
morning—the one went by Train, the other by Coach. They expressed their surprise
and exclaimed, like Darby and Joan, who had agreed to enjoy themselves, for once,
with a Duck and Green Peas. Hot! and on table; ready to begin. Knock at door!
A cousin, wife. and four children drop in, and the exclammation is, ‘‘ Who'd have
thought of seeing you!” Neither being desirous of renewing the argument on Carriers
or Horseman, but are lost in wonder and astonishment at the beauty of the scenery, and
exclaim, ‘‘ How delightful is the scene of Rural Nature to the Philosophic eye and con-
templative mind! and agree to walk together to witness what sport had attended their
brother trollers ; the first they enquired of had taken two jack, the second hadtaken -
two pike, and another, Brother Bob, had taken two fish—a term well understood by
anglers. Now, here are jack, pike, and fish taken. What is the difference? For
argument sake, and to lay a trap for you I will say there is none, and that all three are
the same fish. Do not be too cunning, and tell me that a pike is a year older than a
jack, otherwise I shall put the question, and ask you, Are your stout birds, for the first
two or three years, Horseman, and as they grow old and become heavily wattled, then
they turn into Carriers, although the same bird ; which only proves that the Horseman
is the original bird, and the Carrier by the art of man.

(Eaton.)—In the same paragraph (150), on the matter in dispute I find ‘‘Or” twice,
and in Paragraph 151, one “May be.” This is not very definite to argue upon ; there-
fore, to render it more clear, and define it to you, I had better throw in the words,
“‘ Perhaps, itis possible, but rather improbable ;” I have thrown some light upon these
words “or” and ‘‘may be.” As we are upon the subject of wonderful Flying Birds,
there are people in the world who say pigs ‘‘ may” fly ; others say they are “‘ very un-
likely birds.” It is the last of my thoughts to dwell upon this subject. I believe I
never should, had Mayor and Gigtin said alittle upon it. Instead of copying Moore
only, word for word, I could not in my conscience let this, the most useful bird we
have in the whole Fancy (the Horseman) pass unnoticed ; considering that it has con-
tributed in bringing to perfection the English Pouter, the Pouting Horseman, the Dra-
gon, and also the Carrier itself. I shall require something more in argument from those
who differ from me, than mere “*Tisn’t, "Tisn’t.”. I shall, therefore, fall in with the
views of Moors, the pre-eminent, and not trespass upon your valuable time, to deter-
mine such controversies as these.

(Brent. )—The Horseman are of various colours, black, white, blue, and pieds pre-
dominating.

(Brent.)—Having described the two extremes—Carriers and Horseman—it will
show their differences ; but Pigeons are to be met with of all the various intermediate
grades. If kept in health by exercise and judicious feeding, they are good breeders ;
if not, they become idle and inferior nurses. If kept for flying, they must be trained
young and kept in constant practice, or the best will prove but indifferent homing birds,
though from their great value as fancy birds, they are but little flown, and consequently
soon become, fat, heavy, and unfit to fly.

(Brent.)—I have had the large White Horseman, or, as they are called in France,
the Swan-necked Egyptians, that could scarcely rise eight feet from the ground ; but
the young ones, while in training, flew with astonishing rapidity, and went an end
well.

(Brent.)—They would also outstrip my Antwerps in homing eight or ten miles.
though they appeared to have great difficulty in first starting off, seeming almost un-
able to rise till they got in full swing, when they went along in fine style, having much
the appearance of wild ducks while flying in the air.

)
7

LYVIMI Uf)

JUODBAM 7f
Lo

; 57

readily occurs, that they may be bred originally the same way at Scande-
roon and so transmitted us, however non nostrum est inter vos tantas
componere Lites, that is, we shan’t take upon us to determine such contro-=
versies as these.

152.—There are of this kind, of all manner of feathers; but the blue
and blue pieds are most noted to be genuine and good, and if flown are
very good breeders.

153.—These are one of the sorts of Pigeons that are chiefly made use of
in England, for the carriage of letters, or flying of wagers; because those
that are possessed of the true original Carriers, which are at present very
scarce here, pay too dear, and have too great a value for them, to risk their
being lost upon every trifling wager.

154.—These pigeons when regularly flown, twice on a day, that iss
turned out alone and put upon wing without any others, will fly very
large circumferences, so that after they have made a tour or two round
your own house, they will fly four or five miles out at length and so main-
tain the circuit for an hour or two: this the Fanciers call going an end,
and is what Daniel Moggs, who was one of the older Fanciers, meant, when
he jocularly used to bid his pigeons maintain their length.

155.—This practice is of admirable service to them, when they come to
be trained for the homing part.

COLUMBA TABELLARIA MINIMA. The Dragoon.

156.—This Pigeon is absolutely and without dispute a bastard strain,
being bred originally from a Horseman to a Tumbler, and by matching
their breed often to the Horseman, they will obtain a tolerable degree of
stoutness.

156. (Eaton.)—The Dragon, I think, is one of the most difficult Pigeons to deter-
mine, or, more properly speaking, where to draw the line ; how far it may approach
the Horseman and go no further. Believing Mr. Moorn’s account, being bred origi-
nally from a Horseman to a Tumbler, and by matching their breed often to the
Horseman, they will obtain a tolerable degree of stoutness, to which I answer, yes, too
stout for a Dragon and infinitely nearer a Horseman than a Dragon. If a Fancier
pointed out such a bird to me, asked me what I called it, unquestionably I should say,
« Horseman. I remember, at one of the Poultry Shows in London, a pair of Pigeons
were entered as a pair of Dragons, I considered them the best pair of Carriers in the
show ; they were entered in the catalogue price three guineas, I went to claim them at
the price, but was informed they had already been claimed ; not that I would give three
guineas for a pair of Dragons, yet I would have given three guineas for the pair of
Carriers I am writing of. This may have arose from two things, the party desirous of
obtaining a first prize, and fearing he should not obtain the prize by entering as Carriers,
to make sure of it, entered them as Dragons, and placed the low price of three guineas
not to be suspected. Or he might be a novice in the Fancy, the birds did fall into his
hands somehow or other, he did not know a good bird when he saw it, or even knew
what it was, whether Carrier, Horseman, or Dragon. Another case, the eminent
Fancier, the late John T. Sawyer, Esq., at one of the London shows, entered six pens
of the most beautiful dun colored Dragons. My memory does not serve me, that he
entered them for competition for the prizes, I believe he did not, I think he was too
good a judge, and sensible judges, provided they were up to their work, would never

58

.157.—This Pigeon is‘a very good breeder, (*) and as they are somewhat
less than a Horseman, are reckoned lighter and more expeditious im their
flight, for ten or twenty miles, but the Horseman if good, will generally
out-do them at a greater length ; sil ought to be flown and trained like
the foregOmng :

award them as aeeeaes. Their elegance of shape, the length of feather, length and
thinness of neck, narrowness of head, their combined -beauty of properties and style, I
considered put the Carriers into the shade. Whether he entered them for competition
or not, this much I do know, they were not awarded a prize, being-too much for a
Dragon. . With :regard to ‘the first pair I mentioned, they did not take a prize for
Dragons, being two good, and in the second place, were not awarded.a first, second, or
third prize for Carriers, being disqualified through being wrongly entered. ie have met
some good Fanciers at the shows, while looking at the class Dragons, I made the simple
remark to some of the exhibitors of Dragons, ‘ ‘it! 8 RO go,” they have-laughed heartily,
and said, ‘there was no harm in trying it on.” I remember meeting .a celebrated
Fancier of ‘Warwickshire, who had entered a beautiful | pair of birds in class Dragons,
their only fault being too good, although he had taken several prizes on Pigeons, he said
if one thing pleased him more than another, was the detection by the judges in drawing
the line where the Dragon should stop, that. the judges were up to-the mark, yiz.—up to
their work. I believe in some cases: the line has scarely been drawn. up to the mark for
fear of going over the line, and that. Dragons have been awarded the prize rather below
the line for fear of going over the line, which proves my remarks at the commence-
ment, the diffieulty where to-draw the line or. where, as touching the. Dragon, it should
stop. Gentlemen may enter rather sheary Carriers in ‘the Dragon. class, it does not
follow, simply because they have entered them as such, the jwdges will award them a
prize, on the contrary, they will disqualify them, it was. so at the Crystal Palace Show,
1858. It sometimes. hippens the cheat is net detectéd: “I do not agree with a writer
to the Cottage Gardener, that there ought not to be a prize Eee to Dragons, he
observes, ‘‘ they are nothing more or less than bad Carriers,”

- * 157, (Mayor, p. 89.)—And gpa, nurses, and are biel hav as feeders for raising
of Pouters, Leghorn Runts, &. .

(Mayor, p. 92.)—The Elovans may be anda upon as a fact, notwithstanding
the appearance of incredibility, as several gentlemen now living can affirm the same, if
requisite—a gentleman of my acquaintance having a small wager depending, sent a
Dragon by the Stage Coach to his friend at St. Edmond’s Bury, together with a note,
desiring the Pigeon, two daysafter his arrival there, might be thrown up precisely when
the town clock struck nine,-in the morning, which was accordingly executed ; and the
Pigeon arrived in London, and flew to the sign of the Bull’s Head Inn in Bishopsgate
Street, into the loft, and was there shewn at half an hour past eleven o'clock the same
morning on which he had been thrown up at St. Edmond’s Bury, having flown seventy-
two miles in two hours and a half.. The wager was confirmed by a letter sent by the
next post from a person at St. Edmond’s Bury. I could relate several more exploits of
this nature performed by Dragons, particularly of their being thrown up and returning
by moon-light, &c., but the above may be thought sufficient.

157. (Eaton.)—A gentleman informed me once, he had a pair of Dragons, that bred
him eleven pair of young ones during twelve months. Many young birds will breed all
the year round, provided they have warm places, good nests made for them, and, above
all, plenty of first-rate good nourishing food. I agree and believe with Mr. Moorz,
that the Dragon being lighter than the Horseman, are more expeditious in their flight
for ten or twenty miles. Mayor, p. 89, truly observes they are good nurses, as feeders
for Pout-ers, Leghorn Runts, besides other birds; but they are too strong or coarse as
feeders for short-faced birds.

(Eaton.)—I believe there are many gentlemen living in the country (and not asso-
clating with Fanciers), who keep Pigeons, that fancy “they have the finest strain of
Carriers in the World ; if flown, no doubt very clean, their feathers close and tight, the
colours silver, yellow, or blue, with the black bar across the flight ; I acknowledge all

a9
COLUMBA GUTTUROSA BATAVIA. ~° o 2
The Dutch ‘Cropper.

158.—This Pigeon seems to be originally Dutch, being naturally thick
and its name is derived from a large bag, or crop of wind, which they carry
under their’ beak, and can at pleasure either raise or depress; they are
thick bodied ‘and short, their legs are likewise thick, short, and feathered
down to their feet; their crop is large but always hang low, the feathers
on their thighs hang loose, whereby they are said to. be flag-thighed, their
legs stand wide, and they seldom play upright, they are gravel-eyed, and
are generally very bad feeders, therefore as soon as they have fed off their
soft meat it is proper to-put, their young ones under~a, pair of small
Runts, Dragoons, or Powting-horsemen, which may be kept as nurses for
the purpose. aes Soha oh Tt

looking very beautiful as ‘touching Dragons.’ Should it so happen that this fine old
English gentleman, one of the olden times, gave an invite to one of his old friends, to
come and spend a few days with him in the country, (but fortunately, or unfortunately,
he is a good Carrier Fancier), after hearing this fine old English gentleman (in his way)
describing the perfections or imperfections of his Carriers, as he pleased to call them, for
want of knowing better. I ask you, as wise mien, would it not’be cruel if this Carrier
Fancier, on a visit or spunging excursion, should endeavour to lighten the darkness of
this fine old English gentleman, one of the very olden times ; for instance, in the first
place it would be too late in his day to make:a good: Carrier Fancier of him, and in the
second place, it is possible there was no one-in the locality to-iustruct him ; it therefore
appears to me, taking all the circumstances into consideration, to let this fine old Eng-
lish gentleman enjoy his own opinion. Why do authors:on Pigeons spell the Dragon
with two “o's,” making the word~ Dragoon, a kind of. soldier, &e., ‘‘ Walker.” In
society we never call it the Dragoon, but the Dragon—Drag-un, a winged serpent.
‘¢ Walker,” from which it derives its name. Also the Pout-er is spelt thus, Powter,
The name is derived from the word to pout, by thrusting out, ‘‘ Walker.” I hope no
author who follows me, will be guilty of doing it. It may be excusable in me in Mr.
Moore’s Work, as I am desirous it should be published letter for letter. I did not
exactly agree with Moors on the last subject—the Horseman—but I am determined to
agree with him on the Dragon, believing what he states to be correct.

157. (Brent.)—The Dragon Pigeons may be considered as an inferior variety of
Carrier or Horseman, from which they were most probably a cross. They have the
same properties as the Carrier, but not so fully developed ; they are smaller, more
active, and swifter for short journeys. They are of various colours, but the blues are
most esteemed. They are wild birds, but excellent breeders and nurses ; so much are
they esteemed on this account, that they are frequently kept as nurses for the larger
sorts of fancy Pigeons, and as they are large and fleshy, their young are excellent for
the table. Shear Dragon is the name for those of this variety that have long straight
beaks and heads, without much wattle.

(Brent.)—Dragons were the variety mostly used for flying before the introduction
of the Antwerp ; many persons still prefer them, and we have many extraordinary
accounts on record of their performances. All these varieties have large soft beaks
while young ; the wattle grows, and continues to increase for a year or two.

157. (Boys.)—Thirty-six years ago when my collection of Dragons (about thirty)
every morning brought me from London, in slips, the leading article of the Morning
Post newspaper tied round the leg.

(Eaton.)—From London to Margate, seventy-two miles ; a decent fly, and proves
Dragons can do work.

158. (Mayor, p. 92 )—But now the Gentlemen Fanciers in England pay very Little

60

159.—There are all sorts of feathers in this pigeon, and the Dutch in
breeding it take a very great care; for as soon as they have fed off their
soft meat, they put their young ones under others to nurse, and then sepa-
rate their old ones, placing them in different coops, and feeding them high
with hemp or rape seed for a month, then turning them together; and by
being very hearty and salacious, they breed pigeons with very good pro-
perties ; from whence we may observe, that would mankind be alike abste-
mious, their progeny might be more compleat both in body and mind.

160.—These are the Pigeons that are most apt to gorge, if not kept con -
stantly supplied with meat and water.

COLUMBA GUTTUROSA ANGLICANA.
The English Powter.

161.—This Pigeon, which was first bred in England, and is therefore
called the English Powter, is originally a mixed breed between a Horse-

regard to this Pigeon, since they have made it subservient to their purpose, viz. by
raising from them and others the Pouter.

158. (Eaton.)—TuHr DutcoH Crorper.—There does not appear any beauty in the
Dutch Cropper that we should attempt to breed a bird like it ; at the same time we
must not forget our gratitude to the Dutch Fanciers, in enabling us to obtain this bird,
the Dutch Cropper, and crossing it with the Horseman or Carrier have produced the
majestic, fine-shaped, elegant English Pout-er. We are not only indebted to the Dutch
for the Dutch Cropper, but also for several of the Toy Pigeons, also to other nations
that have devoted great care and attention to other Pigeons.

158. (Brent )—The Dutch Pouter is also a merry, active bird, playing erect, con“
tinually clapping his wings and jumping at his mate. His legs are thin, and frequently
hare of feathers, or only tuffed on the toes ; his colour is various, his crop good, but he
is not much prized in this country, though the English Pouter is thought to be de-
scended from him, with a slight admixture of Horseman blood.

(BrENT.)—The old German Pouters are very large Pigeons, and scarce, even in their
native country, measuring twenty-two inches in length, from the tip of the beak to the
end of the tail, and three feet six inches, from point to point of the expanded wings,
their tail and pinion-feathers being very long ; the beak is stout and rather short ; the
legs stout and short, and feet featherless ; the crops are large and well made, but from
the shortness of their legs they cannot carry themselves erect. They are sometimes
turn-crowned ; in colour they are marked like a bald-headed Tumbler, though occa-
sionally quite white. They are not good breeders, on account of their great size ; they
often break their eggs, or trample their young to death, consequently they require
raising under other nurses. There are many other varieties of Pouters (Kropftauben)
in Germany ; one other that I must mention is a moderate-sized, thick-set bird, with
turned crown, feather-footed, and half-erect carriage ; the crop is not quite so globular
as in some others, and their plumage blue and white. But their peculiarity consists in
their manner of flying; rising a considerable height in the air, with distended crop,
they allow themselves to fall or descend almost to the ground, again rising and per-
forming the same feat repeatedly.

161. (Eaton.)—The English Pouter is so infinitely superior for elegance and style,
compared to the Dutch Cropper, the Parisian Pouter, the Uploper, or the Pouting
Horseman, I should scarce think any good Fancier would attempt to breed an inferior
bird when he has the opportunity to breed the superior bird, unless for a particular
purpose. The late Sir John Sebright was an acknowledged good Fancier ; after his
death, I was at the sale of his Bantams and Pigeons; I was surprised, on looking at

61

man and a Cropper, experience teaches us, it will add a wonderful beauty
to this bird, and raise in it the five following properties.

1. Length of Body.

2. Length of Legs.

3. Neatness of Crop.

4, Slenderness of Girt.

5. Beauty in Feather.

his Pouters, how it was possible he could have reduced the English Pouters down to
such little Lilliputians, or multum in parvo Pouter, possessing, in an elegant degree, all
the properties of the English Pouter. I confess I should have been more pleased to
have seen these Pouters with all their beautiful properties, fine large English Pouters.
Sir John no doubt reduced them all he eels could, as he did the bantams, presery-
ing all their elegant properties.

(Eaton,)—It does not follow, simply inert Mr. Moors, in giving the five pro-
perties of the English Pouter, taking length of body—he considered length of body the
grandest property in an English Pouter, although he wisely takes beauty in feather
last. I think Mr, Moors too good a Fancier to consider their best properties as he has
simply arranged them. JI will mform you what I think the best properties of the
English Pouter, and arrange them in a manner which I believe will meet the approba-
tion of the acknowledged best English Pouter Fanciers ; ~

1st, Length of Leg (or Limb as it is called).

2nd, Slenderness of Girt or Waist.

8rd, Length of Body, or equally as proper Length of Feather.

4th, Neatness of Crop.

5th and last, Beauty in Feather, provided you can obtain it.
Ist, Length of Leg or Limb.—Now to the law and to the testimony to prove my asser-
tion. Refer to paragraph 202. The Spanish Runt is the longest bodied ofall Pigeons,
23 inches in length from the apex of the: beak to the extremity of the tail; they are
thick and short-legged, and don’t walk erect. Now, if it were possible to put on this
bird the most beautiful round and globular crop that ever was seen,—answer me two
questions,—Ist. Would the bird, for elegance, look like the English Pouter? 2nd,
What name would you call it? To the first question you would answer it did not look
like the English Pouter, standing on legs six inches in length, and thick in girt;
the second question you would be bothered to answer. After some consideration, you
would say, the best name to give it would be a Spanish Runt Pouter. Now take an
English Pouter, twenty inches in feather (although I never saw one so long), 77 inches
in leg or limb, and compare these birds together, which proves my assertion that length
of leg is the first and best property of a Pouter.

(Eaton.)—2nd. Property in a Pouter I considered the slenderness of its girt or
smallness of waist, the greater the contrast gives beautiful shape and elegance to the
whole bird, the want of this property robs the English Pouter of half its beauty, and it
appears like a large ill-shaped thick girted runt. When a Pouter has a slender girt he
has other good properties about him, viz.—that of standing well on his legs, good oe
at all events shewing it to greater advantage owing to the contrast.

(Eaton.)—3rd. Property of a Pouter, length of body as it is called, although I think
it would be as well if the Fanciers had called it length of feather, being from the apex
of the beak to the end of the tail, although Mr, Moore says, he had seen one that
measured nearly twenty inches, I never, to my knowledge, saw one that was over nine-
teen and a half inches, that is a great length, even eighteen inches is a good length,
the best Pouter I ever saw, taking it ‘all for all,” on the five properties ; it had legs or
limbs to stand on, it had the most beautiful large round globular crap or crop I ever
saw, a small waist or girt, which beautifully shewed the contrast. I acknowledge it
might have been better in feather, or that an artist can put the feathers in five minutes
which the Fancier cannot breed in twenty years. In a large majestic Pouter (feather in
a small insignificant pouting Horseman I am not taking into consideration, here it would
be out of place) and yet this English Pouter I am writing off, appeared like a giant

62

_ 162.—1. As to the length of body, the longer they are from the Apex
of the beak, to the end of the tail, the more the Pigeon is esteemed: I
have seen one that measured this way near twenty inches, although seven-
teen or eighteen is reckoned a very good length. (*)

163.—2. The length of the leg, is the next thing to be examined in a
Powter, i.e. from the upper joint of the thigh (+) in sight, to the end of
the toe nail; ({) and in this property some pigeons have been very con-
siderable, wanting a mere trifle of seven inches, yet the bird that produces
six and a half or three quarters must be allowed to be a very good one. (§)

compared among other Pouters, was not over eighteen inches in length or feather.
You may ask how it came to pass that a bird, comparatively short as touching length
of body or feather, could show so conspicuous among other Pouters, simply because it
possessed the three grandest properties of the Pouter ; first, length of leg or limb ;
second, by smallness of girt or waist ; thirdly, a large beautiful round or globular crap
or crop.

(Eaton.)—4th Property crap or crop. Mr. Moore beautifully defines the crap or
crop; Mayor or GirTIn do not mention it. I cannot add or take from without injur-
ing Mr. Moore's remarks, while I have been attempting to write on the crap or crop,
finding I cannot. The word here is perfectly correct, I think it would sound better if
Gentlemen Fanciers would make use of the word Pouters, instead of the words Croppers
or Crappers ; I presume the words are so deeply rooted among Fanciers, that it will be
impossible to eradicate them.

(Eaton.)—5th and last Property in a Pouter, feather. I am aware some inexpe-
rienced Fanciers would make, just as the maggot bites with them, sometimes ten at
other times fifteen properties, the standard laid down 123 years ago is the same now,
five properties, and never can be improved. Read Moozkz, paragraphs 166 to 174, on
feather, chap, chop, bib, pinion, clean white thighs, and flight feathers, after all only
one property, feather.

* 162. (Mayor, p. 94.)—It should have a hollow back, running off taper from the
shoulders, to form a fine shape, (for if it rises on the back it is called hog-backed,) and
it should be small in the girt. Great caution should be observed in measuring their
length of body, lest the head and tail shouldjbe pulled off, which (if Iam rightly informed)
was once the case, and thereby a fine bird sacrificed.

+ 163. Mayor, p. 94, states with regard to length of leg, and in this property
some of them want a mere trifle of seven inches and a quarter.

+ 163. (Eaton.)—It requires truth and honesty in measuring, besides being rather
difficult ; it requires two to measure, if it is accurately done, and is done in the follow-
ing way :—Let one hold the leg out straight ; place the blade of a penknife or small
wedge in the upper joint of the thigh, the other taking the length from what is placed
in the joint ; let the rule touch, and continue to the end of the longest toe-nail ; which
does not appear to be altogether fair, there being no limits to the length of toe-nail. If
two gentlemen showed two birds for length of leg, and, fairly speaking, the length of
leg was equal ; yet if one in the toe-nail ran out a quarter, or half-an-inch more than
the other, by the standard laid down it counts as length of leg, although the bird would
not stand higher for it. The Pouter Fanciers reason and say, it has as much right to
count as the running out or length of beak in the Horseman or Carrier. I acknow-
ledge this to be fair argument, and leave it to the Pouter and Carrier Fanciers to
decide. I think it right to inform you, I measure only to the end of the quick, and all
over consider horn: the same remarks are applicable to short-faced Tumblers. Mr.
Moors, in the preceding Paragraph, 162, as touching length of body, states, in his
day, he had seen one nearly twenty inches, and in Paragraph 163, wanting a mere trifle
of seven inches; and Mayor, p. 94, states the leg seven inches and a quarter ; it
therefore appears the leg is full one-third of the length of the body of the bird.

§ 163. (Mayor, p. 95.)—Their thighs and legs should be stout and thick, and
well covered with smooth white feathers, not thin wire legs and naked, as for-
merly.

63

164.—3. The next property to be considered is the crop, which ought
to be large and round especially towards the beak, filling behind the neck,
so as to cover the shoulders and tie neatly off at the shoulders, and form a
perfect globe.

165.—4. The smaller the girt the better, because -by this means a con-
trast of beautiful shape is given to the whole bird.

166.—5. The last thing that is generally allowed as a property ina
Powter is the Feather, and indeed its plumage affords a very great
variety. } gM ee

167.—The Pieds are most universally esteemed, and under these may
be ranked, the Blue-pied, (*) the Black-pied, the Red-pied, and the Yellow-
pied. Each of which advance in their worth according as they answer best
the foregoing properties ; for instance, if the Blue-pied and Black-pied
are equal in the measure of the other properties: the Black-pied will be
reckoned the best Pigeon, on the account of the feather, and the Yellow-
pied if equal, better than any.

168.—Before we leave this head of feathers, we must take notice how a
Powter ought to be pied: and in the first place, the chop ought to be white,
girt round with a shining green, intermixed with the colour with which he
is pied. By the chop, is meant, the front part of the crop, and this white
ought by no means to go behind the neck, for then it is said to be ring-
headed. :

169.—2. He ought to have a bib or round patch, of the same colour
with which he is pied, coming down from under his chop, and falling upon
the chap, which makes it the shape<of a half-moon; but if this bib be
wanting he is said to be swallow-throated. | .

170.—3. His head, neck, and back ought to be of one uniform colour,
and the tail the same, (+) and if the Pigeon be Blue-pied he ought to have

(165. Earon.)—I cannot help thinking the Gentlemen of the Pouter Fancy have
lost ground, as touching the girt of the Pouter. I acknowledge they have bred some
tremendous large birds ; unfortunately they have bred them to weigh too much, which
is the property of the Leghorn and Spanish Runt. A Pouter ought, in hand, to han-
dle like a Tumbler, not requiring both hands, or, as the old Fanciers call it, draw it
through the ring of your finger, comparatively speaking. Breeding for large birds,
instead of symmetry, shape, style and elegance, some have run from one extreme to
the other. Formerly, the legs of the Pouter were thin, wiry and featherless; I have
seen some legs so stout they reminded me of mill-posts; the feathers on the legs rushed
out to such an extent, (instead of appearing like down, snow, or being iced,) balks the
bird if it attempts to play, not having the freedom of its legs. I would as soon have
somewhat thin legs and naked, as to have their legs like mill-posts—rushed and
sprouted, preventing the bird walking. There is no accounting for taste when the
breeder says he greatly admires it, the smallness of girt gives such smartness to the
bird.

* 167. (Mayor, p. 95.)—The Blue Pied Pouter should be the best sky blue. Or,
Powder Blue, as it is termed by the Gentlemen in the Fancy.—J. M. Eaton.

+ 170. (Haton.)—His head, neck, back, and tail, ought to be one uniform colour.
Mayor and GirtTin have the same words as Moork; neither of the three mention—
with the exception of the Yellow and Red Pieds, then their tails should be white. It

64

two bars or streaks of black dcross the lower part of both wings; but if
these happen to be of a brown colour, he is said to be kite-barred, which is
not so valuable.

171.—4. The shoulder or pinion of the wing ought to be mottled with
white, lying round in the shape of a rose; this is called a rose-pinion,
and is reckoned the best, though’ but very few arise to be compleat in this
property ; but if the pinion runs with a large patch of white to the outer
edge of the wing, he is said to be lawn-sleeved. (*)

172.—5. His thighs ought to be clean white, though sometimes the
joints of the knees will be edged round with another colour, but let it fall
here, or on any other part of the thigh, he is foul thighed. (+)

173.—6. The nine flight feathers of the wing ought to be white, other-
wise he is said to be foul flighted, and if only the external feather of
the wing be of the colour of the body, it is called sword flighted or
sworded. (f)

was an oversight, no doubt, and perplexed many a young Fancier, as it did me a few
years ago. Looking at Pouters one night with tails, same as head, neck, and back, and
another time at yellows and reds with white tails: time and experience improved my eye
and matured my judgment.

‘ * 171. (GirtTIn, p. 50.)—The reader- is desired to take notice that lawn-sleeved,
kite-barred, &c., and such like terms, which frequently occur in describing these birds,
are Fancy terms, and made use of by Gentlemen of the Fancy only.

+ 172. (Grrtin, p. 51.)—Their legs are covered with white, soft, downy feathers. 1

~ 173. (Haton.)—I know a Gentleman in the Fancy, one of the best tempered
men that I ever knew ; it would take a great dealto put his pipe out; if in society,
speaking of the properties of the English Pouter as they ought to be,—First, length
of leg; second, girt'; third, length of body ; fourth, crop; fifth and last, beauty in
feather ; if he heard a party finding fault with an English Pouter, or Pouters, possessing
the four first properties in an eminent degree ; it was more than flesh and blood could
stand, and the only thing I ever saw that ruffled his temper ; he enjoyed his opinion of
the man—TI cannot call him a Fancier. Feather will be the last property you have to
bother yourself with, considering what you have to encounter in the first four proper-
ties. There are people in the world that say ‘fa good horse cannot be a bad colour,”
which equally applies to the English Pouter ; for instance, if it was possible for you,
at your next show, to take a bird I have been describing, possessing the first four pro-
perties out of the five in an eminent degree, although the most despicable colour in the
feather (mealy), yeu might inform me how much handsomer it would have been if it
had been a yellow-pied. You may keep your information to yourself, I already know
it ; produce and show the mealy bird I have described: you will find you are offered
many guineas for it.

(Mayor. p. 63.)—The above and many other inconveniences, too tedious to mention,
attending the Pouter, and no trouble at all (comparatively 'speaking) attending the
other, easily aecounts for the preference given to the Almond Tumbler.

(Mayor, p. 97.)—When the Pouters are designed to be shown, they should be
previously prepared for that purpose, by keeping them from food five or six hours be-
fore the time of showing them, otherwise they cannot so conveniently swell or get
their crop up properly, to appear to advantage ; and particular care must be afterwards
taken to prevent the dangerous and disagreeable inconvenience of gorging them-
selves, for at that time they are most apt to do it, from having been kept so long
empty.

(Mayor, p. 97.)—These Pigeons appear very noble on the outside of a house, but the
better sort are never suffered to fly.

65

(Moorz, p. 97.)—There are many who have not judgment sufficient to discover
the beauties and properties of the Pouters—that condemn it on account of the crop,
which they say seems an incumbrance to the bird, and appears unnatural.

(Mayor, p. 100.)—The Fanciers of these birds, by dint of application, indefatigable
industry, and great expense, have certainly bred them to a great degree towards per-
fection, insomuch that eighteen pairs and a half of them were sold by public auction
for ninety-two pounds nine shillings and sixpence, as appears by a paragraph in the Daily
Advertiser of Thursday, January Ist, and the day following in the Gazetteer, and
London Daily Advertiser of Friday, January 2nd, 1761, which, for the greater satisfac-
tion of the reader I shall here transcribe :—‘‘ On Monday evening last, at the sale of
Pouting Pigeons, at Mr. Hay’s, the French Horn, in Beach Lane, consisting of
eightee pairs and a half of Pigeons, they were sold as follows :—

S sei. ds

(NExvor po 10l;) Wot "1." One) patric. sits es aes 6
RS Oita aes Ne EA 2H F0
ost ID ibor) sass BAS Ss Ms 20°10
Fanci ei SU NINO A er apm a I SAN rt Ry ried)
AS ele Sakae DFO MA a ASD ABS con 2a 6
eer Oe MOIDEOY Ms ric uaeeseoe tase tec aae 3.5 0
F haeninte Wr eke DAU eee cea rinata eva ale Rees 313 6
Aides, cotge UK f0) Seem eca ee ease he 4h 0
Fr hogan bail 3.2 e 10 a a ear GMg RE cl 4 6 0
ae LUE RIDUGDON, atc We ates ee 310 0
Re DION coer ores 316 0
Sea A btOr oe cas Saat es Dat
ae one Ditto SCV acu reNee es 4 1 0
sp he atl OF IO Ma? ad Wa Maat a uc 8706
Be Moers PICU aoe teas aes ee knee Tero
fe MINEO Oka cay ea 1616 0
SO Pepto ey Re 410 0
Be One ee Ren Githyeattce. cceer.eere as O
ee hee One” pall st asedu sed wie Caw Leone
Oba ET err) in hae SOane GC

(Mayor, p. 102.)—He says, “As I was present at the above sale, so I had an
opportunity of examining the birds, some of which were very indifferent ones, and
some of them very capital ones indeed—lots 14, 15, 16, and 18; to my know-
ledge, two pairs of which were afterwards sold for thirty-six Guineas by private con-
tract.

(Mayor, in continuation.)—The Almond Tumblers (at the time these Pigeons
were sold) were not arrived at one half of the perfection that they are at this
time, and it is the opinion of many, that were the same number of Almond
Tumblers to be sold now, they would bear a price equal, if not superior to the
above.

(Eaton.)—Mayor, 102. I never knew two pair of Pigeons sold at the same time for
36 guineas, although I knew a hen Baldhead sold for £25. I have witnessed 20
guineas refused for two pair of young Carriers, and know a Gentleman Fancier who
gave £30 for three pair of Tumblers. Being at a show, 20 guineas was refused for a
pair of yellow-pied Pout-ers. A gentleman set me on to buy them for him. Next
morning I waited on the Fancier to whom they belonged, and said, laying all joking
aside, what was the lowest he would take for the pair of yellow Pieds. He said he had
over and over again refused 10 guineas for the cock ; if the cock was worth 10 guineas,
the hen was worth 12 guineas. He would not take less than 22 guineas for the pair.
Last year a spirited and excellent Fancier of Pigeons offered me 10 guineas each for an
Almond cock, a Pout-er cock, and a Carrier cock. I waited upon the Almond, Pout-er,
and Carrier Fanciers (I acknowledge it was in the breeding season), if they would show
me the best birds they would part with. It was useless showing me birds they would
not part with. I could not obtain an Almond cock I could in my conscience send for
10 guineas. I was under the necessity of sending one of my own, and charging £7 10s.

E

66

The gentleman wrote me he was satisfied. You may ask why I did not charge 10
guineas for it? Simply because I did not consider it worth, and, in the second place, I
knew he was as good or better judge of a Pigeon than myself. With regard to the
Pout-er cock, I only knew of one I considered worth 10 guineas. I waited upon the
Fancier, the owner of the bird, and asked him the lowest he would take for it. He
bummed and ah’d, and said he did not know what he would take for it, that it would
follow the family about the house like a house-dog. I knew a gentleman who had
offered him 10 guineas for the bird. I could not by any possibility get him to name a
price. He said he thought it should die in the family. It certainly was a splendid
bird, the best I ever saw. I believe the bird belonged to, and was bred by, his
daughter, who was equally as good or better Fancier than her father ; so I had to give
it up. With regard to the Carriers, I could not obtain one I could send out for 10
guineas, not considering it good enough for the money, therefore gave it up. Some
months after, being at a celebrated show, I was struck by a wonderful Carrier in a pen
among other Carriers. The thought struck me that bird would do. I ascertained it
belonged to a gentleman I knew very well, and with whom I could take liberties. I
said to him if I should put that Carrier into my pocket, what is the very very lowest I
shall have to give you for it, not to open your mouth too wide, but to draw it mild ?
placed his hands on my two shoulders, and said, ‘‘ Mr. Haron, to draw it mild with
you, the very very lowest I can take is £16.” I also gave that up, though I considered
it worth all the money, for had I put £50 in my pocket, and gone in search for its
equal, I believe I could not have obtained it. The simple.cause of my writing this, is
to show the young Fancier there are gentlemen in the Fancy who will give very long
prices for extra good birds, and are not to be obtained .any other way ; that birds are
equally as dear or dearer now, as when Mr. Mayor attended the sale on the 2nd of
February, 1761. Itis impossible to say what some rich Fanciers would give for the
best birds, provided they could be obtained. Rich Fanciers do not take it with a good
grace coming in second best ; they all want to take first prizes at the shows. Some
time ago a grand show of Poultry and Pigeons was to take place in a certain town. I
received three letters from different gentlemen connected with the town, each soliciting
if I could let him have a pair of Almonds that would take the first prize at the show.
This placed me in a fix. Being very strong in Almonds at the time, I picked out three
pair as near as I could for properties, and sent them. They gave satisfaction. Sorhe-
times it happens the toss of your hat which birds will win (when Poultry judges take
upon themselves the onerous office of awarding prizes to Pigeons). I knew it to be
utterly impossible that the three pair of birds could take first prize at the same show ;
I reasoned, provided the birds were sent to three different shows, and the judges who
awarded the prizes were incompetent to their work, who would undertake to say that
each pair of birds would not take the “first prize in their turn?” The cause why A 1
good Pigeons are considered high at the present time is, in a great measure, owing to
the shows that are taking place in Her Most Gracious Majesty’s dominions ; Fanciers,
all wanting to take the first prizes, to play first fiddle—they will not play second fiddle,
or, more classically speaking, they all want to be “top sawyers,’ not satisfied with
taking second or third prizes. Suppose each county has a rich spirited Fancier, and a
show to take place; he is determined for the honour of his county to take the first
prizes, and determined to purchase the best Pigeons money will procure, which, after
all, is a mere bagatelle or real economy to a rich spirited Fancier, who takes great de-
light in being with his birds, and determined to have the Pigeons that will take the
first prizes, provided money can obtain them ; or to breed from, in hopes to breed
better birds, In my humble opinion, this is the cause of first-rate birds being so high
at this time. Mr. MoorE mentions, paragraph 6, Sir RicHarD ATHERTON in 1726
having a Pout-er cock he valued at £5 ; also, paragraph 198, Mr. Moore states Sir
THOMAS DoLBy would have given him a guinea and a half for a Leghorn Runt.
Mayor, in his work, page 109, says, ‘I have known 4 guineas a pair given for Leg-
horn Runts.” The prices in those days are comparatively nothing to what they are now
for first-rate birds. One thing is quite certain from these accounts : there were men of
distinction, Fanciers in those days, as there are now.

(Mayor, p. 59.)\—The Pouter is introduced in Mayor’s Work among the Almond
Tumblers ; as he says, “ purposely to shew the difference of trouble, time, and incon-
venience, between breeding them and the Almond Tumblers.” The Pouter was formerly
much. valued, as well as the Carrier, and seemed at one time to engross the principal

&

67

174.—Besides the five properties before mentioned, there is another,
which though not generally allowed, will be found to be one of the
best, I mean the carriage ; under which I comprise the following heads.

part of the Fanciers, but of late, numbers, who were very staunch in the Pouter
Fancy, have, with myself, relinquished that, and become fond of the Almond
Tumbler ; and I make no doubt but many more will soon be tired, and follow my
example ; for when we consider the trouble that attends the breeding and raising of
young Pouters, (exclusive of the extra expense), compared with that of the Almond
Tumbler, it is not in the least to be wondered at, for the Pouter requires an infinite deal
of attention, it being necessary to keep them separately all the winter season ; that is to
say, every single bird, cocks as well as hens, in a separate pen or coop, each of which
must be furnished with meat and water, and should be lofty and spacious, as, otherwise,
they would contract an habit of stooping, which is an imperfection, and should by all
means be prevented. Then having (in the spring) matched or paired them, you must
be provided with at least two pairs of Dragons, to every pair of Pouters, for nurses or
feeders, which must be kept in a separate loft from the Pouters, otherwise they would
bastardize, and spoil the breed. Pouters are never suffered, by those who are curious,
to hatch their own eggs, they being bad feeders, and would often starve their young
ones. When the Pouter has laid her egg, it must be shifted under a Dragon, that has
likewise laid, nearly about the same time, and that of the Dragon be placed under the
Pouter, exchanging the one with the other, it being necessary the Pouter should have
an egg, or eggs, to sit on, to prevent her laying again soon, which would weaken, and
in a short time kill her; likewise, the inconveniency attending them when gorged,
by putting them in a stocking, as mentioned under the head of distempers (first by Mr.
Moorz—see Paragraph 84, 85.) Again, should a Fancier begin with half a dozen
pair of Pouters, he would, in ashort time, be under the necessity of purchasing more, or
exchange (perhaps his best birds) for worse, in order to cross the strain, for should he
(as the term is) breed them in and in, which is matching father and daughter, or
any other way incestuously together, the breed would degenerate, and not be worth
sixpence ; whereas, the same number of Almond Tumblers would inevitably stock him
for life, for the breeding of Tumblers in and in, would consequently breed them smaller,
which is a perfection in them, and they require no attendance while breeding, provided
you supply them with meat and water, and throw them a little straw, and do not (like
the Pouter) require time to be lavished upon them to make them familiar. Experience
teaches us that were Tumblers to be keptin separate pens, as the Pouters are, they
would show in the same manner, and be equally as familiar as the Pouter, for the
Pouter should be almost constantly attended and talked to, during the Winter season,
in a phrase peculiar to that Fancy, viz.—hua! hua! stroking them down the back, and
clacking to them as to chickens, otherwise they would lose their familiarity, which is
one of their greatest beauties, and is termed shewing, and would make the finest of
them despicable, which made a facetious gentleman of my acquaintance say, ‘‘ that
Pouters were a fancy more particularly adapted to Weavers, Cobblers, and the like kind
of trades only, that worked in the same room where they were kept, that the owners
might have an opportunity of conversing with them, at the same time they were earning
their subsistence.” Though I must allow of the propriety of the above observation, I
cannot help thinking it rather severe than otherwise, for certainly every gentlemen has
an undoubted right to please himself with the fancy he most delights in.

174, (Haton.)—Read Moorz, 174 to 178.—There are Fanciers in the present day
contending there is a difference between shape and carriage. I do not know that I ever
saw an elegant shape bird but that it possessed good carriage, I think from its elegance
of carriage that in a great measure it derives the name Shape from. In my Almond
Tumbler, in writing on one of the five properties it runs thus, shape or carriage, or it
might have been laid down as shape and carriage. I think shape or carriage, as des-
cribing a property in a Pigeon, are synonymous, one and the same thing, at all events
shewing grand style.

(Haton.)—What folly for a Pouter Fancier to attempt to breed black mottle Pouters
in Feather like mottle tumblers, what would they look like provided he could accom-
plish his end, where would be the beauty in feather, where the beautiful chap or chop,
where the bib, shape of half-moon, the clean white thighs and flight, &c. &c. If you

E 2

68

were asked to name the bird, provided it could be bred, you would call it a tinker
Pouter, what folly, therefore, to attempt these mongrels or monstrosities when you have
such an excellent copy before, that has stood 123 years, be assured it will take you all
your time, however quick at learning to imitate it, leave alone surpassing it. My
advice to you is to abandon all foolish nonsense, besides losing years in attempting to
accomplish it—leave well alone—you will experience great difficulty in obtaining per-
fection of feather in the large, noble, dignified English Pouter.

(Brent.)—The common English Pouter Pigeons are very interesting birds, they are
merry, active, and engaging, though their large crops, when fully distended, give them
rather a droll appearance ; when at liberty they are continually on the move, cooing,
clapping their wings, and flying from place to place; they are good breeders, if not bred
in and in, a practice which cannot be too much guarded against ; their young are large,
and their flesh good ; their plumage is generally blue-pied—though frequently of other
colours. The fancy English Pouters are undoubtedly bred from this stock, by careful
selection, by pairing birds not related, and frequent introduction of fresh blood, by
which means a finer race has been established. Their points of excellence being the
same, one description will suffice for both, except that the fancy birds are larger.

(BRent.)—These properties may be considered under the five following heads :—
First. Length, of the body, from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail; and of the
leg, from the knee-joint to the end of the toe-nail.

(Brent.)—Second. The crop, which should be very round and well blown up to
the beak.

(BRent.)—Third. Shape: broad across the shoulders, the body tapering off, wedge-
shaped to the tail; back, hollow ; girth or waist, small ; the legs moderately stout, and
clothed with small feathers, like tight pantaloons.

(BrEenT.)—Fourth. Carriage, which should be upright, with the crop properly blown
out, not slack nor stiff winded ; prancing nicely on their toes, without jumping ; and
not raising the rump feathers when playing ; spreading the tail like a fan, and keeping
their legs moderately close.

(Brent.)—Fifth. Feather, by which the markings of their plumage is meant, whether
blue, black, red, or yellow-pied ; they should have a large white crescent on the fore-
part of the crop, and a dark bib under the bill: this white must not run round behind
the head ; from seven to ten tip flight feathers in each pinion should be white, as also
the covert feathers of the same number, and a small rose or crescent on the fore-part of
the shoulder ; the thighs, legs, and vent also white; the rest of the body should be .
dark, without any white.

(BRENT.)—Blue-pied appears to be the most natural colour, black, red, and yellow,
each the more valuable than the preceding, on account of the greater trouble of procur-
ing good birds of those colours; and on account of the great difficulty of procuring red
and yellow-pied Pouters with dark tails, they are allowed to have white, but on close
inspection these will frequently be found to be of a pale strawberry, or mealy colour.
Owing to their large crops, long legs, and high feeding, they are generally very bad
nurses, consequently, the young are raised by placing their eggs under other pigeons
that are good nurses, such as Dragons, which are kept on purpose, care being taken
that these have laid very nearly at the same time. The Pouters must, however, be sup-
plied with a pair of eggs to sit on, and a young one at hatching time, a few days old, to
feed off their soft meat; otherwise they are apt to fall ill, or the hen be weakened by
laying again too soon. Their nest-places, &c., should be lofty, that they may not con-
tract a habit of stooping, and kept exceedingly clean. The birds it is recommended to
keep separate during winter, and to make them as tame and familiar as possible. A
register of their pedigree should be carefully attended to, whereby related birds may not
be mated together; for, to have Pouters in perfection requires a great deal of attention
and careful management, which will account for their high price.

Taken from ‘‘ The Field, the Country Gentleman’s Newspaper,” 16th January, 1858.

Although we cannot go quite the length of Mr. Earoy, in likening any Pigeon to a
beautiful woman, “yet a fine white Pouter,” whilst “playing,” certainly does bear a
nearer resemblance than any other of its species to a graceful high-bred English lady.

69

175.—1. The crop ought to be so far filled with wind, as to show its
full extent, without bufling or being slack-winded, which are both esteemed
very great faults? The Pigeon that bufiles, fills his crop so full of
wind, that it is thereby strained, in such a manner, that he is ready to fall
backwards, because he can’t readily discharge the confined air, which
renders him uneasy and unweildy, and many a good thing has, by this
means, either fallen into the street, or become a prey to those fatal ene-
mies of the Fancy, the cats. The other extreme is being slack-winded,
so that he shows little or no crop, and appears not much better than an
ill-shaped runt.

176.—2. The second beauty in carriage, is their playing upright, with a
fine tail, well spread like a fan, without scraping the ground therewith, or
tucking it between their legs ; neither should they set up the feathers on
their rump when they play, which is called rumping.

177.—3. The last beauty of carriage in a Powter is to stand close
with his legs, without straddling, and keep the shoulders of his wing
tight down to his body, and when he moves, to trip beautifully with
his feet, almost upon his toes, without jumping, which is the quality of
an Uploper. :

178.—A Powter that would answer all these properties, might be said to
be perfect, but as absolute perfection is incompatible with anything in this
world, that Pigeon that makes the nearest advances towards them, is cer-
tainly the best. sea ee

179.—Some have answered them so well, that T have"known eight gui-
neas refused for a single pigeon of this breed. Ae

ak 8)

179. (Eaton.)—Moorg, paragraph 59, says the Pouter is introduced among the
Almond Tumbler purposely to show the difference of trouble, time and inconvenience
between them and the Almond Tumblers, read paragraph. Mayor, page 59, states
much truth as regards the Pouter ; other observations startles me, which I shall notice
by and bye. He says the Pouter was formerly much valued as well as the Carrier.
The Pouter and Carrier is as much valued now, 1858, as ever they were; the only dif-
ficulty I know of is, they cannot be obtained good enough. In most of the counties
there are spirited Fanciers and breeders of the noble and dignified English Pouter,
especially in Warwickshire, Lancashire, Somersetshire, and, though last not least, at
Halifax, in Yorkshire. I believe the London Fanciers can beat the Gentlemen Country
Fanciers in breeding better birds from inferior birds, simply from their greater expe-
rience, paying more attention to their crosses. They know the largest Pouters do not
always breed the largest ; they know it is by making a hit with the cross. Again, if a
Pout-er is stunted in its growth in the nest, that when it leaves the nest and feeds
itself however much after it may eat, it never will make up a fine English Pouter. Ifa
Fancier is desirous of raising an extra fine large Pouter, he must have two pair of
feeders (large, strong, coarse Antwerps, there is a difference in Antwerps, some being
smaller), or Drag-ons to bring them up, provided you want them fine birds. Again,
some of the London Fanciers have been in the Fancy twenty, thirty, or forty years.
Their experience is great, whereas many of the young and spirited Fanciers in the
country are less experienced, only having come into the Fancy since the shows which
are taking place in every county of Her Most Gracious Majesty's dominions and giving
a Fil-lip to the Fancy. The fact is, the two great secrets in producing an extra Pout-er
is, first, making a hit with the cross, “ not breeding them in and in,” secondly, by
hatching and rearing them under Antwerps or Drag-ons. I prefer Antwerps to
Drag-ons, believing they have more power to pump more food into the young one while

70

in the nest, where it grows amazingly. Itis here where the Pout-er is made, if ever
made. One young Pout-er is sufficient hard work for a pair of Antwerps or Drag—ons
to pump in plenty of food, and to bring it up an extra fine-grown English Pout-er. An
excellent Pout-er Fancier, showing me some of his splendid Pout-ers, speaking of a pair
of Pout-ers, said they were seven inches length of leg when young, but only six inches
and three quarters at six months. I believe the limbs do not improve after six weeks
old ; they will become stouter, and the feathers will grow and moult, but there are pro-
perties in a Pout-er infinitely before feather—viz., leg and girt. If the bird is deficient
in these two properties, it never will be a noble, dignified Pout-er at all. It is galling
to exchange better birds for worse, at the same time there must be an exchange to
infuse fresh blood by way of a cross. ecollect, for it is certain one of the exchangers
would have the best of it, and who knows but what it might be you? It must be done,
therefore it is a mutual exchange, besides being an absolute ‘‘ Needs be.” Mayor’s
remarks (page 59) on the Pout-er are truly beautiful. You cannot do better than put
them into practice, and do as the cobbler did,—-stick to the last. MAYOR appears to be
quite at home with the Pout-er, but all abroad with the Almond Tumbler, which I shall
endeavour to prove, although I shall be brief.

179, (EaTon.)—However much I admire Mayor on the Pouter, in the same para-
graph he astonishes and startles me, when he uses these words, speaking on the
Almond Tumbler :—“ They require no attendance while breeding, provided you supply
them with meat and water, and throw them a little straw.” I now appeal to the most
experienced Almond Fanciers and breeders of the present day, if a greater mistake was
_ ever made, especially coming from a Fancier who has made some true and beautiful
observations on various Pigeons. Fer argument’s sake, if Mr. Mayor was alive, I
would undertake to take his Pout-ers, he taking my Almonds, neither of us allowed
feeders, I would undertake to raise more young Pout-ers than he did young Almond
Tumblers. I consider the Almond Tumbler the most difficult bird there is to raise
t aenet feeders. Read paragraphs 443, 444, and 445, on shifting of the Almond

umbler.

(Eaton.)—In paragraph 186, I mentioned Moore gives a short account of the
Almond Tumbler. Mayor gives a longer, that I considered great spirit must have
taken place by the Gentlemen of the Fancy in the thirty years that took place between
the dates of Moorz’s work, 1735, and Mayor’s work, 1765. Mayor, mentioning the
sale of Pout-ers that took place in 1761, says the Almond Tumbler, at the time these
Pigeons were sold, were not arrived at one half of the perfection that they are at this
time, ninety-seven years ago; and it is the opinion of many, that were the same
number of Almond Tumblers to be sold now they would bear a price equal if not supe-
rior to the above. Reading MAyor’s account of them, ‘‘ They require no attendance
while breeding, provided you supply them with meat and water, and throw them a
little straw ;” while thinking on this startling account, I turned to look at his engraving
of the Almond that accompanies his work. It appears to me to look as much like a
game cock strutting after his hens as an Almond Tumbler ; his black mottle Tumbler
not much better, more like a white mottle Tumbler. I think from my observations
and reflections neither Moorsz, 123 years ago, and Mayor, 97 years ago, ever saw the
Tumbler in half the state of perfection they have been brought to, and I have witnessed
at this time, 1858. I have not any doubt but Moore and Mayor have seen infinitely
better Toy Pigeons than ever I saw, owing to Fanciers having allowed them to so de-
generate, for on looking at the engraving of his Jacobine it looks truly beautiful and a
lovely bird, besides the excellent account he gives of them. I cannot help thinking
that the Almond Tumblers, even in Mayor’s time, were half as good as in the present
time; but that in Moorr’s time, 123 years ago, they were, comparatively speaking,
like Dragons or Antwerps ; that in Mayor’s time, 97 years ago, they were like Skin-
nums. lam justified in making these remarks from observations, examining engrav-
ings, and the following account given from Mayor on the Almond Tumbler :—“‘ They
require no attention while breeding, provided you supply them with meat and water, and
throw them a little straw/” This account of them nearly winds me up, or I find my
steam is getting up. I had better attempt to write what little I have to say before my
steam is up. I am nearly choaked on writing on such a remark, and experience great
difficulty in answering the account given. I have only simply one thing to do, and
that is to draw my conclusions that they were very coarse birds in Moorr’s and

ip
COLUMBA GUTTUROSA LUTETIA vet PARISIORUM.

The Parisian Powter.

180.-——-This Pigeon was originally bred at Paris (*) and from thence
brought to Brussels, whence it was transmitted to us ; it has all the nature
of a Powter, but is generally long cropped and not very large, it is short
bodied, short legged, and thick in the girt ; what is chiefly admired in this
bird, is its feather, which is indeed very beautiful, and peculiar only to it-
self, resembling a fine piece of Irish stitch, being chequered with various
colours in every feather, except the flight which is white; the more red it
has mixed with the other colours, the more valuable it is: Some are
gravel-eyed, and some bull-eyed, but it is equally indifferent which eye it
has.

COLUMBA GUTTUROSA SALIENS. The Uploper.

181.—The Uploper is a Pigeon bred originally in Holland, its make and
shape agrees in every respect with the English Powter, only it is smaller
in every property. Its crop is very round, in which it generally buries its
bill; its legs are very small and slender, and its toes are short and close
together, on which it treads so nicely, that when moving, you may put any-
thing under the ball of its foot; it is close thighed, plays very upright,
and when it approaches the hen, generally leaps to her, with its tail spread,
which is the reason the name is given to it, from the Dutch word Uplopen,
which signifies to leap up. These pigeons are generally all blue, white, or

Mayor’s time, comparedto what the Almond Tumbler is at the present time, 1858. At
this time some of the Almond Tumblers appear as they ought to be (MAYOR is correct
in stating if Tumblers were kept in separate pens they would show in the same manner
and be equally as familiar as the Pout-er. I once hada black mottle hen by talking to
it would show equally as well as any Pout-ers, save the Crap or Crop.) I wish it had
been possible for Moorkz or Mayor to have seen the portraits of the Almond and
Black mottle Tumblers, and other portraits that will accompany this work, and been
able to have read my work on the Almond Tumbler.

179. (GIRTIN, p. 52.)—The Pouter that approaches nearest all these properties is a
very valuable bird, and some Fanciers, by a patient perseverance and great expense,
have bred these birds so near the standard prescribed, as to sell them for twenty gui-
neas a pair.

(Eaton, p. 179.)—In my set of six life-size coloured engravings of the Almond
Tumbler, Black-mottled, Yellow-beard, Red Bald-head, Tumblers, Biack Carrier, and
Blue-pied English Pouter, I have chosen the Blue-pied as showing the greatest variety
of feather. Read from Paragraph 168 to Paragraph175, I cannot help thinking that
if four Pied English Pouters were placed before me, all of equal properties,—the Blue-
pied, the Black-pied, the Red-pied, and the Yellow-pied, and I was allowed to make
choice of one of these Pouters, provided the Blue-pied was a light bright sky or powder
blue, like some of the Owl Pigeons, in colour, with beautiful black bars across
the wings, &c., but what I should choose the Blue-pied, owing to the variety of
feather in the Blue-pied, and its beautiful black bars across the flight, which I am -
so great an admirer of, although I am fully sensible that the Black-pied, Red-pied, and
. Yellow-pied, rank before it.

* 180. (Mayor, p, 103.)—This bird is vulgarly called called the Parazence Pouter.

181. (Mayor, p. 105.)—The reason they do not encourage the breed of them here,
I should imagine is, having brougt the English Pouter to such perfection ; in fact, it

has been reported that in Holland they have asked twenty-five guineas for a single
pair of Uplopers, which I must confess I want faith to credit.

72

black, though I will not assert that there are no pieds of the species.
There are but few of them in England, and I have been informed that

in Holland they have asked five and twenty guineas for a single pair of
them.

COLUMBA TABELLARIT GUTTUROSA.
The Powting Horseman.

182.—This Pigeon is a bastard strain between the Cropper and the
Horseman, and according the number of times that their young ones are
bred over from the Cropper, they are called first, second or third bred ;
and the oftener they are bred over, the larger their crop proves. The rea-
son of breeding these Pigeons is to improve the strain of the Powters,
by making them close thighed, though it is apt to make them rump, from
the Horseman’s blood. (*) They are a very merry Pigeon upon a house,
and by often dashing off are good to pitch stray Pigeons, that are at loss
to find their own home; (7) they breed often and are good nurses, gene-
rally feeding their young ones well. JI have known these Pigeons to be
six inches and six and a half in legs; they are a hearty Pigeon
and, give them but meat and water, need very little other attendance.
Some of them will home ten or twenty miles. ({)

* 182. (Mayor, p. 106.)—But having now brought the strain of the Pouters to so
high perfection, that practice is disused.

+ (Mayor, p. 106.)—Which gives great satisfactiton to those gentlemen who delight
in the Flying Fancy. —

+ 182. (Eaton.)—There cannot be a doubt among Fanciers that the Pouting Horse-
man is a hybrid, between the Cropper and the Horseman, coming nearer in appear-
ance to an English Pouter in miniature than a Horseman does to a Carrier in minia-
ture, as I observed in a ‘former part of the work. At the sale of Bantams, Pigeons,
&c., belonging to the late celebrated and spirited Fancier, Sir JoHn Sepricut, I was
astonished to see the English Pouters in miniature, possessing the five properties of the
Englisn Pouter, viz., 1st.—Length and shape of body ; 2nd.—Length of Legs ; 3rd.—
Crop ; 4th.—Feather ; 5th.—Shape or carriage. It is the sagacity of the Horseman
that enables it to find its:way home, twenty miles or upwards, which proves they are
good flyers, provided they are light in body and small in girt (to use the old Fanciers’
term, of passing them: through the ring of your finger, comparatively speaking.)
I have seen some of these light-bodied Pouting Horseman that appeared to me
to fly as light as Tumblers, and when flying with the Tumblers, their round globular
crops, well filled and up, has a very pleasing effect, owing to the contrast of the Tum-
blers. With regard to dashing off, they are not only a merry but a spirited Pigeon ;
not only spirited, but graceful in the extreme ; I would rather see an elegant shape,
small or narrow-girt Pouting Horseman, six and a half inches in the leg, (think of this,
Gentlemen of the Pouting Fancy!) than an English Pouter, even if it would measure
seven inches. A large English Pouter, with thick girt and hog-backed. Style is a
grand thing, and the Pouting Horseman is the English Pouter in miniature, retain-
ing all its properties.

(Eaton.)—How often it happens at a grand show of these remarkable, fine, large,
English Pouters, after having been previously prepared for showing, that is separating
each cock and hen, and not allowing them to see a Pigeon, show well in their own
pens ; but when put into the show pen, a male bird, expecting it will show, it
stretches forth its head and neck, apparently taking a sight of all the Fanciers in the
room, almost as much as to say to some of them—you owe me something: some may
show to a certain extent. It is very disheartening to Gentlemen Fanciers of the
English Pouter when this takes place, after forwarding their birds miles, &c., to give

73

their brother Fanciers a treat, as it was supposed; it does not always turn out to be
so, owing to their not showing, as it is called. Nevertheless, it often proves a treat
to see what length of body and shape, length in leg and beautiful in feather. It is
otherwise with the light (not heavy) merry-spirited Pouting Horseman cock, when put
into the show pen, always up and ready for his work. not long in stripping himself,
putting himself in attitude, and suiting the action to the word, display that fine action
of showing which is well understood by the Gentlemen of the Fancy ; giving infinite
satisfaction with regard to being a merry Pigeon upon the top of a house, and by often
dashing off, are good to pitch stray Pigeons that are at a loss to find their home. Al-
low me here, by way of bringing it to a close, to mention, when I was a little boy,
and as I suppose a good little boy, (as is the custom to interpret favourably of children
—for it is only when we are children of larger growth that we kick over the traces,)
between fifty and sixty years ago, and scarcely could walk, I had that propensity for
birds, whenever I had a halfpenny given me, I would go on all-fours up the stairs to
one Jemmy Gilham, a bird catcher, who lived next floor to the skies, and lay out my
all with this merchant bird catcher, for which I obtained a bird; how I got down with
a bird in hand at this time perplexes me, for I can recollect I went up on all-fours—
never recollect falling down ; recollect when down, and coming into the light; the
bird, I suppose must have been some hard-billed bird—hen sparrow, green bird, or
chaffinch—gave me a severe peck ; I let it go, and then had a goodroar. This Jemmy
Gilham, although only a bird catcher, had his heart inthe right place. He knew me
and my parents—he did not live far from us—brought me another bird and told me to
hold it tight ; I took his advice, being, determined it should not get its head round to
peck ; I was no better off for a singing bird when-I got it home than with the bird
that pecked me and flew away ; for in following his advice in holding it tight I had
chokedit! My kind and affectionate mother, seeing the trouble I was in, besides being
bankrupt, (like mothers hang to boys, while the fathers stick to the girls—very natu-
ral!) sent the servant with a cage and obtained a bird for me ; my broken heart be-
gan to mend ; I was astonished to hear how plain it could say or speak, Pink! Pink!
Pink! I was acquainted with him’ up to the time of his death, which was between
forty and fifty years ; he was a worthy old man, and there was not a vice in him, al-
though he was only a humble bird catcher. There was a highly respectable Bird and
Pigeon Dealer, of the name of Nathaniel Preston, corner of Featherstone-street, City-
road—it was proverbial of him that he would use a child or boy as well as the most
experienced Fancier—who would at times favour this bird catcher, who had a very
pretty flight of Black Beards, &c., and say, “Jemmy, try this Squeaker, I entertain
a high opinion of it.” Among them was a blue-pied Pouting Horseman cock, one of
the most splendid birds I ever saw—was good as a little fortune to him, and fly equal
to any of his Tumblers, At the season of the year when bird catching was bad, he
would sell off all his Pigeons except this blue Pouting Horseman cock and a black-
bearded cock, (his other black beards he sold knew a thing or two, he used to say they
would do forty miles). He would generally. look two or three times a day to see what
stray hens the cocks had brought in, and thought it a bad day’s work if they did not
bring in one a piece ; as soon as he perceived a strange one, he took and sold it, turu—
ing the cocks out to look for others. I never witnessed such a flying Pouting Horse-
man as this; it flew more like a Hawk than a Pigeon, besides being such a bird for
dashing off. It was unfortunately shot by a publican who had been a gamekeeper; I
believe it was the cause of nearly ruining the poor old bird catcher. I have this week
bought two pretty little Pouting Horseman cocks ; I am informed they come from
Norwich. Jam given to understand they fly tremendously, with very large crops. I
have not bought them with the idea of stray catching ; having so many feeders, I
should not know a strange Pigeon in the loft, unless a marked or superior Pigeon. My
lofts being always open, they come in and go out as they like, I have matched these
two little Pouting Horseman cocks to two of my best high-flying Tumbler hens, for the
purpose of taking them up into the elements, for I think they look very well in flight
with the Tumblers. I care nothing about their young ; if they do not fly well when
let out, they will make room for others that will. The Gentlemen Fanciers of the Eng-
lish Pouter may assume that I admire the small Pouting Horseman more than the large
English Pouter. The contrary is the fact ; I never have and never shall advise the
young and inexperienced Fancier to attempt to breed a second-rate bird, while he has
the opportunity to breed a first-rate bird, therefore I shall not advise him to breed the

7A
COLUMBA REVOLVENS. The Tumbler.

183.—This bird is so called from an innate faculty peculiar to this spe-
cies, which is their tumbling in the air, and which they effect by throwing
themselves over backward, after the same manner that the most expert
artists in tumbling perform what they call the back spring. (*)

184. A Tumbler is a very small Pigeon (+), short bodied, full breasted,

Pouting Horseman, while he has the opportunity to attempt to breed the English
Pouter, any more than I shall advise him to breed a Skinnum, Dragon, or Horseman,
while he has the opportunity to attempt to breed a Carrier, for degeneracy will do that,
in spite of the efforts of the most experienced Fanciers; but I am desirous you
should breed the English Pouter with more style and grace, with a hollow back,
smaller in the girt, stout legs, but not like mill-posts, soft downy or snow-like
feather legs ; but not rushed and sprouted with feathers that almost prevent the bird
from walking.

182. (Eaton.)—I deeply lament and deplore that there are not more Gentlemen in
this noble, dignified, graceful, and majestic Fancy, for its elegance, style, and bold-
ness of figure, which so characterises the English Pouter, is well worthy of the utmost
attention that the most accomplished Fancier can give it, and will amply repay him
for all the toil, labour, time, trouble, and expense he has bestowed upon it.

182. (BreNnt.)—Pouting Horsemen are a cross between the Pouter Pigeon and the
Horseman or Dragoon. They are fine, large birds, very active and merry, good flyers,
and excellent breeders, being well adapted for general purposes, and not so shy as the
dragoon ; they would be good farm stock.

183. (Mayor, p. 68.)—Many people are of opinion that the Almond Tumbler
will not perform this back spring, but I must beg leave to contradict this notion. as a
gentleman with whom I am very intimately acquainted, who flies his Almond Tum-
blers in the country, has assured me they are fully as expert in tumbling as any Tum-
bler whatever.

(* Eaton.)—With regard to the Almond Tumbler’s tumbling, when I first entered
the Fancy, associating with Fanciers to purchase Almond Tumblers, one of the
Fanciers said to me, ‘‘See my Almond Tumblers tumble, and go out of sight.” I
thought, comparatively speaking, I was determined I would not lose sight of them :
they were let out, began tumbling in good style, mounted the elements, and in spite
of the utmost watchfulness 6n my part, although only over my head, and a bright
morning, they did go out of my sight. I watched them till they appeared not larger
than flies, having by this time the crick in my neck by looking up so high and straight
(I believe they were over my head). At last they appeared in sight, came gradually
down, tumbling splendidly. I must confess I was astonished, and would not believe
of Tumblers going out of sight over my head of a clear morning. On a moment’s re-
flection, I felt I ought not to be so hard of belief. Most of us have seen a balloon up,
which is somewhat larger than a Pigeon ; we have watched that as carefully as we
could, but it has given us the slip. I once saw three up at the same time; they ap-
peared to me like migratory birds ; you will not believe it strange when I inform you
they appeared to be playing at ‘‘ follow my leader,” or one after another. I lost sight
of them all; therefore it is not strange that Pigeons should go out of sight. With
regard to tumbling, I have no doubt you have often witnessed the Tumbler’s back not
go over. This is in consequence of the bird having a long tail; the bird’s head
touching the tail balks the bird in going over. Some have cut an inch off the tail,
and they have afterwards tumbled very well. In reasoning, it would follow that the
Almond Tumbler, being so small, snug, and compact a bird—so short from the beak
to the énd of the tail, that if flown would tumble better than any other bird. It is
certain the shorter and more chubby the Tumblers are the more they tumble ; on the
contrary, the large common run-out Tumblers, like Skinnums, seldom or never
tumble.

+ 184. (Eaton.) —A first-rate Tumbler, possessing the five properties, is, beyond all

4

be
“he -

m!

af
=
ag

79

thin necked, spindle-beaked (*) and a short button head, and the irides
of the eye of a bright pearl colour.

185.—The Dutch Tumbler is much of the same make, but larger ; often
feathered legged, and more jowlter-headed with a thin flesh or skin round
the eye, not unlike a very sheer dragoon ; some people don’t esteem them
on this account, though I have known very good ones of the Dutch breed,
not any ways inferior to what they call the English. Others have re-
marked that they are apt to tumble too much, and to lose ground, that is,
sink beneath the rest of the flight, which is a very great fault, but I have
observed the same by the English, and am apt to believe that most of the
extraordinary feathers have been produced by mixing with the Dutch
breed ; for it is generally observed that the English Tumblers are chiefly
black, blue, or white.

186.—This Pigeon affords a very great variety of colours in its plumage,
as blacks, blues, whites, reds, yellows, duns, silvers, and, in short, a plea-
sant mixture of all these colours with the white. But amongst all, there
is a mixture of three clours, vulgarly called an Almond, (+) perhaps from

doubt the smallest Pigeon that the Fancier takes into consideration. The Chinese
Pigeon very likely a Fancier never saw ; if he did, what would he make of it in the
end. Mr. Moors, in Paragraph 212, writing of the Jacobine Pigeon, states, ‘‘is, if
true, the smallest of all Pigeons.” I have not any doubt the Jack was a very pretty
Pigeon in Moore’s time, one hundred and twenty-three years ago ; it has, at the pre-
sent time very much degenerated, or the incomparable Tumbler, possessing the five
properties, very much improved—it is certain, one orthe other. In Moore’s Work you
will often fall in with the description of Button Head. What a button was in Moore’s
day I will not presume to say. Do as I am doing ; put your finger'upon the top but-
ton of the coat you have on. Is this the shape of head you are desirous of obtaining—
fit to put a muffin or crumpet board on? Would you not rejoice to obtain the Carrier’s
head like it ; the head and beak ought to be perfectly straight across as is the button:
put your finger and thumb around the button. Is this the head you are desirous of
obtaining for the Tumbler? It follows the button head is equally as applicable to the
Carrier as to the Tumbler. It is a bad name to express a round-headed Pigeon ; you
had much better use the phrase, ‘‘round as a marble.” I hope, however many may
follow me, not any of you will make use of the term—Button-head I consider
it inapplicable to the idea it was intended to convey. Some country Fanciers use the
term to express the round-headed Tumbler ; others call them bullet-headed. I think
this a bad name, because I have seen bullets a bad shape, and consider them home-
made ; the name I like best is globular or round.

* 184. (Mayor, p. 68.)—A short “spindle” beak.

+ 186, (Haron.)—Mr. Moore presents the Gentlemen of the Pigeon Fancy with a very
small account ofthe splendid Almond Tumbler ; it may be he was not an Almond Tumbler
Fancier. I am of opinion the Almond Tumbler had not arrived to the excellence or
standard it had acquired when Mayor wrote on the Almond Tumbler, exactly thirty
years after. I cannot help thinking, from the account given by Mayor, compared to
the account given by Moore; who, for all in all, as a Fancier, I style or call the pre-
eminent of Fanciers. There must have been great spirit among the Gentlemen of the
Almond Fancy during this thirty years. It has been stated fifty or sixty years ago the
Gentlemen of the Fancy had better birds than they have at the present time, that the
Almond Tumbler was a more perfect bird than it is now, which I do not believe. If
the question was put to me, What is your opinion with regard to Tumblers, Carriers, or
Pouters, whether there is anything alive in the present day equal to what has been seen,
taking into consideration the many generations of Pigeon Fanciers who have shewn,
now gone to their long homes? I should conscientiously answer, No! Believing there
has been better birds than can now be seen alive. The Fancy, like everything else,
ebbs and flows, in some generations there are more ardent and enthusiastic Fanciers

76

the quantity of almond coloured feathers that are found in the hackle :
others call it an ermine, I suppose from the black spots that are generally
in it; however I am sensible the name is not compatible to the term so
called in heraldry, which is only white spotted with black; yet as the
gentlemen of the Fancy have assigned this name to this motley colour, I
shan’t quarrel with them about a term; if the three colours run through
the feathers of the flight and ‘tail, it is reckoned a very good almond, or
ermine, and is much valued, ;

187.—N.B. An ermine Tumbler never comes to the full beauty of its
feather, till it has twice molted off, and when it grows very old will de-
cline till it runs away to a down-right mottle or other colour.

than in other generations, besides, Pigeon Fancying has its fashions ; at times, it is all
the rage to breed Carriers, other times the Pouters, then again Almonds, or black, red,
or yellow-mottled Tumblers. Had Moore seen-the Almond Tumbler in the state
Mayor described it, I believe he would have told us more about it ; he was too honest
a Fancier to have done otherwise. I cannot help thinking after carefully having studied
and digested Moore’s work, he paid more attention to the Carrier and Pouter than he
did to the Tumbler. It is very remarkable that Moore does not mention the black-
mottled Tumbler, the -yellow-mottled. Tumbler, or the red mottled Tumbler, neither
does he mention the bald-head Tumbler, or the beard Tumbler. He leaves me here in
a fix. Read Paragraphs 185, 186. In Paragraph 186, Moors says, this Pigeon affords
a very great variety of colours in its plumage, as blacks, blues, whites, reds, yellows,
duns, silvers, and in short a pleasant mixture of all these colours with the white ; at the
same time I am driven to exercise my brains upon this subject, and cannot help think-
ing there must have been black, yellow and red-mottled bald-heads, and beard Tumblers
in Moorr’s day, as this. Fancy -ranks so high with Gentlemen Fanciers, I do feel
astonished and surprised he did not mention the mottles, bald-heads, or beard Tumblers,
for aught I know, the mottles, bald-heads, and beards, were as prevalent then as they
are now ; Moore might have considered it unnecessary to mention, or might have con-
sidered he had mentioned it when he stated there were Tumblers of all colours: I
acknowledge there is, and of whole or self-colour, as it is termed by the Fanciers.
Mayor, thirty years after, gives an account of the blacks, yellows, and red-mottled
Tumblers, also of the bald-head ‘and beard Tumblers.

187. (BRENT).—It is with considerable caution that I approach these peculiar pets of
the Fancy, for, as most gentlemen have some point in this hobby which they consider
paramount, it is impossible to enter into a full description of these beautiful little
Pigeons in the small compass of this paragraph. I shall, therefore, make a few general
remarks on the points, properties, and management of these birds, and recommend
those who desire a fuller description, to peruse Mr. J. M. Eaton’s “Treatise on the
Almond Tumbler.”

(Brent.)—The Almond Tumblers were obtained by careful breeding, selecting, and
crossing colours from the commoner kind of Tumblers, and after a long series of years,
by drafting and breeding in and in, as much as it was prudent, have they been brought
to the state of perfection in which they are now to be seen. I am inclined to think the
name of ‘‘ Almond” originated in their ground-colour being formerly that of the well-
known “‘ Almond (nut) ;” though they are now bred of a much brighter colour. The
colour of the Almond Tumbler is a mixture of yellow, red, black, and white, well broken
and intermixed ; but short-faced Tumblers are of various colours and markings, as
black, white, yellow, red, kite, and dun, silver or blue, either whole coloured, mottled
with white, bald-headed, bearded, or magpied. Their points of excellence may be
enumerated under the five following properties of head, beak, eye, shape, and feather :—
The head must be round, broad, and high, rising abruptly from the beak ; and the fuller
and more projecting the forehead, the more it is valued. The beak should be short,
small, straight, and tapering, measuring, from the eye to the end of the quick of the
beak, from five-eights to three-quarters of an inch in length,—the shorter the better ;

77

nor must the nostrils be large, but only slightly developed. How much better would it
be if all Pigeon Fanciers would adopt this standard of measuring to the end of the
quick ; then there would be no inducement to pare the Tumblers’ beaks, nor yet to coax
the bill of a Carrier, or the toe-nail of a Pouter, to an ugly and unnatural development
of horn ; length or shortness are respectively considered beauties, but these deformities
can hardly be considered as such. The eye should be prominent, round, bright, and of
a clear pearl colour, without streak or mud-marks, and also free from sere. In shape,
the neck should be short and thin ; the head carried rather backwards ; the neck slightly
bending ; the chest full, and well thrown out ; the back short ; the body round, and as
small as possible ; the flight and tail short ; their feet small, and the bird standing on
its toes, the ball of the foot often slightly raised from the ground. Feather is consi-
dered the last property ; not but that good plumage adds great beauty to the bird, and
much enhances the value of an otherwise good specimen. The more an Almond has of
bright yellow, and the clearer and more decided the black, so much the more is it
admired. Yellow, black, and white are the primary colours, and the more these are
intermixed the more they are prized. Blue is considered very objectionable. Mottled
Tumblers are those of any colour where the flight and tail are dark and the bodies
spotted with white feathers. Of the markings of Baldheads, Beards, and Magpies, I
will write more fully in my next, when I speak of flying Tumblers. In and in breeding
(that is, coupling relations) is of considerable use in reducing their size and making
them fine and delicate ; but caution is required not to carry this process too far, or they
will become so weakly and degenerate, that scarcely any offspring will be raised—and
these few worthless. The finer and more delicate they are, the more they are admired ;
consequently, they exist in an artificial state. From their weakness, they are rarely
allowed to enjoy their liberty, though on account of their high breeding and good living,
they breed freely, but are very apt to leave their young and go to nest again before the
squabs are capable of keeping themselves warm. To prevent these dying, they are
shifted to a pair of feeders that have hatched later, so as to secure them more attention
and a fresh supply of soft meat (a pap on which the old pigeons feed the young at first).
These feeders must, however, be small pigeons with small beaks, or the nurslings may
be injured, or have their tender beaks twisted or broken in feeding (I don’t know if it
has ever been tried, but fancy the Collard Turtle-doves would make good nurses for
these tiny pets). If the young Tumblers are very fine, or the weather cold, it may be
necessary to shift them several times; thus, several pairs may be shifted in rotation,
the Almonds themselves taking an elder pair of some of their companions. Their loft
should be kept scrupulously clean. They are fond of bathing ; their water must be kept
clean and sweet, and their food be of the best quality. Hach pair should be provided
with a separate breeding-pen, so constructed that it can be closed at pleasure, either to
keep in a troublesome gent, or to prevent others annoying a weakly one. Earthen pans
should be provided for nests, placed on a shelf in the pen, and short straw or fine heath
twigs for building materials. When the young are sufficiently old, they should be
placed on the floor of the pen to prevent their disturbing the old ones when sitting again,
or injuring themselves by falling down. A registry should be kept of all births and
marriages, and many other particulars. A great deal of care and attention is necessary
to insure success. No one will, therefore, wonder at the high prices paid for good
birds.

(Brent.)—P.S.—Since writing the above, I was somewhat surprised at seeing in
the ‘‘ Poultry Chronicle,” for June 7th, a wish expressed by Mr. J. M. Eaton, to the
effect that Splashed birds should be shown in the Almond class, his reason being that
Splashed Short-faceds are Almond-bred birds, and are preferred by some breeders as
more likely to breed Almonds. Notwithstanding all due deference to Mr. Eaton’s
superior knowledge of the breeding of this beautiful pet of the Fancy, I must dissent
from him in this respect. An Almond I consider strictly a feather variety ; but Short-
faceds are of various colours, most of which are occasionally used for breeding Almonds.
I think it would be equally inconsistent to award a prize to a Splashed in the Almond
class, as it would be to a Kite, a Dun, or any other colour. As well might a Sebright
Fancier require a first prize for a deeply-laced cock and faintly-laced hens in preference
to an evenly-laced pen of birds, on the plea of the greater probability of their producing
better chickens ; or the tulip grower might argue his right to pre-eminence as having
the best shaped breeder in preference to a less accurately shaped fancy flower.

(Brent.)—I think, also, that as all Pigeons have ten flight-feathers, the standard

78

should include the whole ten and not nine. I know no reason why the last should be
overlooked more than the first ; why not omit one on each side of the tail? Surely,
one would be equally just with the other. Mr. J. M. E. will, I haveno doubt, excuse
the remarks of a brother Fancie: ; I believe he was lead to express this wish from
being a head and beak fancier, and not a feather fancier.

187. (Eaton.)—I believe in another part of this Work, now in the hands of the prin-
ters, therefore cannot refer to it, the cause of my recommending Splash birds, as
they are called, being shown among Almonds, viz., a prize for the best pair of Almond
or Splash-Almond bred birds, I do not approve of disqualifying a bird altogether from
competing simply because it is deficient of a feather, and therefore is not a standard
Almond Tumbler, while it could take the other properties out of five, it opens the door
to let in an Almond standard bird, seven-eighths of an inch, a regular Skinnum, a pre-
cious specimen of an Almond Tumbler. I have never gone the length to introduce
Kites, Duns, or any other colour. If there is one prize in a show I admire above all
others, it is for the best pair of Tumblers ; then they must be awarded on the five pro-
perties, provided the judges are up to the mark. I will not write more here on the
subject, having written elsewhere. I am desirous of hastening on to pick a bone with
Mr. BRENT, as we are too far distant from each other to take a rump steak and oyster
sauce with it, &c, &c., although I feel grateful to Mr. Brent for his kindness, he will
not think the less of me if J do not believe all he preaches. Mr. BRENT observes, as
well might a Sebright Fancier require a first prize for a deeply-laced cock and faintly-
laced hens, in preference to an evenly-laced pen of birds. I mentioned in a former
part of this Work I knew, comparatively speaking, very little about fowls; so
foolish about them I thought Bantams had more properties than one (feather). I am
so foolish in this science, I thought the double rose comb a property, shape, carriage,
or form a property, besides many others. Mr. Brent here only mentions one property
(feather) ; am I to draw my inference they have only one property, or that the Ban-
tam is disqualified from showing on account of a single feather wrong, although on
allthe other properties this pen of Bantams could lick their competitors into fits.
How would it be if an exhibitor saw pens of Bantams disqualified from showing, sim-
ply because they did not match (like tailor’s twist in a button hole to the cloth). Ex-
amining his own birds, and calling to his aid brother Fanciers, equally as good Fan-
ciers as the Judge, they declared his the most marked, laced, or spangled, &c., pen of
Bantams in the show, the exhibitor afterwards has an interview with the Judge, and
informs him as he has disqualified many Pens of Bantams, because they did not
match, he claimed the prize for his birds because they matched infinitely better than any
other pens of Bantams, on principle, how would the Judge look, but what could he
say ? ‘They are too wise to hear these beautiful remarks ; it does not sound “like music
to their ears ;” classically speaking, they ‘‘ cut their sticks” before the exhibitors are
admitted to the shows. I shall never forget the fine and beautiful remarks that dropped
from Mr. Tegetmeir’s lips one one occasion, when he called upon me at my house.
Talking over the Fancy, one thing ledtoanother. He asked me—Did I not know
how to take the prizes at a show? to which I answered—No. He replied—By buying
the birds of the Judge or Judges. I thought I never heard so much truth in so few
words in my life. As regards feather, whether in a fowl or pigeon, provided they have
no other property, I would not give as much as a poulterer would for it after the bird
was dead, trussed and fit for the spit. I think these remarks are applicable to other
birds as well as to—beyond all doubt the first of Fancy fowls—the Bantam. With
regard to tulips, I don’t understand. “Tis hard for a man to understand himself; I am
tulip enough myself.

(Earon.)—Mr. Brent is not correct in stating that all Pigeons have ten flight-
feathers ; he alludes to the long flight (for they have short flights also), and he alludes
to the turn of the long flights ; some Almond Fanciers state that there are as many
Almonds that have only nine feathers in their flight as there are that have ten at the
turn of their flight. I will not go so far as that. The Fanciers of the original Columba-
rian Society acted wise in taking the nine first feathers of each wing, counting from
their extremities, simply because there are many Almonds that have only nine‘feathers
at the turn of the flight, would it be fair that one Fancier should have to show ten
feathers aside, or to the turn feather, while another is shown with nine feathers only
at the turn flight ; the length feather might not be a standard feather, which would
prove fatal. There are a great many Almonds that have only nine feathers aside ; it

79

188.—These Pigeons by their flight afford an admirable satisfaction, to
those gentlemen of the Fancy that have time to attend them, and make
their observations; for besides the pleasure they afford by their tumbling,
which is very considerable, they will rise to an immense height in the air,
so that sometimes the eye can scarcely followthem. I have frequently
lost sight of them, though they have been almost perpendicular over my
head and the day has been very clear and serene; yet bya fixed regard of
the place where I lost them, (for they never ramble far like the Horse-
man, and if good when they are used to each other, a flight of a dozen
will keep so close together, that you may cover them all with a large hand-
kerchief) I have at length perceived them, but so small that they appeared
no bigger than a sparrow.

189.—At this height they will keep two, three, four and sometimes five
hours together, nay I have heard it frequently asserted, that there have
been pigeons of this breed, which have flown nine hours, (*) when they
are up at their pitch, the better sort seldom or never tumble, choosing
rather to afford you that diversion when they are more in sight, tumbling
very often at the first beginning to rise, and again when they are coming
down to pitch.

190.—I now come to the method of raising a flight of Tumblers; and
in the first place, they ought, if you have the convenience, to be kept in
a loft by themselves, not having any acquaintance, if possible, with your
other pigeons; for if they are used to fly with others, it will make them

would not be fair in me showing an Almond with only nine feathers in the turn of
flight ; it would be anything but just. Iam sure from the kindness I have received
from my brother Fancier, Mr. Brent, he will excuse the remarks I have made, be-
lieving he was led to express these remarks from being more of a feather fancier than a
short-faced head and beak fancier. At the same time’I believe Mr. BRENT is not
aware that in the standard laid down for an Almond, that it should have twelve fea-
thers in the tail, neither more or less.

* 189. (Mayor.—p. 70.)—Or twelve hours ; but I hope to be excused in thinking
the Gentlemen of the Flying Fancy may have been deceived in point of time,
when they have made those assertions, though I cannot absolutely contradict it. I
remember to have heard an old Fancier (not a mile from Long Acre) declare, that he
once had a flight of Tumblers that soared so prodigiously high, that (to use
his own words) he could see them when they were out of sight, which undoubtedly
appears rather paradoxical ; but as miracles never cease, we shall suffer that to pass
for one.

189. (Haton.)—I cannot help thinking that Mayor required a little charity with
the old Fancier, for seeing his birds when out of sight ; there is such a difference in
our vision at times. You know at times we see double. What makes it remarkable
at the same time is, none of us can see a hole through a ladder. It is possible the
first might apply to the old Fancier, and the second to Mayor. For a moment allow
me to indulge in the phantom of the mind; I wonder where Mayor heard the old
Fancier relate it ; no doubt at a meeting of Fanciers, at which they were mellowing
their clay. Depend upon it, it was not at a Total Abstinence Society, for they were
not in fashion at the time. My ftyers and feeders being of various sorts, would not
furnish a criterion as to how long Tumblers will fly. I recollect reading an account in
Bell’s Life or The Field of a wager as to which flight of Tumblers would fly or
keep up thelongest. One flight kept up six hours and a half, the other flight came
down in half-an-hour, although this flight has been known to keep up seven hours
and a half. The amazing power of the Tumbler to fly, appears almost incredulous.

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sink their flight, when they observe others skimming in the air below
them.

191.—Secondly, they ought to be turned out and put upon flight
only once a day at most, and that by themselves, after being well
acquainted with your house; the morning is the best time for this diver-
sion, and after they are come down, throw them a little hempseed or rape
and canary to entice them in and so keep them confined until the next
day.

Thirdly. If possible get one or two that have been used to flying high»
for they will train your young ones up the sooner.

192.—Besides these things, the Fanciers have observed particular
seasons, when a Tumbler will make a more extravagant flight than ordi-
nary, as for instance, when she sits upon eggs, and a few days after
having fed off the soft meat; I can’t find any philosophical reason to be
given for this, yet as it is confirmed by observation, I thought it worth
taking notice of.

193.—Another time, when they will make a very extraordinary flight,
is, when you observe ravens, crows or any other birds wantonly playing at
a great height in the air; this may be very easily accounted for, there
being at such a time something, in the temperament of the air, suitable
to the genius of those birds, that delight in the upper regions of the atmo-
sphere.

194.—Here I must advise the Fancier, not to turn out his Tumblers,
when there appear any signs of a rising fog, for by this means the sight of
their habitation is intercepted, and many a good flight lost for ever.

195.—A high wind will likewise drive them too far from home, so that
if they are not entirely lost, they may lie out all night, and so be exposed
to the cats or various other accidents.

196.—Lastly, never turn out your hen Tumbler when she is with egg,
for besides that she is at that time sick and unfit to fly, so likewise by
her long flight, she may drop her egg, an instance of which I have known,
and so prevent the increase of your breed.

196. (BRenT.)—Under this denomination it is my intention to include all the varie-
ties of the most interesting and amusing kind of Pigeon with which I am ‘acquainted.
The fancy Almond and the high-bred short faced Tumblers I mentioned briefly in my
last, referring those that require a fuller description to Mr, J. M. Eaton’s Work,
where they will find full particulars as to their managment, breeding, &e., as also ac-
counts of the trouble and difficulty of rearing ‘a little wonder ;” but such pains will,
I fear, be only bestowed by a few enthusiastic Fanciers. The varieties of this breed
that now come under our notice are very numerous ; their soaring flight and their aérial
gymnastics will call forth much admiration, and are, I conceive, well calculated to en-
list the sympathies of the student of nature. The Tumbler Pigeons are well known
in most of the countries of Europe ; in France they are called “‘ Voltigeurs,” or ‘‘Cal-
butants ;’ in Germany, “ Burzel,’ ‘‘Umschlager,” or ‘‘Tummler-Tauben.” Their
name is derived from their throwing a summersault while flying, which they sometimes
perform three or four times at a single spring, clapping their wings together over their
back, then suddenly bringing them down with force, they throw themselves back on
their tails, but fearing to go over, and some are a long time before they overcome
their fears; this is called ‘‘ backing.” When young birds fly well and back much

81

without going over (a great defect), I have found it useful to pull out the middle 0
their tail, so that the next time they back they often fall over, and from that learn to
tumble well ; some tumble too much at a time, and thereby lose the flight, or cause the
others to come down after them, which is very objectionable. I have heard of a new
sort (at least new to me), called rollers, because they roll along with the flight, but
never having seen them, cannot describe them ; perhaps some of the readers of the
Poultry Chronicle may know them, and oblige me by a description. The Tumblers
should he kept in a house by themselves, and only let out once a day ; the best time is
in the morning before the sun is very hot, and when they have had their fly they
should be shut up for the rest of the day, and not allowed to associate with other
Pigeons, or they will contract a habit of low flying, which would spoil them ; they
should be kept in a commodious house, and in constant daily exercise, or they become
lazy. Their house should be provided with plenty of food, clean water, and grit ; a
“salt cat” will be found very useful, made of old mortar, coarse sand, clay, and a little
salt ; nor should green meat be omitted, such as lettuce, cabbage, &c., and an occa-
sional bath is very beneficial.

(BrENtT.)—They are excellent breeders, and do not require so much attention as most
fancy Pigeons ; keep them clean and in exercise, give them good food and water, and
materials to build with, and they will do well. Although their youug are small, they

are excellent in pies, and are produced in abundance, provided they are not cramped
for room.

(BrentT.)—The Tumbler should have a nice round head, a pearl eye, a short beak,

a full chest, and a consequential deportment ; they assimilate to the Almond short-
faced in properties, but if intended for the Flying Fancy, must be stouter and of
stronger constitution,—in fact, not so high bred. They may be met with of various
grades of goodness, like most other fancy articles: their plumage is the most varied of
all Pigeons ; there are whole colours, of black, blue, white, red, yellow, or buff, silver,
dun, ash-coloured and kite ; also mottles cf all these. There are two kinds of mottles,
dark and light ; the dark have only a few feathers of white about head and shoulders ;
the white mottles must have the whole of the flight and tail dark, the rest of the body
white, interspersed with a few coloured feathers. Then there are the pieds ; first, the
magpie tumbler, black, blue, red, or yellow, with white wings, breasts, thighs, and vent ,
evenly marked without one coloured feather, the rest of the body being dark without
any white. I have also seen reds and yellows with quite white shoulders like shields.

The Germans have a large variety of Tumblers, which fly well and tumble very nicely 5
they are of various colours, either whole coloured or dark with white flight and tails ;
often with a small beard, and their feet are covered with very long white feathers,

many of the feathers on the toes measuring four or five inches in length. I kepta
flight of them when in Germany, and was agreeably surprised to find them excellent
high flyers and very prolific ; but, to my great discomfiture, when I had got them al-
most to perfection in flying, a large hawk made a daily descent upon them, and so re-
duced their numbers that I was obliged to leave off flynmg them. These rough-footed
Tumblers I found very plentiful in and about Coblentz, on the Rhine ; in other paris
of Germany, they have many clean-footed Tumblers of various colours, as magpies

helmets, and beards, but their beards have only a white beard and flight feathers, the
rest of the body being dark, of various colours. Respecting Rolling Tumblers, I am
not able satisfactorily to answer ; but from all that I can learn they are only those
birds that tumble very much, and known as Dutch Tumblers, but are not much
esteemed by the Flying Fanciers on account of their fallmg so much that they
bring down the flights. If Rollers are not the same as what are here called Dutch,

and in Germany ‘‘ Hollanders,” I must plead ignorance of them.

(Eaton. 196.—BRENT gives an excellent and accurate account of the Dutch Roller.
When I look at a Dutch Roller, and a pretty little compact short-flight and tailed Tum-
bler, I must confess I am surprised at the difference of tumbling in these two birds,
for the Dutch Roller Tumbler is as common a looking Pigeon as the house Pigeons
that are kept at the inns on the road side ‘‘ Where weary travellers love to call.”
Besides, they are such bad, slobbered, patched-feathered birds, there is not a single beau-
tiful property in them, unless it is in their feathered legs. If many good Fanciers,
who did not know, was asked what they were, would answer Skinnums, considering
they were inet worthy of a better name; on the the contrary ; whereas, the neat, plea-

82

sant—say three-quarter-inch-faced—Tumblers (I am not alluding to short-faced Tum-
blers), which you have a right to expect would tumble, do not tumble at all. How
often you observe a flight of Tumblers, say twenty or more, how seldom or few tumble
at all ; you may observe one or two. I cannot think what has come to the Tumblers
as regards tumbling. When I wasa boy, I recollect Jemmy Gilham having a beauti-
ful flight of Black-beards ; I have watched them many times, and been greatly de-
lighted with their tumbling. On one occasion, going to Wales, the coach stopped in
the town for the passengers to take dinner and change horses ; being on the outside of
the coach, just at this time three flights of Tumblers were started. Whether the Fan-
ciers had caught glimpse of a stray, only being a bird of passage myself, I cannot say ;
I must confess I was astounded at these flights of Tumblers. They appeared to hover
about in a small space, scarce like flying, like as you have seen white moths in fine
summer dusky nights hovering among Poplar trees. Their tumbling I can only com-
pare to a toy you hold in your fingers which tumbles beautifully. It may be called for
ought I know, a Chinese tumbling toy. I have not any doubt but these Pigeons were
Dutch Rollers. I went without my dinner. I would not mind going without it again
for another such sight. A short time since a Fancier strongly recommended me to
buy twenty Dutch Rollers from a celebrated strain ; I did so; not that I wanted them
myself ; but recollecting how many Gentlemen Fanciers had written to me stating their
Tumblers would not tumble, I was very choice of these twenty Dutch Rollers, dividing
them among Fanciers, letting one Fancier have one, others two, and one Fancier, who
deeply regretted his Tumblers would not tumble, and who was very desirous they should,
I let have four. Mr. Moors, paragraph 135, says the Dutch Tumbler is much of the
same make, but larger; often feather-legged, and more jowlter-headed, &c. ; that most
of the extraordinary feathers have been produced by mixing with the Dutch breed.
I should have thought, from this account, the Dutch Roller Tumbler, jowlter headed,
its head would have appeared like the head of a first-rate Barb, but, on the contrary,
appears no better than a common house Pigeon, or Skinnum, its feather anyhow, as
though left to themselves for the last twenty years to match themselves, and they are
extraordinary bad feathers. I have tried to find out the cause of these common-look-
ing birds tumbling so much. I have reasoned on cause and effect, and an idea struck
me, going back to barbarous times and among barbarians, they observed some birds
could swim and others could not ; it may have bothered them as the Dutch Roller
bothers us to their tumbling. The barbarians could not discover why some birds swam
and others not. On examining the birds in their way, they might say the only differ-
ence they could perceive was a kind of skin attaching the toes ; civilized society would
call it web-footed. The only cause I can give for the Dutch Roller tumbling so much
is their being feather-legged. We witness the effect, the cause we do not know any
more of than how an Antwerp finds its way home six hundred miles (Mr. Brent
gives a good account even of this). At times, watching my feeders flying, I have
observed a few tumble ; I have kept my eye on them till they alighted, and observed
they were more or less feather-legged. They may have been crossed with the Dutch
Roller. I acknowledge some clean or wire-legged birds, as they are called, will tum-
ble. Formerly, the Dutch Tumbler may have been a pretty bird ; it appears to me
they have been greatly neglected, like our Baldheads and Beards ; the Short-faced
nearly lost, with the exception of a few Fanciers who have them. When Moors, 123
years ago, wrote on the Dutch Tumbler, it was a pretty or pleasant bird, and much
crossed with our Tumblers ; now, the Dutch blood being worked out of them, our fly-
ing Baldheads and Beards appear in head and beak no better than Skinnums. I think
the short flight and tail, short but feather-legged Almond, or Almond-bred birds—viz.
~-Almonds, Splashers, Kites, Whole-feathers, &c., would tumble infinitely superior to
any Tumbler we have ; I think this is worth trying.

MOTTLED TUMBLERS.

(Mayor, par. 196, A. p. 64.)—There was also a prize last season for black mottled
Tumblers, whose properties should agree with those of the Almond Tumbler, except
the feather, which should be a black ground, the body mottled with white, with a black
tail and flight ; and when they are in perfection, they are an excessive pretty fancy and
very valuable. There is likewise another very pretty fancy, equal at least, if not
superior, to the black mottled Tumbler, viz., the yellow mottled Tumbler, whose pro-
perties also agree with the Almond Tumbler, except the feather, which should be a

ages Lif l/
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‘oes a Ven |

83

yellow ground, the body mottled with white, and a yellow flight and tail. Either of
these two last mentioned fancies are extremely useful (provided they answer in their
other properties) to intermix occasionally with the Almond.

(Eaton, 196.)—I am not aware that I can better guide you to what a mottle should
be, whether black, yellow, orred, than refer to the Engraving of the Mottled Tumbler
that will accompany this Work. Jam sensible the Engraving cannot show black, yel-
low and red on the same: plate, otherwise it would require three engravings. I am
rather surprised Mr. Mayor did not mention the red mottles ; they are equally as
beautiful as the black or yellow mottle, and infinitely more scarce. I have seen some
dun mottles very pretty, they are generally bred from black mottles ; provided you are
sure of their pedigree they are equally as safe to match to black mottles, as the black
mottles, but not to show for a prize. The engraved mottle will convey to you how
sound the body, flight and tail feathers ought to be, and how it ought to be mottled,
provided you do not already know it. In fact, a thorough sound motile, of whatever
coloured feather, should be a thorough sound whole feather, body, flight, and tail, with
the exception of the pinion on the wing. The rose pinion is the handsomest, with or
without the handkerchief back ; these feathers should be white. Moore does not men-
tion this Pigeon. Whether in Moorr or Mayor’s time they had the handkerchief
back, as is now understood by the Fanciers of the present day ; whether they had or
not, one thing I know, there is not any mention of it by Moorz, Mayor, GIRTIN, or
or any other writer upon the black, yellow, or red mottle ; I wish you to understand,
once for all, that a mottle is a mottle provided its colour be sound black, yellow, red,
or any other colour. I can very well recollect the time when I insisted upon the motile
of whatever colour, to have no other featherin it but about nine or ten white feathers
in the shoulder of the wing, to form the rose pinion, as it is called, being the most ele-
gant of all pinions. Some worthy old Fanciers greatly contend for the handkerchief
back, as a relief to the mottled Tumbler, by having the back a little way down mottled
with white feathers, experiencing the difference between breeding the bird for feather
and that of giving an artist instruction in painting a portrait, in which you can have
nine, ten, or eleven white feathers placed in the portrait just where you please. It is
otherwise with regard to breeding a mottle for feather, for the white feathers may come
where you do not want them, and then you call it spot-rumped or glazed-faced. Talk’s
cheap and costs nothing ; I am aware in five minutes’ talk you can breed prettier marked
birds than in seven years’ practice. You may ask me whether I consider it a Hit or
Miss? Luck’s all; to which I distinctly answer,—No. On the contrary, great
judgment is required, and a knowledge of how your birds were bred as regards
matching. -

(Eaton, 196.)—Mayor in his Work has what he calls a black mottled Tumbler.
It has black flight and tail, white bodied, with about thirty or forty black feathers,
spotted or dotted over the white body, (like the old-fashioned spotted carriage dogs).
These mottles are called by the Gentlemen of the Fancy Gay Motiles.

BLUE TUMBLER.

(Eaton, 196 B.)—I cannot by any possibility let the opportunity pass without noticing
the observations and great admiration the venerable and much respected old Fanciers
bestow upon the amazingly pretty little compact sky or powder blue, whole feather,
with its black bars, black as ebony ; the short-faced head and beak, with its other pro-
perties—“ The pretty little blue Tumbler.” Whenever they have the opportunity to
see one, I have almost fancied they would have gone into fits, in observing a good
one with its five splendid properties—head, beak, eye, carriage or shape, and feather.
It appeared to me almost to make them boys again, or to remind them of times gone:
by, although now they sing experimentally, and with feeling, “ John Anderson, my
Joe.” Onething I am quite certain of ; it has as great or greater effect upon them

‘fas going to the mill to be ground young again.” Unfortunatly, it is seldom you |

have the opportunity to see one ; they are very scarce at this time, 1858. Itis an ex-
ceedingly pretty little Tumbler Pigeon.

BALDHEAD.

_ (Mayor, 196 C., p. 74.).—The bald-pated Tumblers, which are of various colours
in their ae as blacks, blues, &c., with a clean white head, a pearl eye, white flight,
2

84

and white tail, are esteemed good flyers, and are very pretty, even when fiving in
the air, for the contrast of the feather appears at that distance when the weather is
clear and fine. But the blue ones are reputed to rise higher than any other colour.

(CorKER, 196 C.)—The Bald-head Tumblers, which are of various colours in their
bodies, as blues, blacks, reds, yellows, duns, almonds, &c., there is a difference of opinion
in respect to the cut of the bird, some preferring the head and part of the neck
white, but I prefer the close cut under the beak ; in fact, the head only white, clean-
thighed, white feathers to the turn of the flight, and if blue, the bars to be black,
When birds are close cut, Fanciers term it ‘‘the rings.” Pleasant-faced are good
flyers and tumble well, more particularly the blue and black. Since the introduction of
the Antwerp birds into this country, there has been a great change; in fact, it is
with great difficulty we see a flight of these very pretty birds. They are also a very
good class of birds for tossing at a short distance.

(Toner, 196 C.)—Nothing in creation is prettier than the short-faced Baldhead,
when possessing the five properties which constitute the Tumbler, viz., head, beak,
eye, carriage, and feather ; but at this period they are very scarce. Nothing is easier
than to imagine how they ought to be; marking is very characteristic in this variety,
and when clean cut, clean thighed, and even-flighted, no wonder the general admira-
tion of Fanciers should be excited. Many perfectly marked birds are to be found
amongst their long-faced brethren, but the difficulty of obtaiming head and beak with
uniformity of marking is very great. Many are the experiments which have been
made for their propagation, and perhaps not the least successful is the having recourse
to an occasioual cross with the high-bred Almoud Tumbler. Great must be the
patience and perseverence of the Fancier, who would accomplish the task: he must
expect defeat and disappointment ; the only balm for his labour is the hope of success,
although thwarted in this effort once, twice, or thrice ; the only encouragement left is
to ‘Try again !”

(Brent, 196 C.)—Baldhead Tumblers are very pretty ; their bodies are of various
colours, as black, blue, &c., from which they receive their name, as Black Baldheads,
and so forth. The head must be perfectly white, evenly marked all round, and not
“ slobbered ;” from seven to ten flight feathers ; must be white in each wing, and the
tail, rump, thighs, and vent, must also be quite white and clear from foul feathers ;
the eyes, too, must be pearl, as a black eye is a great blemish.

(Eaton.)—I knew a Fancier, that after his death, one of his Baldhead hens, at auction,
realised twenty-five pounds ; and I knew another case ofa Blue-beard—it was a bad colour
—sooty blue or lead colour—that it could not be purchased for ten pounds ; therefore, it
does not follow that it is so much in feather, but the fact is, in the properties of carriage, _
head, beak, eye, &c., which it is useless tc attempt to deny; theretore, it follows the
Almond Tumbler and other Tumblers, equally possessing the five properties alike, differ
in nothing but feather.

(Eaton, 196 A.)—Moorz, whom I think the pre-eminent of all Fanciers, does not
mention the Mottles, Baldheads, or Beards. As Mayor is the first I know to men-
tion these Pigeons, I have taken his remarks as my text. Mayor calls it the Bald-
pated Tumbler, as many other Fanciers do; I consider Baldhead the bestname. I
cannot find in GIRTIN a single line of original matter on the whole of Tumblers, but
word for word as Mayor, which causes me still to think GiRTIN was the author of the
work dedicated to Mr. Jonn Mayor, 1765. Fanciers differ as regards the number of
white feathers, in the flight of Baldheads and Beards, some arguing six in Beards and
eight in Baldheads. Counting from the extremity of the outer wing, I believe the
general opinion of Fanciers is, that Beards should have seven white feathers in the
flight, and Baldheads ten, or at the turn of the flight feathers. There are Fanciers who
argue that Baldheads and Beards should have ten aside as it is called, or white flight
up to the turn feather. It is easy work in conversation for men to insist upon anything
for argument sake, or theory ; only, simply let these arguers of theory attempt to
put it in practice, they will find out their mistake. I believe it easier to breed
a Baldhead with ten, or at the turn of the flight, than a Beard with seven. It
happens, unfortunately, in beautiful head and beak Baldheads or Beards, that they are
slabbered or slobbered about the heads; it is different with the common flying Bald-
head. I consider short-faced Baldheads one of the most difficult birds to breed, equally
as difficult as Almonds or Black Mottles. It is a common thing now to give five gui-

85

neas for a pair of Baldheads or Beards ; I have known more money given for a Bald-
head, which I have mentioned in another part of the Work, although Fanciers are
asking from 15 to 20 guineas for a single bird. I believe in my conscience if 100
guineas were offered at this time, 1858, for an extra pair of very short-faced, good head
and beak, good eyes, shape or carriage, well feathered Black-beards, they could
not be obtained, simply owing to their not being in existence. Some Fanciers
might differ from me by supposing or saying they have good Black-beards. It may be
true ; they have good of a bad sort. I have observed in another part of the Work,
Pigeon Fancying has its fashions—sometimes one variety, at other times other varie-
ties. This is the cause of good Baldheads and Beards being so scarce, especially Black-
beards. The London Fanciers are now directing their attention to Baldheads and
Beards, owing to their scarcity. With their knowledge and judgment, I think they
will breed them up in a very few years as good as ever, although it is a work of time.
When I first came into the fancy, about the second pair of birds I bought were a
decent pair of Black-beards. One of them had a white feather in the tail ; I bought
them of a Fancier called “ Curly-head.” He said I must breed the white feather out.
I went to work to the best of my judgment ; I thought nothing easier after ‘‘ Curly-
head” said I must breed’it out.’ In the first nest I bred two young ones ; but what
enlightened my darkness was, that instead of breeding one feather out of the pair, I
bred two white feathers in the tail of each. -I thought this breeding to feather with a
vengeance. I had not by me at that time Mr. TonGe’s beautiful and patient advice—
“The only encouragement left is to try again.” At times, an Almond Fancier breeds
among his Almonds an agate yellow or: red, nearly a perfect Baldhead, good head and
beak, with a splendid eye; he now thinks he will astonish the Fanciers as regards
Baldheads. He puts the best Baldhead he can obtain to it as a match ; the first sea-
son he is more fortunate than he could possibly have expected, and considers, having
worked out the innoculation of the Almond, the next season he will have them to per-
fection. Tis said, ‘‘ Blessed is the woman that expects nothing ; she shall not be dis-
appointed.” But here is a Fancier expecting much; the produce of the second season
astonishes him, although as he supposed, he had worked out the innoculation of the
Almond, whether by Sarsaparilla or anything else. He fancies his young birds of the
second season have got the small-pox, or something like as regards the feathers about
the head, &c., or filled with feathers about the head where they are not wanted ; the
fact is, the Almond feathers broke out like a fire, although it might have smouldered
two or three seasons ; this is the cause of our seeing at times good head and beak
Baldheads, but slobvered. My advice to Fanciers is, to take TonecE Pills, two at
night and one in the morning—to “ Try again.” Almond Baldheads are very pretty,
provided they are near the mark.

BEARD.

(Mayor, 196 D., p. 74.)—There are some called blue or black-bearded, that is,
either of those colours, having a long white spot from under the jaw and cheek, a little
way down the throat, and regularly shaped, which has a very pretty effect as an orna-
ment, and if they run clean in the flight and tail, as before mentioned in the Bald-
pated Pigeon, they are accounted handsome.

(CorKER, 196 D.)—The Beard Tumbler is also a very pretty class of birds. They
are black, blue, red, yellow, &c. The nearer these birds approach the Almond Tum-
bler in head, beak, eye, and carriage, the more they are esteemed ; they should have
a streak of white under the beak or on the throat, with few feathers close to the under-
chop of the same colour as the body, which is termed the beard. The pleasant faced
Beard, ranks A 1 for flying.

(Brent, 196 D.)—Bearded Tumblers are also very interesting Pigeons ; like the
Baldheads they are of various colours, and must have clean white flights, tails, ramps,
thighs, &c., and pearl eyes. They are dark above ; the upper mandible is dark ; but
the lower should be white or flesh-coloured, and under the beak should be a triangular
white patch, from which they derive their name. The Blue-bearded Tumblers are con-
sidered the best flyers; but they are not now often seen of accurate markings, more
attention being paid to breed them delicate and short-faced than to maintain a clear
breast, clean thighs and rump, a fact I much regret. A small delicate bird with a tiny
beak looks well in the show-pen, but very few of them are strong enough to take a

86

lofty flight of two or three hours, of rising above the clouds, and frequently lost to
sight ; such are the delights ofa flying Fancier. I am aware that the head and beak Fan-
ciers consider that everything else must give way before these points, and to a certain
extent this is quite right; but those gentlemen that admire the short-faced Tumblers,
will, while they enjoy their fancy, allow others to enjoy theirs, and not exclude, as
some seem to wish, the flying birds from all exhibitions, for birds with such short beaks
that they cannot rear their own young, or so delicate that they must not be trusted
out, are certainly not fitted for lofty flights, but good Tumblers are rather scarce, they
being either too delicate to fly, or too coarse to be admired—a medium sort is the best
adapted for good flyers.

(Eaton, 196 E.—Lona-Facep Bearps.)—While much has been, and more will be,
written on the Short-faced Tumblers, which may meet the approbation of Short-faced
Tumbler Fanciers, it would appear to me a very one-sided affair if I did not attempt
to take any notice of the Long-faced Tumblers and Fanciers. They are very fashion-
able at this time, and are to be met with in great numbers about Regent-street, the
Parks, the lounges of fashionable watering places, &c. I have no doubt a few could
be met with at Bath and Cheltenham. It is reported the late — Muntz, Esq., M.P.
for Birmingham, had a superior stud. “Tis said, ‘‘ Ladies are great admirers of them”
—TI believe only to giggle at or about them after they have passed. Strange to say,
the more ugly they are the more they rivet attention; I am surprised how they pick
up or feed, and that they are not completely starved. This accounts for their being
so extremely long-faced or lantern-jawed, although heavily bearded. I have noticed
before now, in a room where a grand show took place, although not any Beards in
the pens, there has been some tremendous, ugly, very long-faced heavy Beards in the
room. I have wondered (one name is as good as another for argument) how it were possi-
ble, if Mr. Smith wanted to smoke Mr. Southwood’s Meerschaum pipe, he could get
it into his mouth. You will observe, though strange—yet not more strange than
true, there must have been a cross with the Baldhead and the Beard ; although they
are long-faced heavily bearded, they are almost perfectly bald-headed. Their feather
is mostly grizzle, or a pepper and salt colour. I have beard of “Blue-beard.” With
regard to this Fancy, I cannot by any possibility think but there ought to be a dis-
tinction that only men in the army should be allowed to indulge in this Fancy. If
others will indulge in this bearded Fancy, and take such immense pains in rearing and
coaxing them, and consider them so luxurious, they ought to pay a heavy tax, like gen-
tlemen paying the powder tax, which would enable the Chancellor of the Exchequer
to take off the Income Tax and greatly benefit the revenue ; or gentlemen only should
rear them ; for to see a long, thin-faced, rough, ugly beard, deep in mouth or ragged
as a colt, what looks worse? You will perceive some of them have a kind of hood on
the upper mandible. Some of the inexperienced Fanciers take them to be Rabbi's,
Monks, or Priests ; the experienced Fancier calls it Moustache. I find I have made
a slight mistake here ; I have been describing the long-faced walking or promenading
Beard, instead of the long-faced flying Beard ; therefore I must try back,

(Eaton, 196 E.)—Standards, among Gentlemen Pigeon Fanciers, are drawn from
the greatest extremes, viz., heads perfectly round, others perfectly flat ; beaks, short,
fine, spindle, others long, thick, and deep ; short neck, others long neck ; eyes, pearl,
others gravel, red, black, or bull-eyes ; bodies, short as possible, others as Jong
as possible ; standing, low as possible ; others standing high as possible ; wattle, little
as possible, others much as possible ; head, short as possible, others long as possible ;
beaks, white, others black ; small as possible, large as possible ; smooth-headed and
not smooth-headed ; some feathers going the right way, others going the wrong way ;
some thin, others chubby ; some no crops, others large crops as possible ; some slen-
der as possible in the girt or waist ; Runts large as possible, to weigh heavy ; some
with white flights and tails, others with flights and tails to match bodies ; some not
tumbling enough, others tumbling too much ; some not flying high enough, others fly-
ing out of sight ; some bearded, others bald-headed. I have endeavoured to enumerate
a few of the opposite extremes that the Gentlemen of the Pigeon Fancy are pleased
to lay down asa standard to test Pigeons by. You can, at your leisure, look for
plenty more. Fanciers do not and will not admire a medium standard for Pigeons,
that is, half-and-half, which is neither “here nor there,” but admire extremes. Many
Fanciers greatly admire the Short-faced Beard ; they would not think any the worse

?

87

of them provided they could obtain them half-an-inch ; while the Gentlemen of the
Long-faced Flying Beard Fancy are desirous of obtaining their beards one inch and a
half. If these two extremes, viz., the short-faced half-inch, and the long-faced one
inch and a half, were added together, would make two inches, Equally divide the
two inches would give you one inch faced birds, which some might call a medium.
Don’t deceive yourself. Do you suppose for a moment the Short or the Long-faced
Fancier would accept this bird ata gift. Certainly not ; the Short-faced Fancier could
see no beauty in it; the Long-faced Fancier would swear their was no use in it ; the
Fanciers combined would declare it neither ‘‘ fit for use or ornament,” whereas the
Lony-faced Beard will do tremendous work in flying. If what are called Pleasant
Beards (three quarters of an inch) will do from Dover to London, 71 miles, the Long-
faced (one inch and a half) will do twice the distance to Dover. I have often seen on
grand show nights at the east end of London a pen of these extra Long-faced Beards ;
I once saw at one of these shows a Beard that measured in the face one inch and a
half, although one-inch and three-eighths is a good length. Less than one-inch and a
quarter, the Gentlemen Long-faced Fanciers would not look at. Some of these birds
are large and noble-looking, long from beak «to tail, beautifully marked in feather,
extremely long-flighted ; in fact, they look as much like gulls, comparatively, as
Pigeons. The Fanciers of these Pigeons are very choice of them, and would require
high prices for them, provided they would part with them. It therefore proves the
standards of Pigeons are raised from extremes ; that middling or medium birds are
not acceptable to Fanciers, viz., birds that are neither here nor there, or half-and-half
birds. ‘‘ Half-and-half” may be acceptable to weary travellers on a long dusty road,
but not half-and-half Pigeons to Fanciers. —The Beard is a sharpe, subtle, cunning
Pigeon, much more so than the Baldhead, as Fanciers experience, after having kept
them long enough in the traps to become acquinted with their new habitation and the
locality. Ifthey are good when let out, they mount the elements, look out for their
homes ; and go home in good style. A Baldhead is more kind, and more likely to
stop at a new habitation.

(Mayor, p. 65.)- -It may not be amiss, before I conclude this head, to remark a dis-
tinction which the Society of Columbarians make between Pigeon Fanciers and Pigeon
keepers, viz.—such gentlemen who keep good of the sort, whether they are Al-
mond, black mottled, or yellow-mottled Tumblers, Carriers, Pouters, Horseman,
Dragons, Leghorn or Spanish Runts, Jacobines, Barbs, Turbets, Owls, broad
tailed Shakers, Nuns, Spots, Trumpeters, &c., are styled Fanciers ; on the contrary,
those who keep trash are called Pigeon keepers, of which last denomination there are
a surprising number. It is prodigiously amazing and unaccountable that any gentle-
man will bestow food upon such as are in reality not worth the tares they devour, and can
be accounted for no other way than by supposing such gentlemen utterly unacquainted
with the true properties and perfections of the several species they entertain, which, it
must be confessed, is rather a harsh supposition (except they breed for the spit only,
and even then their table might be as amply supplied by the better sort), the expense
of keeping either being equal in every respect, the difference arising only in the pur-
chase of one pair. Should any objection be made to the expense of the first purchase
of the better sort, I answer it is infinitely cheaper to bestow four or five guineas on
one pair of good birds (which in a short time would sufficiently stock a loft, and re-
pay the purchase with great interest, Pouters or Leghorn Runts excepted, because, as
before observed, they must not be bred in and in), than to begin with bad ones at
eighteen pence a pair, the value of which can never be enhanced. I hope T need not
here apologise, or be thought ill-natured by those gentlemen whose fancy may differ
from mine, in giving my real sentiments and opinions so freely, as I have advanced
nothing but matter of fact, and is the result of many years’ experience, having been
possessed (I believe I may venture to say, without vanity), of as good, if not the best
in England, of Fancy Pigeons, besides toys of all kinds.

(Eaton, 196 E.)—A Fancier to whom I applied to aid and assist me with his re-
marks on the Baldhead and Beard, still persisted in playing his very old and favourite
character of the “‘ Dog in the Manger.” He will not play the character of giving
his experience to young and inexperienced Fanciers. On the contrary, you will per-
ceive [ am under great obligations to Mr. Corkrer, Mr. Tonex, and, though last not
least, to Mr, Brent, for their kindness in aiding and assisting me.

88
COLUMBA DOMESTICA LABRONIS seu PISARUM.
The Leghorn Runt.

197.—The Leghorn Runt is a stately large Pigeon, seven inches or
better in the legs, close feathered, and fast fleshed, extremely broad
chested and very short in the back, he carries his tail, when he walks,
somewhat turned up like a duck, but when he plays, he tucks it down ;
his neck is longer than any other Pigeon, which he carries bending like
a goose ora swan. He is goose headed, and his eye lies hollow in his
head, with a thin skin round it much like the Dutch Tumbler, but
broader, his beak is very short for so large a bird, with a small wattle
on it, and the upper chap a little bending over the under.

198.—They are a very tender bird (*) and great care ought to be taken
of their young ones. (+) I was offered-seventeen shillings for a single
cock, and Sir Dorsey Tuomas would have given me a guinea and a half
for the same bird. ({) There are few true original ones of this breed in
England ; and if matched to a Spanish Runt, they will breed a very large
Pigeon, closer in flesh and feather than the Spanish Runt, and will breed
much faster; (§) I have killed of their young ones, which when on the
spit were full as large as middling spring fowls: (||) where note that
these and all other Runts, increase in their bulk, till they are three or four
years old.

(Eaton.)—The Almond, the black, red, and yellow-mottled, Baldhead and Beard
Tumblers, of whatever coloured feather, provided it is not objectionable—the fact is,
a Tumbler is a Tumbler for ‘‘ All that and all that.” All require to be equally
good as touching the five properties as laid down by Fanciers. A white Short-faced
Tumbler, possessing the five properties. with a pearl eye, would be considered a great
curiosity and would realise a large sum of money. I would particularly call your
attention to the five properties of the Tumbler, contained in my Almond Tumbler,
Paragraph 413 to 436. In fact, the whole of my Almond Tumbler is applicable to
to any other Tumbler, as touching the five properties, &c., &c. (with only the excep-
tion of the feather). For what, after all, is an Almond but a Tumbler? The cause
of my writing so little in this place upon the Tumbler is, having written so fully at
another part of the work on the Almond Tumbler and, for the last time, to rivet on
your memory, is applicable to all Tumblers, feather excepted.

(* 198. Mayor, p. 109.)—But I must beg leave to dissent from that opinion of them,
having kept them several winters in a little shed or room, one side of which was en-
tirely open, and exposed to the easterly winds, with no other fence but a net which kept
them confined.

(+ 198. Mayor, p. 109.)—For they rear but few in the season if left to bring them
up themselves; therefore it would be most proper to shift their eggs under a *
Dragon or some other good nurse, in the same manner as mentioned of the Pouter ;
remembering to give them a young one of some kind to feed off their soft meat ; if.
this method be pursued they will breed very well.

(t 198. Mayor, p. 109.)—I have known four guineas given for a pair of these birds,
(§ 198. Mayor, p. 109.)—I had a hen of the Leghorn breed that weighed two pounds
two ounces, avoirdupois weight.

|| 198. Grrtiy, p. 83—Some of this sort when brought to table have appeared as
large as a pullet ; and a certain veteran Fancier of credit has assured us, that he
killed a hen of the Leghorn breed that weighed two pounds and a half avoirdupois
weight.

89

199.—As to their feather, they are various, but the best that I have
seen were either black or red mottled.

200.—There is a vast difference in these birds, and I have seen very
bad ones, that have been brought from Leghorn, little better than a com-
mon Runt; however this is the genuine true description of the Leg-
horn Runt, which is more valued than any other sort of Runts.

201.—This Pigeon was originally bred either at Pisce in the Duke of
Tuscany’s dominions, or at Pisze in Peloponesus, and from thence brought
to Leghorn, and so transmitted to us; but I -rather judge the latter, be-
cause it answers the description of: the Pigeon which WittoveHBY in

(198. Eaton.)—I differ from Mr. Moork as to their being a tender Pigeon ; my
experience has never taught me it. With regard to 17s., or that of a guinea and a
half, for a single cock, offered by Sir DotBry THOMAS, it is at this time, comparatively
speaking, not any price; far from being Al they are sold for five guineas per pair,
and what is wanted for a pair that will carry off the prizes at the different county
shows I should be afraid to tell you. I knew a pair sold for £25. I knew a gentle-
man who prided himself in keeping these large Pigeons, and would invite his friends
to dine with him, at the same time soliciting each, as a favour, to do has he did—to
eat one of his young Pigeons to begin with. As most gentlemen are, if not enthu-
siasts in Pigeons, great enthusiasts in the matter of Pigeon-pies, they readily gave con-
sent, knowing the gentleman prided himself in breeding and keeping Pigeons. I have
often witnessed what pleasure it gave him:in-relating the circumstance, in witnessing
the fix in which it placed some of his friends, if the Pigeon only weighed 13lbs. to
1lbs., not to mention about the crust—a pretty good tightener to begin with. I
know a gentleman who informed me his Runts weighed 4lbs. 100z. Being desirous to
ascertain and lay before my readers, with truth, the greatest weight of a pair of these
birds—(I think it right, nearly in all Fancies, there should be a prize for weight)—I
took the liberty to solicit the favour of G. C. ADKINS, Esq., of West House, Edgbas-
ton, near Birmingham, and EK. A. Lincarp, Esq., of Birmingham, if they would in-
form me the greatest weights their runts ever weighed ; I will give you their kind
answers :—

(198. G. C. ApK1ns.)—My largest pair of red Runts weighed just over 43lbs. I
believe they were Italian Runts, imported from France.

(198. EK. A. Linearp.)—In reply to yours respecting weight of Runts, my old birds
have been as near 42lbs. as possible. f

_ (198. Eaton.)—From these weights, if I were a betting man, I should be sorry to
make a considerable wager that a pair could not be produced that would weigh 5lbs.,
avoirdupois weight, 80oz. Although not a pair in this country, still I believe they
could be obtained from abroad. I have heard from a gentleman who imported some,
the expense to obtain and import them is very great.

(Brent.)—The term ‘ Runt” is applied to all large common Pigeons indiscrimi-
nately ; but my present remarks pertain to the Fancy Runts, those giants of the Pigeon
classes. The two sorts best known are the Italian and Spanish. Of the Italian varie-
ties the Leghorn Runts are favourites. These Pigeons are usually of a red colour,
and of a very large size ; they have rather large beaks, frequently hooked, with a small
wattle ; their necks are long and bent; chests full and prominent ; backs very broad ;
tails short and carried slightly elevated ; their wings are short, and their legs long and
stout ; their feathers lie very close to the body, which causes to look smaller than they
really are. Though their colour is generally red, very good ones are to be met white,
buff, and parti-coloured. The Germans call these ‘‘Bagadotten Tauben,” and they
have another variety which they call “ Hinckel,” or ‘‘ Florentinen Tauben,” which are
very heavy and as large as small fowls. They have long legs, but short beak and neck,
and are usually blue-pied ; the middle wing-feather is generally a double one ; and they
are considered excellent breeders.

90

his Ornithology calls Columba Turcica seu Persiea, the Turkish or Per-
sian Pigeon.

COLUMBA DOMESTICA HISPANLA.
The Spanish Runt.

202.—This Pigeon, as may readily be perceived by its name, comes
originally from Spain; and is the longest bodied of all Pigeons; I have
seen them three and twenty inches long, from the Apex of the beak to
the extremity of the tail, they are thick and short legged, loose feathered,
and loose fleshed, and don’t walk erect as the Leghorn Runt does.

203.—There are of all feathers in this kind of bird, but being short-
legged, are apt to sit too heavy upon their eggs, and by that means
break them, to prevent which inconvenience, the best way is to put chalk
eges under them, and set their eggs under a pair of smaller Runts or
Powting-horseman, which are more kindly breeders; not forgetting to
give your Spanish Runts a pair of young ones, at the time when they
ought to hatch, that they may feed of their soft meat, which they always
prepare against that time. ‘

204.—I have seen a Pigeon very much resembling the Spanish Runt,
with longer legs, but I rather take these Runts to come from Mexico,
Peru, or some other parts of the Spanish West Indies.

COLUMBA DOMESTICA FRISLA.
The Friesland Runt.

205.—This Pigeon comes from Friesland, and is one of the larger

(202. Brent.)—The Spanish Runt is now rarely seenin England—at least pure. Many
Pigeons are shown under that name, but very unlike the true sort. They are large
and loose-feathered, which makes them seem even larger than they are. They have
short necks and legs, but very long wings and tail, which make them appear exceed-
ingly long birds. The best I have seen were at St. Omer, France ; their colour was
black, slightly mottled with white; and they were called ‘‘ Tigre Espagnol.” Their
wings are so very long that they rise with difficulty, but when once on the wing,
they float along at ease, resembling in appearance a large sea-gull. About that part
I have also seen a large red Pigeon with white shoulders, called ‘‘Tigre Rouge.” But
of all the Pigeons I have ever seen, none were so large as some white Runts that
came from Belgium ; they had large feathers on their feet ; but as I cannot give their
exact size and weight, I shall forbear to state my ideas.

(202. Brent.)—All the large Runts, from their scarcity, are very expensive ; and
from the same cause are bred so much in-and-in, that they are bad breeders. I am,
however, of the opinion, that if their eggs were hatched under other sorts, and the
young ones carefully matched, so as to avoid any relationship for a few generations,
and then allowed plenty of exercise, and not too stimulating food, that they would be
found as prolific and as good nurses as other kinds ; but they must have houses and
nest places adapted to their size. I think the trial is well worth making, as they
would then prove a good addition to our list of large and useful poultry. It is a well
known fact that as our domestic animals are bred in-and-in, in the same proportion
do they degenerate, both in size and productiveness; and when over-stimulated,
they become fat, unhealthy, and careless of their young. If these facts were attended
to, I see no reason why our pigeon-houses should not be tenanted with large Runts in-
stead of small; but I do not wish to encourage mongrelism, for by crossing kinds the
respective properties of each would be lost. Adhere to one sort, but not to one family
connexion. Match birds of the same sort together, but of different families—the
wider the relationship the better ; and I have no hesitation in saying, that in two or
three generations your hopes would be realised.

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sort of middle-sized Runts; its feathers stand all reverted, and I cannot
see for what it can be admired except for its ugliness.

206.—There are other sorts of Runts, as the Roman Runt which is so
big and heavy it can hardly fly; and the Smyrna Runt, which is middle-
sized and feather-footed. I have seen the feathers growing on the out-
side of each foot, that they look as if they carried wings on their feet, I
have méasured some of these feathers which have been four inches and a
half long; these birds are very apt to drag their eggs and young ones out

of the nest, if not kept clean and dry. Tothese we may add the common
Runt, which are kept purely for the dish, and generally in locker holes
in inn yards or other places, and are well known to every body ; they are
good feeders and therefore good nurses for any of the more curious sorts
of Pigeons. !

207.—The following sorts of Pigeons are generally deemed and called
Toys by the gentlemen of the Fancy. :

COLUMBA MACULATA. The Spot.

208.—This Pigeon is about the size of a small Runt, and was first
transmitted to us from Holland, but from whence the original of this
breed came, I can’t as yet learn; they have spot upon their heads, just
above their beak, and from thence take their name, the feathers of the tail
are of the same colour with the spot, and the rest of their body is all
white. The spot and tail in some of these Pigeons is black, in others
red, in others yellow; and I have been informed that there are some blue;

(BRENT, 208.)--According to Mr. Joun Moors, 1735, this variety was brought
here from Holland. They were frequently to be met with a few years back, but now
seem to be getting scarce. They have a coloured spot on the head over the beak, and
the tail is also of the same colour, either black, blue, red, or yellow ; the whole of the
rest of the plumage is white. They are clean-footed, and occasionally turned crowned,
the upper mandible should be dark and the lower light; they are the size of the
common dove-house Pigeons. They are active and field well; and are reported always
to breed their young ones of the same colour. Their German name is “ Bless,”
(Spot) or “ Masken-Tauben,” (masked Pigeons).

THE WHITE SPOT, OR MASKED PIGEON.

(Brent.)—This variety is very scarce in England, but common in Germany, where
they are known as ‘“ Die Weiszblessige Taube,” White Spotted Pigeon ; or ‘‘ Weisz-
masken Taube,” White Masked Pigeon. They are rather smaller and lighter made
than the common dove-house Pigeons, also quicker and more active, and take willingly
to the fields to cater for themselves ; they are smooth-headed, and generally slightly
feathered on the feet, the upper mandible is white, the lower dark, on the head, directly
over the beak is an oval white spot, the tail also is white, the rest of the body being
coloured, so that they are exactly opposite to the Spot Pigeons last described ; some
few, however, have white wing bars.

Herr Gottlob Neumeister enumerates five sub-varieties as follows :—

1. The Black—white spot, with and without white wing bars, and occasionally with
white spangled shoulders.

2. The Blue—white spot, with the same markings as the above.

3. The Red—white spot, of a fine copper brown red, without wing bars.

4. The Yellow—white spot, their colour brown yellow ; they also have no wing bars.

5. The Copper-shouldered—white spots, their ground colour is dark slaty black, the
neck changes to shining olive-green, the shoulders of the wings are deep copper red,
and the under parts of the body light ash grey.

92

they look pretty when they spread their tail and fly, and always breed
their young ones of the same colour.

COLUMBA RIDENS. The Laugher.

209.—This Pigeon is about the size of a middling Runt, and much of
the same make, and I am informed has a very bright pearl eye, almost
white ; as for its feather, it is red mottled; and some tell me they have
seen blues. They are said to come from the Holy Land near Jerusalem.
When a cock plays to his hen he has a hoarse coo, not unlike the gurg-
gling of a bottle of water, when poured out, and then makes a noise,
which very much imitates a soft laughter, and from thence this bird has
its name.

COLUMBA TIBICEN. The Trumpeter.

210.—The Trumpeter is a bird much about the size of a Laugher,
and very runtishly made; they are generally pearl-eyed, black-mottled,
very feather-footed and légged, turn crowned like the Nun, and some-
times like the Finikin, but much. larger, which I take to be the better
sort, as being more melodious ; but the best-characteristic to know them,
is a tuft of feathers growing at the root of the beak, and the larger this
tuft is, the more they are esteemed. The reason of their name, is
from their imitating the sound of a trumpet after playing; though I once

209. (BRrEent.)—Although I have never seen any of this kind of Pigeon, still I
should deem my present series of papers on Pigeons incomplete did I not notice this
variety, which I believe is brought from Arabia and the Holy Land, and derives its
name from its strange coo, some part of which is thought to resemble laughter.

209. (Brent.)—Mr. Moore gives the following short description :—‘‘This Pigeon
is about the size of a middling Runt (¢. e., common Pigeon), and much of the same
make, and has a very bright pearl eye, almost white ; as for its feather, it is red mot-
tled ; and some tell me they have seen blue. They are said to have come from the
Holy Land, near Jerusalem. When the cock plays to his hen, he has a hoarse coo,
not unlike the gurgling of a bottle of water when poured out, and then makes a noise
which very much imitates soft laughter, and from thence this bird has its name.”

209. (BrENT.)—When a boy, I remember, my father was very desirous of obtaining
some Laugher Pigeons, but was never successful, from which circumstance, and never
having met with any myself, I should have concluded that they were extinct in Eng-
lend, were it not that in No. 283 of the “‘Cottage Gardener, March 2nd, 1854, I
perceived an account of them as recent arrivals from the coasts of Arabia. They are
described as being rather under the average size, with clean legs and beak rather
hooked, varying in colour, being mostly blue, red, and white, blue pied or mottled,
their various cries being certainly extraordinary ; some of the notes are those of a loud
coarse laugh, but when much alarmed—more like a hoarse clamour. The writer con-
siders them to stand our climate tolerably well, and from their risibility if disturbed at
night, being almost as good as a house dog.

209. (Brent.)—P.S. The Germars call the common cage Dove or Collared Turtle
“Die Lachtaube,” 7. ¢., Laughing Pigeon or Dove. Since writing the above I have
obtained a pair of Laugher Pigeons ; in colour the cock is a chequered, the hen che-
quered and white, and they look like very common mongrels, more dove-house than
anything else, from which they are not easily to be distinguished. There may, perhaps,
be slight fullness of the throat, and the shanks are slightly feathered ; there is not any-
thing different about the beak ; but the voice is very peculiar, quick, broken, and tre-
mulous ; it gives the idea of a stuttering Pigeon interrupted by hiccup, that is the
inspiratory Ah! which causes them to be called Laughers.

93

enquired of a German, who brought Pigeons over to sell here, the reason
of their being so called, and as he told me, he believed, was that they
were first brought to Holland by adrummer or trumpeter, and so were
called Trumpeters from him. COredat Judzeus Appela, let who will swal-
low this gudgeon.

(210. Brent.)—This variety of the domestic Pigeon came, I believe, originally from
Egypt and Arabia ; they are distinguished from all others by the prolonged and gur-
gling coo, from which they derive their name of Trumpeter. In Germany they are
called ‘‘Trommel Tauben,” and in France ‘‘ Pigeon Tambour, or “ Glougou,” names
all expressive of their peculiar note, which is sustained frequently for several minutes,
and somewhat resembles the distant rumbling of a drum, or the gurgling of water;
the voice sounds like a combination of the word ‘‘ Coo-coo-coo-00-coo0,” rapidly repeated
in a deep tone, interrupted by an occasional inspiratory “Ah!” Some are, however,
more rapid and tremulous in their voice than others. Some naturalists consider them
a very pure race, because if at all crossed they lose this distinctive coo. In addition to
their coo, they have a peculiar tuft or turn of the feathers over the beak, which
spreads in the form of a pink, and the finer and more evenly this spreads, the more
they are admired. They are usually turn-crowned, but sometimes only point-headed ;
they are well booted, or, as the Shanghae Fanciers style it, ‘ Vulture-hocked,” and
their feet are covered with very long feathers; the length of these feathers is also
considered a great point ; they are stout thick-set birds, what the Fanciers call ‘‘runtish”
made, of good size, and excellent breeders, but should be kept clean and dry. The
long feathers on their feet often incommode their walking on rough ground. Their
prevailing plumage is quite white, and of the white there seems to be two varieties, the
one rather smaller, with white beak and dark eyes, heavily feathered and excellent
vocalists ; the other rather larger, with slightly tinged beak, a pearl eye, and better
turn over the beak and back of the head ; this last, I fancy, is not quite so musical,
though generally more esteemed ; of the former variety I had some excellent birds
bred from stock imported from Egypt, and though they were not quite so hand-
some as some, I never had but one other that could equal them in trumpeting a pro-
longed finale. The fancy plumage is the black mottle ; these, to be perfect, should
have the twelve tail feathers, and the ten flight feathers in each wing, perfectly black,
the rest of the body being white, regularly mottled with black feathers ; the eyes
should be of a clear pearl colour, the turn of feathers over the beak and at the back
of the head well developed, and the feet well feathered. There are also blacks,
blues, and reds. The Germans have some they call ‘‘ Bastard-Trommel Tauben,”
which are beautifully marked, but which rarely trumpeet well, if at all ; the German Fan-
ciers generally think more of feather than of the other properties, which will account for
the numerous varieties of toys which they cultivate. These cross-bred Trumpeters are
variously marked, as reds or yellows, with clean white shoulders, also white birds with
dark shoulders, like our Turbits, as black, blue, red, or yellow shouldered, the two for-
mer sometimes having white wing bars ; some of these cross-bred birds have no turn
crown, and others have neither turns and yet trumpet very well; these have various
provincial names, as “‘rauchfuszige,” “latschige,” ‘‘strausz,” ‘“‘ Russische,” or “ Alten-
burgische,” 7.e. rough-footed, slippered, tufted, Russian or Altenburg Pigeons.

(210. Eaton.)—Some Fanciers greatly admire this bird ; I confess that I have seen
some that are to be admired ; the best I have ever seen are the black mottled ones, as
they are called; they are differently marked in the body to a black mottled Tum-
bler. I think they might with equal propriety be called Black and White Mottle
Trumpeters, being so gay in their body feathers, having as many white feathers in
their body as black. The white Trumpeter is not so much admired as the mottled,
for want of variety in the feather, and so easy to breed ; but where Fanciers want to
Lreed to a particular feather, at the same time maintaining all the other grand proper-
ties, they experience the difficulty ; the fact is, London Fanciers do not admire the
white whole feathered Pigeons from their want of variety ; besides the impossibility to
keep them clean in London ; it is otherwise in the country ; although the London Fan-
ciers do admire a perfect white short-faced Tumbler with a beautiful pearl eye, whenever
they can see one. It appears, 123 years ago, when Moors wrote his book, there

94
911.—The more salacious they are, the more they will trumpet ; for
which reason, if you have a mind to be often entertained with their me-
lody, you must give them good store of hemp seed ; otherwise they will

seldom trumpet much, except in Spring, when they are naturally more
salacious than usual.

COLUMBA CYPRIA CUCULLATA.
The Jacobine Pigeon.

212.—The Jacobine, or as it is vulgarly called for shortness, the Jack,
is, if true, the smallest of all Pigeons, and the smaller still the better ;
It has a range of feathers inverted quite over the hinder part of the head,
and reaching down on each side of the neck to the shoulders of the wings,
which forms a kind of a fryer’s hood; from hence this Pigeon has its
name Jacobine, because the fathers of that order all wear hoods to cover
their bald crowns; hence the upper part of this range of feathers is called
the hood, and the more compact these feathers are, and the closer to the
head, so much the more this bird is esteemed: The lower part of this range
of feathers is called by us, the chain, but the Dutch call it the cravat, the
feathers of this chain ought to be long and close, so that if you strain the
neck a little, by taking hold of the bill, the two sides will lap over each
other in some of the best; but there are but very few now to be found in
England compleat. (*)

were gudgeons in the world; since then the flats have become more fashionable.
Where a prize is awarded to the best four pens of different varieties, with the excep-
tion of Tumblers, Carriers, and Pouters, I do not find fault when the Trumpeter is
put in as one of the varieties, owing to the difficulty to breed a good one, compared to
the breeding of a Turbit, although a very pretty bird, and infinitely before a Fantail,
unless it has beautiful lace feathers.

(* 212. Mayor, p. 114.)—The breed of them having suffered much, in my opinion,
in general, by a wrong method of propagating them, viz., that of intermixing the
breed of the Ruff with them, in order to improve their chain by lengthening the
feathers thereof, whereby the chain is considerably detrimented, by being looser and
not so closely connected as it otherwise would have been, had the Jack and the Ruff
been entirely kept separate. It has likewise caused the Jack to be bred larger, a longer
beak and looser in its hood than it was originally; for the true Jack is a small
bird, very little larger than a Tumbler, and the smaller it is the better.

(212. Mayos, p. 115.)—The Pigeon dealers have a method of coaxing the hood and
chain of this bird (as the term is), which they perform by clipping the feathers at
the back part of the head and neck, and continually stroking the hood and chain
forwards, which makes them advance further than they otherwise would; and
sometimes they cut a piece of skin out between the throat and tie chest, and sew
it up again, by which means the chain is drawn closer. It should have a very
small rise, &c.

(212. Eaton.)—Writing on the Jacobine, Moork says, if true, it is the smallest
of all Pigeons. I have not any doubt but the Jack was an exceeding pretty Pigeon
when Moore wrote his Work, 123 years ago. You at times see a pretty pair of
these birds by comparison with others that are called Jacobines (but neither more
nor less than Capuchines or rough Ruffs), One thing is quite certain, the Jacobine
has greatly degenerated, or the incomparable Tumbler, possessing the five properties,
very much improved ; ’tis certain one or the other. If you refer to Mayor’s Work,
you will observe a beautiful print or likeness of a Jacobine, very likely what it was at

JPOWLYLOPL]

WAAUWID. PHU E

: oe

95

that time: at the same time, refer to the print of the Almond Tumbler in the same
Work ; it looks like a game cock making hasty strides after his hens. I cannot by
any possibility think this a fair specimen of what an A‘mond Tumbler was in 1765;
if so, and the two prints were shown to any one, and asked which he considered the
most beautiful bird, the answer unquestionably would be the Jacobine. I confess I
am at a loss to know what the print of the Almond Tumbler looks like. I consider
the Jacobine, as a toy, should rank second toy ; the Barb unquestionably the first
from the difficulty of breeding a good one.

(212. Brent.)—The aristocratic Jacobin of the old Pigeon Fanciers is not now t°
to be met with in England, but I believe may still be had in France ; I enquired for
them of the Pigeon dealer at St. Omer, but though he knew them he was unable to
procure me any in that part. The French name, if I remember righ , was “ Pigeon
Normain Capucin.”

(212. Brent.)—The pure and high-bred Jacobin bears the same affinity to the
Pigeon generally called a Jacobin, that the high-bred, short-faced Tumbler does to the
common flying Tumbler ; in fact, could we produce a short-faced, Baldhead Tumbler, with
a close fitting hood and elegant chain, we should then have a perfect aristocratic
Jacobin. ik? ;

(212. Brent.)—The common Jacobin Pigeons are supposed to come from’ Cyprus ;
they are well known on the Continent ; the Germans call them “ Zopf,” “ Perucken,”
or ‘‘Schleier-Tauben,” as also ‘‘ Kapuziner.” The French know them by the name of
“‘Pigeon Capucin,”

(212, Brent.)—They should have a rather short, stout beak and a pearl eye; the
feathers at the back of the head and the sides of the neck, are reversed in their posi-
tion, and form a compact hood and chain, reaching down to the bend of the wings ;
the more even and closer setting they.are the more is the breed esteemed. The hood
and chain constitute the chief characteristics of the breed, and give the bird an inte-
resting appearance, forming a frill round the head in resemblance of Queen Bess. At
- the lower part of the chain the feathers turn out all round and expose a centre spot of
white down.

(212. Brent.)—Their colour is usually red, or black, bald-headed, that is with a red
or black body, the head, tail, flight, rump, thighs, and vent, white ; and to be perfect
there should be no intermixture of colours, as dark feathers where they should be light,
or vice versa, which would be considered a blemish, as also a bull (2. e. black) eye;
there are also yellow and blue bald-headed Jacks, and some that are mottled on the
wings, and I once saw a dun bald-headed Jack. Quite white are not uncommon, and
the Germans have some quite black; they are mostly clean legged, but some are
feather-footed.

(212. Brent.)—The various names of this kind of Pigeon, as “‘Jacobin,” ‘‘ Nor-
main,” ‘‘Kapuziner,” &c., are traceable to the resemblance of the white head
of the bird enveloped in the dark hood, to the shaven crown of those eccle-
siastics partially covered by the cowl. The high-bred Jacks are tender, and not
the best of nurses, consequently the young should be raised under other sorts, like
many other of the different kinds of Fancy Pigeons ; their greater value being ample
remuneration for the extra trouble. The commoner sorts are very fair breeders, but
not being good flyers are not adapted to procure their living abroad, nor are they
suited to contend for food among the other inhabitants of the poultry yard, as,
from,the hood and chain obstructing the backward vision, they are frequently pounced
npon unawares by any malicious enemy. The Fancy demand pearl eyes in white, as
well as Jacks of any other colour. The primitive colour of Jacobin or Cyprus
Pigeons I believe to have been red or black, bald-headed, and the plumage is probably
the effect of crossing, at some time, with other white Pigeons; by which means the
dark eyes, by far too often seen in these pretty birds, is a circumstance to be accounted
for, buta blemish not to be tolerated. The so-called Jacobins of the present time are
comparatively but degenerate examples of the beautiful short-faced Jacks of former
writers, and if any one wishes to excel in the reproduction of exquisite Jacobines, they
must, by careful matching and in and in breeding, reduce the best of the present Jacks
to the former standard, of excellence ; a small Pigeon, short beak and close, compact

96

213.—The Jacobine ought to have a very short bill, the erga ee the bet-
ter, and a clean pearle eye.

214.—As for the feather, there are reds, yellows, blues, blacks, and
mottles; but be the feather what it will, they ought to have a clean
white head, white flight, and white tail.

215.—Of these Pigeons some are feather-legged and footed, others are
not, and both sorts are equally esteemed, according to the various inclina-
tion of different fanciers. (*)

OOLUMBA CUCULLATA MINOR. The Capuchine.

216.—This Pigeon is in shape and make very like the Jacobine, and
has its name like the former from another set of hooded ecclesiastics.

217.—It is something larger in body than the Jack, its beak longer, it
has a tolerable hood but no chain, it is in feather (1) and other properties
the same. Some will assert it to be a distinct species, but I am more in-.
clinable to imagine it is only a bastard breed from a Jacobine and another
Pigeon; however, thus far I am sure, that a Jack and another will
breed a bird so like it, as will puzzle the authors of this assertion to dis-
tinguish it, from what they call their separate species. ({)

COLUMBA VESTALIS. The Nun.

218.—The Ruff should in proper order have been next inserted, as
being nearest in kind to the two foregoing ; but we choose rather to intro-
duce the Nun in this place, that she might be as near as possible to those

hood, with the chain reaching to the shoulders (perhaps a high admixture with a clean
marked short-faced Baldheaded Tumbler, if judiciously used, would be advantageous in
this matter) ; but as the in and in breeding, if carried to any extent, will weaken the
birds and reduce their prolificness, the advantage derived must be in the enhanced
value of the produce.

* 215. (Mayor p. 116.)—In France and Holland they have brought this species to
much greater perfection than in England, for of late years they have been much neg-
lected here, which I think the greater pity, as they are by far the most pleasing of any
of the toy Pigeons whatever. A very ingenious gentleman of my acquaintance and
an exceeding good Fancier, as well as a great Naturalist, being at Paris last summer,
purchased two pairs of these birds, and charged himself with the trouble and care of
bringing them over to England, which he effected in order to restore the true original
breed of them, but was prevented in that, by a cat getting into his loft, and thereby de-
stroying them all.

215. (Mayor, p. 117.)—The following being in itself so uncommon, and a Fact, I
cannot help taking notice of it:—A person the other day passing through Fleet Street,
seeing a print of this bird at a shop window, stopped to make his observations thereon,
and having well viewed it he went in and purchased it, declaring to the seller, that he
never saw a stronger likeness in his life, and, as for the wig, it was exactly the same he
always wore, for he imagined it altogether a caricature of one of his intimate acquaint-
ances ; and the person of whom he bought it, did not think it necessary at that time to.
undeceive him.

(+ 217. Mayor, p. 121.)—Its feather is various, sometimes blue, red, yellow, mot-
tled, black, &e. ; tie should, like the Jack, always havea clean white head, white flight,
and white tail, and a pearl eye.

({ 217. Mayor, p. 122.)-These sort are in very small esteem among Fanciers, though
each particular species have their admirers.

97

venerable sons of the church, who generally take a great delight to asso-
ciate themselves with the female saints.

219.—The Nun therefore is a bird somewhat larger than a Jacobine, her
plumage is very particular, and she seems entirely to take her name from
it, her being as it were covered with a veil (*)

220.—Her body is all white, her head, tail, and six of her flight
feathers ought to be entirely black, red, and yellow; (+) and whatever
feathers vary from this are said to be foul, though the best of them all
will sometimes apt to breed a few foul feathers, and those that are but
little so, though not so much valued, will often breed as clean-feathered
birds as those that are not.

221.—A Nun ought likewise to be pearle-eyed, and to have a white
hood or tuft of feathers on the hinder part of the head, which the larger
it is, adds a considerable beauty to the bird.

217. (BrEent.)—Capuchines are those that have only a hood and no chain, but such
are of no value, being merely a cross of the former.

* 219, (Mayor, p. 123.)—Is a bird that attracts the eye greatly, from the contrast
in her plumage, which is very particular.

—F 220. (Mayor, p. 123.)—Namely, if her head be black, her tail and flight should be
black likewise ; if her head be red, then her tail and flight should be red ; or if her head
be yellow, her tail and flight should be also yellow; and are accordingly called either
red-headed Nuns, yellow-headed Nuns, &c. Should a black-headed Nun have a white
or any other coloured feather in her head, except black, she would be called foul-headed ;
or a white feather in her flight, she would be called foul-flighted, &c., and the same rule
stands good in the red-headed or yellow-headed Nuns.

220. (Brent.)—Of all the toy Pigeons, the Nun is perhaps the best known and
most cultivated in England. It is much admired for its pretty appearance, and the
contrast of its colours ; it is with me a very favourite pet, from the fact of its having
been the very first I had to call my own; nevertheless, I regret to see it take prece-
dence, as it sometimes does at our shows, of such birds as Jacobins, Turbits, or Barbs,
which have many properties, while the pretty Nun is truly a toy, having but one
property, namely, feather.

220, (BrEentT.)—The Nuns are about the size of common dove-house Pigeons, but
stouter made, and rather more elegantly shaped ; the beaks are long and dove-shaped ;
the eyes should be pearl-coloured, though occasionally gravel, but a black eye is a
great fault. They are merry, active, and good breeders ; they are clean-footed, and
being sharp flyers, are capable of finding a part of their food in the fields. Their
plumage is beautifully white, the extremities only being coloured; the crown of the
head, face, and a small portion of the upper part of the throat is dark, and at the back
of the head is a nice white turned crown, which gives the bird the appearance of wear-
ing a dark veil and white hood, from which circumstance it derives the name of Nun.
The twelve tail feathers, and a few of the tail-coverts, as also from seven to ten flight
feathers in each pinion are dark of the same colour as the head, either black, blue, red,
or yellow ; and they are designated black-headed or yellow-headed Nuns, as the case
may be: but black-headed Nuns are by far the most common ; the body should be per-
fectly white, any dark or ‘‘ foul” feathers among the white, or white where they should
be black, are fatal blemishes; the hood, too, should be perfectly white, so as to
contrast well with the dark visage, and not lined with dark feathers, as is sometimes
the case.

220. (BrentT.)—The German Nuns differ from the English in having white flights,
and are there called “ Bard Tauben,” or Beard Pigeons.

98
COLUMBA GALETEA. The Helmet.

223.—This Pigeon is much about the size of a Nun, or somewhat big-
ger. The head, tail, and flight-feathers of the wings, are are always of
one Colour, as black, red, yellow; and I have been informed there are
some blue, and all the rest of the body white, so that the chief difference
between them and the Nun is, that they have no hood on the hinder part
of the head, and are generally gravel-eyed.

224.—They are called Helmets from their heads being covered with a
plumage which is distinct in colour from the body, and appears somewhat
like a helmet to cover the head.

COLUMBA CUCULLATA RUDIS. The Ruf.

225.—This Pigeon is larger than the true original Jacobine, though in
shape and make much the same. (*)

226.—It has a longer beak, the irides of the eyes in some are of a
pearl-colour, in others of a gravel colour, the feathers of its hood and
chain are much longer, though the chain does not come down so low to
the shoulders of the wings, neither are they near so compact and close as the
others, but are apt to blow about with every blast of wind, fall more back-
ward off the head, and lie in a rough confused manner, whence the
Pigeon has its name.

227.—The strain of Jacobines has been much vitiated by matching
them to this Pigeon, in order to improve their chain by the length of
the Ruff’s feathers, but instead of this, the Jack is bred larger, longer
beaked, looser in its hood and chain, and in short worsted in all its ori-
ginal properties.

COLUMBA IN GYRUM FLECTENS. The Finntkin.

228.—This Pigeon is in make and shape very like a common Runt,

223. (BRENT.) —This toy, like the preceding, is evidently descended from a German
race, namely, the “‘ Kappen,” or “ Platten-Tummler,” or ‘‘ Burzel taube ;” but, like
the foregoing, their Tumbler properties have been disregarded, and the birds are rarely
much thought of, though their pretty appearance ought to bring them some admirers ;
the upper mandible is dark, the lower light, the top of the head is.coloured, either
red or yellow, in a line from the beak through the eye, which gives the appearance of
the bird’s wearing a cap or helmet, whence the name; the tail also coloured the same
as the head, and in those that have feathers on the feet, they are likewise coloured ;
the whole of the remainder of the plumage is spotless white.

223. (BRENT.)—The old-fashioned Helmet Pigeon, with dark flights, as described by
Mr. Moorz, 1735, I have never seen.

* 225. (Mayor, p. 119.)—Tnsomuch that they have been frequently sold for such, to
those who have not thoroughly understood the properties belonging to the Jack.

226. (Mayor, p. 120.)—Their feather is also the same as that of the Jack; so
that it is not so much to be wondered at, that those who were unacquainted with the
properties of the true original Jack, should have a Ruff imposed upon them in its
stead ; but I hope we have sufficiently described the Ruff to be worse than the Jack
in all its properties, so as to prevent future impositions of that kind.

226. (BrentT.)—The Ruff is a large variety of the Jacobin, and derives its name
from the loose and disordered appearance of its hood and chain.

228. (Brent.)—If the Trumpeter and Laughing Pigeons are curious on account

VOLO JVOULOY Oye 7
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99

and much about the same size. The crown of its head is turned much
after the manner of a snake’s head; it is gravel-eyed and has a tuft of
feathers on the hinder part of the crown, which runs down its back not
unlike a horse’s main? it is clean-footed and legged and always black,
and blue pied. When it is salacious, it rises over its hen and turns round
three or four times, flapping its wings, then reverses and turns as many the
other way. .

229.—Were a ‘centleman i in the country to stock a dove-house with this
sort of Pigeons, their whimsical gestures might engage the country people
to imagine he kept an enchanted castle.

230.—Some people disapprove of this sort of Pigeons as apt to
vitiate their other strains by making a hen squat by these antic gestures;
but in fact they are no more dangerous that way than any other breed
when salacious.

COLUMBA CIRCUMAGENS. The Tybee

231.—This Pigeon i is in many respects like the Finnikin, except that
when it is salacious and plays to the female it turns only one way, where-
as the other turns both; it has no tuft on the hinder part of the head ;
neither is it snake-headed.

COLUMBA NUMIDICA. The Barb, or Barbary Pigeon.

232.—This Pigeon is in size somewhat larger than a Jacobine, it is called
a Barb for shortness instead of the Barbary Pigeon, being originally brought
from that country.

233.—It has avery short beak like a bull-finch, with a very small

of their voice, so are these Pigeons from their very grotesque movements. There ap-
pear to be three varieties of this kind, called the Finnikin, the Turner, and the Smiter.
I have seen some Pigeons of this sortin Germany, where they are called “ Ring-Schla-
gen Tauben,” 2. e., Ring-beating Pigeons, and apart from their strange movements and
actions, I could see nothing else in them different to other common kinds. They are
considered very productive ; but I am not aware that any are now to be found in
England. In Mr. Moorn’s Work I find the following description :—“ The Finnikin is
in make and shape like acommon Runt and about the same size ; the crown of the head
is turned much after the manner of a snake’s head ; it is gravel-eyed. and has a tuft
of feathers on the hinder part of the crown, which runs down its neck, not unlikea
- horse’s mane: it is clean-fuoted and legged, and always black and blue pied. When it
is salacious, it rises over its hen and turns round three or four times, flapping its wings,
then reverses, and turns as many the other way. The Turner is in many respects like
the Finnikin, except that it turns only one way, has no tufts on the hinder part of the
head, and is not snake-headed.” The Smiter is described by M. Boitard and M. Corbie,
French writers, as follows :—They are a little stouter than the Tumblers, have a small
sere round the eyes, which are black ; the feet are feathered. Whatever the size of the
place in which they are, they rise to the top, and come down again in circles, turning
first one way and then the other, and they turn round in flying even in their dovecots :
but they are quarrelsome and jealous. In plumage (they say) they are grey, with black
marks oa the wings, red, or pearly white, with a pure white horse-shoe mark on the
back. They frequently break some of their wing feathers by the violence of their move-
ments, which seem to resemble convulsions ; and they are generally very productive.

233. (Haton.)—The Gentlemen of the Fancy agree that the Barb should take pre-
G2

100

wattle, and a naked circle of tuberous red flesh round the eyes, whose
irides are of a pearle colour, the broader and redder the flesh is, the more
the bird is valued, though it is very narrow when the bird is young, and
does not come to its full growth till they are four years old. Some of

them have a tuft of feathers on the hinder part of the head, somewhat like
a Finnikin, and others not.

234.—Mr. WittounesyY, in his description of this bird, is guilty ofa
very great mistake, in imagining the tuberous flesh to be white in some
birds of this kind, which it never is, though it will grow pale when the
bird is sick ; but when it recovers, always reassumes its wonted redness.

235.—Their original colour is either black or dun, though there are
Pieds of both these feathers, but they are bred from the Barb and Maho-
met, and are not so much valued.

cedence, or rank first of all the toy Pigeons, from the great difficulty there is to breed
a good one. It requires great judgment and care to breed a good Barb with a beauti-
ful round, broad rose eye, as it is termed, of an equal thickness, like the beautiful eye
of some Carriers: it is rarely you see a Barb with an eye as it ought to be, with the
large tuberous red flesh round. The head should be extra broad and round ; some
Fanciers admire the tufted ; others, smooth-headed. I think the tufted is the hardest
to breed, and rather bordering on a property. Again, the Barb does not show its pro-
perties till it is four years’ old. Taking all into consideration, it is my opinion the
Barb should take precedence and rank A 1 of all toys, owing to the difficulty to breed
a good one. It is not often yousee agood one ; therefore I refer you to the portrait of the
Barb that will accompany the Work, for your observations and reflections. I cannot
help thinking but the blacks look best, the contrast of the red eyes being greater. I
cannot say I am an admires of a red eye in a white feathered bird.

233. (BrENT.)—This variety derives its name from the part of Africa so called, it
being reported that it was originally brought from thence. The Germans call it ‘ Die
Indische,” or ‘‘ Indianische-Taube,” that is, Indian Pigeon. I frequently saw them in
France, but their French name I have forgotten.

233. (BreNnt.)—They are generally smooth-headed, though some are turned-crowned,
and a few have a frill on the chest like a Turbit; their beaks are short, thick, and sur-
mounted by a small wattle ; their irides should be a pearl colour, and they have a

broad sere round the eyes of a bright red colour; the broader and evener this circle is
the more they are esteemed.

233. (BRENT.)—The smooth-headed blacks I consider the original and purest variety;
but there are many other colours, as dun, white, red, yellow, blue, and, I believe, a
few mealy ; some are spotted, but the whole-coloured ones are most esteemed. The
best I ever had were some red ones I procured at Calais. A gentleman at Calais had
also an old black cock that he informed me was brought from the West Indies, and
was twenty-years old ; he was a fine old bird, though somewhat dull, most probably
from his great age; the seres round his eyes were very large and pale, having much the
appearance of a good Horseman, but the pale colour might be the effect of old age or
ill-health. In young birds the sere is small; they are considered in perfection at
four years old. I had some pure white, very good birds, and their red seres contrasted
prettily against theiz beautiful white plumage.

233. (BRENT.)—They are well known in England, but I think the English Fanciers
breed them too high, more as one would wish to see a Tumbler in shape, so that their
peculiar elongated shape is much shortened, if not altogether lost. They are light on
the wing, but not strong flyers. The Continental Barbs are more to my Fancy as
Barbs. I admire the short compact form of an Almond Tumbler in that bird, but
not ina Barb. The Continental birds I consider of a more natural shape, somewhat
peculiar to that variety ; they are stouter necked, wider shouldered, and have rather

101
COLUMBA NUMIDICA ALBA. The Mahomet.

236.—This Pigeon is no more in reality than a white Barb, which
makes the red tuberous flesh round the eyes look very beautiful. All
that can further be added with regard to this Pigeon, is to assign the
reason, why this name of Mahomet is given to it, which I take to be
this.

237.—Mahomet, the imposter prophet of the Turkish religion, and
author of the Alcoran, is reputed by some authors, and those of good
note, as Scaliger, Grotius, and Sionita, to have made use of the following
stratagem, to induce the credulous Arabians to believe that he conversed
frequently with the Holy Spirit, and received from his mission as a pro-
phet, and the new doctrines he was about to broach.

238.—This imposture he carried on in this manner; he took a young
pigeon of this kind which we are now describing, and which by the im-
maculate whiteness of its plumage, was not an improper emblem of purity
and the celestial dove: this bird he brought up by hand, and made it very
tame and familiar, till at last he taught it to eat meat out of his ear, which
he might easily do, especially if he fed it with rape or hemp seed there,
which all pigeons are naturally fond of, till at last the Pigeon would come
frequently to search for its food there. This bird he imposed upon the
Arabians to be the Holy Ghost, whispering the dictates of the Almighty,
and teaching him the precepts of his new law, and from hence, this bird
is called after him by the name of Mahomet. (*)

more elongated bodies: their pinion feathers are all rather long. I fear, however, it
is rather difficult to describe their peculiar carriage. ws
233. (BRrent.)—Nots.—The Barb is the Polish Pigeon of some writers.

236. (EATON).—I believe Moore is right in stating the Mahomet to be nothing
more than a white Barb, which, he states, makes the red tuberous flesh round the
eyes very beautiful. I do not fancy the red tuberous flesh round the eye on a white
Barb any more than the wattle on a white Carrier or Horseman ; it appears to me fer-
ret-eyed or sore-eyed. I fancy Barbs and Carriers look best black ; the contrast is
greater with the red tuberous flesh or wattle. At a show, a good Fancier called my
attention to a splendid pair of white Pouters; he asked me what'I thought of them; I
said—‘ A magnificent pair of birds ;” he said they looked to him like a pair of plaster
of Paris birds ; he being a greater admirer of the pied Pouters. ‘The pair I am writing’
of were sold in the room for nine pounds. "Tis impossible we can account for our
fancies ; I think it is wisely ordered that we do not fancy all things alike ; for instance,
if all of us fancied necks, breasts, and scrags of mutton, who would eat the shoulders,
legs, and loins? Again, if all fancied the clods, stickings, shins, and the “ stare-ing
quarter”—the head—answer me this question—Who would eat the roast beef, such as
the ribs or sirloins? I repeat it is wisely ordered that we should differ in our fancies.
I sincerely hope, “‘ May the difference of opinion never lessen friendship” among true,
honest, and good Fanciers,

* 938, (Mayor, p. 141.)—So far Mr. Moorz; and I think he has extremely well
accounted for its being so called; but it is the opinion of many Fanciers, that the bird
called a Mahomet is nearly a cream coloured, with bars across the wings as black as
ebony, the feathers very particular, being of two colours ; the upper part or surface of
them appearing of a cream, and underneath a kind of sooty colour, nearly approach-
ing to black; as are likewise the flue-feathers, and even the skin, which I never ob-
served in any other Pigeon but these; its size much like that of a Turbit, with a
fine gullet, and, in lieu of a frill, the feathers rather appear like a seam: the head

102

239.—Since we are thus entered into the story of this Imposter, it may
not be amiss to amuse our readers, with a stratagem an Arabian girl made
use of to prove the truth of his pretended mission; the story as related
by D. Prideaux in his life of Mahomet runs thus.

240.—Three years before his death, he led forth his army against
Chaibar, a city inhabited by the Arabs of the Jewish religion, who being
overthrown by him in battle, he besieged their city and took it by storm.
And here those who are magnifiers of Ali, tell this miracle of him, that in
the assault, Sampson like, he plucked up one of the gates of the city
(which was of that weight saith Abul Feda, that eight other men could
not move it), and held it before him for a shield to defend himself against
the beseiged, till the city was taken. On Mahomet’s entering the town,
he took up his quarters in the house of Hareth, one of the principal inha-
bitants of the place; whose daughter Zainab making ready a shoulder of
mutton for his supper, poisoned it; and here those who are for ascribing
miracles to Mahomet, tells us that the shoulder of mutton spoke to him,
and discovered that it was poisoned! but it seems if it did so, it was too
late to do him any good. For Basher, one of his companions, falling on
too greedily, to eat it, fell down dead on the place. And although Maho-
met had not immediately the same fate, because not liking the taste, he
spit out again what he had taken into his mouth, yet he let down enough
to do his business; for he was never well after this supper, and at three
years end died of it. The maid being asked why she did this, answered
that she had a mind to make trial whether he were a prophet or no. For
were he a prophet, said she, he could certainly know that the meat was
poisoned ; and therefore would receive no harm from it; but if he were
not a praphet, she thought she should do the world good service in ridding
it of so wicked a tyrant.

is short and inclined to be thick ; hath an orange eye, and a small naked circle of
black flesh round the same, and a beak resembling that of a bullfinch with a small black
wattle on it.

(Mayor, p. 142.)—I must confess I rather think this bird a mixed strain between
a Turbit and some other Pigeon.

238. (Brent.)—This is one of the varieties of Fancy Pigeons with which I have
but a very slight acquaintance, having only once seen a pair at a London dealer’s, and
their appearance gave me the idea of a cross between an Owl and a Barb Pigeon;
nevertheless, their seam, and black wattle, sere, and skin, I consider sufficient distinctive
peculiarities to give them a place among Fancy Pigeons as a separate variety. Mr.
Moors, in his Work, ‘‘ Columbariam,” printed in 1735 (and for which Pigeon Fan-
cier are indebted to Mr. J. M. Eaton for the reprint), considers the Mahomet sim-
ply as a white Barb, and accounts for its name as being the same variety as that
which Mahomet trained to peck in his ear, by which he induced his followers to believe
the Holy Ghost ministered to him, so as to enable him to write the sacred Koran. It
is very probable that the present relations existing between this country and the Sub-
lime Porte may cause the introduction of other varieties of Pigeons from the Kast. I
believe the Pigeon is considered a sacred bird among the Mahomedans, for which, per-
haps, the following tradition may account :—Mahomet, while flying from his pursuers,
hid himself in a tree or bush, and his enemies, who were in close pursuit, observing a
Pigeon or Dove undisturbed on her nest, concluded that no one was there; thus
Mahomet escaped.

1038

241.—During his sickness, he much complained of the bit which he
had taken at Chaibar, telling those that came to visit him, that he had felt
the torments of it in his body ever since, and that at times it brought on
him very dolorous pains, and that then it was going to break his very
heart strings. And when among others, there came to see him the mother
of Basher. who died on the spot, of that poison, he cried out, O mother
of Basher, the veins of my heart are now breaking of the bit which I eat
with your son at Chaibar: so that it seems notwithstanding the intimacy
which he pretended with the angel Gabriel, and the continual revelations
which he bragged that he received from him, he could not be preserved
from thus perishing by the hands of a silly girl.

COLUMBA FIMBRIATA. The Turbit.

242.—The reason, why this pigeon is named by the English, I cannot
by any means account for ; the low Dutch call it cort-beke, (*) or short-
bill, upon account of the shortness of its beak.

243.—It is a small Pigeon very little bigger than a Jacobine, its beak
is very short like a partridge, and the shorter the better; it has a round

* 2492. (GIRTIN, p. 95.)—From corruption of the word cortbeck, or cortbete, as it is
called by the Dutch, which word seems to be originally derived from the French court-
bec, and signifies a short bill, for which this Pigeon is remarkable.

243. (Eaton.)—This is a remarkably neat and compact bird, and were it not that
they breed so true to their markings as regards feather, much more would be thought
of them. By selecting the best, and breeding from the best of their young, and working up
to a high standard, I think the difficulty would not be insurmountable, that of placing a
head on the Turbit equal to that on the Almond Tumbler. I am of opinion it would
rank the fourth toy Pigeon, being a particularly neat, small and pleasing bird. The
small amount of difficulty in breeding this Pigeon, owing to their breeding so true
to their markings, with little judgment of the Fancier. Under these circumstances,
I think the Trumpeter should rank before the Turbit. Should a Tumbler Fancier have
brought the Tumbler to as near a state of perfection that he can proceed no further,
and is desirous, for a change, to try his hand at something else, I would advise him
to try all he knows of the five properties of the Tumbler, with the-exception of feather,
upon the pretty neat-shouldered Turbit ; I think it would soon yield, and then would
beyond all doubt rank the fourth Pigeon among toys.

243. (BrentT.)—The English name of this Pigeon is not satisfactorily accounted
for. Mr. L. A. MEALL suggests its derivation from the Latin participle turbatus, as
applicable to its frill or ruffle. To me it seems a corruption of the old English word
Talbot, or shield-bearer, from the shield-like marks it bears on its wings.

243. (Brent.)— The Germans call them ‘‘ Moven-Tauben,” under which name
both the Turbit and Owl Pigeons are included. The Turbit is separately known as
“* Schildchen,” or ‘‘ Lutticher-Schildchen,” or ‘‘ Brief-trager,” which means the little
shield of Liege, or Liege Letter-carrier, which latter designation is equally applicable
to the Owl Pigeon. AsI did not meet with any of this variety in France, I do not
know their French name.

243. (BRenT.)—The Turbits are a very pretty variety of Fancy Pigeons ; they are
small, plump, compact-made birds, of rounded form and engaging appearance ; their
beaks are short and thick, their eyes large and prominent, of a very dark brown or
black colour ; their heads broad and rather angular ; they are usually smooth-crowned,
though some are point-headed, and others have tolerable hoods ; beneath the beak the
skin is slightly extended, and a little resembling the dewlap of the bull. Taking off
the abrupt or angular junction between the beak and the neck, this is called the gullet;
on the lower part of the neck and crop a seam of feathers stands up and turns various

104

button head, and the feathers on the breast open and reflect both ways,
standing out almost like fringe or the frill of a modern shirt; this is called
the purle, and the more of it the bird has, the more it is admired.

244.—As for the feather, their tail and the back of the wings ought to
be of one entire colour, as blue, black, red, yellow, dun and chequered ;(*)
the flight feathers and all the rest of the body should be white.(+) They
are a very pretty light pigeon, and if used to fly when young, some of
them make very good flyers. I have seen a flight of them kept by one
Girton that would mount almost high as Tumblers. (t)

245.—There are of this sort all white, black, and blue, which by a
mistake are often called and taken for owls. i

COLUMBA BUBO NOMINATA. The Owl.

246.—This Pigeon is in make and shape like the former, except that:
the upper chap of its beak is hooked over like an owl’s, from whence it
has its name.

ways—this is called the purle, and the more the bird has of it the better ; their feet are
clean, and the tail is carriedrather elevated. Their plumage is a beautiful white, re-
lieved by dark wing shoulders, of various colours, from which they are called blue-
shouldered or black shouldered Turbits, as the colour indicates. To be perfect in
colour, the whole of that part of the wing should be coloured, without any white fea-
thers, including the epaulet or scapular feathers ; the flight-feathers of the wings, and
the whole of the other parts, being an unspotted white.

243. (Brent.)—The old Fanciers admired the black, blue, and dun-shouldered Tur-
bits most, when they had tails of the same colour as their shoulders; but such birds
are now rarely seen, though some Fanciers prize them highly, on account of their
great scarcity, the other colours being invariably found to have white tails, which are
now more general with all. Canterbury was, a few years back, noted for its Turbit
Pigeons ; they were bred there in the highest perfection ; the colours of their shoulders
are various, as yellow, red, copper, black, chequered, blue, silver, mealy, and dun.
They are good flyers, light and active, as may be supposed from their German name of
Liege postmen. I have flown a few with my Tumblers, with which they would soar :
they are very good breeders and nurses, if not bred too high, which, however, is often
the case, as smallness is considered a great beauty. Some eminent writers on natural
history consider this variety as one of our purest races of Pigeons.

* 244, (Mayor, p. 127.)—The red and yellow ones excepted, whose tails should be
white, and those that are blue should have black bars across the wings.

+ 244, (Mayor, p. 128.)—And are called by the Fanciers (according to the colour
they are of) as black-shouldered, yellow-shouldered, blue-shouldered Turbits, &c.

+ 244, (GiRTIN, p. 96.)—A veteran Fancier of some note has informed us that he
trained a flight of these birds, which, for their lofty soaring, seemed to dispute the palm
with his Tumblers.

246. (Mayor, p. 125.)—This bird, from its pleasing, meek, and innocent aspect, I
should have described immediately after the Jacobine, it being, in my opinion, the
next in point of beauty; but, as Mr. Moore observes, “‘’Tis pity to separate those
venerable sons of the clergy and the female saints ;’ therefore we have suffered them
to follow each other for that reason only. It has a very round button head and
gravel eye.

246. (Eaton.)—I think the owl should rank the third as a toy. A first-rate Owl is.
a truly beautiful Pigeon ; I never saw a dirty-feathered Owl in my experience. Their
plumage is so truly beautiful and soft, it is with the utmost difficulty I know where to.

105
247.—Its plumage (*) is always entirely white, blue, or black (+)

draw the line as to whether they are blue or silver ; the same difficulty often occur
with reference to other Pigeons as regards colour (where to draw the line), whether as
bird is a yellow or a red. Provided you showed an Owl, concealing the bars while
showing the bird, and then asked its colour, the answer would be “silver ;’ but if you
showed the bars, then it would be ‘‘blue.” It would be as consistent to show a good
sound blue Pouter, and, simply because it is kite-barred instead of black-barred, to call
it a silver. I have heard Fanciers go so far, and say an Owl is not an Owl unless it
has the beautiful, soft powder-blue in it; Who wants the blue in a white Owl? Be-
sides, the Owl did not derive its name from feather.

246. (Brent.)—This Pigeon is frequently confused with the Turbit, and to an un-
initiated eye the difference is not very perceptible. I think there are points of manners
or natural disposition that make a greater distinction between them than mere form,
Their name is derived from their wild and shy manner, and for their preference fo,

secluded nesting places; also from their beak being rather hooked ; thus, with their
bolting eyes and wild look, slightly resembling an owl.

246. (BRENT.)—The Owl differs from the Turbit in having a rounder head, a slighter
and rather more hooked beak, a more prominent eye, of a pearl colour ; the frill or
purle is shorter, more compact and somewhat rose-shaped ; the gullet is not quite so
fully develeped.

246. (BRENT.)—There are, or are reported to ‘have been, whole-coloured Turbits,
which I suppose have been incorporated witn the present breed of Owls, which causes
them to be less distinguishable.

246. (BRENT.)—Their plumage is whole-coloured, usually blue, silver, or chequered,
though there are some few black, white, and yellow, and I have seen some mottled ;
but none of these equal the first three colours for flying; the latter being mere fancy
birds, while the former are flyers of considerable powers.

246. (Brent.)—The so-called Antwerp Carrier has frequently much of the Owl
blood in it, and I am inclined to believe that the Owl was the Pigeon almost exclusively
used in Belgium for flying, previous to the reclamation of the wild mealy Rock, which
forms the basis of the true Antwerp Carrier.

246. (Brent.)—The blue Owls are very pretty, being of a clear sky blue, with
black wing bars ; they breed well, but unless rendered tame and sociable by familiarity
and kind attention, are liable to fly off their nests if disturbed.

246. (BRENT.)—The Germans call them ‘‘Moven,” ‘“Movchen,” or “ Lutticher-
brief-trager.”

246. (BRENT.)—The French name, I think, is “‘ La cravate,” or ‘‘ Pigeon & gorge
frisée ; these names may also apply to the Turbit, but I am not sure.

246. (Brent.—In answer to “J. B. P.’s” question respecting the Owl Pigeon, I
have only to say, the original Owls were undoubtedly smooth-headed, and either blue or
silver coloured, consequently I should regard them as the purest. Turned crowns and.
other colours have been introduced by particular breeding, and have been perpetuated.
till such birds come to be considered as true-bred ; but are esteemed more for variety
and rarity than for purity.

* 247. (Mayor, p. 126.)—The feathers on the breast open and reflect both ways,
expanding itself something like a rose, which is called the purle by some, and by
others the frill, and the more the bird has of that the better, with a gullet reaching
down from the beak to the frill.

+ 247. (Mayor, p. 126.)—Or yellow, &c., except some that are chequered. The
blue ones should have black bars across the wings, and the lighter they are in colour,.
particularly in the hackle, the more they are valued. These birds should have their
breeding places made so that they may sit in private, as mentioned under the head of
building a loft, for they are very wild, like the Carrier, and apt to fly off their eggs if
in the least disturbed.

106

COLUMBA TREMULA LATICAUDA.
The Broad-tailed Shaker.

248.—This Pigeon has a beautiful, long, thin neck, which bends like
the neck of a swan, leaning towards the back; it has a frequent tremu-
lous motion, or shaking in the neck, especially when salacious, which is
the reason why they are called Shakers. It has a full breast, a very short
back, and a tail consisting of a great number of feathers, seldom less than
four and twenty, which it spreads in a very elegant manner, like the tail
of a turkey cock, and throws it up so much that the head and tail fre-
quently meet.

248. (Eaton.)—In all fancies and hobbies, I am certain there are out of these fan-
cies or hobbies one class more fitting for Ladies than another, and the Gentlemen Fan-
ciers ought to leave this class of toys entirely to the management of Ladies ; with
their judgment and superior taste, I should not be surprised, in a few years, to see
the white Fantails, with the beautiful lace feathers, the fibres or web of whick appear
truly beautiful. I never saw but one pair; they were at the Crystal Palace Winter
Show, 1858 ; I much admired them, as many others did, and considered how infinitely
superior, by comparsion, they seemed to the others in feather. Under these circum-
stances, the Portrait of the Fantail that will accompany this Work will be a laced Fan-
tail. IJ think it could be accomplished in a shori time by a cross, by obtaining a first-
rate Fantail and matching it over to a first-rate Lace Pigeon. It may be their young
would be the Lace Narrow-tailed Shaker. It is possible the Almond Shaker, mentioned
by Mayor, p. 131, was a first cross. I am given to understand Mr. Frank REDMAN
bred and exhibited some extraordinary white lace Fantails; it is well worth trying.
‘You may hear of 39 or even 44 feathers in the tail ; it is infinitely better to hear of 36.
It is bad having so many, the tails so heavy and crowded that the bird cannot show it
to advantage.

248. (BRENT.)—Having finished the high fancy and sagacious birds, it now remains
for me to describe the remainder of Fancy Pigeons. This division is to some extent
arbitrary, but I am compelled to adopt it, because I cannot find a better. The old
Fanciers, with Mr. Moor: at their head, have thrown all other Pigeons, without dis-
tinction, under the class of toys, but under the present arrangement it is my intention
to include as Fancy Pigeons all such as have any distinct qualities or properties, ex-
clusive of colour, by which they are known, and leaving in the list of toys those in
which colour and markings are the principal if not the only property they possess. The
first I shall mention under this section is the Fantail, or Broad-tailed Shaker. This
Pigeon has a slender beak, a smooth head, a long, slender, and somewhat arched neck,
a round full chest, a short back, and clean red feet ; the eyes are always black or dark
brown in the white variety ; the tail is composed of a great many feathers ; in most
Pigeons it is composed of twelve feathers, but in the Fantail they vary from twenty to
thirty. I have had beautiful carriage birds with twenty-one ; the highest number I
ever had was thirty-one ; I have been informed they occasionally reach the extraordi-
nary number of forty, but 1 am rather doubtful whether, in such cases, some of the
shorter or under-tail feathers have not been included ; nevertheless, it is possible that
some exceptional birds may considerably exceed thirty. Although a great number of
feathers is a desideratum, still, if the tail is too large, it becomes too heavy for the bird
to carry properly, and carriage is the chief property of the Fantail. The head should
be well thrown back, the chest raised high, the pinion feathers of the wings dropping
below the tail. The feathers of the tail are disposed in an arched form, and the bird
has scarcely any power to expand or contract them, but elevates the whole so high,
that when excited the head and tail often meet; in the best carriaged birds I have
sometimes seen the head pushed between the tail feathers. The long, slender neck,
when the bird is excited, has a quick or vibratory motion, from which they: derive the
name of Shaker. They are not good flyers, consequently not adapted to find their liv-
ing in the fields ; their nest places should be roomy, that their tails may not be rubbed
or broken, and also to prevent their falling into a bad habit of carrying their tails low,

LL a | AAPY WM eo

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107

249.—They are called by some Fan-tails, and I once saw one that had
six and thirty feathers in its tail; but when they have so many feathers
it is apt to make them lop their tails, and not let them meet with their
head, which is a very great fault.

250.—They are most commonly all white, though I have seen both
black, blue, red, and yellow pieds, but the white ones have generally
the best carriage in their tail and head ; there are two sorts of these broad-
tailed shakers, the one having a neck much longer and more slender
than the other, but the longest neck is the most beautiful and the most
esteemed. |

COLUMBA TREMULA ARCTICAUDA.
The Narrow-tailed Shaker.

251.—This Pigeon is reckoned by some a distinct species, though I am
apt to believe it is only a bastard breed between the foregoing and some
other bird. Its neck is shorter and thicker, its back longer, the feathers
of its tail are not so much spread out, but fall as it were double, lying
over one another, and the tail generally lops very much.

which would spoil the best birds. I have found them very good breeders and careful
nurses.

248, (Brent.)—Though white is the principal colour, and I believe the true one,
there are also blacks, blues, ash-coloureds, and a few reds. The Germans call this
Pigeon the “‘ Pfauen-schwanz,” or peacock-tail. The birds are frequently point-headed,
that is, the feathers rise up at the back of the head in a peak ; their necks are rather
shorter and thicker than the English Fantails, which detracts something from their
elegance, but they are good carriage birds, and have large tails ; the colours, too, of
some of their varieties are very pretty, such as black with white tails, and white with
black tails ; also white with black or blue shoulders.

248. (BrEent.)—The French name for the Fantail is *‘ Pigéon-paon,” and their
birds (at least the few I have seen) had beautiful necks, like the English variety.
One peculiarity in the Fantail is the frequent appearance of double feathers in the tail,
that is, two feathers united in one quill.

(Mayor, p. 131.)—Its feather varies as the former, but are generally white,
though I have seen an Almond of this sort, which was purchased by a certain
nobleman.

_ 251. (Eaton.)—What folly to attempt to breed the Narrow-tailed Shaker, while
you can equally as well breed the the Broad-tailed Shakers or Fantails. Wise men
(screws) have asked the question, ‘‘ How to keep barrels of small beer?” Fools have
answered, ‘“ By placing a single barrel of strong beer by their sides,” My young Fan-
cier, I hope you will not attempt to breed the Narrow-tailed Shaker, while you have
the same opportunity of breeding the Broad-tailed Shaker or Fantail, unless in endeg-
vouring to obtain the Lace Fantail.

An Alphabetical Explanation of some of the less common Words
made use of in the course of this Work,

A,

Abstemious, moderate, or temperate.

Adapted, made fit for.

Adepts, masters of, or proficients in.

Adulterated, counterfeited or made
worse.

Agriculture, the art of husbandry, or
improvement of land to make it
fertile.

Alcoran, the Turks book of their law or
gospel, written by the false prophet
Mahomet.

Anus, the orifice, or hole of the funda-
ment.

Apex, the point or top of anything.

Atmosphere, that part of the air next
our earth which receives and con-
tains the vapours and exhalations.

B.
Bashaw, a governor or magistrate of a
particular place, or province among
the Turks. Bazora, a city in Persia.

Cataplasm, a poultice. Cephalea, an
obstinate headache.
Chalazz, hail-stones.
Characteristic, a mark or sign.
Chronic, that which is of a long con-
tinuance, and not presently coming
to a height. .
Cognisance, knowledge or notice.
Coition, the intercourse between male
and female.
Compact, close, well joined together.
Concurrence, meeting, or assistance. '
Contiguous, close, touching, as when
the surface of one body meets with
another.
Contingency, casualty, or accident.
Contrast, a difference, or opposition of
figure, which is reckoned beauty
Caustic, a composition for burning, or
eating holes in the part to which it is
_ applied.
D.
_ Dalliance, toying, or wantonness.
Diarrhza, looseness
Dictates, precepts, or rules.
Dissolution, a dissolving or separation
of the parts.
Diuretic, that provokes urine.
Dolorous, grievous, sad.
E

Effoete, barren.

Emblem, a representation of some mo-
ral notion, by way of picture, or de-
vice.

Emergent, something of consequence
that happens on a sudden.

Emission, sending forth, a casting out.

To Engender, to breed within, com-
monly spoken of animals, and not of
human nature.

Erect, upright.

Eruption, an issuing, or breaking out.

Excrementitious, pertaining to the ex-
crement, or whatever is evacuted, or
cast out of the body.

Excrescency, superfluous flesh that
grows to any part of the body.

Exhausted, drained or emptied.

External, outward.

Extremity, the edge, end, brink, or
border of a thing. -

To Extricate, to disentangle, or dis-
engage. F

Fertility, fruitfulness.

Foetus, the young of any amumat per-
fectly formed.

Frail, the basket in whick raisins are
brought over.

Furfuraceous, scurfy, from its resem-
blance to bran.

Generation, a real action, whereby a
living creature begets another like it
of the same kind.

Genius, disposition, or inclination.

Genuine, natural, or real.

Genus, the kind.

Immaculate, spotless, unspotted

Immense, unmeasurable, vast, prodi-
gious.

Immerst, plunged or dipped into.

To Impregnate, to render prolific, or fit
to bring forth.

Incident, liable to, anything that hap-
pens, or falls out.

Incubation, sitting a brood.

Incompatible, not suitable to, not agree-
ing with.

Inferior, lower in degree, worse.

Ingredient, the separate parts, that go
to the making up a mixed body.

Injecting, casting or squirting in.

Innate, inbred, natural.

Instinct, that disposition, or natural
sagacity in any creature, which by its
peculiar formation it is naturally
endowed with, by virtue whereof,
they are enabled to provide for them-
selves, know what is good for them
and are determined to preserve and
propagate their species.

Intercepted, prevented.

Internal, inward.

Inverted, turned backward, or contrary
way from the common custom.

Iris, the circle round the black spot, or
pupil of the eye.

Irides, the plural number of the fore-
going. L.

Lieu, the place, room or stead of.

Machine, an engine fitted for some
peculiar purpose.

Magnitude, size, bulk, bigness.

Malady, a disease.

Malignity, hurtfulness,
quality.

Matrix, that part of the womb wherein
the foetus, or the egg is conceived
and nourished till the time of its
delivery.

Megrims, a distemper which affects the
temples or head.

Mission, a sending, or an authority to
preach.

mischievous

N.
Nitrous, having the quality of nitre.
Nutriment, nourishment or food.
O.

Oesophagus, the gullet, being a passage
for the food, situate behind the wind-
pipe.

Operation, a labouring or working.

Ornithology, a description of the several
kinds and natures of birds.

Ossificated, turned to, or become bone.

Ovary, that part of the womb in which
the eggs are contained, called by the
fanciers, the egg bag.

Ly

Perpendicular, directly upright.
Plastic virtue, a term invented by natu-
-ralists to express the faculty of gene-
ration.

Plumage, the colour and mixture of the
feathers. :

Pores, holes, or void spaces between the
particles or smaller parts of matter.

Potent, powerful.

Potestates, or powers are the result of
a combination or union of the essen-
tial oils with the spirit, wherein it is
supposed are contained all the prin-
cipal virtues.

Pressure, the pressing of the air by its
gravity or weight.

Priority, being first in rank, order, or
dignity.

Progeny, offspring. issue, or race.

Projecting, standing out.

Prolific, fruitful, apt to breed.

Propagation, the act of encreasing or
multiply the kind.

Protuberant, bunching, or standing out.

Provocative, apt to provoke, or stir up.

Pustules, wheals or pimples full of mat-
ter.

R.

Reception, receiving.

Recipe, a prescription or bill, giving
directions for preparing or compound-
ing of a medicine.

Reflected, turned back.

Repository, a place to lay up anything.

Reservoir, a receiver to retain anything
till wanted.

Restorative of a restoring or strengthen-
ing nature.

Reverses, turns backs.

Reverted, turn back.

Sagacity, wisdom or cunning.

Salacious, wanton, rank.

Salaciousness, wantonness, or rankness,

Scrophula, the evil.

Seraglio, the palace of the grand Seig-
nior at Constantinople, where he
keeps his court, concubines, &c.

Species, a particular sort.

To Stagnate, to stand still, as water in
a pool, without motion.

Subventaneous, addle.

Sustenance food, nourishment.

Symmetry, a due proportion, or unifor-
mity of parts, in Bros to the whole.

Temperament, a proper mixture of the
elements.
Tour, a turnabout.
Transmitted, sent over,
Tremulous, shaking or quavering. ~~
Tuberous, full of knots, or small swel-
lings.
Tumour, a rising or swelling in the
body.
U.
Uterus, the womb.
Unctuous, oily, greasy.
Vv

Vertigo, a giddiness or swimming in the
head; an‘indisposition in the brain.
Virago, a hen that beats or fights with a
cock, taking the offices of the male
upon her.

Vital, belonging to, or supporting life.

Vitellary, the cluster of eggs in a hen,
from their resemblance to a bunch of
grapes.

Vitiated, corrupted, spoiled, made worse.

FINIS.

[AS REGARDS MR. MOORE’S WORK. |

110

THE LACE PIGEON.

251. (Mayor, p. 143.)—This bird is, I believe, originally bred in Holland, where,
I am informed, there are great numbers ; though not one that I know of to be seen
in England at present. It is in size rather less than a common Runt, and like it in
shape and make ; though I once saw a Shaker of this. kind ; their colour is white, and
they are valued on account of their scarcity and the peculiarity of their feathers, the
fibres or web of which appear disunited from each other throughout their whole plum-
age, and not in the least connected, as in common with all other Pigeons, where they
form a smooth close feather.

251. (Eaton.)—I cannot say I admire this bird, for I cannot find any style in it. In
shape it does not appear better than our common house Runts ; I have seen several of
them but always white, their lace feathers lying so close to their bodies, do not appear
so truly beautiful as the broad-tailed Fantail.

251. (BRentT.)—This curious variety of domestic Pigeon is very scarce ; their chief
peculiarity consists in the webs of their feathers being disunited, like the plumage of
the silky fowls, and from which cause their powers of flight are much curtailed; the
few that I have seen have always been white, and had much the appearance of half-
bred Fantails ; and I have read that in both France and Holland Fantails are to be
met with, with this beautiful lacy or silky plumage. In the old Treatise on Pigeons,
the plate of this variety represents a Pigeon of common shape and turned crown.

THE FRILL BACK.

252. (Mayor, p. 144.)—Is something less in size than a Dragoon, and in shape like
the common Runt; their colour generally (if not always) white ; and what is chiefly
remarkable in them is, the turn of their feathers, which appear as if every one dis-
tinctly had been raised at the extremity with a small round pointed instrument, in such
manner as to form a small cavity in each of them.

252. (GIRTIN, p. 107.)—Or, as if the bird had been under the hands of some of our
modern hair-dressers, and had its plumage frizzed and curled at the ends. It isin
size less than the common Runt, though very much like it in shape ; and its plumage
is always white.

252. (BRENT.)—This curious variety of Fancy Pigeon is very rare in England,
though they are more frequently to be met with in Saxony. They are about the size .
and make of a dovchouse Pigeon, with a turned crown; the plumage is white, and the
eyes should be gravelly red ; their chief peculiarity consists in the feathers, each of
which is raised at the extremity so as to form a small conical hollow, which gives the
plumage the appearance of having been gofered or raised by a fine pair of curling tongs.
They are light and quick in their flight, but are easily tamed. Mr. Moore also de-
scribes the Friesland Runt, which must not be confused with the Frill Back. ‘‘ This
Pigeon,” he says, “‘comes from Friesland, and is one of the larger sort of middle-
sized Runts ; its feathers stand all reverted.” Most probably like the plumage of the
frizzled fowls, which are also brought from Friesland.

THE SMITER.

253. (GirTIN, p. 107.)—This Pigeon, in shape, make and diversity of plumage,
nearly resembles the Tumbler, the size excepted, it being a much larger bird. The
Smiter is supposed to be the same species that the Dutch call the Drager ; when it
flies, it has a peculiar tremulous motion with its wings, and commonly rises in a cir-
cular manner, the male, for the generality, flying much higher than the female, and
though it does not tumble, it has a particular manner of falling and flabbing its wings,
with which it makes so loud a noise as to be heard at a great distance, which is fre-
quently the cause of its shattering or breaking its quill-feathers.

THE CHINESE PIGEON.

254. (Gretin, p. 108.) —This beautiful little Pigeon is a native of Pekin, in China,
and was imported into Europe in some of the Companies’ ships ; it is only to be seen

LY]

in the collections of the rich and curious, who have always large cages, or a distinct
aviary built on purpose for them. It is a very scarce and dear bird, and in our opinion
one of the greatest curiosities of the Pigeon kind, therefore, for the satisfaction of our
readers, we shall give a particular description of it.

254. (GIRTIN.)—This Pigeon in size is rather less than the common Swallow ; the
sides of the head are yellow, but the top and the space round the eyes are of an ash
colour ; it has a blueish ash-coloured beak, and the irides of its eyes are of a fine white;
the extreme feathers on each side of the head and neck are red, and there are blue
feathers about the rise of the wings ; the hind part of the neck and back are brown,
and the extremities of the feathers black ; those on the shoulders are lighter, and varie-
gated at the ends with black and white. The first and last covert feathers are black,
but are white on their external edges ; the long feathers of the wings are black, the
edges of which are tipped with white ; and the belly and breast are of a lovely pale rose
colour. The tail, which is composed of twelve feathers, is a mixture of dusky and
bright ; the legs and feet are red, and the claws black.

PORCELAIN PIGEON.

255. (Eaton.)—There are many other varieties of Pigeons, which Moorr, Mayor,
or GIRTIN do not mention, viz. the Magpie, the common Runt, the Archangel, the Porce-
lain, the Antwerps, &c., &c. The Magpie Pigeon resembles the Magpie in feather,
from which it derives its name. The common Runts are as familiar with us as the House-
Sparrow, which you will observe at a country inn on the road side, and kept on farms.
It is somewhat different with the Archangel ; they are not so common as the common
Runts, but, as regards head and beak, I think not superior. What Fanciers intend
doing with this bird 1 am at a loss to know ; whether they intend to breed it down to
the Tumbler’s head and beak, or carry it out to the Carrier’s head and beak, leaving it
as they found it, is not progressing ; as it is, it will scarce bear looking at, except itis for
its feather, which are such quiet colours. With regard.to Porcelain Pigeons, I never saw
but one pair, black ground and most beautifully mottled ; differently mottled to the
black mottled Tumbler ; they were in a basket, placed rather high and out of my reach,
and, writing from memory, the Fancier has his work to do if he intends to make it a
valuable bird and cause it to be admired by the gentlemen of the Fancy. The best
thing I think he can aim at is to cross it with a Carrier, and by perseverance, in
time, to obtain the Carrier with its beautiful formed, long-faced, straight, narrow head,
with a dent in the centre, retaining the beautiful mottled plumage of the Porcelain. .
Unless this or something else is done with this bird, it will not be thought anything
more of by good Fanciers than the Archangels. With regard to what there is ina
name, I do not think it is correct to suppose, because a bird is called an Archangel,
it must follow that it came from Russia ; or because a Pigeon is called an Antwerp, it
must of necessity be originally bred at Antwerp (more in its place when I come to
give an account of the Antwerp Pigeon); for instance, if a captain of a vessel from
California, or any of the new discoveries in South Australia, he being a little bit of a
Fancier only about the edges, seeing Pigeons, or something he thought had a resem-
blance to Pigeons, but something rather peculiar to Pigeons, the captain considering
the vast amount of trouble he has had in bringing this pair of birds from Australia, is
determined to get rid of them on the first opportunity ; his vessel arriving at the
London ports, and taking them into the best markets he is aware of, (say Leadenhall
for argument sake) ; when he has ascertained the highest price that the most respect-
able dealers will give him for this pair of birds, he hopes he will forgive himself if ever
he attempts to bring another pair. This is pardonable in a sailor, who understands
more of nautical matters than Pigeons ; I consider it unpardonable in Fanciers, who
know better, for attempting to prodouce “‘mongrels,” which they ought to be ashamed
of ; and it is a question if they are not ashamed ; in many of the nondescript mongrels
we see are bred by Fanciers, as I observed before, they ought to be ashamed, which
only bother betters Fanciers as to what class they belong or what name to call them.
When they have accomplished their purpose of breeding an extra ugly mongrel, if
hood-headed, I have no doubt they will name them after priests. I shall not be sur-
prised if they were to call them Rabbi’s, Cardinals, or Popes. Enough of writing on
the follies of a few Fanciers, who know better ; I will particularly call your attention,

112

by and bye, to an excellent account given by Mr. Brenv of upwaras of twenty Native
Doves and Foreign Pigeons, with other interesting matter connected with Pigeons,
for which I feel grateful to him, at the same time I believe it will interest and delight
you.

THE ANTWERP.

(256. Eaton.)—With regard to the Antwerp, I am bound to give you all the informa-
tion I possess, however little that may be; I believe very little was known in England
until the great match, when Mr. Francis REDMAN, of the Borough, but now of the
Swiss Cottage, Regent’s Park, an acknowledged good Fancier, who tossed (as it is
called by Fanciers) from off London Bridge one hundred and ten of these birds (Ant-
werps), about one hundred reached home. There is not a doubt all of these birds had
been severely trained by the Dutch fishormen, who bring their cargoes of fish, &c., to
Billingsgate Market, who are in the habit of practising these sharp Antwerps. I
believe if all their sharp birds (that is the proper name) were practised and sold to
Fanciers, nine out of ten would return to their homes. Mr. GILEs having returned from
Antwerp, brought a lot of these Pigeons. I was the first that saw the Pigeons; they
looked as though they could eat me. I picked fifteen out of the lot; one was a very
strong, beautiful white Owl, who unfortunately got out of the pen and went through a
pane of glass like a brick-bat. I informed Gitzs of it: his answer was, it would not
stop till it reached Antwerp. I believe it, and so would you if you had seen how it
took the pane of glass ; the other fourteen Antwerps I kept in the loft and trap ; these
wild devils (if I may be permitted to use such a term), for six weeks, whenever I went
up into the loft, were always in the trap, appearing as looking out fora chance, pro-
viding opportunity would favour them. Whenever I went up into the loft where these
birds were, they came about my eyes like brick-bats ; I often put on my spectacles for
preservation, for fear of their cutting my eyes out of my head. I had enough of
these birds confined, therefore I was determined they should fly. I went to work, as I
supposed very cunning ; ordered ample food and water to be placed in the loft, that
would supply them the next day ; my boy and self agreeing at dark to let down the
traps, and not go to see till candle light next night. These Antwerp birds did fly with
a vengeance ; for at candle light next evening, when we came to look for the Antwerps,
there were two stopped ; I presume they were the most foolish. For instance, one of
the lot of the celebrated match that were thrown up at London Bridge was caught in
Kent-street, Borough. I am willing, if possible, to give you some little account of this
useful bird. I went to Mr. Giues, who informed me a particular old acquaintance of
his, a Yorkshireman, who went to Antwerp, married there, and kept an hotel; that he
became an enthusiastic Pigeon Flyer, had a place as long as a short street Whenever
GILES was at Antwerp he put up this hotel, and ascertained the way they obtained the
Antwerp or sharp bird, was from the cross of their Ow! and our English Dragon ; there
are other ways of breeding sharp or cunning birds, and that is by crossing the long-
faced and long-flighted Beard over to the English Dragon, and their young over to the
Owl. The Antwerp bird is such a marked bird ; the more ugly it is the better they
perform their work—that is, of Flying ; they have a high head (not like the Carrier),
at the same time mousey, with a down beak, like a man with a Roman nose ; they are
various colours. Some few of the Antwerps have a pure and clear white eye, not sur-
passed by any Pigeon we have. The Flying Fanciers of Antwerp care not a straw
what colour the bird is, provided it will do execution in flying ; it is their opinion that
the gravel-coloured-eye bird will perform more execution than the beautiful clear white
eye, which some of these birds have : there is an erroneous notion with some Fanciers,
who assert it is not an Antwerp unless it has a pearl eye. I have no doubt you have
heard that, on the Continent, the people take as deep interest in their extraordinary
Flying Matches as people in this country take in horse racing. I have read of Pigeons
doing two thousand miles ; I do not believe all I read. When I first came into the
Fancy, and looking out for short-faced birds, being at the late Mr. Arrwoop’s, he in
conversation with some of the Flying Fanciers, stated that Beards of five-eighths, was
quite long enough to do Dover to London. I was pleased to hear this remark ; I
thought I had dropped into the right shop, should obtain some short-faced half-inch
Almonds. I asked him if he had got some short-faced Almonds, he said could I not
see them ; I answered, No; I came out of the shop asI wentin. A friend of mine

113

informed me of some Squeakers doing Newmarket to London ; I spoke to him on the
subject, he admitted they had thrown a feather, and they were Grunters instead of
Squeakers. Reading Bell’s Life, The Field, and other papers, I often read of bets and
matches at Birmingham, Sheffield, Yorkshire, Manchester, and other places, for a home
and home maich, four or five miles: the distance is nothing ; I admit the difference
of a few seconds in which the winning bird does it. If you want a good home and
home match, make a match from London and Birmingham, London and Sheffield, Lon-
don and Manchester, or London and Liverpool ; this would be something like a homing
match ; four or five miles is nothing, when you read the account of Beards of five-
eighths doing Dover to London, or Grunters doing Newmarket to London ; every man
has not the opportunities to train and practise his birds like others. I have known
some most villainous things come to light in Fanciers trusting others to toss their birds.
The late Mr. Spicer, who formerly kept the Peacock at Islington, had great facilities
over others in tossing birds ; formerly the coaches to Birmingham, Manchester, and
Liverpool, stopped at his house, and the coachmen and guards used to practise his birds
for him ; still itis a great pity that these sharp, subtle, cunning birds, even if shup-
keepers knew that one of these birds had performed a hundred miles, they would not
give you more than sixpence or ninepence for it at most. J cannot help thinking it
is very disheartening to any one who keeps these sagacious birds ; if I wanted to breed
a cunning or sharp bird, I would get the best sky blue, with black bars across the
flight, Dragon cock, and the best sky blue, with black bars across the flight, hen Owl,
by this means you would get beautiful feathered sharp birds, if you get nothing else. It
is possible you might obtain the white eye from the long-faced Beard ; one thing I am
certain of, the Owl shews itself very prominent in these birds, although there are
a wonderful many mealy feathered birds called Antwerps, some of them very pleasant
to look at. Ibelieve they are only half-bred birds, whereas, the genuine as I would
call it, right or wrong, blue or chequered Antwerp, that looks volumes at you, is the
bird that accomplishes the work.

PIGEON FLYING IN BELGIUM.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE POULTRY CHRONICLE.

257. (Eaton.)—Srr,—I have taken the liberty of forwarding you accounts of the
great flving match from Marseilles to Brussels. I believe there are many Pigeon Fan-
ciers who read your valuable Poultry Chronicle who may not have seen the account,
but who would feel deeply interested in it, particularly the Gentlemen of the Flying
Fancy. For myself, I believe it is true. I have heard it said that Pigeons have done
two thousand miles, which I do not believe, owing to the difficulty of practising them ;
for, however well the birds are bred, they will not home without practising them. I
have heard that Fanciers on the Continent take as deep an interest in their extraordi-
nary birds and matches as some persons take in this country with their race horses
and the Derby. What will our Brother Flying Fanciers in this country say to this
homeing match? Simply, ‘It is a fly with a vengeance.”

258. (Haton.)—Should you, in your judgment, think it worth recording in your
valuable Poultry Chronicle, I shall feel grateful. A Brother Fancier,

JOHN MATTHEWS EATON.
7, Islington Green, London. N.

(Taken from a Weekly Paper. )

259.—“ A sweepstakes for a fly of eight hundred miles (from Marseilles to Brus-
sels) came of on Sunday, the 16th instant, but, owing to the extreme severity of the
weather, did not prove as satisfactory as some previous ones. There were eighteen
prizes, the first three of which were taken on the 19th, the others not until the 24th.
The first prize was gained by M. Deheneffe, of Namur; 2nd, by M. Simonis, of
Liege ; 3rd, by J. Vanhaellen ; 4th, by M. Deheneffe, of Namur ; 5th, by M. Delorge,
of Namur; 6th, by M. Defoux, of Namur ; 7th, by do. ; 8th, by M. Chantraine, of
Namur ; 9th, by M. Bridt, of Namur ; 10th, by M. Engelen, of Antwerp ; 11th, by
M. Mitchell, of Kockelberg ; 12th, by M. Laurent, of Namur; 13th, by M. Win-
terainken, of Antwerp; 14th, by M. Deneyer, of Brussels ; 15th, by M. Putaert, of
Molenbeck ; 16th, by M. A. Coopers, of Brussels ; 17th, by M. Decock, of Boom ;

H

14

and the 18th, by M. Mertens, of Antwerp. During the event it blue a perfect hurri-
cane for a great portion of the time ; and the weather has been so bad throughout the
entire season that many of the Fanciers have lost all their birds in training. From
the foregoing it will be seen that the Namurians were particularly fortunate, having
gained nearly half the prizes.

260. (Brent.)—The innate propensity of all tame Pigeons to return to the place of
their nativity, or their established home, has led man to make use of them as mediums
of communication, and as some sorts are pre-eminently useful in this respect, they
have been named Carrier Pigeons. Of these, the Antwerp, the English Carrier, Horse-
man, and Dragoon, the Tumbler, and the Owl, are the sorts most generally used. For
the present, I will confine myself to a description of the Antwerp Carrier, a Pigeon of
all others that has proved itself most useful for long journeys, having performed extra-
ordinary distances.

261. (Brent.)—The Antwerp Carrier derives its name from being bred in the city
of that name in Belgium. In the ancient towers and lofty steeples of that venerable
city nestle a small variety of Rock Pigeon, peculiar, I believe, to that part of the Con-
tinent ; in colour they are mealy or strawberry, the wings barred with a redder tint, as
also the neck ; their beaks are dove-shaped, long and fine, the head round in front like
that of the blue Rock; the eyes bright and prominent, of a gravel or pale yellow
colour. They are exceedingly shy and wild, it being almost impossible to entrap any
of them ; young ones are, however, occasionally taken from the nest and reared. These
and their progeny constitute the true Antwerp Carrier. But these wild Antwerps
must not be confused with the wild, or rather the many escaped Pigeons, numbers of
which frequent the public buiidings in most large towns.

262. (BRENT.)—The few persons that breed this variety of Pigeon are very choice of
them, and rarely part with any ; when, indeed, they do, it is generally those they can
rely upon returning home.

263. (BRENT.)—The homing propensity of this valuable variety of Pigeons is so
natural to them, that it is surprising what a small amount of training will make them
proficients ; Squeakers will often return home from long distances, though they may
have been kept in a considerable time. One marked peculiarity of the Antwerp is their
flight, starting off in straight line when thrown up, then turning direct for home, not
circling round as other Pigeons do before they start, and also the straggling appearance
of the flight when turned out from their loft for exercise. They are good breeders at
home, but if removed to a strange place it is almost impossible to get them to do so.
So wild and restless are they, that if confined to an aviary for twelve months, most of
them will be found in flying condition at the expiration of the time, and quite ready
to perform the journey home, though it may be one hundred or two hundred miles ;
whereas, were other Pigeons thus confined, most of them would be so fat and out of
practice, that they would be quite fatigued with a few circles, and very few of what
are commonly called Carrier Pigeons would have any inclination to leave after such a
long confinement.

264, (Brent.)—It may be wondered at that, as these Pigeons are so valuable, and
also good breeders, they do not become more plentiful ; but this is to be accounted
for in many ways, a few of which are as follow:—The various accidents to which
Pigeons are liable, either in being sent or returning home from long journeys ; the
great number of birds of prey which are everywhere to be met with on the Continent ;
the continual disturbance to them while sitting to send them out for a match, for this
Pigeon flying is carried to a great extent in Belgium, which causes those possessed of
a pure strain to be very careful not to part from them, through the fear that they
might, at some other time, unavoidably match against their own birds ; this will also,
in a great measure, account for their rare appearance in England.

265. (BRENT.)—I am, however, inclined to believe that the Antwerp of which I
have been speaking is comparatively a recent acquisition, perhaps within the last twenty
or thirty years ; the Pigeon formerly in use in Belgium was, without doubt, the Owl.
The short-faced Antwerps are a cross between the real Antwerp and the Owl Pigeon,
which latter they frequently very much resemble, many of them having quite respect-
able frills and gullets. They are not quite so wild as the true sorts, but inherit much

115

of their excellent homing properties, and I have been informed of Squeakers doing
London and Dover without training. This variety are very small, and in addition to
the occasional frill and gullet, have very short beaks ; their colour is generally blue or
mealy, sometimes chequered. Not being quite so intractable as the longer beaked
ones, they may, with due care and a little patience, be settled in a new abode ; at any
rate they will breed in a fresh loft, consequently are much better known in England.

266. (BrEent.)—A cross-breed between the short-faced Antwerp and the Dragoon
Pigeon, however, is the kind mostly used for carrying communications in England,
and is considered more certain for short distances. 'The thorough-bred Antwerps, it is
alleged, frequently overfly themselves in a ten or twelve miles’ match ; these half-bred
birds are considerably stouter than the Antwerps, have rather thick but not very long
beaks, and but little wattle. They are the same colours as the short-faced Antwerps,
excellent breeders and becoming very common. .

267. (Brent.)—A great variety of mongrels and crosses are brought from Belgium
under the title of Antwerps, many of which are the ugliest, most runtish-looking birds
imaginable ; some of them, it is true, have a good deal of Antwerp blood in them, and
will perform long journeys, but such are by no means desirable.

SKIN-NUM.

268. (Eaton.)—A cross between a Dragon, Antwerp, Tumbler, House Pigeon Runt ;
in fact, any common Pigeon, and you are at a loss to know how they are bred, or what
name to give them. It appears to me a bye-word given to nondescript birds, although
some are pleasant to look at (these I consider the better sort of-a bad lot) ; some of
them will do good work as flying Pigeons. It would be the height of folly to attempt
to give a portrait of these birds as they vary so in appearance.

269. (BRENT.)—Skinnums are a cross between the common Tumblers and Dragoons.
They are good flyers and much used in London, but in other respects no better than
the common Pigeon, which they much resemble.

270. (Brent )—When it is desired to train Carriers, or any of the other varieties
of flying Pigeons, the following is the most approved manner of procedure :—

271. (BRENT.)—Having procured the sort or sorts required, the first thing isto get them
settled or accustomed to their new abode ; this is best attained by procuring a few com-
mon Pigeons first, which are easily settled by keeping them in a loft for a week or a fort-
night, and allowing them to go into the trap to look about. These may be frequently
found useful while raising or first establishing a flight, and can then be got rid of. The
better sorts are very difficult to settle in a new home, and the best are almost impossi-
ble to retain at large, though pairing them with mates already settled will sometimes
induce them to remain ; therefore it will be found less troublesome to retain young birds
— Squeakers’;” but be careful to have them quite young, for if of a good stock, and
but once flown, they may prove treacherous. Perhaps it would be more successful,
where it is desired to raise a good flight of first-rate birds, to procure old ones, and
breed from them in a separate loft—never letting them out—or only into a lathwork
or wire enclosure or trap, and then to draft the eggs or young ones into the loft
of flyers. But the generality of Flying Pigeons will not require so much trouble.
Young birds, and even old ones, are frequently to be settled at a fresh place with a lit-
tle management, provided they have not been previously trained ; whereas, the best
sorts will frequently return home on obtaining their liberty, though they have been kept
up for twelve months or more, and some few even refuse to breed during their
confinement. Very wild Pigeons are more difficult to reconcile than the tamer ones,
though the wilder generally make the better homing birds.

272. (Brent.)—When settled, the Pigeons should be turned out, and put on the
wing twice a day, once early in the morning, and again in the afternoon: when they
are thus accustomed to daily exercise they will continue on the wing for an hour or two
at a time, and after circling round their home a few times, will start off and take long
circuits of a mile or two in extent, and then returning will take a tour in another direc-
tion, which is called ‘‘ going an end,” and is of great use to them, as well from the
exercise it affords their wings, as in keeping them in remembrance of their homing
faculties.

H 2

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273. (Brent.)—Old birds it is not advisable to train, as they rarely make proficients,
and in case of coming near their former home they will frequently stop there. Young ones
should be trained, as soon as they fly strong, at home. The training consists in taking
them a short distance from home, and turning them loose to find their way back,
the direction being continually altered, and the distance increased. till they will at last
perform very long journeys. But particular care must be taken to keep them ina
condition for flying, strong, clean, and healthy, by means of good food and plenty of
exercise, otherwise they may be one day missing, though they may have performed the
same journey before. J+ must also be borne in mind that the Pigeons should be
properly conveyed to the place of starting, not cramped, nor its plumage soiled ;
neither should a Pigeon be turned off with its crop too full, nor yet fasting, or it may
become exhausted or faint. The wilder a Pigeon is the better chance I think it has of
returning. Itis generally considered that a cock homes quickest when driving to nest,
and a hen when she is feeding squabs, such times being mostly preferred for flying
night matches.

274. (BRENT.)—The way of sending a letter is simply to write what it is desired
to communicate on a piece of thin paper about three or four inches square, which,
when rolled up, is laid between two of the tail feathers, where it is secured by
means of a piece of fine binding wire, which is pushed through the shaft of one or
both of the feathers ; their vanes are then wrapped about the paper, which is fastened
by twisting the wire round, so that the Pigeon carries it without being in the least in-
convenienced in its flight. Some persons, I believe wind the paper round the leg and
fasten it with worsted. As Pigeons on their journey are liable to many accidents,
such as being injured by careless handling, fatigue, or being killed by guns or birds of
prey, it is frequently found advisable to despatch several bearing the same commu-
nication, and if such is required to be kept secret, it may be written in private charac-
ters previously determined upon. Most Pigeons when tossed (let off) for homing -
circle round several times, rise a good height in the air, and then fly off in the direction
of their home, the better ones make but a few turns, and the pure Antwerps dart off
in a straight line, and then make but one turn for home.

275. (Brent.)—It is generally supposed that Pigeons find their way home by sight ;
this I consider an error, for it is impossible for a Pigeon to discern its home one or
two hundred miles distant ; nor do I shink the reasoning and calculating powers of
Pigeons to be of such a high order as to allow of their remembering, and consequently
flymg, by waymarks as some have argued. I believe it to be a natural gift implanted
in them by their Maker purposely to guide them to their homes. The dog, the bee,
and many other animals have the same faculty.

276. (BReNT).—My opinion is, that it is a natural attraction that draws them,
and inclines them to take the right direction, and that-by practice and cultivation it
can be greatly increased and strengthened. Iam also much inclined to believe that if
Pigeons are well trained for several generations, the young ones have this faculty. al-
most as it were by inheritance ; some varieties have it in a higher degree than others,
and some individuals are superior to others of the same variety. A high range of hills,
or a fog, intervening between the bird and its home, may intercept or so interrupt
this attraction or affinity as to weaken or alter its effect on the feelings or sensibilities of
the Pigeon, which will explain the reason that Pigeons are sometimes lost under such
circumstances, though London Pigeons, which are used to a foggy state of the atmo-
_ sphere, are enabled to return through it, but it would then be impossible for them to
see their home or waymarks at a very short distance ; besides, Pigeons will home in
in the dark, or else night matches could not be flown. I have had my own Dragons
come home when it was dark when flown late; yet those who have witnessed the at-
tempts of Pigeons to settle, when they have been disturbed at night, must acknow-
ledge that though a Pigeon can fly in the dark, it cannot see much. Pigeons have
been known to return to places where they had been kept, though they had no know-
ledge of the neighbourhood ; neither do Pigeons search for a new home when theirs is,
as frequently happens, entirely changed in appearance by being covered with snow,
which they would be likely to do if sight was the medium through which they knew it.
A few bad-flying fancy Pigeons, frightened by the, to them, novel appearance, may be
lost, but that does not prove anything.

BEG

277. (BRENT.)—Pigeons, while homing, will occasionally past their homes, which is’
a curious fact, termed “overflying themselves.” The Antwerps, I have been informed, :
are liable to do so in short journeys. I have seen Pigeons in coming home fly past,
then turn and descend, which could not happen if they flew by sight.

278. (BRENT.)—Many other facts may be collected to prove that sight is not the
main source by which Pigeons find their homes. Sight may assist them when near,
and also in the manner of their flying high or low, to avoid objects and enemies, as
well as in settling ; otherwise I believe a Pigeon might be flown blindfolded. I feel con-
vinced, and have no hesitation in saying, that the power the Pigeon has of returning
home from a place many miles distant from where it has ever been before, is a natural
attraction or affinity between the bird and its home, or, in other words, I consider that
home is to the Pigeon what the north is to the magnet.

PIGEON FLYING IN DELHI.

279. We went up to the roof of the Masjid, and close beneath us saw a sport
for which Delhi is famous. On the roof of several houses were men waving little flags
to make their Pigeons fly, while elder men sat gravely by, smoking. A large hurdle was
fixed upon for the Pigeons to alight upon. When they meet another flight in the air
the two parties mingle, and one invariably carries away some from the other. Hach
flock then returns home, and the owner, who has gained some of his neighbour’s birds,
goes to him and threatens to sell them if they are not ransomed. It was very pretty
to watch two, three, and sometimes four flocks of these beautiful birds, of all colours
meeting, mingling, and then parting again. This is a favourite amusement of the old
king, many of whose bird-cages were on the top of his hall of justice.—Mrs, Macken-
zte's Six Years in Delhi.

J. G. KORE Seb USSLA.

280. Pigeons are sacred in the eyes of every Russian: and as no one would dare
to harm them, they become so bold, that they walk about among a crowd in search of
their food, and scarcely make way either for a carriage or a foot passenger. Never-
theless they are in a half-wild and neglected state, and build their nests chiefly about:
the roofs of the churches. They have their nests also under the roofs of the markets,
and particularly among the columns of the Gosbinnoi Dvor, where the merchants in
their hours of leisure take a delight in feeding and caressing them. In the inner
courts of the houses of St. Petersburg there are always large holes or boxes that serve
as receptacles for every kind of dirt and rubbish which it is thought desirable to re-
move to the outside of the house. About these filthy boxes there may at times beseen
whole swarms of Pigeons, feeding on all kinds of garbage; and the only wonder is
that the Russians should retain any affection for birds that degenerate so woefully in
Russia, as to fight, like so many wolves, for putrid meat and fish entrails. Neverthe-
less, it is thought a species of sacrilege to kill a Pigeon. Boys may sometimes, indeed,
be seen running about with sticks, to the end of which cords are fastened, and to the,
end of the cord a button or stone. This cord they throw dextrously round the neck of
the Pigeons, as the South Americans throw their lasso round the neck of the ox. The
Pigeons thus caught are sold to the Germans, who are said to convert the holy birds
into heathenish ragouts, or to bake them into sacrilegious pies. Whole swarms of
Pigeons are constantly fluttering about, the peaceful Russian being a great lover of.
this gentle bird. Each swarm knows it own roof, and the birds allow themselves to be
caught without much difficulty when a bargain is about to be concluded. The Pigeon
is never eaten by a Russian, who would hold it a sin to harm an animal in whose form’
the Holy Ghost is said to have manifested itself. Pigeons are bought, therefore, only.
as pets, to be fed and schooled by their masters. It is curious to see a Russian mer-
chant directing the flight of his docile scholars. With a little flag fastenened to a long,
staff he conveys his signals to them, makes them at his will rise higher in the air, fly to.
the right or left, or drop to the ground as if struck by a bullet from a rifle.

281. (Eaton.)—It is surprising the knowledge and tactics that generals possess? at
times they catch a Tartar When they are besieged, even in a strong fortress, where
they cannot communicate, or receive communications from head quarters—’tis true.
they may have telegrams, ’tis equally true the enemy’s generals may posses as great

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generalship, by cutting off the telegrams, as they do, to the best of their judgment, cut
off the eprings or streams that supply the fortress. This could be obviated by the use
of Pigeons. It is the last of my thoughts to endeavour to instruct able generals or
brave officers, nevertheless, I think they have lost ground on the subject I am writing.
You will perceive by Moors, paragraphs 142 to 148, besides the accounts you have of
Flying Pigeons, I cannot help thinking they would have been of infinite use in India,
where such sad occurrences have taken place; it would have been a great blessing if
the late brave Havelock and other brave officers had been able to carry on a correspon-
dence with the Governor-General at Calcutta by Pigeons, when every other means were
cut off. It might not be amiss to have some of these sharp Pigeons doing to and fro
Dover Castle, the Horse Guards, Admiralty, &c.. The gentlemen of the turf and
stock jobbers understand them. I have an account now lying before me of two Ant-
werp Pigeons winning the first prizes at Brussels, by performing and homing six hun-
dred miles in twelve hours and forty minutes, nearly fifty miles per hour ; at ail events
doing each mile in one minute and sixteen seconds, for six hundred consecutive miles.
Who will doubt of some Pigeons doing a mile a minute. Gentlemen of the Flying
Fancy ‘‘ simply” think of this.

THE COLUMBARY ;
BEING A SERIES OF PAPERS ON PIGEONS,

EXTRACTED FROM THE
POULTRY CHRONICLE AND FIELD NEWSPAPER.
(By Permission of the Author, Mr. B. P. Brent.)

OUR NATIVE DOVES.

THE RING DOVE.

282. In England there are three varieties of the Dove that nestle in our woods—the
Ring Dove, the Stock Dove, and the Turtle Dove. The first of these I will endeavour
to describe. The Ring Dove, also known by the names of Chussut, Quest, or Great
Wood Pigeon, is the largest, being considerably larger than any of our tame Pigeons.
Their colour is an ashy blue, the chest inclining to pinky brown ; the flight feathers are
dusky slate colour, and the tail barred with black ; a white ring nearly encircles the
neck ; a band of white skirts the lower edge of the wings when closed, or crosses it in
the middle when expanded ; and the under part of the body fades almost to white.
The bill is long and of a yellowish white colour : the coverings of the nostrils are red ;
the iris of the eye is a clear pearl ; the legs are short the toes are long, and of a dull
red. They are arboreal in their habits, building in trees a nest of sticks ; they lay two
eggs at a time, which they rear like other Pigeons. They are of a roaming disposition,
often exchanging their haunts ; they feed on corn seeds, acorns, beech mast, ivy-berries,
clover, turnips, and many other vegetables. If taken from the nest young they may
be easily tamed, and will breed in confinement. The young ones are of a duller colour
than the old birds, and do not have the white ring round the neck till after the first
month. Having naturally no fixed abode, they cannot be domesticated ; for when they
obtain their liberty, they fly to the woods, and do not understand returning home.

283. I have for several seasons endeavoured to breed between the Ring Dove and
Domestic Pigeon, but have not succeeded ; nor am I aware that it has ever been
accomplished. I have, however, at present, a hen Ring Dove paired with a cock Dra-
gon Pigeon ; but though they have built, laid, and sat, still I have had no produce,
owing to the difference that exists in their marriage ceremonies, which each, according
the tradition of their fathers, naturally adhere to. I hope, however, by trying the
opposite sexes of each. to succeed in abtaining a cross.

THE STOCK DOVE.

248. This variety of Wood Pigeon is about the size of the common dovehouse or Rock
Pigeon ; they are arboreal in their habits, building in the thickest foliage, but prefer-

119

ing, where they can obtain it, a hole in the stock of an old tree; from which circum-
stance, it is supposed, they receive the name of Stock Dove, and not, as some persons
think, because they are the originals of our domestic Pigeons, which is an error.

285. Their colour is a dull blue, with two dull black marks on the wings; the
pinion feathers are also dull black, and the tail is barred with black near the extremity ;
the bill is dark in the young birds, but becomes whitish when they reach maturity ;
the covering of the nostrils is then pink inclining to a dark red ; the iris of the eye is a
dark brown, and the gloss on the neck is confined to a spot on each side. They are
swift of flight and strong on the wing, and rather difficult to hold. They are a
rather local bird, but very plentiful in this neighbourhood (Sevenoaks), I miss them
in Autumn, but am not certain if their migration is total or only partial ; they are.
often called Blue Rooks, though quite distinct from them.

286. They are easily tamed if taken young, but like the Ring Dove cannot be
domesticated ; when let out they fly off to the woods, only returning home for food,
and their returns become less frequent till they learn to cater for themselves, when they
return no more. I have tried to keep them several times at liberty ; I succeeded with
one for some time in Germany, but unfortunately it died, and once since I had one
brought up by hand with a young Dragoon, that stayed some months, but left in the
Autumn.

287. I find they pair easily with the tame Pigeons, if brought up young together,
and that the union is to some extent fruitful ; but, in nearly all cases the young ones
die at about 10 days or a fortnight old, so that from many pairs of these hybrid young
ones that I have had hatched, only two could I raise to maturity—the first a cock,
bred from a cock Stock Dove and a hen Blue Dragoon, which was shot, I believe; the
other a hen from a cock Blue Antwerp Carrier and a hen Stock Dove ; she was a sharp
flyer, coming home quicker than my Dragoons; I paired her with a young
cock Dragoon, but she did not breed, nor do I think she would if I had been able to
keep her longer ; she partook much of the wild habits of her race, being constantly in
the trees, whither she often decoyed her mate, and fearing they would be shot, I con-
fined them in a spare Pigeon-loft, where I soon afterwards found her dead—but have
her remains stuffed.

288. The play of both the Ring and Stock Doves is very peculiar ; when courting
the hen, they bow the head down, with a deep hollow “cov-o-ho,” at the same time
spreading and throwing up the tail. HadJI ever been inclined to suppose the Wood
Pigeons to be the parent stock of the tame Pigeons, my experience of them convinces
me to the contrary. ;

THE TURTLE DOVE.

289. This is the smallest of our native Doves. They are arboreal in their habits,
building lower than the two foregoing varieties, frequently in a small fir-tree or thick
bush ; their nest is composed of twigs and roots, and they lay two small white eggs.
Their prevailing colour is a dull brown, the wings being of a reddish brown dappled
with black, the pinion feathers are dull black ; the tail is long in proportion to their
size, the two centre feathers are brown, the rest dull black tipped with about an inch
of white, the two exterior ones having the outer web also white, which gives them a
pretty ring-tailed appearance when flying ; the under parts of the body are much lighter,
and on each side of the neck is a chequered patch of black, white, and gray. The iris
of the eye is deep red ; the bill is long and dull black ; the feet are dull red.

290. They will breed in confinement occasionally ; and I have been informed they can
be partially domesticated, so as to be trusted with their liberty, of which fact I am
not able to speak positively, though one of mine having escaped two or three times,
each time remained about the premises, till hunger prompted her to come to me for
food, when I was enabled to re-capture her. In their wild state they are migratory,
coming over in the spring, and leaving again in autumn ; and I have noticed that my
young birds have been very restless in their cages at the time of the autumn migration.
The young ones are duller coloured than the adults, and do not have the cheque on the
side of the neck till the first moult. I once had a hybrid, between thi% sort and the
tame Dove, Collared Turtle, or Laughing Dove, which was bred in an aviary, but was
so exceedingly wild that I could do nothing with it, and it at last made its escape.

120

291. The Collared Turtle, or Laughing Dove, so frequently kept in cages, is not a
native of England ; their colour is a pale brown or buff, with a black ring round the.
neck, the flight feathers are darker, and the tail feathers are tipped with white, like the
preceding. There is also a quite white variety of this sort. These Doves are also
arboreal, but if carefully managed, when first let out, may be easily kept at liberty.
Still it must be borne in mind that a bird that has been long confined becomes be-
wildered on its first liberation, and soon drops from exhaustion, when it becomes an
easy prey, or loses its home through having strayed too far.

292. The best food for these Doves is buckwheat, wheat, or canary-seed. They.
will, however, eat almost any seed, or small corn, but too much hempseed is very in-
jurious, causing them from over-fatness to loose their feathers, or otherwise become uL-
healthy.

THE ROCK PIGEON.

293. The Rock Pigeon, or wild Blue Rock, is a bird of which almost every one has
heard, nevertheless it is very scarce ; but at first starting it will be best to make it plain
to my readers what Pigeon I mean, because two others are also commonly called Rocks.
The Stock Dove, that builds in the stocks or boles of trees, is frequently mistaken for
the Blue Rock, which it somewhat resembles, but from which it is quite distinct. There
are three varieties of Doves to be found in our woods, namely, the Ring Dove, or Quest,
the Stock Dove, and the Turtle Dove, but these are quite distinct in habits and manners
from the Pigeon. '

294. Again, the common Chequered (‘‘ Dappled”) Dove House Pigeon, that gen-
erally peoples our Dove-cotes is frequently called a Rock, and should such be taken
_ from the rocks, they are naturally supposed to be the true Rock Pigeon, for, in many
parts of the country there are immense ferol or escaped flocks of these ; although, in.
every sense of the word, wild, are not the real Blue Rocks. Having thus far said what
it is not, it now remains for me to say what the Rock is: it is a rather small Blue
Pigeon, and very shy; it builds its nest on cliffs, in the clefts of rocks, and caverns,
and is generally supposed by naturalists to be the stock whence our tame Pigeons are
derived. Their general plumage is blue, two black bars cross the wings, the tail is also
barred with black near the end, the rump is white and the neck glossy—the beak is
long, Dove-shaped, and of a dark horn colour ; the front of the head is rather full, the
eye, round, prominent, and of a gravelly red colour, the neck is slender, and the feet
red ; they are very shy, and shun the haunts of man. I have never seen any of them
domesticated, but believe they might be, if taken young. The Rev. E. 8. Dixon gives
an instance of their being settled in an old Dove-cote, and further stated he had occa-
sionally procured young ones, but that they always flew away when old enough ; they
nestle in the most inaccessible rocks and cliffs, and I believe rarely produce but three
pairs of young in a season ; they find their food abroad in the fields, in search of which
they are said to take long journeys ; they feed on almost any sort of grain or seed ;
they devour an immense quantity of the seeds of weeds, and they eat also some sorts
of herbage.

295. A cross between the Blue Rock, and the common Blue Dragon Pigeon makes an
excellent Pigeon for flying matches or performing long journeys ; but from the scarcity
and wildness of the former, few persons have the opportunity of trying it.

WOOD PIGEONS.

296. I notice in the “ Poultry Chronicle” of February 7th, that one of the subseri-
bers appears to be a declared enemy of these handsome birds. I gather so from his
statement, that 937 grains of wheat, besides 94 tares, were found in the crop of one
bird. I do not for one moment deny that statement ; but I think that the writer would
alter his opinion if he were more intimately acquainted with these birds, and he would
find how very great is their utility at other periods of the year, when they cannot get at
the corn.

297: Perhaps I cannot do better than refer your readers to “ Mr. St. John’s Wild
Sports of the Highlands,” a very nice edition of which is to be found in ‘‘ Murray’s
Home and Colonial Library.” They will there find a very good account of the habits
of the Wood Pigeon ; and Mr. St. John particularly mentions his being spectator (with.

r2r

an Agricultural friend) of an immense flock of Wood Pigeons, busily engaged
(apparently on a field of young clover, which had the last season been under barley.
Mr. Agriculturist asks, ‘‘ You constantly say that every bird does more good than
harm ; what good are those birds doing to my young clover?” On this, in furtherance.
of his favourite axiom, ‘‘ that every wild animal is of service to us,” Mr. St. John de-
termined to shoot some to see what they were actually feeding on. He shot eight,
and on examination found that every bird’s crop was as full as it could hold of two of the
worst weeds in the country, the wild mustard, and the ragweed, which they had found
remaining on the surface of the ground ; the plants ripening and dropping their seeds
before the corn is cut. :

298. Now no amount of hwman labour and search could have collected on the same
ground, at that time of the year, as much of these seeds as was consumed by each of
these five or six hundred Wood Pigeons daily, for two or three weeks together. You
very justly ask the question, ‘‘ Where did the Pigeon that was shot in the neighbour-
hood of Canterbury get the corn, as Pigeons do not scratch?” The corn she eat would.
have been wasted, and it seems hard not to allow that which would have been food for
other, ‘and perhaps worse” animals, to be eaten by a bird which is so useful, at other
times, as the Wood Pigeon. I hope your correspondent will not become an advocate
for the annihilation of these birds ; but rather, when he understands them more, do all
he can to preserve them in his neighbourhood.

THE DOVE-HOUSE PIGEON.

299. This Pigeon is also known by the name of the common Dove-Cot Pigeon, and is
the commonest and most extensively diffused of all the tribe ; they areto be met with in
immense flocks peopling most of our Dove-cots, vast numbers are also to be found in
every country of Europe; I have read they are plentiful in India, and have been in-
formed they are also to be seen on the rocks about Sydney, Australia ; most probably
the descendants of escaped birds taken there by emigrants.

300. In many parts of England large numbers of these Pigeons may be found in a
wild state inhabiting rocks, ruins, or located in steeples or towers of our churches and
other buildings ; which flocks are continually replenished by numbers of our tame
Pigeons that loose their homes ; and this will also account for the variations in colour
that so frequently occur, even in what might otherwise be considered Wild Pigeons ;
indeed it would be very difficult to say if these Pigeons are indigenous wild birds, or
only escaped or ferol.

* 301. Their colour is what is termed chequered or dappled, that is, they are of a slaty
black colour, chequered or dappled with blue on the wing coverts, and frequently there
is a brownish mark on the secondary wing feathers ; the rump is whitish, the tail is
rather short, tipped with black, the external feathers having a white margin, and the
under parts of the body lighter, the neck feathers glossed with purple and green ; the.
beak is long, slender, and dark horn colour, the eye gravelly red ; the feet red ; but in
the young blackish.

302. They are rather stouter and plumper made than the Wild Blue Rock Pigeon,
and much more familiar ; they are excellent breeders, raising many pairs of young in a-
season, and though wild and fond of liberty, may be rendered very tame and docile.

303. They are capable of finding their own living in the fields, where they do un-:
told good by devouring the seeds of many weeds that they find on the ground, they also
eat many sorts of vegetables and green food that they find abroad ; but the good they
may contribute is little known, and they are looked on by many farmers as depredators.
Doubtless they may occasionally do some harm ; it must, however, be remembered that
the Pigeon’s bill is not made for digging, nor his feet for scratching. Thus he can,
at most, only pick up the grain and seeds that are improperly covered, or lie scattered:
on the surface, and which could not be gathered up. Some persons suppose that they
feed entirely on corn, and think, if a Pigeon one day eats a certain quantity of grain,
that he is to do so every day, and thus they reckon up a large supposed consumption ;)
but seed-time and harvest do not last all the year, and even supposing they do some
trifling amount of damage,—that is to say, suppose they eat some corn that might have
fed the rooks, pheasants, or other birds (for very little of this corn would grow), is not.
the damage compensated by the good they perform in eating the seeds of weeds, and,

122

at least, the dung from a Dove-cot should not be forgotten on their side. I have been
told they do much damage in a pea-field, but I am at a loss to discover what, seeing
they do not shell the peas, and though they may fill their crops, it is from those that
fall out by the splitting and curling up of some pods before the majority are ripe enough
to harvest ; thus the only harm they do appears to be robbing the pigs and poultry that
might be turned into the gratton.

304. The Dove-House Pigeon, and indeed all the mongrels or small runts, are very
prolific. All Pigeons are monogamous ; each cock selects his mate, and generally re-
mains constant to her for their joint lives, unless age or sickness cool their affection.
The Pigeon, when paired, seek out a nest place, where they coo to each other ; the cock
then proceeds to fetch the materials for the nest, which the hen arranges to her fancy ;
fine twigs are mostly preferred, but they will also use straw, or even hay, if the others
are not handy. About a fortnight after pairing, the hen usually lays her first egg,
about four o'clock in the afternoon, over which they usually keep guard ; missing a day,
she lays her second egg about noon, and then commences the proper incubation.

805. The cock relieves his mate about ten o'clock in the morning, and sits till four,
p-m., when the hen resumes her place, and remains on till the next morning ; sixteen
days after the second egg is laid they hatch. The young are ugly little things, covered
only by a few tufts of yellow down ; the old ones feed them with soft meat, a pap pre-
pared by the old birds from the food they eat. The old ones, taking the young bird’s
beak to their mouths, inject the soft food into its mouth, which the young then swallows ;
as the young advance, the food is less prepared, until itis given almost in the same state
as the old ones find it. In about five weeks the young are ready to leave the nest ; but
ere this, the old usually have made another nest, and frequently sit again, and some-
times the second pair are hatched before the first could feed alone.

306. The prolificacy of Pigeons has often been commented on, and as all the early
hatched young birds would breed the same year, they would necessarily multiply very
fast ; but then Pigeons have a great many enemies.

307. Much, too, has been said of the quantity of food they consume ; but this sub-
ject I consider is overrated. I will content myself by giving one instance of an experi-
ment I tried. When at school, I was permitted to keep one pair of Pigeons; these
were common ones, I kept them in a rabbit hutch, the breeding-place divided by a shelf
to make two nests, and they reared a pair of young ones every five or six weeks. While
I had them they were fed on tares which I purchased retail; they also had food and
water by them, and cost me, one week with the other, three halfpence per week ; they
were very fat, and the young grew well. I cannot say if Pigeons at liberty would be
equally moderate in their demands, but I fancy exercise sharpens their appetites. Dove-
cots are common in many parts of the country; they are built of various sizes, shapes,
and materials ; brick or stone are the best materials, not being so liable to harbour
vermin and insects as wood ; it must be inaccessible to cats, rats, &c., and kept clean ;
and as I have shown Pigeons occupy two nests at the time with young and eggs, the
Pigeons should never exceed the number of nests, or much quarrelling and consequent
loss ensue ; far better to have double the number of nests than Pigeons.

308. Every winter the Pigeons should be all caught by the closing of the Dove-house
at night, and the requisite number of pairs let*out, being careful to allow a few hens
rather than cocks in excess, for an odd cock is always a nuisance ; better to have half-a-
dozen odd hens than one odd cock, and cocks are generally in excess, because the hens
are weaker and more liable to get killed ; and though a hen may find no mate in the
Dove-cot itis very probable she may pick up and bring home some disconsolate batchelor.
The cocks and hens may be distinguished, pretty certainly, by a practised eye; the
cocks have a bolder look, and are fuller about the cheeks ; the hens look more feminine,
and narrower across the base of the beak, and more depressed before the eye. Young
birds too, are preferable to the old, old cocks often being quarrelsome; but this fre-
quently arises from want of hens.

309. Almost all the common Pigeons are prolific ; itis generally in the high-bred and
high-fed fancy Pigeons, where, perhaps, for many generations no fresh blood has been
introduced, that they fail to rear their young; their colour has no effect on their breeding
capabilities ; those that are not related, and whose parents were not related, will be the

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hardiest and most prolific. From one to four years old is considered their most pro-
ductive age ; hens wear out sooner than cocks. I had a cock that bred at twelve years
old, and a neighbour had one which bred well at twenty years old.

310. Although naturalists assign the origin of our tame Pigeons to the Blue Rock
Pigeon or Rock Dove, I think the chequered Dove-house Pigeon the more probable an-
cestor. Not only is this Pigeon more extensively diffused, but it is very constant to its
home ; they have been known to return to their former abode, the distance of eighty
miles. They are not so shy as the Rock, and are very easily tamed, and if properly
treated will readily take up their abode where desired ; and what makes me incline still
more to the Dove-house Pigeons as the origin of our tame or fancy Pigeons is, that if
the varieties are neglected and permitted to intermingle, the type of the Dove-house
Pigeon will be more and more apparent among them. Still I have my doubts if all
the fancy Pigeons had one common origin ; it may be possible, but it does not appear
probable. .

THE SWALLOW-TAILED PIGEON.

311. Dr. BECHSTEIN, in his fourth volume of the Natural History of Germany,
gives the following description of this variety of domestic Pigeon. Columba Domestica
Forticata, the Swallow-tailed Pigeon, is about the size of a common field Pigeon, but
rather longer made ; the most remarkable point is the forked tail, which is formed like
that of a House Swallow. It is rare; in colour black, or black spotted with white,
with or without a hood—very lively in its manners but not very prolific. The Pigeon
Fanciers consider it one of the finest varieties.

THE TERN OR SEA-SWALLOW PIGEON.

312. This beautiful variety of toy Pigeon is called by the French ‘‘ Hirondelle de mer,”
and by the Germans ‘‘ Die See Schwalben Taube,” or for shortness simply ‘‘ Schwalben
Tauben,” which literally means Swallow Pigeon, but as they derive their name from
their marking, which resembles that of a small kind of sea gull, called a Tern, though
known to the French and Germans as a Sea Swallow, it follows that the name Swallow
Pigeons, as commonly applied to them in this country, is inappropriate, and that the
proper English name would be Tern or Gull Pigeon ; the Germans also designate them
“« Feen Tauben” (Fairy Pigeons) and ‘‘ Nurnberger,” or ‘* Farben Flugeliche.”

3138. Of all the toy Pigeons (I mean those I have classed as such, in distinction from
the Fancy Pigeons, which have many properties), these are, with the exception of the
Suabian Spangled Pigeons, the most worthy of the Fancier’s notice, their decided and
beautiful marking, and the contrast of their colour, placing them in character above
the general run of toys. They are good breeders, about the size of the Dove-house
Pigeon, and are equally light and active in their movements, though the feather-footed
varieties, which are most esteemed on the Continent, are net well adapted to provide
their own living, owing to their short and heavily-feathered feet ; there are of this sort
of Pigeon both turned crowned and smooth-headed, as well as clean-footed and shod ;
their necks are short, their heads, breasts, and backs broad, their ground plumage is
white ; their marking consists of the scalp, wings, and the slippers in those that are
shod being coloured, which in the blue variety resembles the partition of colour in the
Tern, the bird before mentioned, from which they derive their name.

314, Their points of marking are as follows :—First the head ; the upper mandible
should be dark and the lower light ; the scalp or top of the head in a line from the cor-
ners of the mouth across the eyes, evenly marked, passing round to the back of the
head dark, but in those that are turned-crowned the hood must be perfectly white.
Secondly, the wings of these should be wholly coloured without any white feathers,
but the epaulets or scapular feathers, which lie on the back, at the junction of the
wings to the body, should be quite white, and as they overlay a part of the wing when
closed, it necessarily appears narrow, which is considered a particular point. Thirdly,
the feet, if shod, should be thickly covered with coloured feathers from the heel or hock
joint to the toes, but the boots, or as Shangai Fanciers would style it, the vulture hock,
must be white.

315, Herr GotTLos NEUMEISTER, of Weimar, enumerates five sub-varietes, as follows :—

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: 816.—1. The black Tern Pigeon, in which the markings are of a beautiful velvety
lack.

317.—2. The blue Tern Pigeon, the markings of which are clear blue, with regular
narrow black bars on the wings, the flight feathers being dark slate coloured.

318.—3. The red Tern Pigeon, the colourings of a fine dark brown-red.
319.—4. The yellow Tern Pigeon, the markings are either bright yellow or buff.

320.—5. The light or wild blue Tern Pigeon, they are light blue on the coloured
parts and have no wing bars, their pinions are slate coloured.

821. All the above varieties are frequently to be met with, with white wing bars, but
they are not generally so accurately marked, still more rarely have such fine shell-
turned hoods.

322. In addition to the above, I have seen some with dove-coloured markings, also of
a kind of lavender colour, and mealies.

323. This sort of Pigeon is becoming somewhat plentiful in this country, though
they are of but recent introduction, and they are now frequently exhibited at our shows.

324. According to M. M. BortarD and Corsin, the hooded varieties are considered
distinct from the smooth-headed in France, and known by a different name, or at least
they are the high fancy of the breed, and are bred with much care and of a small size.

THE LAHORE OR MARTIN PIGEON.

325. This is a variety of toy Pigeon, of rather strange marking. I first met with it
at the Anerley Show, where some were exhibited by FRANCIS WoRRALL, Esq., of
Knotty Ash House, to which gentleman I am indebted for an account of their intro-
duction. He informs me they were brought from Lahore, in the East Indies, for Lord
DeErBy’s Aviary.

326. In plumage they are black and white; in marking bearing a strong resem-
blance to the Martin or Window Swallow ; the top of the head, back of the neck, back
and wings are black ; the throat front of the neck, breast, thighs, and tail being white,
the division of colour being even and well defined.

327. Mr. W. also informs me they breed well andtrue to marking ; they are of the
size and make of a Dove-house Pigeon.

THE CARMELITE.

328. Dr. BECHSTEIN, before quoted, also describes a small variety of fancy Pigeon which
he calls “ Die Karmelitertaube.” The Carmelite Pigeon is the neatest and smallest of
the varieties of Pigeons ; from its short legs and heavily feathered feet, it appears to
sit on the ground ; the beak is exceedingly small, and behind the head stands a point
of feathers, like the crested Lark’s ; the under part of the body and wings are always
white, and the rest of the body ash blue, redish yellow, bright yellow or grey.

FANCY PIGEONS.

329. Having nowarrived at the end of my proposed second division of domestic Pigeons,
and having described the Carrier, Antwerp, Tumbler, Pouter, Fantail, Jacobin, Trum-
peter, Laugher, Turbit, Owl, Barb, Mahomet, Finnikin, Lace, Frillback, and a few ot
the Runts, most of which sorts include several varieties, it is my desire to offer a few
words of explanation on this manner of division, as doubtless some amateurs would
claim a place among them for other sorts, such as the Nun, Helmet, Magpie, Spot, o
any other of the numerous varieties of Toys. The reason for my present division is,
that I consider the Pigeons which I have classed as Fancy to have, most probably, dis-
tinct origins, while those which I class as Toys are most likely to have been deriveci
from crossing the Dovehouse Pigeon with some of the fancy kinds ; for in most of them
the Dovehouse type is very prominent, and the change of colour, and an occasional
turned crown, or feathers on the feet, may be considered as the effect of the cross, but
not of sufficient note to give them the right to a distinct class. Their chief, if not only-
property, is that of feather, in which property some of them are very beautiful, and

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others very peculiar ; advantage having been taken of very singularly and regularly
marked birds, and, after careful breeding and selecting for a few generations, the
variety has become fixed ; but, should they, from careless breeding, lose their regularity
of marking, they at once lose all caste, and figure as nothing better than a common
mixture or mongrel. On the other hand, should a fancy Pigeon lose its peculiar mark-
ing or colour, it would nevertheless remain a fancy Pigeon. Thus, for instance, a
Pouter, Tumbler, Fantail; or any other, might be bred to any variety of marking or to
a whole colour, and yet remain a true Pouter, Tumbler, or what not; but suppose a
Nun, Spot, or any other toy, to lose any of its peculiar marks, it would become
worthless, or no better than any other common bird to be found among our country
Dovecots.

330. Many of our fancy Pigeons seem to have had local origins, or to have been
brought from distant countries, which I consider another point in favour of the dis-
tinctness of the breeds, in opposition to the generally received opinion that all our tame
Pigeons are descended from the wild Blue Rock. The Carrier, for instance, is said to
come originally from Persia. Barbs are said to be found in a wild state in Barbary,
Trumpeters to come from Egypt, Laughers from the Holy Land, Jacobins from
Cyprus, and Fantails from the Phillippine Isles ; and though all fancy Pigeons have
not localities assigned to them, yet it is not very difficult to believe that each had a
different origin ; for I think no Fancier will pretend to say he could produce a Pouter,
Fantail, or any other of those Pigeons which I have already named, from the Stock
Dove, Blue Rock, or Dovehouse Pigeon. Nor do I believe it possible, with the assist-
ance of all the others, any given one could be produced ; but I think that almost any
of the toys, at least such as I am about to describe under that name, might, by
careful breeding, be produced from the Dovehouse Pigeon by crossing with other varie-
ties. Thus it will appear that the toys are necessarily very numerous, and ever liable
to have their number increased ; and as most civilised countries have several varieties
of this class, it is impossible for me to enumerate them all; but as I am acquainted
with many varieties, I shall proceed to describe them ; and though I should have pre-
ferred commencing with the two or three best known in England, yet, as the beautiful
spangled feathering of the Suabian Pigeon has been introduced by the Continental
amateurs into most of the varieties of toys, it will perhaps be most proper to describe
that first ; then taking the Nun, the Priest, and the Monk ; for though I did not
hesitate to separate the Nun from the Jacobin, my system does not make it neces-
sary for me to deprive her of every father confessor.

TOY PIGEONS.

THE SCHWAB, OR SUABIAN SPANGLED PIGEON.

331. The Suabian Spangled Pigeons, or as they are called in Germany ‘‘Schwaben
Tauben,” are I consider, the prettiest variety of toys. They are doubtless the origin
of all those pretty spangled toys occasionally seen in England and known by various
names, as Porcelains, Hyacinths, Ermines, &c.

332. The Suabian Pigeons are about the size of Nuns in shape and make, and
much resemble the Dovehouse Pigeon in their manners, have generally a turned crown,
gravel eye, and clean feet. They are rather shy, sharp flyers, and easily learn to
find their food in the fields, as indeed is the case with nearly all the varieties of toys, un-
less incapacitated for walking on the ploughed land by the long feathers on the feet,
which a few of them have, with which exception it may be taken as a rule that all the
Pigeons to be described in this section are good “fielders,” or caterers—and conse-
quently well adapted for country amateurs—while the fancy Pigeons generally require
to be house-fed, and therefore belong more particulary to the town Fanciers.

333. The chief, if not the only property of the Suabian Pigeon consists in its beau-
tiful spangled plumage, the ground colour of which resembles that of a dark chequered
Dovecot Pigeon ; the feathers on the head and neck are tipped with cream colour, or
a soft whitish stone colour ; the tail is a dark slaty colour barred with black near the
extremity ; the flight feathers are of the same hue, but they have a small whitish spot
at the extremity of each, like the white spots on the pinion of a Goldfinch ; the second-
ary wing feathers, as also the primary covert feathers of the same, have a large

126

whitish spot on their outer web, which causes the wings to have two white bars, a
feature much prized on the Continent by amateurs, when introduced into the colouring
of any of the darker toys, and one of. very rare occurrence in any English Pigeons ;
the whole of the lesser covert feathers of the wing shoulders, and the black or scapu-
lar feathers, have the white spots on both of the webs, which, when large, cause the
feathers to appear almost all whitish with gray down, a black shaft and a small trian-
gular bluish or slaty spot at the extremity, resembling ermine marks in heraldry, thus
at a little distance the general plumage of the bird seems of a soft creamy white, slightly
speckled with dark, but on closer inspection it is very beatifully and regulary marked
—the whitish over-colour on the lower part of the neck across the crop gives place to
a crescent-shaped band of an orange-brown shade, the rump and hinder parts are slaty-
gray ; in the young birds these white markings are of brownish or brindled colour,
known to the Fancy as ‘‘ kite” or ‘‘hawked,” but this colour only remains so long as
they maintain their nest feathers, and they lose it with them and attain the creamy
white shade at their first moult.

334. If these Pigeons are bred to a darker shade, either by crossing with a black
Pigeon or selecting the darkest for two or more generations, they present a very pretty
appearance, becoming almost black, with two white bars across the wings, and the
shoulders being spangled (not ‘‘ mottled”), with white pearl-like spots.

335. The Germans have also what they call a Red Suab, or “‘ Roth Schwaben,” the
ground colour of which is a brown-red, but the whitish spangling is not so clear on
their shoulders, having a very faint pinkish tint, and being slightly marbled with red ;
the few I have seen of this variety had white upper mandibles, and also the crown of
the head white, and a black iris.

336. The French have several sub-varieties, more or less spangled, some on a black
ground, others ona clear blue, which are very pretty ; some of them are spangled with
buff, fawn, or red-brown, instead of the creamy white ; some of the French birds
are much larger than the German, and seem as if they had been crossed with other
large birds. These varieties are all, as yet, but little known in England ; I believe
I was the first to bring the true Suabian Pigeon into this country from Germany,
in the year 1843.

THE PRIEST.

337. The Priest, or ‘‘ Die Pfaf-feu Taube” of the Germans, is a variety of the toys
but little known in England, but a few may be met with among the collections of the
curious amateurs, though in some parts of Germany they are very plentiful. These
Pigeons are a little larger than the common Dovehouse Pigeon, which they much re-
semble in build ; they are equally quick and active, and field well; they have broad
turned crowns, and their feet are generally somewhat feathered ; their colour is various,
their chief property is their white head, the upper mandible is flesh coloured, and the
white of the scalp reaches down in a line from the corners of the mouth across the eyes,
while the under mandible, the hood, and the whole of the remaining plumage should
be dark, except in the few that are spangled on the wings. The irides are gravel-
coloured, but often appear half dark and half-light. They derive their name from their
white head bearing some resemblance to the tonsure of a Romish priest.

338. Herr Gorrios NEUMEISTER enumerates five sub-varieties as follow:—

339. 1st.—The Black Priest Pigeon ; both with and without the white wing bars,
and occasionally with the spangled shoulders of the Suabian Pigeon cross.

340. 2nd.—The Blue Priest Pigeon, with either black or white wing bars; also occa-
sionally spangled like the foregoing.

341. 3rd—The Brown-red Priest Pigeon; these rarely have the white wing bars,
but when they do, the flight and tail are usually strawberry coloured. The chief point
is to have them of an uniform dark brown red.

342. 4th.—The Yellow Priest Pigeon ; has markings similar to the red, and are equally
rare with white wing bars.

343, 5th.—The Stock Dove, or Wild Blue Priest Pigeon ; their colour is a light or
mealy blue, with the white head, like all the others, but withoutany other mark whatever,

ad

not even the black wing bars so common to blue Pigeons. These are, however, not
very plentiful. The White-tailed Priest Pigeon, or Pilferer, may be mentioned here, as
it scarcely requires a separate notice, it having all the same colours and markings of
the foregoing, with the addition of a white tail, but it is rarely 30 accurately marked.
Mr. NEUMEISTER considers it a cross between the Priest and Monk,

THE MONK.

344. The Monk is another of the toys but rarely seen in this country ; the few I
have seen exhibited had the spangled shoulders of the Suabian cross, and were shown
by the names of “ Ermine Baldheads,” or “‘ Saxons.” They are known in Germany as
**Die Monch Taube” (Monk Pigeons ), from a fancied resemblance of their white head
to the shaven pate of a Monk.

345.—This variety is also slightly larger than the common Dovehouse Pigeon ; they
are smooth-headed, the feet are short and heavily feathered, the irides are dark ; they
have broad breasts and backs, but are not so quick and active as the foregoing. In
markings they resemble our Bald-headed Tumblers; the head, tail, flight, rump,
thighs, and feathers on the feet are white, the rest of the body being either black,
blue, red or yellow; sometimes the black and blue Monks have white wing bars,
which are still more rare on the red and yellows ; the blues, as before-mentioned, are
also occasionally spangled on the whole of the shoulder. Great attention is required to
breed them of accurate markings ; or like all other toys, they become valueless if they
lose their only property—feather.

ARCHANGEL.

346. Having thus far described the ecclesiastics of the Pigeon-house, it will not be
out of place to soar a little higher, and now describe the so-called “‘ Archangel.” These
Pigeons have but recently become known to the English amateur, but in Germany they
are plentiful, and are there called “‘Gimpel,” ‘‘ Dompfaffen,” or ‘‘ Blutfink Tauben,”
which means Bullfinch Pigeon, these being only various names for that bird, and I
confess I was somewhat surprised to hear the name of Archangel applied to them
when I met with them in London. Sir JoHnN SEsrRicHT has the credit of first intro-
ducing them into this country, and possibly from the translation of the word ‘“‘ Domp-
faffen,” which means a Cathedral Priest or Canon, as well as a Bullfinch, it was not
difficult, by a stretch of imagination, to clap wings on the Archpriest, and transform
him into Archangel. These Pigeons are the same size as common Dovehouse Pigeons,
rather slighter built, and as sharp and light in their flight ; still they are tame, gentle,
and rather weakly, and do not increase so well as some others; they are point-headed
and clean-footed ; the iris of the eye is a bright orange. Their plumage is, however,
exceedingly beautiful, and the feathers are more glossy and shining than any other
variety with which I am acquainted ; the head, neck, breast, and under parts, are cop-
per red coloured, changing into a bright orange brown ; the back and shoulders are a
deep slaty black, having a purplish gloss ; the flights are dusky black, and the tail is
slaty, barred with black.

347. The young ones are at first kite or “ hawked,” but gain a great portion of their
adult plumage at the first moult, though no Pigeons drop the secondary wing feathers
(except two at each side) till the second moult, consequently, a brown patch remains
on the shoulders till that time in these, as well as in the Suabians and other young span-—
gled Pigeons.

348. There is a second variety of the Bullfinch Pigeon that is rather lighter on the
breast ; the shoulders are dull blue, with dark brown wing bars, but I believe it is not
much esteemed.

THE BREAST, OR WHITE ARCHANGEL.

349. This, too, is one of the pretty German Toys, and I can only remember having
seen one pair of them in this country, which were exhibited in London under the name
of ‘“ Dresdens,” most probably from their being brought from that city. They are,
however, frequently to be met with in various parts of Germany, where they are known
as ‘‘ Die farbenbristige Taube” (the Coloured-breasted Pigeons), or simply as ‘‘ Die
Brust” (the Breast).

128

350. They are the same size as the common Dove-house Pigeons, but rather slighter
made ; they are very light and quick in their flight, and field very well. Like the Arch-
angel, they are point-headed and clean-footed. Their plumage is almost as glossy as the
Black-backed Archangel ; their head, neck, and breast are of one colour, as black, red,
blue, or yellow ; hence they are designated black-breasts, or red-breasts, as the case
may be. The rest of the plumage is of a beautiful clear white ; the white feathers of
the young are edged with a colouring, but become pure white after the first moult. As
the name of Archangel has been promulgated, and the Bullfinch Pigeons are now well
known by that name, I think, from the striking resemblance this variety bears to that,
that the name of White Archangel will be the most appropriate English name for this
variety, and the sub-varieties may be easily expressed, as black-breasted, or red-breasted,
White Archangel.

STOMACHER.

351. This variety is known in Germany as ‘Die Latz-Taube,” (the Stomacher
Pigeon) from its being white in plumage, and wearing, as it were, a dark stomacher or
breast-cloth. They are rather larger than the common Dove-cot Pigeon, being thicker
made about the neck and breast ; they are however quick and active and field well.
They are “ stockinged,” or feathered to the toes with small feathers, and have very fine

shell-turned crowns, which differ from the usual turned crowns in the feathers not being

placed so close together, and in the crowns reaching half-way down the back of the
neck. -The head, and front of the neck as far as half the breast, is coloured either
black, blue, red or yellow, from which they derive their name; the hood, back of the
neck, as also the remainder of the plumage is white.

352. Like the preceding, these are, as yet, uncommon in this country.

“THE STARLING-BREASTED PIGEON.

353. This variety resembles the common Dove-cot Pigeon in size, shape, and habits,
and they field well ; they are generally smooth-headed and clean-footed. The colour is
almost always black, though occasionally blue or red ; they have gravel eyes, and dark
beaks. Their markings are as follows: two white bars on each wing, and a white
speckled crescent-shaped band below the fore part of the neck across the crop, about an
inch broad ; the feathers which compose this band being tipped with white somewhat
after the manner of a starling’s plumage, from which they derive their name, and which
looks very pretty on the dark glossy ground colour of the Pigeon’s neck.

354. In the young, the white markings are of a rosy red until the first moult, when
they become white. |

355. These white markings retain their regularity only until the third or fourth
moult ; they generally become lighter, the points of the flight feathers get white, and
the crown of the head grey ; and the beautiful breast band becomes lighter, larger, and
more unsightly with age.

356. I have had a few with white heads like the Priest Pigeons ; they had also
turned crowns, the upper mandible was white, and the eyes dark.

357. Their German name is “ Staar-hilsige Taube.”

THE SWISS PIGEON.

358. Not having seen this variety, which is to be met with both in Germany and
France, I shall make no apology for giving the following description from Herr Gort.
LOB NEUMEISTER’s Work, “‘ Das Gandezer Tauben-Zucht.” “The Swiss Pigeon (Die
Schweitzer-Taube), also known by the name of Half-Moon Pigeon (Halbmonds-taube),
is the size of the common Field Pigeon (Dove-house Pigeon), and equally light and
quick in flight.

359. Their feet are heavily feathered, their ground colour is almost white, only 4
slight shade of colour to be seen; on the breast they have a coloured marking which
resembles a half-moon, or only a finger-broad band, which passes in a curve over the
crop ; and on the wings they have two narrow, curved, coloured bars.”

360. From a translation of the French Work on Pigeons, by M.M. Botrarp and

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j/ 3 We bn DY? EO)

129

Corpin, in the “Cottage Gardener,” it appears the varieties of this breed are much
more numerous in France, a8 seven varieties, or rather colours, are there mentioned
all distinguished by their breast-plates and barred wings, with the exception of this
whole-coloured variety, which has no markings, and is evidently the Pigeon known in
Germany as The Stock Dove or Wild Blue Pigeon. Some of the varieties of the Swiss
Pigeons are very beautiful coloured toys.

THE ICE PIGEON.

361. The Ice Pigeon is another variety of the German toys, known there by the
names of the “ His-,” ‘“‘Mehl-” or “Silberfarbige-taube.” In size they are stouter
than a Dovehouse Pigeon ; the beak is dark horn coloured, the eyes a bright gravel ;
the head is smooth, and the feet heavily feathered. Their colour is light blue, and when
in condition, the feathers have so much bloom on them that they appear powdered, or
as if they were frosted or iced, from which they derive their name. The green gloss
on the neck is but slightly perceptible ; they have a broad black bar across the end of
the tail, and two narrow bars, either black or white, across the wings ; they are rather
scarce.

362. The Stock Dove, or Wild Blue Pigeon, ‘‘ Die Holtaube” of the German Fan-
ciers, derives its name from its colour resembling that of the Wild Stock Dove, the
whole plumage being of a slight blue ; and they are entirely without any bars on the
wings, a curious deviation from the general rule. A black bar in the tail is their only
marking ; the gloss on the neck is more red than green ; and the feet are short and
heavily feathered.

THE STORK PIGEON.

363. The Stork, or “ Die Storch,” or ‘‘Swingen Taube” of the Germans is one of
the pretty toys occassionally to be met with on the Continent, but I am not aware that
any have as yet been brought to this country, though in some parts of Germany they
are much cultivated. They derive their name from their plumage bearing considerable
resemblance to that of the Stork, being white, the pinions and a spot above the beak
being the only coloured parts, which are either black, blue, red, or yellow. They are
turned-crowned, and the feet are feathered to the toes. They are the size of a common
Dovehouse Pigeon, as light and active in their movements, and field well.

THE MAGPIE.

364. This variety of toy Pigeon is evidently derived from the German “ Elster”
(Magpie), or “ Weiszflugliche” (white-winged), “ Burzel-Taube” (Tumbler-Pigeon), and
many Magpie Tumblers bred in this country, both flying and short-faced fancy birds,
which I spoke of in my former paper on the Tumblers, the present having reference only
to the toy Magpie, which has been bred large and coarse, without regard to any other pro-
perty than feather; a proceeding I regret, as it certainly loses much by contrast with a
Magpie Tumbler.

365. They are of various colours, as black, blue, red, or yellow, and are therefore de-
signated black Magpies, &c., as the colour indicates ; their peculiarity consists in the
‘wings being wholly white, as also the lower part of the breast, thighs and vent, the re-
mainder of the plumage being coloured, which marking bearing some resemblance to
to the pied plumage of a Magpie, is the reason for their name ; and in the accuracy
with which the colouring is divided their value consists. Although the wings are
wholly white, yet the epaulets, or scapular feathers that overlay the back, are dark,
being exactly the reverse in this respect, of the Tarn or Sea-swallow Pigeon.

366. A closer remblance to the plumage of a Magpie would be produced if they
could be bred with the whole of the quill feathers of the wings, both primary (flight),
and secondary (supporters), grizzled, or tipped with the dark colour.

SHIELD.

367. The Shield Pigeon, so called from its bearing on its wings a coloured shield on a
white ground, is very numerous in some parts of Germany, where they are known as
‘¢ Die Schild Taube,” and are divided into two classes, the clean-footed and the slippered.

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368. The clean-footed are small active Pigeons, about the size and make of Dove-
house Pigeons, and they field well ; their plumage is white, excepting the wing shoul-
ders, which are coloured like the Turbit Pigeon.

369. Those with slippers or feathers on their feet are rather larger, their necks
shorter, and their breasts and back broader; but, owing to their heavily-feathered
feet, are not well adapted for finding their own food in the fields: they are marked like
the smooth-footed ones, with either black, blue, red or yellow shoulders, and have
generally white wing-bars.

THE GULL PIGEON.

370. I have seen in London individuals of a variety of Pigeon by the above name |
both living and stuffed : in appearance they were large, runtish-looking birds, smooth,
headed and clean-footed ; their plumage being white, with the exception of the wings
and scapular feathers, which were black ; the marginal pinion feather, however, was
white, which marking exactly resembled that of the large black-backed Sea Gull, so
common on our coasts, and from this circumstance they derive their name of Gull

Pigeons.
PIGEONS.

371. Many people view Pigeons only as ingredients for a pie, and do not think any
more ef those beautiful birds they see started after the race on the Derby day than
they did of those they dovoured on the course for luncheon. With sharpers fools
re called Pigeons, although I do not think the resemblance striking, as any Pigeon-
xeeper knows they are generally exceedingly wary and cautious. They have been de-
mestic pets from time immemorial, and have been made use of in various ways, from
carrying the letter of an emperor to participating in the tricks of a street conjuror.
They have, from their diversity of colour, shape, and characteristics, occasioned
many disputes and arguments as to their genealogy, and many scientific men differ as
to whether they be descended from one common stock. Of late years the ‘‘ Fancy” has
been in a languishing state, and almost confined to the lower ranks of society ; but the -
institution of exhibitions, and the premiums given for good specimens, aided by the
real beauty of the birds themselves, have tended much to raise them in the estimation
of Poultry Fanciers.

372. There are many who, if they could would keep fowls, but cannot for want of
space ; to these, Pigeons may form a substitute, and a cheap one, too. There are so
many sorts of Pigeons, and they are of such different temperaments and habits, that
the amatuer may provide himself with pets of a kindred spirit to hisown. If he be of
a go-a-head nature, there is the Carrier ; is he volatile, there’s the Tumbler ; if he be an
anchorite, he may have Capuchins and Owls for his companions ; is he fond of female
society, he can have plenty of Nuns; or is he of a warlike nature, he can have Trum-
peters and Helmets ; if he is sulky, he may keep company with Pouters : in fact, almost
all dispositions may find a Pigeon to agree with them, if only in one point—that of
name.

373. All manufacturing people cultivate Pigeons ; in Spitalfields, Birmingham, Man-
chester, and in Belgium, great numbers of first-rate birds are kept.

374. There are three classes of people keep Pigeons. Pigeon Fanciers, Pigeon
Breeders, and people who suffer a few mongrels to fly about their premises, and, in a
great measure, get their own living. Pigeon Fanciers are those who, from the love of
the birds themselves, cherish them for them for their beauty, and keep the different
varieties in various shades of perfection.

375. The Pigeon Breeders are those who have large dove-cots, and supply the mar-
kets, Pigeon-shootings, &. There is an immense number of young Pigeons imported
from France for London consumption, and the fact that, at prices as low as six, seven,
and eight shillings per dozen, it pays a Frenchman to send young Pigeons to England,
proves that large numbers may be profitably reared at a small expense.

376. Farmers are very often involuntary Pigeon keepers, although I do not think
that there is as much harm done by these birds in the fields as is placed to their account.
Mr. St. Joun, in his excellent work entitled ‘“‘ Highland Sports,” mentions that he

131

shot some which were taking their homeward flight from the fields one afternoon, and
on examining their crops, they were found to be full of seeds of some weeds that would
cost no end of trouble to get rid of.

877. Great numbers of Pigeons are kept in a semi-wild state in the eastern counties
of England, costing very little for food, and amply paying for their house room with
their young ones. They are generally of a siaty colour, sometimes brown and not
unfrequently white ; but when many young ones are thrown of this latter colour, it is
a sign the flock is getting degenerate and that fresh blood is wanted. In some parts of
England wild Pigeons are so common (indeed, most of the birds before mentioned are
but offshoots from the wild Roc Pigeons) that they intermingle with the dove-cote
birds, and render the introduction of strangers unnecessary.

378. Many dozens of young birds are produced by an average flock in the course of
a year, and these when killed young, are esteemed much before the French Pigeons,
althought the latter are much larger. Twelve pairs of Pigeons bred between the runt
and common roc (not Sinbad’s), have been known to rear eleven dozens of young
ones, between the Ist of January and the 3lst of December. To any one with conve-
nience for them, and they do not require much, half-a-dozen or a dozen pairs of com-
mon Pigeons will soon pay for their keep, and leave a margin for profit if taken a little
care of. Their house should face the south, there should be three times as many nests
as there are pairs of birds, and the house kept tolerably clean, 2.e.,, cleaned out often
enough to keep it sweet, but not to disturb the breeding birds.

MODEL PRIZE LIST FOR PIGEONS.

879. In the Model Prize List inserted in No. 59 of the Poultry Chronicle, I perceive,
no doubt owing to the badly written manuscript, that some of the divisional names have
been inserted as class names, more particularly in the Pigeon list, by which means

_they do not appear properly divided, and the divisional name Tumbler being inserted in
the class intended for Almond Tumblers, whereby that class appears to be left out, an
error I did not think right to pass by. I therefore beg its re-insertion in its corrected
form :—

Ist DIvIsion.-—CARRIERS.

A. English Carriers, best pair Ce Dragoons: wwii: stiches
BB, PereemMEn wee uadsnees. | DBD. sAntwerps \ .itecve. cise. ec ceaet
2ND Division.—TUMBLERS.
Bi RII 2 reece nse he caer J. Any other variety of Tum-
F. Mottles and whole colours... | blers, as helmeted, white ~
G.-obaldhbeadedss oo. acaeaete shouldered, saddle-backed,
1g [SH SET 2? (ere ae Mame es Mee or rough-footed, &c. ......
LB gape Yo cert gar 8 Bs re ae ri
38RD DIvIsION.—RUNTS.
Hie) ees otmne, Vsenee Aw An extra prize might be awarded
De Spanish isa we va oe | in this division for the largest
WE: Ronan 28... Soden te Peat pair, irrespective of variety.
N. Any other variety of Runts.. | a
47H Diviston.—Fancy PIcKons.

@.” Pouters, “best pair’. 4.99.29. Sie tia 22) ila IRS aE e, oe Magee

Best) cogk, 51h oeceh nes: OBS, 5) ANGUTSTUR ae Stace cocaieh vais ese aat

Bret Fem oss Mei eee des Us IO sis apenas Ran
P. Fantails, best pair ............ Wie amrhers'. os. es... 238 ARTI LS
Qe Jacobi... scene oes | Rye Bia Backs). ses samece anor ee
fy) Dromipeters: .. 2. ete eee Peep uae, Op. Silke vos es ied eonc es

5TH Divistion.—Toys. “t
380. I enumerate seventeen varieties of toys, but it is not probable that nearly all of
them would be shown at once ; therefore I include them in one class, and the Judges
might be empowered to award a prize to the best pair in each variety, where deserving
specimens were shown. The prizes need not be so high for the toys as they should be
in the four previous divisions. The toys are as follows :—Suabians or Spangles, Nuns,
Priests, Monks, Archangels, White ditto, or Breasts, Stomachers, Spots, White ditto,
his

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Storks, Starling Breasts, Swiss, Gulls or Swallows, Shields, Helmets, Magpies, Ice
Pigeons, &c. In this division might also be admitted any new or foreign variety of
Pigeons or Doves. B. P. Brent.

PIGEONS AT THE SHOWS.

381. (Eaton.)—I take the liberty to offer a few remarks, now that shows are over
for the season and about commencing again. Not many prize lists being at present
out, it seems the proper time to make a few observations regarding the awarding of

prizes to Pigeons.

382. Fanciers and visitors must have noticed, at some of the poultry shows Pigeons
have not been exhibited ; I think it would be wise to find out the cause. The commit-
tee of management may not have considered Pigeons sufficiently attractive, or Gentle-
men of the Pigeon Fancy may have considered the prizes held out too low, and there-
fore declined exhibiting birds of the first class.

383. I think it is nesessary for both parties to mind their stops ; Fanciers have no
right to expect larger prizes than the Committee of a Show can afford. The value of
the prize or medal ought not so much to be looked upon as the honowr of taking it.
I would suggest the propriety of haying medals for prizes as low as 5s. ; Fanciers
could show their brother Fanciers and friends their medals‘ (provided they had them),
and feel proud of them, whereas they would not like to show their five shillings. Let
this be optional, as some might prefer the money, to pay the carriage, &c., of the birds.

384. Nothing can be so destructive to Poultry Shows as for the outgoings to exceed
the receipts ; while, on the contrary, nothing assists more than a large number of hand-
some prizes. Most shows are hits or misses, owing to casualties over which the com-
mittee of management have no control, viz., the weather, &c. Where it proves a hit,
could its surplus funds be better appropriated than by founding a ragged school? If
it were announced in the programme that the surplus funds would be so used, I can-
not help thinking that a large surplus would remain ; and who knows what blessings
might attend the Poultry Shows which are taking place in all parts of Her Most Gra-
cious Majesty’s dominions? To think of a little ragged brother—now as ragged as a
colt—fifty years hence, as Lord Mayor of London, returning thanks for health drunk,
stating his education had been received at a ragged school formed from the surplus
funds of a poultry show. If they could be the means of raising one ragged school in
every county, would not this cause the cottager’s heart to sing for joy? Surely this is
worth a trial.

385. Where Poultry Shows are unsuccessful, it may arise from many causes ; the
prizes may have been too many and too high. Pigeons and Rabbits may have been
excluded, whereas, if they had been included, the show might have done much better.
Fanciers of Pigeons and Rabbits are numerous, and would go many miles to see them ;
but their taste not being in fowls, they would not have power to attractthem. So it
ought to be ; there is no accounting for the different fancies of men ; it would be a bad
job if every one fancied the same thing—it must be with fanciers as with husbands—
each believing “he has the only lovely Nan.” There cannot be too great a variety to
draw the many ; it is said ‘‘ many a little makes a mickle ;’ the greater the variety at

a show, the larger the company.

386. I will suggest what I consider a good prize list for Pigeons, and offer a few re-
marks afterwards :—
PIGEONS.

ALMOND TUMBLERS, or SPLASHES.
For the best pair, tested by the Standard of the Five Properties—First prize.
Ditto, Second prize.
Ditto, Third prize.

ta
PoutERS, or CROPPERS.

For the best pair of Black, Blue, Yellow, Red, White and Mealy,—each tested by
the Standard of the Five Properties.

183

CARRIERS, or Stour BIRDS.
For the best pair of Black, Dun, Blue, Silvers, White, Red, Yellow, Black-pied, and
Blue-pied, each tested by the Standard of the Five Properties.

SHort-FAcED MorrLeD TUMBLERS.
For the best pair of Black-mottled, Red and Yellow, &c., each tested by the Stan-
dard of the Five Properties.

SHORT-FACED TUMBLERS.
For the best pair of Black, Blue, Red, Silver, Yellow, Kite, White, Dun, Whole-
feather, or any coloured feather, each tested by the Standard of the Five Properties.

SHORT-FACED BALDHEADS.
For the best pair of Black, Blue, Red, Yellow, and Silver, each tested by the Stan-
dard of the Five Properties.

SHORT-FACED BEARDS.
For the best pair of Black, Blue, Red, Yellow, and Silver, each tested by the Stan-
dard of the Five Properties,

DRAGONS,
For the best pair of Blue, Dun, and Pied, of whatever colour of feather.

J ACOBINES.
For the best pair, whatever colour of feather.

Ow Ls.
For the best pair, whatever colour of feather.

Nuns.
For the best pair, whatever colour of feather.

TURBITS.
For the best pair, whatever colour of feather.

FANTAILS.

For the best pair, whatever colour of feather.
BARBS.

For the best pair, whatever colour of feather.

MAGPIES.
_ For the best pair, whatever colour of feather.
TRUMPETERS.
¥or the best pair, whatever colour of feather.
LARGE SpPaNniIsH RUNTS.
For the best pair, whatever colour of feather.

LarGe Lecuorn Ronts.
For the best pair, whatever colour of feather.

ANTWERPS.
For the best pair, whatever colour of feather.

Foreign Birds—best left to the judgment of the Judges.

387. It may appear I have awarded much ; there are many prizes which I know will
not be taken, if offered, among the Carriers and others ; besides, the judges are em-

powered to withhold any prize where there is not sufficient merit in the birds ; it does

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not follow the judges are bound to award the prize to the best bird of a bad lot. It
often happens at shows, that the committees bring out their prize-list, then look after
a practical man to assist them, when the mischief is done. From the above list, com-
mittees can select whatever birds they think fit, and according to their finances ; if
they can only award one prize to each different species, let it be to the best pair, what-
ever the colour of feather, tested by their properties.

388.—I will now give you my reason why I should like the word Splash added to the
Almond, to read thus: for the best pair of Almond, or Splash Tumblers, tested by the
five properties, head, beak, eye, shape, and feather. I believe it would give great satis-
faction to Gentlemen Pigeon Fanciers who exhibit their Pigeons at the shows ; for
what is a Splash but an Almond-bred bird? How often do you hear experienced Fan-
ciers preferring a Splash to an Almond to breed, from being more likely to break and
spangle the bird; An Almond and a Standard Almond—where is the difference ? The
standard laid down, as regards the feather of the Almond, is as follows :—three colours,
viz., black, white, and yellow, in the nine first feathers of each wing, counting from
their extremities, and twelve in the tail; the aforesaid three colours, well developed,
would constitute a standard ; but the back, breast, and rump should also be varie-
gated, to be complete in feather ; the hackle or neck feathers snould be bright and well
broken with the same colours, and should resemble the delicate touches of the pencil
of a fine artist. If the judges adhere to this standard, it is possible there may not be
an Almond there, consequently the prize could not be awarded ; should a bird be per-
fect, save ouly one feather, in flight or tail, it would be disqualified for showing as an
Almond, notwithstanding it had four other excellent properties. If this rigid rule is
adhered to, it will give dissatisfaction to the exhibitors and Fanciers. The pens being
fastened up (save only to the awarder of prizes), as they ought to be, Fanciers cannot
handle the birds, to see whether they are Standards or not ; besides, the birds having
their flights and tail closed in the pen, this could not be seen. Fanciers and visitors
would exclaim—

389. What that bird take the prize! There are many better birds for head, beak,
eye, and shape. The first time I had the honour of attending the Columbarium Society,
held at the Gray’s Inn Coffee House, London, when the Almond Tumbler, that took first
prize, was shown me, I expressed my surprise, being a young head and beak Fancier ; a
gentleman, a good Fancier, made it clear to me. He stated it was the only bird in the
pen that came up to the standard of feather. It often happens the best feathered birds
are deficient in other properties ; besides, when their flights and tail are closed in the
pens, you cannot perceive they are Standards, it not being visible. It is otherwise with
with the other four properties, viz., head, beak, eye, and shape.

390.—With regard to those Pigeons that Fanciers consider worthy of a Standard,
viz., the Tumbler, Carrier, and English Pouter,—for instance, if the Tumbler pos-
sessed feather and shape, two grand properties ; if another Tumbler is shown against
it possessing the properties of head, beak, and eye, the bird taking three properties out
of five must be awarded the prize. Again, if a Carrier, or Stout Bird, possessed length
and thinness of neck, length of body, and great width of chest,—which, after all, is
only one property, viz, shape—also the head ; if another Carrier is shown against it,
possessing the properties of beak, wattle, and eye, the bird taking three properties out of
five must be awarded the prize. Again ifan English Pouter possessed the properties
of shape, beauty of feather, nevertheless, if another Pouter is shown against it, pos-
sessing the properties of length of body, length of legs, and crop, the bird taking three
properties out of five, according to the standard laid down by Fanciers, must be
awarded the prize, notwithstanding the general appearance of the bird possessing feather
and shape, which is truly beautiful.—F rom a Brother Fancier,

JOHN MatTHEWS EaTon.
7, Islington Green, London, (N.)

CONCLUSION.

391. Having described all the varieties of domesticated Pigeons with which I am
acquainted, it only remains for me to make a few concluding remarks. Most countries
probably have some other varieties, which are not known to me, for as a subscriber to
the “ Poultry Chronicle” some time back remarked, it is a subject that one man is in-

135

capable of fully describing, and therefore, I must beg those that know of any varieties,
that I have omitted, to give a description of them? The extinct Dodo belonged, I
believe, to this class of birds, as it has been called by some naturalists, a wingless Dove :
other curious varieties of this vast class are to be met with, as the Columba Coronata,
or large crowned blue Pigeon of the Moluccas, having a large fine-shaped crown or
crest on its head. The Crested Turtle has a pendant crest, hanging from the back of
the head, in shape like that of the Pewits or Lapwings. A friend informed me he once
saw a pair of web-footed Pigeons in Leadenhall Market, but being pressed for time, he
did not stay to examine them closely, and when he afterwards returned, with the in-
tention of purchasing them, they were gone, and all the information he could gain was,
that they had been brought home by some sailor ; I have also heard of Swallow Tailed
Pigeons, but like the preceding, I know little more of them.

392. Australia bounds in many varieties of Pigeons or Doves, among which, are the
large Wonga Wonga. A Green Pigeon and the Bronze-wing, which last, I have been
informed, has been domesticated in that country, and I know no reason why some few
of the numerous wild Pigeons of other countries, should not be capable of domestication,
but I think such as nestle on the ground or among rocks, would most likely be more
capable of domestication, than such as are arboreal, or build their nests in trees.

393. The Passenger Pigeon of America is there met with in countless numbers, and
I have been informed, that they too have been domesticated, while other writers assert
them to be intractable.

394. The only instance I know of arboreal Doves being allowed their liberty, without
abusing it, is in the case of the Collared Turtles, the common cage Dove, of a light
fawn colour, with a black ring round the neck.

395. Yet I am not willing to suppose, that all our varieties of tame Pigeons are
originally of one stock, neither do I think it possible, to trace all to the Rock Pigeon
and Dove-house combined, which are the most probable ancestors, at least, of many of
the Toys.

396. To enumerate the varieties I have already described, they are as follows: first,
the two originals, or at least the breeds, still to be found in a state of nature, in this
country. The Blue Rock, and Chequered Dove-house Pigeon. Secondly the sagacious
and flying birds, as the English Carrier, Horseman, Dragoon, Antwerp Carrier, and
Tumblers. Thirdly, Runts, or domesticated Giant Pigeons, the most familiar of which
are, the Leghorn, Roman, and Spanish, but there are many others. Fourthly, the
Fancy Pigeons, as Short Faced Tumblers, Powters, Fantails, Jacobins, Trumpeters,
Laughers, Barbs, Turbits, Owls, Finnikins or Smiters, Mahomets, Lace or Silky Pigeons,
and Frillbacks; and lastly, the Toys, properly so called, having but one property,
namely feather, as the Suabian, and other spangled Pigeons, the Nun, Priest, Monk,
Archangel or Bullfinch, White Archangel, Stomacher, Spot, White Spot, Starling
Breasted, Swiss, Ice, Stock Dove or Wild Blue Pigeon, Stork, Tern or Sea Swallow,
Magpie, Helmet, Shield, and Gull Pigeon, in all forty-two varieties, without enumerating
their sub-varieties, of which few have less than four, and some a great many more,
perhaps the Tumbler has the greatest number of sub-varieties, colours, or divisions of
colour, which would exceed fifty, without including the foreign varieties of this breed.

397. The common flying Pigeons of this country are the Skinnums, bred mostly from
a common Tumbler and Dragoon, but others are crossed with the Dove-house, Antwerp,
&c., their only value is their sharp flying ; for they cannot be considered as a breed. In
France what they call ‘‘ Voyageurs,” are mostly a mixture of Tumbler and Dove-house,
and are generally some mixture of white and red in colour, they are good breeders, but
of little other value. Belgium too, abounds with this nondescript kind of flying Pigeon,
and also crossed with the Owl Pigeon, and such are often sold as true Antwerps.

398. The common mixtures of Mongrels are too common to need a description, and
too various to make one possible, they are made up of crosses of various kinds, and
their only value is as food, for if properly attended to, to prevent their being too nu-
merous for their accommodations, and the superabundant males destroyed, they will be
found very productive.

399. I shall now conclude my papers on Pigeons for the present, hoping that I have
at least given some little information to the readers of the “ Poultry Chronicle,” and

136

if I can be of any further use in that way to any other fancier, I shall feel happy to
impart any further information I may possess.

400. Mr. J. M. Eaton has published an excellent work on the Almond Tumbler,
which is worthy the attention of all amateurs, thanks are also due to him for rescuing
Mr. Moorst’s work from oblivion. Mr. E. has not ceased here, but has lately published
a diagram of how a Pigeonary should be fitted up, of which no doubt many brother

fanciers will avail themselves,
H. P. BRENT.

The two following accounts of the Bronze-winged Dove, and the Great Crowned
Pigeon, are partly extracted from the learned and excellent work, the Naturalist’s
Library (Ornitholgy), Vol. 5; Gallinaceous Birds, Part 3—Pigeons.—By PripgEaux
SELBY, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S., M.W.S., &, &c. -—

THE AUSTRALIAN BRONZE-WING.

Although this Pigeon is a distinct species from our fancy birds, yet, as it frequently
appears at our shows, a description of it will not be out of place:—

‘The Bronze-winged Dove is a native of Australia, and many of the islands of the
Pacific. It affects sandy and arid situations, and is usually seen upon the ground, or
sometimes perched upon the low branches of the shrubs that grow in such situations.
It breeds in the holes or decayed stumps of trees near the ground, and not unfrequently
upon the surface of the earth itself, making a very inartificial nest, and laying two
white eggs. It is usually seen in pairs, and the place of its retreat is easily discovered
by its loud and sonorous cooings, which, ata distance, are said to resemble the lowings
of acow. Its chief food consists of a berry resembling a cherry, the stones of which
are generally found in its stomach, during its abode around Sidney, which appears to
be there restricted to the breeding season, as it is only met with in that district from
the month of September till February.

In size it equals our Wood Pigeon, measuring about fifteen inches in extreme length.
The bill, from the corners of the mouth, is nearly one inch, of a black colour, reddish
towards the base. The forehead, the sinciput, the streak beneath the eyes, and the
throat are white. The crown hair-brown with a reddish tinge, surrounded with a broad
fillet dusky cochineal red. Cheeks and sides of neck bluish-gray. Lower part of the
fore-neck and breast purplish gray. Abdomen and vent gray, slightly tinged with pale
lavender-purple. Back, scapulars, rump, and upper tail covert, hair-brown, with a
greenish tint in some lights, each feather margined paler. Lesser and greater wing-
coverts bluish-gray, the exterior webs each with a large ovate metallic spot, exhibiting
various tints, according to the light in which it is viewed. Quills hair-brown on the
upper surface ; the inner surface of the inner webs deeply margined with pale reddish-
orange, which is also the colour of the axillary feathers and under wing-coverts. Tail
bluish-gray, with a broad black fascia about an inch from the top, slightly rounded.
Legs red with two rows of scales in front, the sides reticulated.

THE GREAT CROWNED PIGEON.
(Columba Coronata.)

This is a distinct species from any of our domestic sorts, but as specimens are to be
seen at the Zoological Gardens, we insert the following descripiion :—

“‘The Crowned Goura is a native of the many islands of the great Indian Archipe-
lago, being by no means rare in Java and Bauda. In New Guinea it is abundant, as
well as in most of the Molucca Islands. It inhabits the forests, and feeds upon berries,
seeds, grain, &c. Its nest is built upon a tree, and, like the majority of the Columbide,
it lays but two eggs each hatching. The voice of the male is a hoarse murmuring or
cooing, accompanied by a noise, seemingly produced by the compression or forcible
ejection of the air contained within the thorax, something similar to that so frequently
heard from the turkey, when, strutting with expanded tail, he pays his court to the

female.
By the Dutch it is frequently brought to Europe from their East Indian possessions,

137

but being of a delicate constitution and impatient of cold, it seldom long survives in
humid and comparatively chill atmosphere of Holland. In consequence, all attempts
to propagate or render it available in the poultry-yard have hitherto failed, which is
greatly to be regretted, not more on account of its external beauty, than for its ex-
cellent flavour as a wholesome and nutritious food.

In size it exceeds all the other Columbine species, being from twenty-seven to twenty-
eight inches in extreme length. The bill, which is two inches long, is black ; the tips
of the manibles thickened, and that of the upper one moderately deflected. The head
is adorned with a large, elevated, semicircular and compressed crest, composed
of narrow straight feathers, furnished with disunited silky barbules, and always
carried erect. This, as well as the head, the neck, and all the inferior parts of the body,
are of a pure greyish—-blue colour. The back, the scapulars, and smaller wing-coverts,
have the feathers black at the base, the tips terminated with rich purplish-brown. The
greater coverts are of the same colour, but with a broad central bar of white, which
forms a conspicuous transverse band across the closed wings. The quills and tail are
of a deep grey, the latter having all the feathers terminated with a greyish-blue, The
legs are grey ; the tarsi, three inches and a quarter in length, are covered with rounded
scales not closely set, but showing a whitish margin of bare skin around each. The
toes are strong and rather short, the scales disposed as in the Typical Pigeons.

(Eaton.)—At the sale of the late Earl of Derby, at Knowsley, 1851, lot 461 was
five of these Crowned Pigeons. Ihave seen them ; they are very handsome ; they do
not appear to have bred at Knowsley, or any place I am aware of in this country. We
consider the Runt the heaviest Pigeon we have; as far as I can recollect of the
Crowned Pigeons, they are as large as some fowls. I have enquired the weight of
them, but, unfortunately, have not received an answer ; they are considerably heavier
than any Runts, and exceedingly handsome.

(Eaton.)—Since writing the last paragraph, and it being in the hands of the printer,
prior to his sending me the sheet to correct, I was in company with my brother Fan-
cier, M. CorKER ; we had to pass through Leadenhall Market, made up our minds to
call on Mr. Castane, “for Auld Lang Syne,” as a matter of course, over which Fan-
ciers have no control, the Fancy was uppermost, talking of the greatest weight of
Runts, the idea came into my head of the great Crown Pigeon (I saw, I believe, at the
Baker Street Bazaar, Poultry and Pigeon Show), I asked Mr. Corker and Mr.
CarsTAne if they could give me the weight of the great Crowned Pigeon, I mentioned
five were sold at the sale of the late spirited Fancier the Earl of Derby. Mr. Castane
went into his counting-house and brought out the catalogue, I referred him to lot 461,
he was at the sale, I could not go, it was arranged at the sale to divide the birds, one
lot a pair sold for twenty-pounds, the lot of three sold for thirty-pounds, to return to
the weight of a pair of these birds, Mr. CasTane said; to the best of his recollection,
they were the size of middling turkeys, he thought they would weigh about sixteen
pounds per pair, Mr. CoRKER said he thought about fourteen pounds the pair; Mr.
WOLSTENHOIME, the artist who engraved the bird, is of opinion that it is a large and heavy
bird, I was afraid, in the above paragraph, to give you any weight, fearful I was out in
my judgment, besides startling you as being outrageous, I wrote to the party who ex-
hibited the pair as touching the weight, have not received an answer, the price put on
them startled me, it was a reserved price, when I looked at and admired these birds,
it was the last of my thoughts I should ever attempt to write on them, otherwise I
would have been prepared to have given you their accurate weight, I will not go so
far as Mr. CAsTAana, sixteen pounds, or Mr. Corker, fourteen pounds; I agree with
our brother Fancier, Mr. WoLSTENHOLME, they are large and heavy birds, I think about
twelve pounds per pair nearer their weight, at the same time these three Fanciers may
be right and I wrong, now, admitting we could procure a pair of Leghorn or Spanish
Runts, weighing five pounds avoirdupois weight, eighty ounces a rare pair of birds, what
are they in weight compared to a pair of the great crowned Pigeons. .

ALMOND TUMBLER.

By JOHN MATTHEWS EATON.

‘* All that a Man knows, or ever will know,
Is by Observation or Reflection.’’
LockE.

401. Tue study and science of the Almond Tumbler, is productive of a great amount of
pleasure, in the present day there are many gentlemen of highly cultivated minds, have
proved by their engagement in breeding and rearing, sparing neither pains or expense,
have fostered and cultivated, with the utmost care, this truly beautiful Pigeon called the
Almond Tumbler. That it is a science well worthy the attention of those who might
be induced to engage in this delightful recreation or fancy.

402. My object in publishing this treatise on breeding and rearing the Almond
Tumbler, is to place it in the hands of the young Fancier, who is desirous of cultivating
a knowledge, and endeavouring still further to improve their beauties ; I am sensible
there is not a copy of a work, worthy to be placed in the hands of the young Fancier,
can be obtained without the utmost difficulty, owing to their being out of print. At
one time, I should have hesitated at the thought of writing upon so difficult a subject,
it requires a very nice judgment to form a true estimate of the Almond Tumbler ; it
must be confessed, they labour under the greatest disadvantages in not having their
perfections and properties properly understood by gentlemen of the Pigeon Fancy in
general. Being sensible of the disadvantages some young Fanciers residing in parts of
the country labour under, not having the advantages of attending societies, seeing and
examining birds that are put in pens on show days, and joining in cheerful conversation
with experienced Fanciers, who are able and willing to instruct, by pointing out what
are good properties and what are bad in a bird ; under these circumstances this treatise
will not be unacceptable to the young Fancier, provided he has made up his mind to
be a Fancier and rank A. 1. ; he must carefully read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest
what is written to guide his judgment, as there is no royal road to learning, so there is
no possibility of gaining a thorough knowledge of the Almond Tumbler, but from long
study and experience.

403. I shall endeavour to rivet, on the minds of those who will engage in this de-
lightful study, some great facts ; the first thing especially to be attended to, is the se-
lection of really good birds—they should be young, healthy, vigorous, bred from as pure
and good a stud or strain as can be obtained. From the highly artificial state of the
Almond Tumbler in the present day, there is a tendency to degenerate, or throw back,
as it is termed in the Fancy. For even when good birds are put together they do not
invariably throw birds equal to those they are bred from ; if inferior birds are matched
together, the produce must necessarily be unworthy the attention of a Fancier. Non-
pareils will not always produce nonpareils, but nonpareils cannot be expected from
inferiors birds. Much attention and great care are necessary with these birds to insure
success ; especially if the young Fancier raises a standard in his mind to surpass those
who have tried before him, has made up his mind not to rank second best ; the satisfac-
tion of producing the best bird must be very great, and will amply repay him for all the
care and labour that has been expended. .

404. There are many gentlemen now engaged in breeding and rearing the Almond
Tumbler ; the amateur has an opportunity of obtaining superior birds to commence with,
which is indispensable to insure success. This he may do, by following the remarks
made in this treatise, and the information he may obtain among his brother Fanciers.

AOU) ap fo utile, OM: yi) oa a, Willa B Bee
i, Oi ; DUC LOE a “hea c

139

The value of birds, as usual with matters of taste, will depend much on the estimated
qualities of the birds ; if they should be of extraordinary beauty and excellence in the
five properties, the price will be proportionably high, as there are many gentlemen in
the fancy who know how to appreciate a good bird, do not hesitate to give a good price
for it ; therefore, you must not expect to obtain a bird for five pounds, that other Fan-
ciers would give ten pounds for,

405. I have now arrived at a difficult point, how to instil the knowledge of a bird
possessing good properties into the mind of the young Fancier when he sees it ; should
he be anxious to purchase the bird, I should advise him to consider whether he stands
in need of the bird, believes it will improve his stud or strain, if so, buy it at any price,
it cannot be dear. From experience, combined in conversation with some of the best
and most experienced Fanciers, the only way to obtain an extraordinary bird, is to give
more than it is worth, comparatively speaking. The first time I attended a Grand
Show, there was as I thought, such a particularly pretty neat looking pair of birds,
nothiné gaudy about them ; they appeared so remarkably clean and quiet, the thought
struck me of Friends and Quakers ; I became anxious to obtain this pair of birds, and
seeing the gentleman to whom the birds belonged. I politely asked him if he would part
with them, he said he would as he was desirous of bringing as many gentlemen into the
fancy as possible, would favour me being a young and inexperienced Fancier, the price
would be five pounds ; he greatly astonished me when he uttered ‘five pounds,” if he
had said five shillings, I think at that time I should had spirit enough to have offered.
four shillings and sixpence ; since then, I have had the honor of that gentleman’s ac-
quaintance, have been repeatedly in his aviary, seen the pair of birds I am writing of,
having acquired knowledge of the Almond Tumbler, my experience taught me the birds
were worth more money than he had asked; in fact, they were a pair of extremely
short faced beautiful Golden Duns, bred from a splendid pair of Almonds, I was at the
time too inexperienced to know it ; I would particularly caution the young Fancier, on
entering societies where shows take place, not to give offence to any of its members, by
asking what do you want for that bird ? you would be treated with contempt, not get
an answer, for you might as well ask some gentlemen to part with half their fortunes,
as a bird they highly estimate. There are ways of doing things without giving offence,
I think the best way is politely to ask, whether he considers it a fair question, if he
would part with the bird, then you will receive a polite answer.

406. The best and cheapest bird I ever bought cost me five pounds, why I say the
cheapest, is, because I bred twelve young ones from him, all good birds, I have given
more, and know gentlemen that have given still higher prices ; I saw at one of the so-
cieties, 2 Pigeon, the gentleman to whom it belonged, stated he would not take twenty
pounds for it. To return to the young Fancier, I would advise him to purchase good
birds, if he is acquainted with experienced Fanciers, to solicit their assistance in
obtaining birds that will be serviceable to him ; if, on the other hand, he would rather
trust to his own judgment, all I can say, is, I wish him luck, it will prove a lottery, as
the most experienced Fanciers have acquired their knowledge with care, trouble, and
expense ; neither can the young and inexperienced expect to escape unscathed, till time
and experience shall improve his eye, and mature his judgment. The dearest birds I
ever bought was owing to my being out of my ‘Cocker,’ I summed and cast up by
the rule of addition, brought in the sum total, the Fancier was too ignorant to take
me in; I acknowledge I was raw and green in the fancy at the time, I think I hear his
musical strains, now “ klaw zas zow zas zif blez zew, zur, me tak yu in zur” accompanied
with such a sheepish and innocent look that would have taken in the old gentleman
dressed in black, this Fancier took me in more than all the other Fanciers put together.
It was my fault, being out of my cocker, assuming that he was too ignorant to take
me in, “’Tis said it requires a wise man to play the part of a fool,” I experienced it, I
was the fool, without the wise part.

407. This bird is called the ‘‘Almond Tumbler” by gentlemen of the Fancy; in my
researches I have traced it back to the year 1735 ; as gentlemen of the Fancy have
assigned this name to this truly beautiful bird, after consideration I think it would be
injudicious to alter it, if a meeting of all the Almond Tumbler Fanciers was called
together, I question whether any could assign a better name. For what is it Fanciers
allow to constitute the Almond Tumbler, the three colors, black white and yellow,

140

variously and richly interspersed; the great difficulty, amounting almost to impossi-
bility, is to obtain a rich bright yellow, nevertheless the ardent and indefatigable young
Fancier should strive to reach the standard, authorized by gentlemen of the Fancy,
namely black, white and yellow, in his efforts to obtain yellow will produce a rich
almond colour usually called the ground, from which the bird derives its name. There
are three colors in the bird, it would be folly to find a new name for it, as the oldest
and best informed Fanciers are of opinion a better name could not be found, shows the
good sense of Fanciers centuries ago. I hope the name of the bird will for ever be set
at rest, it is known by the name in every clime where the English language is spoken,
as the ‘“‘Almond Tumbler.” Should old and experienced Fanciers happen to make a
mistake, sit in judgment upon this Work, or become severely critical, my object is a
pure one in publishing this treatise, that it may find its way into the hands of the young
and inexperienced ; the idea struck me, I might give him my experience, from actual
observation and reflection, for a better and more experienced Fancier, to suppose for
one moment, I had the audacity to instruct him, “is his mistake—not mine,” I sin-
cerely hope, I am free from such intention.

408. A person not acquainted with the beauties of this study or science, should not
take upon himself the character of judge, and condemn a study or science of which he
is utterly ignorant ; should he make his remarks freely, they would most probably be
characterised by a gross want of information, and only meet with that contempt which
they deserved. I am aware there are gentlemen who cannot see any beauty in Pigeons,
except in a pie, ‘“‘these are Belly Fanciers ;” although very numerous, with these I
shall have nothing to do and advise you to beware of them, some come up to the standard
gluttons.

409. That it is an innocent amusement and recreation, well adapted to professional
gentlemen of law, physic, and divinity, or any other person engaged in long continued
and excessive exertion of the intellectual faculties. The relief this delightful recreation
gives is truly astonishing, by unbending the mind after close and intent application
to abstruse subjects ; the mind of man is incapable of constant application either to
study or business, it is necessary to relieve it. J am of opinion many of the brightest
luminaries that have suddenly been lost to society, would not have been, had they been
engaged in this Fancy, by way of recreation or relief to the mind. I have known some
very old gentlemen in the Fancy, but never yet knew a Fancier that was troubled with
hippochondriasis.

_ 410. Nothing so base as ingratitude, I cannot allow it to pass without calling upon
young Fanciers to join me in acknowledging the debt of gratitude we owe to the ex-
perienced Fanciers of past ages, for handing down to us young Fanciers such a beau-
tiful strain of birds to commence with ; when we reflect for a moment, these beautiful
birds were originally produced from the common Pigeon, when you consider at one time
the beak should not exceed seven eights of an inch, (meaning the distance from the iris,
or circle round the pupil of the eye, to the end of the quick on the beak.) If the beak
_was limited to seven-eighths of an inch, I presume was considered short at that time,
what is the length it might not have run out to! this is another proof of the debt of
gratitude we owe, as I said before, to experienced Fanciers, and in a most especial
manner the gentlemen of the late Columbarian Society, who had so great a share for
the last hundred years in bringing the Almond Tumbler to the standard it has now
arrived at. My young Fanciers, with these advantages at your commencement, I hope
and trust by your spirit, attention, and perseverance, you will contribute to increase its
beauties and perfections. I will endeavour to stimulate and cheer you on, by informing
you the most experienced and accomplished Fancier that ever lived at one time, knew
no more about the Atmond Tumbler than the Almond Tumbler knew about him, or the
little knowledge you are in possession of, provided you know anything of the Almond
Tumbler ; I will tell you another great fact, the field is still as open for fresh com-
petitors now, as it was one hundred years ago.

411. It is well known there are beautiful Pigeons at the Aviaries at Windsor; I
have heard Napoleon I. was a Pigeon Fancier. It is one thing to have Pigeons, another
thirg to understand them. If it were possible for noblemen and gentlemen to know
the amazing amount of solace and pleasure derived from the Almond Tumbler, when
‘they begin to understand their properties, I should think scarce any nobleman or

141

gentleman would be without their avaries of Almond Tumblers, would form a splendid
ornament in their beautiful gardens or grounds. It is with Fanciers as with others,
they do not exactly think alike upon some of the points or properties ; all that is wanted
is honesty. If those great and eminent ministers, Whitfield and Welsey, after a college
education could not exactly agree upon the same text, is it surprising you and I should
not exactly agree upon the remarks we make from our experience derived solely from
actual observations, taking the Almond Tumbler as our text; one thing is certain, pro-
vided we are Fanciers in the true acceptation of the word, we must go hand in hand upon
the five properties, allowing each of us to choose our favorite point or property ; for
which of the five properties could we part with in producing a good bird—it is absolutely.
necessary to have the five properties, to constitute a really good bird.

412. That the Almond Tumbler, may be improved beyond what it has hitherto been,
—that new beauties may be discovered, and a higher standard taken as the beau ideal
of each amateur,—and that it may as far exceed the present standard, as that which is
now looked up to does that of half a century back.

ALMOND TUMBLER.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BIRD.
FEATHER.

413. Imagine taking into your aviary or loft some inexperienced friends, who have
expressed a great desire to see Almond Tumblers, what would be the first thing to at-
tract their attention? Feather would strike some—shape or carriage would rivet the
attention of others; if, on the contrary, you took experienced Fanciers into your avia-
ries or lofts, and asked them which they considered the grandest property of the five,
my impression is they would say—Shape or carriage. It is my intention, in giving a
description of the five properties, to take feather first ; not that I consider feather the
grandest property of the five, but from the bird deriving its name from the feather, and
from the rich and variegated colours striking the eye of the general observer.

414. It is the decided opinion of all Fanciers the ground or foundation of the fea-
ther should be, strictly speaking, a rich bright yellow ; tlhe difficulty, to obtain it. In-
termix, split or break the yellow feather with a decided black, I think is scarcely attain-
able ; a fact that has been established by many careful and oft-repeated experiments
by the most able Fanciers that ever lived ; we must therefore be content with having
the ground of the bird a rich, bright almond colour ; the inside of the shell of the al-
mond nut is the best. The oldest Fanciers are unanimous in opinion this beautiful and
yery valuable species derived its name—‘‘ Almond’”—because the ground of the bird
is, or should be, a rich bright almond colour.

415, The Standard authorised or laid down by the Columbarium Society, as regards
the feather, is as follows,—Three colours, namely black, white, and yellow, in the nine
first feathers of each wing, counting from their extremities, and twelve in the tail. The
aforesaid three colours, well developed, would constitute a Standard. The back, breast,
and rump, should be likewise variegated to be complete in feather ; the hackle or neck
feathers should be bright, well broken with the same colours, and should resemble the
delicate touches of the pencil of a fine artist. The late celebrated Columbarian Society
judiciously raised the Standard to nine feathers in the wing, counting from the outer
feather, simply because many birds have only nine feathers to the turn of the flight,
while others ten. Would it be right for one Fancier to have to show ten standard
feathers in the wing against another Fancier’s bird having only nine feathers to turn
of flight? The tenth feather might not be a standard feather, which would prove fatal
to the bird, if shown to the turn of the flight, against a bird having only nine feathers
at turn of flight, whereas the bird with ten feathers had beat the other with better fea-
ther up to the ninth feather, but would most assuredly lose if taken to turn of flight,
tenth feather.

416. There are gentlemen in the Fancy who have asserted they have had some so
truly beautiful and spangled, that have few feathers in them but what have contained

142

the three colours that constitute the Almond—black, white, and yellow, variously and
richly intermixed ; and that after breeding them a considerable time, rejecting those
that ran from feather, judiciously matching the good feathered ones together, have
brought them to such great perfection, they should have been surprised to have bred
any other than Almonds. There are some so magnificently elegant in feather, that their
flight, tail, back, and rump, have resembled a bed of the finest and best broken tulips
that can be imagined, or a piece of the best and most highly-polished tortoise-shell, for
the more they are variegated, particularly in the flight and tail, provided the ground
be yellow, or a rich bright Almond, through hackle, shoulder, and rump, the whole to be
equally spangled and broken with black and white, the more they are esteemed ; the _
yellow is a colour most difficult to attain.

SHAPE OR CARRIAGE.

417. The Almond Tumbler ought to be a very small Pigeon, the more diminutive the
the better, provided it maintains its other noble properties boldly, which is essential to
constitute a good bird ; the more snug and compact, the more they are appreciated—
the more the value of the bird is enhanced. It should be very short in the back; the
lower it stands the better, with small round body ; particularly with a fine, prominent,
full and extremely broad (or, as Fanciers term it, square) chest ; the lower the neck the
better ; should be shorter than any other Pigeon, with a particularly thin or slim neck,
beautifully curved under the throat and thrown back; the shorter the flight and tail
the better.

418. It is my opininon shape or carriage is the grandest property in the Almond
Tumbler ; would be one of the best criterions to judge a bird coming from a good stud.
I observed before there is a tendency in the Almond Tumblers to degenerate or throw
back in some of their properties, notwithstanding being bred out of the very best strain
of birds. On examining an Almond Tumbler, should some of its properties run out
as expressed by Fanciers, yet the bird maintaining shape and carriage, is evident proof
of its coming from a first-rate stud of birds.

419. The shape or carriage of most things living is the most beautiful property, save
the mind ; to my fancy I am not awarethere is anything under the sun, or that you
can imagine or conceive, that is so truly beautiful and elegant in its proportions or sym-
metry of style as the shape or carriage of the Almond Tumbler, approaching perfection
in this property (save Lovely Woman), and has been most happily selected as the

emblem of beauty, tenderness, and affection, and is depicted as the appropriate attendant
of Venus.

HEAD.

420. The head should be broad as possible, not only broad, high and lofty as possi-
ble ; not only broad and lofty, at the same time should be round as possible, like a
marble. It should havea good dig, chop, or stop, or any other technical term Fanciers
understand and are pleased to call it. The front of the head should appear as it were
overhanging a portion of the beak, at that beautiful part of the bird which, in the
estimation of Fanciers, is not excelled by any; I allude to that grand point, the stop
in front of the head, or, more properly speaking, under the head; the feathers forming
the front of the head should make a dead stop; above all things not run in a slanting
direction into the wattle on the beak, which is a defect, and is called a needle point.
Locking at the head in front, should it happen to present an angular or slanting direc-
tion towards you, it is called by Gentlemen of the Fancy thin-faced or mousey; it is
one of the greatest imperfections a bird can possibly have, being tae very opposite of a
round head and quick stop. There are few birds, comparatively speaking, that have
these beautiful dead and decided stops; and still further to add to the beauty and finish
of the head, the feathers under the eye and about the lower jaw should be full and a
little curved upwards, which is called “ muffy.” For a broad, lofty, round head, with
a good stop, is in a fair way to be considered a wonder, or nonpareil, particularly
by head and beak Fanciers, who constitute at least three-fourths of the Almond Tum-
bler Fanciers. To produce a bird as above described, Gentlemen of the Fancy

have said it has been the work of a season, and have considered themselves amply re-
warded.

145

421. There are Gentlemen in the Fancy who have asserted that head and beak is to
be produced at any time. ‘‘ Anytime” is hard to define. If they mean the longest
time they are right ; on the contrary, if they mean the shortest time, they are decidedly
wrong. Nothing is easier than to assert a thing ; they would experience the difficulty
if they attempted to produce head and beak.

429. Sir Joun SEBRIGHT said he would produce any given feather in three years ; but
it would take him six years to obtain head and beak.

BEAK.

4923. The beak of a first-rate Almond Tumbler ought not to exceed five-eighths of
an inch : it would be infinitely better, if possible, to breed them that they did not ex-
ceed half-an-inch from the iris of the eye to the point, or, more properly speaking, to
the end of the quick on the beak—I repeat again, if possible to have them so short-
faced, as it is termed by Fanciers. It is possible for a bird to be considered a
pleasant or neat bird even at three-quarters of an inch ; exeeeding that length must be
looked upon as unworthy of attention. The beak should run in a straight line from
the head, be extremely fine and pointed; I have some in my aviaries that have aston-
ished me, nor could I have believed it possible beaks could have been so fine, had I not
witnessed it. There are beaks on birds, apparently short, with no more style in them
than your thumb nails. There are first-rate Fanciers who are particularly partial to
what is termed the goldfinch beak, which is very beautiful ; others say, take a full size
round cherry, then take a barley corn, and judiciously placing in the cherry, form as it
were your beak. That is not all; it will form a good head and heak, provided it is
judiciously done ; others take an oat. I think the goldfinch beak the handsomest ; I
would advise the inexperienced Fancier to get the head of a goldfinch and keep it by
him ; at the same time if he kept a marble by him, for shape of head as well as beak,
for his observations.

424. The wart or wattle on the beak should be very fine ; as little as possible resem-
bling as it were a thread drawn across the beak. Where this fineness of wattle can be
obtained, it adds greatly to the beauty of the bird, and is a sure mark of its being well
bred, besides giving the appearance of a more decided stop.

EYE.

425. The brighter and more prominent the better, like the eye of a fish (take for
example the bright-eyed Perch). It is the general opinion of Fanciers the ‘eye should
be fixed in the cenre of the head. I will show what would probably give the appear-
ance of a loftier, broader, and less “ behind the head.” Suppose, for argument, the
head was an inch perfectly round, divide the one inch into sixteen equal parts ; if you
place the eye one-sixteenth more or less below the centre of the head, the more lofty-
headed the Almond Tumbler will appear, or the reverse ; the same holds good if the
eye is placed back in the head, giving the head a broader appearance in front, and less
‘behind the head,” which is the opposite of whatis called “‘duck-necked” by Fanciers.
The effect is still greater where the beak is low on a round-headed Almond Tumbler ; it
gives that truly beautiful and striking stop, which ts not eclipsed by any other portion
of the bird, and which is held in such estimation by the best Fanciers.

426. The eye should be free from a thick skin or flesh round it, known to Fanciers,
a great defect ; a beading may look pretty on a miniature frame ; it is the very reverse
round the eye of an Almond Tumbler; the eye should be feathered close to the edge,
the more bright silver or pearl-coloured the iris of the eye the better.

THE HEN.

427. The Hen is inferior to the Cock in some of the properties, and superior in
others, which I shall endeavour to show ; it is with the Almond Tumbler as with most
other birds, the male is more impudent and audacious, courser in his looks, beak,
and wattle; the hen is more delicate, finer in her beak and wattle, and though gene-
rally of more spare appearance, comes very little short in shape or carriage. She is
smaller than the cock, which is an advantage. The cock and hen are equal as regards
the eye ; that is to say, the eye of the male is not more wicked than the female’s ;

144

with regard to feather, the cock has a deal more ground, more break or variegation
in his flight and tail feathers ; although there are hens equal in feather to the cocks,
they are very few; they are the exception to the rule. Should it happen two birds
possessing the five properties, namely, head, beak, eye, carriage, and feather, equally
alike, I have no hesitation in saying the hen is worth double the money of the cock.
As I observed before, they are the exception not the rule, being very scarce and not
quite so brilliant in feather.

* 427. I cannot in my conscience withhold from you, my brother Fanciers, the
beautiful and judicious remarks I received in a letter from Mr. W1LLt1am ToncE :—
‘‘ With regard to the general appearance of a bird, it is really wonderful to see how
some (who call themselves Fanciers) are carried quite away, overlooking every consi- —
deration save that of feather, which it must be admitted is a truly fine FinisH. But
as everything must have a beginning, it must be infinitely better to attach the greatest
importance to that which constitutes the FounDatIon, leaving all artistic embellish-
ments tov a future season. Comparisons are sometimes odious, and perhaps this may be
considered an instance. Many a good bird is passed over without comment simply be-
cause he is clothed in a bad skin, although, did he but possess his brother’s coat, and
vice versa, how great would be the change !

MATCHING OR PAIRING.

428. There are several things to take into consideration ; the first, how many pairs
of birds you intend to match up? What is the temperature of your aviary or loft ?
How are you circumstanced for room? The reason I ask how many pairs you intend
to match up is—if you intend only matching a few pairs, and have ample room for
them, match them by the beginning of March, should the place be warm ; the middle
of February if you match up forty pairs, as I have done. Require the birds to keep
the pens you assign them, then match up the first of February, as you will experience
much trouble, and it will take considerable time before you can get the birds steady
to the place you have assigned them.

429. The first or second round of eggs, as it is termed by Fanciers, seldom produce
anything, owing to their being thin-shelled, soft, or lush eggs. Should they break or
destroy their eggs, it is necessary to give them addled or bone eggs, made on purpose.
Make them set their time. It is necessary to give them a young one to feed off their
soft food, which they will do in a week or ten days ; there is a great difference in feed-
ing ; some feed well ; others, comparatively speaking, do not feed at all. I said it was
necessary to make them set their time and feed off their soft food, otherwise they will
only lay soft-shelled eggs so frequently through the breeding season, that you will ruin
the constitution of the hens for ever.

430. On the knowledge you possess of matching and shifting, will depend your success
as an Almond Fancier ; these are the two grand secrets or great facts—the first, to pro-
duce, the second, to raise ; I shall endeavour to assist you, how to breed a good bird.
I stated in a former part of this work, you have no right to expect a wonder or Non-
pareil from inferior birds. Fanciers widely differ in their attempts to breed a good bird ;
some Fanciers, sacrifice every property in a bird to obtain head and beak, by matching
the two best head and beak birds in the aviary or loft, others, sacrificing the other pro-
perties to obtain feather, this is the cause, of observing such good head and beak birds,
but running from feather ; on the contrary, those Fanciers who sacrifice everything for
feather, breed birds with beautiful feather, but they run outin head and beak. Fanciers,
looking at good head and beak birds, will tolerate the bird and overlook the feather, on
the contrary, if it was the best feather possible to obtain and ran out in the head, thin-
faced or mousey, the remark many fanciers would make, (as I have heard it) they would -
give ten pounds provided the bird was as good in head and beak, as it was in feather.

431. There are young Fanciers who are over covetous, who go for all the five pro-
perties at once, they have their reward by getting nothing ; others breed to a feather,
they forget to say what feather. I will mention a cause to show the uncertainty of
breeding to a feather, as it is called: the best pair of Almonds—cock and hen, extra
good in all properties, I ever possessed, keeping them matched together for three years,
bred three beautiful Almond cocks, two kite hens, yellow and red whole feather, yellow

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145

and red agates, all coming from the same pair of birds. Is this what they call breeding
to feather? Now, if this pair of Almonds had bred all the young-ones as near alike
for feather, as, they did head and beak, that would be nearer breeding to feather. I
will give you other instances. I matched up a beautiful head and beak splash cock to
a rich kite hen, in the same nest, produced two young ones—the one pure white, the
other as black as a coal; from another splash cock and kite hen, I bred a perfect
Blue Tumbler, in the following nest a perfect Silver Tumbler, this made me think,
fortunately the blue, a cock, the silver, a hen, I matched them together to see if they
would throw back, or what they would throw, whether Splashes, Kites, Duns, whole-
feather, or &c., unfortunately they were a very cowardly pair of birds, any birds could
drive them off their nest, the eggs always addled ; should they lay this season I will
set the eggs under feeders, to see the color of feather they will throw, (I know they will
be Tumblers) I thought this breeding toa feather with a vengeance. ‘The inexperienced
Fancier may say, they did not come from a good stud of birds ; when he knows more,
he will say less, I question much whether he will ever be able to obtain such birds as I
am writing of.

432. Counteraction, is a grand thing to be observed, this must have its limits ; for it
would be unwise to match up a bad cock to an extra good hen, if you split the dit-
ference in their young, you make half-and-half of them ; “ Half-and-half” may be good
to a Fancier on a long dusty road, his throat parched with thirst, when he comes to a Pig
and Whistle Shop, can get nothing better, but half-an-half Almonds will not do for the
Fancier, besides throwing away the use of the hen for the season. A member of the
original Columbarian Society, to whom we owe much, stated, the best Almond supposed
ever bred was bred from a white agate cock and kite hen; we are not to consider this
surprising, the agate cock and kite hen, for ought we know, may have had the blood of
the Almonds, in a direct line for the last hundred years; do not Fanciers say, they
cannot have too much of a good thing, match up the most plum puddingy Almonds, as
they call it, cock and hen ; do they always throw Almonds? certainly not, but all colours
in feather, rich kites, duns, yellows, reds, whole feathers, and agates. These birds
having the blood of the Almonds, coming from good feathered Almonds, as far as you
are able to ascertain, (if you are acquainted with their pedigree, so much the better ;)
these young birds, being judiciously matched, are as likely to throw Almonds, as the
_ Almonds themselves ; some of the best and most experienced Fanciers express it their
opinion, the amazing power of the Almond Tumbler to throw all shades of colour—
whole feather, agate, splash, broken, or spangle, is one of the chief causes, that keep
Fanciers so long in the fancy; propels or induces the Almond Tumbler to persevere,
owing to the uncertainty of throwing feather ; as they observe if it was reduced to a
certainty, the zest would be lost ; the Almond Tumbler Fancy, is as open now for fresh
competitors, as it was a century ago. There are Fanciers who condemn me, say I
match up too high for feather ; be this as it may, I am one of those who think we can-
not have too much of a good thing, and may be rewarded like the man who reasoned, —
“if a little physic was good, what must a great deal be?’ why, do everything, but,
what it was intended. The Fancier may draw his inference, that I am a Head and
Beak Fancier, and despise Feather ; I am a great admirer of Head and Beak, I am not
insensible to Feather ; I observed before, which of the five properties could we afford to
lose ? is not feather a grand property ?

433. It unfortunately sometimes happens, exhibiting a bird on a show night, if a bird
possesses four good properties out of the five, namely :—head, beak, eye, and carriage,
should fall shoré in feather, a ‘‘ Feather Fancier” would remark the deficiency of
feather, apparently overlooking the four other properties ; do not lose. your command of
temper, do as I have done this season, provided the strength of your aviaries and lofts
will allow you to pick out of seventy pairs of birds as mine will, match up expressly six
pairs of the best feather, most likely to throw feather, you will probably be in a con-
dition to challenge him to show’for feather.

434, I will be brief, touching on the delicate subject of exhibiting a bird as their own,
although borrowed from another, for my part, I would as soon challenge all England to
show a bird, as some, (very few I hope in the Fancy,) who would make a bet to show
a bird of their own breeding, and then borrow the best bigd they could procure for
the occasion; I sincerely hope this rarely occurs, it has occured. If you fall in
challenging all England, you fall nobly, if you are outwitted by a rogue, you fall by

kK

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a swindler. While, on this delicate ground, in an especial manner I would call upon the
Fancier, if ever placed in a position, not the most pleasant in the science of the Almond
Tumbler, I allude to that of being appointed one of the judges, let honesty and in-
tegrity beas the breath of your soul, if there is no doubt on your mind the two birds
are equal, wash your hands as it were of the responsibility, provided you are not already
outvoted by calling in an umpire or referee, above all things, err rather from want of
judgment than design, be assured the Fanciers would be upon your decision, should
your decision be manifestly partial, you will bring down the detestation of the whole
Fancy upon you, and be stamped with infamy to the end of your days.

435. It might appear I would write anything, rather than grapple with the subjeet of
matching and pairing the birds, I thought it would not be amiss, to go into my aviaries
to see how I had matched my birds, found I had matched them all manner of ways,
with the exception of head and beak, I cannot recommend you to matching from my
own aviaries ; it is better to have ten pairs of good birds well-matched, than fifty pairs
by counteraction. Match up your aviary, or loft of birds, commencing with your best
cock and hen, going down till you come to birds, you do not approve of, then discard
them. Ido not pretend to instruct how to breed any given feather in the Almond,
after all, feather is only one property out of five, therefore, it is absulutely necessary to
guard the other properties in producing an extra bird. It is possible you may have a
cock, so undeniably good in all the five properties, or particularly in feather, head and
beak ; if you had a hundred hens, you might exclaim you had not a hen good enough,
in head and beak to match to him, at last be driven to match a kite hen, simply because
they often run better in head and beak than the Almonds. The kite hen has the ad-
vantage over the dun hen, by producing better black. The dun hen will produce more
yellow and soft ground, will not produce such good black in flight, tail and spangle, but
appear smokey or dunish, unless the cock is amazingly strong in feather. Good sound
whole feather Almond bred Hens, with their rumps extra covered, namely: kites, duns,
reds, or yellows, give a sound foundation or ground, by matching them to an Almond
or Splash cock, you stand a great chance of breeding an Almond or Splash, an Almond
or Splash hen, may likewise be matched to whole feather sound Almond bred cocks ;
I think it necessary the black should be visible either in the cock or hen. It is possible
two whole Feather birds may throw Almonds or Splashes, I think it dangerous to try
unless you are destitute of a bird, it is better to buy a bird if possible.

436. I cannot help thinking the ground of the Almond Tumbler has greatly improved
in the last few years, being more yellow. The gentlemen of the late original Colum-
barian Society, always had good feathered birds, there were other Fanciers who had
not ; although it is agreed the feather should be black, white, and yellow ; some appeared as
though the ground, flight, and tail feathers, were as near red as yellow, the black an olive ;
these are called too deep in colour, called mahogany birds ; there is another description
of birds, such as are called bred too high for feather ; it is easy to say too high for
feather, and another thing, what you mean by it, do you mean to say the too deep
colour bred bird, and the too high bred bird is the same thing? Certainly not ; the
effect shows itself when we produce a number of white or white agate young birds,
that we certainly have matched the birds too high for feather, and too much blood in
them, as it is called ; on the contrary, should you happen to breed an Almond, it is
generally an extra feathered bird. It cannot be reduced to a certainty how to breed
for feather. If a Fancier is very desirous of breeding for feather, I do not
know that he could accomplish his object better, than by matching an Almond cock,
which is bred very high for feather, black, white, and yellow, the black particularly
good and strong, over to a rich golden dun hen, bred from two Almonds ; the reason I
say the black in the cock should be particularly good and strong, is, while the dun is
proverbial in softening a hard feathered cock, and giving a beautiful soft yellow or Al-
mond ground, fails in producing the black. I am not aware of any match that is
likely to throw better feather, provided the black is good, it almost amounts to an im-
possibility to intermixa decided black with a rich bright yellow ; there are many gentle-
men of the Fancy, who know what good black is, I am fearful have not paid attention
to ascertain, what is a good yellow.

437. Now lam writing’on black and yellow, let us endeavour to illustrate or define
it. I think you could not do better than thus: suppose agrand show open to all Eng-

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land, to produce the best standard Almond Tumbler, two gentlemen Fanciers appointed
judges, in a room by themselves, the birds being handed in for admission, the standard
being black, white, and yellow, they have agreed in passing two birds at first sight into
the pen, which are to be examined again prior to their being shown for the prize;
another bird is now handed in, which is a standard bird, is objected to by one of the
judges, the other asks on what grounds—the answer he received that it is not a jet or
good black, that it is a faint, smoky, or bad black ; the other judge insists upon good
yellow, goes to the pen to examine the two birds that had passed to be re-examined,
and declares them disqualified for showing, the other judge requires the cause, is
answered the ground of the bird, also the flight and tail is nearer a red than a yellow,
and as the one would not pass a faint black, neither would the other pass a reddish bird,
for a yellow.

438. To return to the matching of the rich Almond cock and golden dun hen, if on
the contrary, the same cock was matched over to a good kite hen, they would throw in
better black, producing more kites, it may be Almond and Kite in each nest. I think
you will not be wrong even in matching up a Spangled or good Splash cock to a sound
bright whole-feather hen, Almond bred, namely—duns, kites, reds, yellows, or even red.
and yellow mottled agate Almond bred birds, and reversing it with the hens and cocks.
Not knowing how to produce a given feather I experience the difficulty of instructing
you; I think what I have stated are the best rules to lay down, it will assist if you know
how the birds have been bred ; at the same time it is encouraging to the young Fan-
cier, that he may come into the Fancy, and throw a bird for feather from an agate cock
and kite hen, with the most experienced Fancier. You will see beautiful golden yellow
in baniams, also in spaniels although called tan, might not some Almonds be called
olive, white and tan ; we do not expect to obtain yellow in the Almond as in the gold-
finch, refer to the portrait, or what you may consider better, put your hand into your
pocket bring it out full of rich bright golden sovereigns, refer to some of these for good
golden and pleasing yellow. Remember, still feather is only one property out of the
five.

OF LAYING.

439. Much will depend on the state of the weather ; should it be fine or warm, the
hens will begin to lay in about a week after matching. I have little opinion of those
egos that come very soon after matching ; on the contrary, I have experienced greater
success with eggs that come later. Make them a good nest, experience teaches me hay
is best, rubbed with the hands, they seldom make a proper one themselves. Let it be
a tight nest, if loose and careless the eggs will get under, the birds loose them, forsake
the nest ; the eggs are not hatched owing to carelessness on your part. The hen mostly
lays two eggs, missing one day between the first and second ; after having laid her first
egg, which is always between five and six o'clock in the evening, she and the cock
alternately stand over it, to protect it from the intrusion of other birds; the second is
laid, usually between one and two o’clock on the third day, when they commence in-
cubation in the following manner :—the cock sits from between nine and ten in the
morning till four or five o’clock in the afternoon, when the hen sits till the following
morning, and so alternately till the seventeenth day from laying the last egg, when the
incubation is complete, the eggs will be chipped, and in general hatched in the course
of that day, if they hatch at all, and this regularity and alternate relief is maintained
during the feeding as well as the sitting.

440. I used, formerly, when the first eve was laid between five and six o’clock in the
evening, to take it away, put it into a pill box, lined with wadding, to prevent its
breaking, and substitue a bone egg, for the birds to stand over or sit upon, on the third
day, when the hen would lay her second egg, between one and two o’clock ; prior to
this, on the same morning, restore the first egg about nine o’clock, so that it might
acquire the same warmth, of the last ego, and both eggs hatched together. I was a
gainer by this method, having many birds, it was too troublesome; if you have few
birds and time it will reward you for your trouble. I have thought it singular, match
up your birds, whatever hour out of the twenty-four, the first egg will come between
five and six o'clock in the evening, and the second between two and three o'clock in
the afternoon, missing one day.

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OF HATCHING.

441. The Fancier should be particular, and certain of the day of hatching. The way
I do is to keep a book on purpose, looking at the nest pans, where I expect them to lay
after six o’clock in the evening ; if an egg is laid, I put it in the book the number of
the pen to which the birds belong the day the first egg is laid; suppose the first egg on
the first of the month, the second egg on the third, then add seventeen days for sitting
from the last egg, making it the twentieth ; generally speaking, Fanciers reckon seven-
teen days from the second egg laid, I think it better to take nineteen days from the first,
making it the twentieth, it comes to the same thing, provided two eggs are laid, it often
happens that only one is laid, and very rare that three are laid. While you are going
your round to look after fresh laid eggs, look to eggs that are to hatch that day, be
assured in nine cases out ten, the birds will be hatched if hatched at all, unless the
weather be unfavorable and the birds do not sit close; on the contrary, should the
weather be very hot, the birds sit close with a warm nest, they will rather hatch before.
We will suppose the seventeenth day from the hen having laid her last egg now arrived,
the young ones beginning to hatch, much attention is now necessary to be paid, a little
judicious assistance is sometimes requisite to assist the young bird in extricating itself
from its prison-house, particularly in the spring, when the young ones even in the shell
are more delicate and weakly than they are at a later period of the season, consequently
less able to disengage themselves. If an egg does not spring or chip by the time it
ought, namely, in the course of the seventeenth day, the Fancier should hold it to his
ear, and if tle young one makes a crackling noise, and that pretty briskly, he may con-
clude it will soon chip ; when it has so chipped, if the young one should not proceed
in its endeavours to break the shell as much as the Fancier thinks it ought to have
done in the time, does not continue to make so brisk a noise, it is a sure sign the young
one is weakly and almost exhausted, requiring immediate assistance ; in that case he
should gently dent his thumb or finger nail, or the head of a pin, in a circle round the
egg, in the same manner as if it had been done from within by the beak of the young
one itself ; remembering to let in a little air, which may be safely done at the past
where the beak lies, and no blood will issue from it, by which means it will be greatly
assisted in extricating itself, and many a valuable bird may be thus saved ; particular
care should be taken not to pick a hole in any other part of the shell than above men-
tioned or make it bleed, although some Fanciers say they have taken them out of the
shell and they have bled like pigs, it is extremely dangerous. If it has been moving
about in the shell so long as to have absorbed all the moisture or blood, and has by its
circuitous motion rolled up the little caul or membrane in which it is enveloped whilst
in the egg, it may be safely set at liberty, taking care to expose it to the air as short a
time as possible. When it is disengaged from the shell, a portion of the yolk will be
seen attached to its navel, which will nourish it for a day or two, if the old ones should
not happen to feed it immediately. It happens from some cause, the young ones do
not get fed, in these cases if the Fancier is anxious to save the produce of the pair, and
has no means of shifting them under another pair, he must take some crumb of bread,
and some yolk of an egg boiled hard, and masticate them in his mouth till they be-
come of the proper consistence to pass into the crop of the young bird, by applying its
beak to his mouth it will in general suck its crop full very readily, by the time he has
repeated this a day or so, the chances are greatly in favor of the old ones feeding it,
either from a more abundant supply of soft meat, or from some other cause ; if the
Fancier neglects this too long, the young bird will become weak and will not thrive
upon his experiment, even though it should have taken some of this artificial food into
its crop in the way before mentioned ; when once the old ones have fed it after him, it
is astonishing to see the alteration that takes place in the young bird for the better, in
a few hours.

442. If one should hatch considerably before the other, which it will do if the old
ones have rather sat upon than merely stood over the first egg, it should happen to be
a bad head and beak bird, which is not promising, killit, although an Almond ; take the
chance of what the other egg will produce, it being in his favour ; the produce will be
a short-faced good head and beak bird. The reason I recommend this is, the rough
strong bird first hatched will acquire too much strength, get all the food, and starve
the one most wished to be raised. You do not stand in need of rough Almonds any
more than queer kites. Should you have plenty of feeders that can bring it up, you

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may, and make a feeder of it ; do not hazard the rearing of a valuable bird through it.
The more you kill, comparatively speaking, however strange it may appear, my expe-
rience teaches the greater will be your gain ; otherwise, you will raise the rough long-
faced, and lose the valuable short:faced birds. I advise you to have plenty of feeders.

OF SHIFTING.

443, Hatching a little wonder is one thing, to raise it another. In a former part of
this work I laid great stress on shifting, when you consider how early the old birds
begin to decline sitting on their young ; this is more particularly the case with the Al-
mond Tumblers, who will rarely bring up their own young, except in the height of
summer, by reason of their quitting them sooner to go to nest again. They begin to
get restless as early as the sixth day ; the ninth or tenth they will be off the nest for
an hour or more at a time ; get calling to nest again ; the young ones left exposed to
the air before they have a feather upon them, die of cold with their crops full. To ob-
viate this, he should shift them under another pair that have not hatched so long ; kill
the young ones he takes away from such other pair, if he has not a shift for them ; in
doing which he get these shifted young ones an additional supply of warmth, from
being sat on, and of soft meat, from the fresh pair not having hatched or fed so long,
consequently their soft meat not being exhausted. Some Fanciers are very unwilling
to kill a bird, by which means they frequently lose two ; surely, it is better to kill one
to save the other, than not to kill it, and so lose both.

444. Ifhe has not Almonds enough, it is better to get some common Tumblers for
feeders or nurses, such as Baldheads or Beards, by killing their young, which he will
do without reluctance ; he may be certain of bringing up his young Almonds ; if he is
judicious, he will generally have a succession of feeders, by taking away the hens of
his feeders, and confining them awhile. When any of his best Almonds are within a
day or two of laying, turn the feeder hen to her mate ; they will go to nest immediately,
and lay in a week or less after the others, by which means he will get a certain shift
for his young Almonds at the distance of six, seven, or eight days, just the time the
old ones begin to desert them, and thus bring up a pair of good birds, without such
feeders he probably would have lost. He should let the common birds feed their own
young a day or two after hatching to bring on their soft meat.

445, There are Fanciers who by no means approve of shifting more than once, if it
can be avoided. Sometimes the course of shifting throughout the whole will necessarily
be such it cannot be prevented. Too great a supply of soft meat is very detrimental—
frequently fatal, causing the canker or putresence in the throat of the young bird. It
is necessary to give the young ones fresh nests when you shift them. I will throw out
a hint—I hope you have no insects ; if you scrape your aviary, loft, or breeding
places daily, by attention to these rules you will not be troubled with insects in any
material degree. The best way is to burn the old nest ; a few hot cinders dropped into
the nest pan and shaken round will kill all that remain in the porous parts of the pan.
Some Fanciers assert, shifting the nests of the young birds is apt to give them the
scowers ; [ cannot say I ever experienced that to be the case; on the contrary, they

have always thriven greatly. At the same time it would be wise to put the shifted birds
into the feeders’ pans for a day or two, for fear the old birds should smell the powder.
Wha ooch! to you if they do.

OF MOULTING.

446, This, though nota disease, but natural to all the feathered kind, is more fatal,to the
Almond Tumbler than any disease that afflicts them ; they moult, or, in other words,
cast their old feathers and acquire a new set every year. Numbers of them die under
this painful operation of nature, before they can accomplish the change ; most of them
are rendered more or less unwell, particularly the hens, which are generally more deli-
cate and less capable of bearing such a change ; if they are old it is mostly fatal to
them. They begin to moult about May or June, by casting the flight feathers, and
no further moult is perceptible till the middle of July or so, when the body feathers
begin to appear pretty thick about the aviary or loft ; in August they get considerably
into moult ; in the month of September they are deep in moult, many of them being
very ragged about the breast and hackle ; some of their necks are featherless, full of

150

stumps of new feathers, which gives them a very disagreeable appearance for a short
time, greatly altering the proportions of their shape, disguising them so much the
Fancier scarcely knows his own birds. Should he chance to go out of town for a
month or six weeks at this particular season, he would on his return have great diffi-
culty in distinguishing oue from another, from the great alteration that takes place, for
in general they acquire more colour and get darker every year, particularly the cock
birds. They do not get completely out of moult till November; I have seen them
. moulting even later than this. Towards the close of the season, when the birds are in
the worst stage of their moulting, and the weather is gradually getting colder, warmth
is necessary in order to assist them in casting their feathers kindly. Notwithstanding
this, I do not think it right to shut up the aviary or loft, running the risk of affecting
the health of the birds in general, making them tender on account of a few that are not
so well as the others, for air is as necessary as warmth ; such as are unusually ill should
be taken and put in a pen, in a room where there is a fire, giving them a pill or two
of aloes and rhubarb with some seed. If they do not begin to moult freely with this
treatment, some of their rump and tail feathers should be pulled out, which will some-
times set them into moult ; it will be proper to give all the birds a handful of hemp or
rapeseed every day, which will warm them and make them comfortable, and greatly
assist by such warmth to cast the feather.

447. Some birds that are delicate will not blow their flights and tails kindly, which
will be seen on examining them ; they will be found covered with a sheath or cylinder
to the very tip or extremity of what should be the feather, giving it the appearance of
a thin skewer ; when this is perceived it is a sign of weakness ; the bird should be kept
warm ; if it could be spared from the loft, the feather will blow freely, as warmth as-
sists the feather in blowing, so cold or damp weather will make the husk or sheath
tough, and prevent its drying and scaling off, as it will do in hot weather ; the feather
will perish. If the bird cannot be spared from the aviary or loft to be kept warm, the
husk should be peeled off as far as it is tolerably dry ; care must be taken the feather
is not pulled out, as the one that succeeds it, if any does succeed, will be worse than
the one so drawn ; most likely be nothing more than a mere stump or perished feather ;
care must be taken not to make it bleed. The best way I have found to moult the
birds was to imagine I was fatting the birds for the spit, believing a bird would not die
of moulting-provided it was fat ; on the contrary, I am certain a poor, lean, emaciated,
half-starved bird cannot by any means throw its feather ; the only way I ever found to
cause it to moult was to get it in high condition ; then it moulted without any fur-
ther trouble of mine. I believe I could never get the birds so fat as when I gave them
wheat. If you want to get your birds well through the moult, get them as fat as you
possibly can, and a little saffron in their water is likewise very beneficial.

OF VERMIN.

448. These birds like every other kind, have their peculiar species of vermin, the
most troublesome are a sort of louse, not unlike in their colour to those found upon
persons of filthy habits, ofa different shape, being nearly round, about half the size ;
they run incredibly swift, on turning up the feathers on the belly, disappear in an in-
stant ; they harbour in the short feathers on the underpart of the rump, close to the
quills on the tail feathers ; are to be found in greater abundance on the belly, near the
vent, where tlie bird cannot reach them. If the bird is very foul, the roots of the fea-
thers will be clotted with nits or eggs, and swarms of these insects will run away in
every direction the moment the feathers are turned up; they also inhabit the neck,
where they likewise deposit their eggs in great abundance, being there safe from de-
struction till they arrive at maturity, when they descend to the belly part for suste-
nance. Birds with wry, crooked, or hooked beaks are most subject to these vermin, |
bene fon those defects less able to destroy them, and should therefore be particularly
attended to.

449. The best remedy, beyond all doubt, is the wnguent. mercwr., commonly called
blue ointment, rubbed on the parts, not in such quantity as to affect the bird, a small
portion is sufficient ; this should not be rubbed about the head or neck, only on the
belly ; the clotted or nitted feathers pulled off, will clear the way for the application of
the ointment ; by the next day he will not be able to find any vermin of that kind upon
the birds, They should be examined now and then, as the nits in the neck, which

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were not affected with the unction, will be continually coming to life and create a new
brood, and overrun the birds again very shortly ; therefore, as often as any signs of
verinin appear, rub a little ointment on the belly to receive them, which will infallibly
kill all that touch it, by these means the Fancier will always keep his birds clear.

450. This is particularly necessary for the hens, as many of them suffer, and are ex-
hausted so much by this little blood sucker, they will not breed ; upon cleansing them,
they recover their health and breed as well as ever. I have seen birds so devoured with
them, as to have large crusts or scabs formed by the ichor that flows from the wounds
these little animals inflict upon their bellies, under which scabs, forming a sort of
canopy, they run for shelter, and remain in safety when the bird is picking itself ; another
purpose is also answered by these incrustations, covering parts of the belly of the bird
in a circle beyond where the wounds are, by rendering the parts so covered softer to
the piercers of these little insects, and affording them a more ready as well as safe oppor-
tunity of satisfying the cravings of their voracious appetites. The blue ointment not
only destroys the vermin, heals the wounds under the crusts before mentioned in a day
or two. Some Fanciers are afraid of venturing upon this remedy, and have recourse to
usual ones of snuff, tobacco dust, snuff and hog’s lard, smoking their feathers, &c. I
am satisfied these are of little, if any, use, because they are not fatal to the insect if
they come in contact with it; besides, they are troublesome and prejudicial in the
application, by getting into the bird’s eyes, nostrils, &c., disfiguring them and dis-
colouring their plumage, which must be turned back to get the snuff down to the quills
of the feathers.

451. I knew a good Fancier that always used a strong decoction of tobacco water.
I formerly used sweet oil; the heat of the body caused the oil to spread all over the
skin of the bird ; the insects could not escape. I fancied the oil rotted the roots of the
feather and caused them to come off. I was informed if I used animal oil instead of
vegetable it would not happen ; such as neat’s-foot oil; I think this worth trying. Of
late I have used nothing but the blue ointment ; have anointed upwards of one hun-
dred at the same time, only on the belly, never having used it on the neck ; never saw
any of them tremulous or paralytic. There are Fanciers who have ventured to rub
some of the ointment about the neck feathers: if the Fancier does, it must be done
cautiously and sparingly, otherwise will affect the birds so far as to make them tremu-
lous and paralytic, and even killthem. I therefore recommend the young Fancier not
to apply the ointment to the neck at the same time he does to the belly ; wait two or
three days first.

452. I am bound to acknowledge, after mature consideration, I cannot possibly
do better than give verbatim, some of the remarks on the management of the Almond
Tumbler, contained in a work now out of print, dedicated to the ‘‘Gentlemen of the

*Columbarian Society.” Those remarks are so true, from observations, I shall add a
few ideas, which I trust will not be found unacceptable or unworthy of following the
excellent remarks I here allude.

THE LOFT

453 Should be very airy, at the top of the house ; if it is large, it would be better »
to divide it, as the Fancier will find two rooms very convenient upon many accounts,
particularly in cross-matching, in the middle of the breeding season, if the produce of
his birds should not please him ; he will find his birds more familiar if they have not
too much wing room. When he wishes to catch any of them, he should entice them in-
to the area with a little rape or hemp seed, by which he will avoid hurrying them about
the room, may catch them at pleasure, and prevent the probability of a hen who is
near laying dropping her egg on the ground. The area should, if convenient, have a
south-west aspect, that the birds may have the benefit of the Sun in the Spring morn-
ings, when they are near laying, which will assist them if the weather should set in
cold soon after matching. Besides, it is great service to the young ones as soon as
they are able to fly to it; if convenient, I should recommend a separate room or loft
for them, as soon as they are fit to be drafted off; they will certainly thrive better,
where they have no old birds to contend with, and knock them about. The pens should
be two feet square at the least, with fronts to them, and a small place to go in and out
at, which should be made to fasten up as occasion requires. The lighter the work is,

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consistent with the proper degree of strength, the better. The work should be let in,,
in order to give it a neat appearance. There are people in the Fancy who are carpen-
ters understand that sort of work better than a man who is not a Fancier. The bars.
should not be more than two inches asunder. I prefer a shelf midway between the
flooring and the ceiling of the pen, big enough to hold a nest pan, for the birds to
pitch upon when they fly up to it ; by this means the youngest may always be preven-
ted getting into the new nest with the old ones when they are gone to nest again ; thus’
many a pair of eggs may be saved. When the old ones begin to leave their young,
which they will generally do in nine or ten days, and frequently sooner, remove the
pan with the young ones from the shelf to the floor of the pen, the old ones will not
not forsake them ; continue to feed them as before ; the hen will sit on them at night
as usual. A few days afterwards, when you perceive they are anxious to go to nest |
again, put them a fresh pan on the shelf, which they will readily take to. This plan
may be pursued all through the season, and save a vast deal of trouble and loss.
Though I have said it is desirable to have a warm aspect for the areas, | by no means
wish it to be understood that I think the loft should be kept warm ; on- the contrary,
it should have a free current of air, and in winter, except in very coarse days, I think
the birds cannot be kept too cool, being convinced it braces them, particularly the
hens. It is only at the laying time, in the Spring, I recommend the loft being shut
up, to keep out the cold searching winds, as the hens are at. this time frequently
very ill.

454, The loft and areas should be scraped every day, kept thorough clean : the birds
will be much more healthy, never get clogged with dirt: the Fancier will have greater
pleasure in going into his loft: besides all this, it will prevent the possibility of fleas
and other vermin infesting. A little water sprinkled on the floor in hot Summer
months, provided the Fancier does not gravel his loft. Some use this method of gra-
velling the floor, which I disapprove on account of the dust it makes, the harbour it
affords for vermin, the birds should always have access to gravel.

455. Above all take care the loft is not infested with rats or mice; the former will
not only destroy the eggs ; the young ones also, and even the old ones if no young ones
are to be had. A good cat, trained up in the loft and well disciplined, will remedy all
this. I recommend a boar cat; he should be castrated, that he may not be hanker-
ing to get out after the females, or entice others to the loft. A she cat is objection-
able on the same account as an uncut boar cat is. These are more formidable enemies
in their natural state than any other ; the loft, on that account, should, if possible, be
inaccessible to the approach of cats. If this cannot be managed, they must be trapped,
and all means used to prevent their ravages, not omitting to make the bars of the areas
proof against their paws.

OF PENNING THE BIRDS,

456. The birds being paired, the next care must be make them acquainted with their
respective pens ; for this purpose they should be penned up for a few days, or longer if
necessary, in the pens designed for them, during which time they will match strong,
and become well acquainted with their habitations. The Fancier should then begin
by opening two of the pens that are most remote from each other ; the birds, finding
no entrance to any other, will readily learn to know the place they came out of. When
these two pair are well acquainted with their pens, they should be fastened up again,
and two other pair let out, remember to let out such as are most distant from each
other, by which means they will be less liable to mistake each others, home. He must
proceed till the whole are well acquainted with their respective abodes. Care should
be taken to prevent a cock getting master of two pens; if once he gets a habit of
going into another birds pen, be assured he will never rest till he has driven that cock
and hen from their house, spoilt their eggs, or killed their young ones. When this is
become very troublesome, the only remedy is, to put him and his hen into another
room, for it is almost impossible to break him off this trick if once he gets master.
Thus the advantage of dividing the loft is clearly shown ; without this convenience,
he must be under the necessity of keeping that pair of birds constantly penned up,
which would be very prejudicial to their health and fill them with vermin. During
this period, the young Fancier must bestow a little time in watching them, and putting

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- them a few times into their own pens, if they are at a loss to find them. By attending.
to these rules, the bird will soon become steady and settled. Particular care should

also be taken always to give the cock the same habitation he had last year ; if not, he

will get master of two pens, and occasion the difficulty just mentioned. The same care

is not necessary with regard to the hens, they will always follow their cocks when tho-

roughly matched.

OF THE NEST PANS.

457. Every pair of birds should be provided with a nest pan, which should be put
on the shelf in the pen, the birds made to go to nest there, as pointed out in my ob-
servations upon making the pens. These pans should be about eight inches in diame-
ter at the top, and between three and four inches in depth ; they should not be per-
pendicular, but slope from the top to the base ; should be rough on the inside, for the
better retention of the straw. ‘These can be made at any pottery, upon giving a mo-
del or proper instructions how they are to be made. Some Fanciers have used
little nests in the shape of a pan, made with straw bands, after the fashion of a bee-
hive ; these are objectionable on account of the harbour they afford for vermin, from
which it would be impossible ever to clear them.

BY WHICH TO ASCERTAIN THE COLOURS OF YOUNG BIRDS IN THE NEST.

548. If the beak has no mark on it, is quite white, the bird will be an Almond.

If the beak is white, and has a little patch of black somewhere about it, this will
probably be a Splash ; should it be an Almond, it will most likely havea great deal of
black about it.

If the beak be crossed on the point with a black stripe, or cross, rather inclining to
blue, this bird will be a black, not a Kite.

If with a deep blue mark, it will be a blue, which colour is very objectionable; if the
pair should throw this colour more than once, they should be parted ; were they mine,
I should part them the first time. *

If with a black mark, rather inclining to, or having a faint tinge of red, it will be a
Kite, and most likely a rich one.

If with a slatey-coloured mark it will be a Dun.

_If with a straw-colour, a Yellow.
If with a deeper straw-colour, inclining to red, an Agate. And,
Tf with a deep red, it will be a Red, or Red-mottled bird.

459. By minute attention to these marks, the Fancier will seldom fail in his predic-
tion of the colour, long before any signs of feathers are visible.

460. With respect to such young birds turning out good or bad, cannot be reduced
to so great a certainty ; they alter so much in the nest, that a person would sometimes
scarce think it was the same bird he had seen a day or two before, was he not certain
no one could have changed it. These alterations are sometimes for the better, some-
times for the worse, so there is no saying, with any precision, which will, or will not, be
a good bird until after it has moulted, when the bird is seen in full beauty and to the
best advantage. Notwithstanding this, I am inclined to think a good Fancier, who
has made his observations, can give a pretty good guess, so far as head and beak only
are concerned, because they are apparent, and the other properties occult, and not to
be discovered till the bird arrives at maturity. Ifthe young is chubby about the beak,
has little space between the head and the wattle, he may be assured he will be a short-
faced bird, and may, in general, tell whether the beak will be coarse or fine.

OF DRAFTING

THE YOUNG ONES INTO ANOTHER LOFT.

461. This is very desirable, provided the Fancier is not straightened for room. As
soon as the young ones feed themselves they should be taken into the loft provided for

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them, have plenty of gravel, their area kept clean, they will pick themselves, bask in
the sun, and thrive prodigiously.

462. Their food should be the best tares ; if sound beans could be procured small
enough I should prefer them. It will be better to let them have both. I do not think
tares alone a wholesome diet, being apt to make them scour.

468. An additional reason for drafting the young ones off, is, the old ones should
not continue feeding them till they are on the point of hatching again, which they
will do, even though they can feed themselves, which is injurious to the old ones, as
they have no time to recruit from their labour, which, in feeding two or three large
birds on the floor, as is often the case, is great, and pull the birds down very much, and
throws them out of condition, particularly the hens, who are not equal to it; have
frequently seen them ill from so great an exertion: on taking them in hana have
found them considerably wasted : by taking off the young birds, have been remedied in
a few days ; the old ones have picked up their flesh as before. For want of an addi-
tional room to draft them off, the Fancier must, if his loft is divided, put them on the
contrary side, where they will be prevented teazing the old ones, and learn to feed well
in two or three days.

OF BARREN BIRDS.

464. It sometimes happens the Fancier has a pair of birds in his loft, which, from
age or other defect of nature, will not breed. This is more frequently attributable to
the hen, as she is more liable to be weakened from too much breeding and laying too
quickly ; perhaps not having had sufficient care taken to sit and feed her off. If she
lays regularly, the eggs do not come to perfection ; after the usual time of sitting it is
clear it is not her fault, but must be attributed to some defect in the cock. If she
does not lay, and only wants to be continually going to nest, it is her fault. The best
way is to give her a pair of eggs, let her sit on them, provide her a young one to feed
off when her time for sitting is out, and repeat this when she wishes to go to nest
again for a few times ; if the hen is curable without flying her, this will make her lay
again. If she is valuable, the Fancier should send her to some friend in the country
who keeps Pigeons, match her to one of the common birds, and let her fly ; if she is
not past breeding, it will bring her round. When the Fancier has a hen of this de-
scription, the cock is not too good to lose the use of in this way, he may make them
very useful as feeders, by sitting them at almost any time he wishes, which office, by a
little management, they will very readily perform, and when their time of sitting is ex-
pired, will be ready to take a pair of good young ones from some other pair that are be-
ginning to desert them. Should he not like to keep a pair of this description, he must
discard the faulty bird ; before he does this, he should examine to see if it has any
vermin, as they are sometimes the cause of barrenness.

OF WASHING.

465. The Fancier should take notice, nothing contributes more to cleanliness than
frequent washings, in which the birds delight amazingly, plunging into the water
with great eagerness. This must not be done in a slovenly way ; if it is, they will not
be benefitted. The pan should be put into the area; the birds made to wash there,
that the waste water may run away ; not suffered to wash in the loft—make a wet
place that will not be dry in three or four days, by which they will draggle their flights
and make themselves more dirty instead of cleaner. The water should not be given
more than twice a week, or three times at most; if they have it too frequently
they will not use it. Another inconvenience, some would be washing one day, some
another, the area would never be dry. Nothing soils their plumage so much as con-
stant wet, particularly their flights and tails. I think the cistern water for this
purpose is best, because it is softer, and more likely to assist in removing the filth
from their plumage than pump water.

OF FLYING THE BIRDS.

466. Some Fanciers prefer flying their birds ; to this I cannot assent either in town
or country, more particularly in town, as they are extremely weak and timid ; the

155

least blast of wind would blow them down the chimneys; or one bird playing up
against the other would have the same effect ; the Fancier would be continually losing
birds of value, to his great mortification ; be continually getting into disgrace with
his neighbours, perhaps into difficulties ; add to this the birds would be ten times more
dirty—washing is of no use—therefore, as no advantage can be derived from it, I object
to it entirely. Injthe country it is different, because it is clean, and may benefit the plum-
age ; even there I would not fly them constantly, as it tends to make them coarse, which
is the reverse of what is wished to be in these birds, viz.—delicacy ; I should therefore
fly them only occaionally, which would answer all the purposes of keeping them healthy
and beautiful in plumage. A further reason is, it tends to make them wild, instead of
what is desirable—perfectly familiar. Some have doubted whether the Almonds will
tumble in the air, when flying, like the common Tumblers. I can solve that doubt, by
assuring them they will. I once had one of my own that tumbled remarkably well,
and very clean, never losing any way in the air, so as to be distanced by the rest
of the flight, which is a great perfection in tumbling.

OF LOAM.

467. The birds should be furnished with loam, of which they are remarkably fond,
which should be put into a garden or flower pot, well soaked. When the water has
drained off, and the loam become solid, lay the pot on its side ; they will eat the loam
greedily, especially if there is a little salt in it, of which they are immoderately fond ;
as they are of a hot nature, and sufficiently thirsty, I do not approve of increasing
thirst by artificial means, unless some good reason could be given for it; I confess I
am at a loss to find one. Some Fanciers say, obliging them to drink is very useful
to them. I cannot agree with them ; it seems to me reason a bird will drink sufficient
if it can get it, without any unnatural means to provoke it. There are loam pots to
be had at the earthenware shops, made on purpose ; they are of a conical form, and
part of the cone or cap takes off for the reception of the loam, and there are holes in
the side for the birds to get at it.

468. I am of opinion loam should be given only in the summer time or breeding
season, not in the winter, having reason to think it occasions the roop, or at least pro-
motes, retarding the cure when the bird is troubled with that complaint. The reason,
as it occurs to me, seems feasible enough : the roop being a sort of cold in the head,
and the nose, or nostrils rather, having a communication with the mouth, and being
in that complaint always stuffed with rheum or phlegm, I think it is fair to presume
the constant eating of cold loam may sometimes occasion the roop, or at least may
tend to make it worse, when a bird is already affected with it. I used formerly to
suffer my birds to eat it all winter ; they all had this complaint more or less. It after-
wards occurred to me this might possibly be the reason: since that time I have not
allowed them any after the cold weather set in; have had the satisfaction of finding
that none of my birds have been affected with it since, in a general way, only now and
then one. Some Fanciers make a composition of loam, gravel, and mortar, adding
salt. I think it preferable to give them each of these (except the salt) in their crude

or natural state.
GRAVEL. .

469. Is essentially necessary for the birds to have always by them; unless they
have, or some substitute in lieu of it, as sand or mould, I am inclined to think they
would not be healthy. It is requisite for the purpose of grinding and digesting the
food, which enters the stomach from the crop in a whole though soft state. Were it
not for the particles of gravel, little stones, and other hard substances which they pick
up, which passes through the gizzard with the food, assisting maceration and digestion,
I should think birds would not only become unhealty and indolent, but not live in our
lofts to that age which they frequently do—some living with us nine, ten, and even

eleven years,
MORTAR.

470. From the eagerness with which these birds search for, and from the avidity
with which they devour mortar, one would think it was as necessary to their existence
as gravel reflection will teach us that it is not. Before the mortar can reach the

156

stomach it must be rendered soft, if not entirely dissolved, thereby becoming unfit for
the purpose of grinding the food, which is the use of the small stones in the gravel ; it
may possibly, from its heat, assist in promoting maceration and digestion. Some Fan-
ciers assert it will harden the egg-shell, when a hen is near Jaying ; to this I cannot
readily subscribe, conceiving mortar, from its hot nature, would rather corrode than in-
durate the shell. I do not, however, perceive any ill effects arise from their eating it ;
on that account, perhaps, it may be fair to conclude it is of some service to them. There
is no doubt their fondness for mortar arises from the quantity of saltpetre, or saline
particles, which it contains, their immoderate partiality for salt being universally known
and admitted, I should think, although they are so fond of it, it is not necessary to
their existence. The mortar should not be new, but got on purpose from the rubbish
of some old house or wall that is pulling down, which has lost the greater part of its”
original heat, which is therefore preferable to fresh made mortar.

OF THEIR FOOD.

471. I shall now call the young Fanciers’ attention to a matter which is most mate-
rial of all to the health of his birds, upon which the speedy and vigorous increase of
their young greatly depends—I mean their food.

472. If the throats of the young birds were not so small, I have no hesitation in
saying, beans of the best quality, small as they could be obtained, would be the best
food that could possibly be given them. Were it not for the difficulty old birds have
in feeding their young upon beans, I would never give them anything else. This
might be objected to by some, from a supposition that beans alone would not so readily
furnish a sufficiency of soft meat, from their solidity. I think this reason would not
bear them out, as it is notorious the birds of the common Fanciers are fed upon no-
thing else. They are always furnished with as much soft meat as those that are other-
wise fed, In the breeding season, the Almond Tumbler should be supplied also with
good sound old tares ; to the hoppers containg these, as well as the beans, they should
have free access, that they may satisfy themselves as often as occasion requires, which
is almost incessant whilst they are feeding their young, being very voracious feeders,
which may be accounted for from their great heat of constitution, the food being quickly
digested, converted into excrement, and continually passing through them. Care
should be taken not to purchase such beans and peas as have been at sea and damaged
with salt water, as they will infallibly scour or purge the birds, and probably kill some
of them. In order to ascertain this, the Fancier ought always to put some of them
into his mouth and chew them, by which means he will readily discover it.

473. In order, in some measure, to prove my argument as to beans being the best
food, and preferable to any other, I shall state the observations I have made upon the
excrement of the birds as soon as voided.

474, I have noticed the excrement of birds that have been fed upon ordinary beans
and found it was tolerably hard and good ; that it was not attended with much mucus
or slime ; from which I infer the food was not sufficiently nutritious te afford the
proper quantum of mucus necessary for the easy discharge of the fceces; the fceces
of birds fed upon prime hard old beans, have been very different ; according to my
idea have worn a much more healthy appearance than the former; the feces of
birds so fed have been voided in a solid lump, surrounded with a plentiful quan-
tum of fine oily, or slimy mucus, from whence I think the operation of digestion is
better performed by the best food ; consequently, the birds must be more healthy.

475. Tares, if of ever so good quality, are very improper to feed birds upon alone.
They are very laxative ; never produce a solid excrement, which, in a measure, tends
to prove my argument as to the superiority of the first-mentioned food. Whoever
has made observation upon the ordure of birds fed upon tares alone, will, I trust,
allow it 1s never solid ; generally of a pasty consistence, and sometimes very thin ;
I think it thence follows, that birds in this constant state of laxation, can never be
so hearty and vigourous as those fed upon good old beans, which produce a solid ex-
crement.

476. From what I have above advanced, it will be supposed I prefer beans alone for

157

their constant food, when the breeding season is over ; I certainly do. I attribute my
having been particularly fortunate, to the observation of the before-mentioned rules;
may venture to say, although my birds are kept in the heart of this great city, enve-
loped in constant clouds of smoke from chimnies, foundries, furnaces, &c., no Fancier’s
birds are more healthy ; few have raised so many young ones in proportion to their
stock, or lost so few old ones from diseases, &c. The only inconvenience which I com-
plain of is, the impossibility of keeping the plumage of my birds so clean and beauti-
ful as those kept in a clearer atmosphere, which is certainly to their disadvantage, and
a great detraction from the beauty of their colours.

OF THEIR DRINK.

477. I prefer pump water for their drink, conceiving it to be more bracing and less
impregnated with animalcule than cistern or river water, consequently less subject to
putrescence in the hot weather. They are great drinkers, not drinking like fowls
by little sips, but in continued draughts like quadrupeds, moving their mouths very
quick, and swallowing the water greedily. Care should be taken to keep their foun-
tains or bottles clean ; it is not at all improbable that diseases may arise from the foul
state of a fountain, which will become greatly furred and stink, when the weather is
hot, if not frequently cleaned. The fountains or bottles should not be filled too full in
hot weather, so that the water may be soon drank and replaced with fresh, which will
prevent the possibility of its becoming putrid. Some put a lump of chalk into their
water ; this may be very well where there is none but river water to be had. I should
think no great degree of astringency could be communicated to the water by it. If
any scourings take place among the old birds, the Fancier may break plenty of chalk
on the floor, which they will eat readily ; as to the young ones, he must adopt the re-
medy laid down on treating of this complaint.

478. They are exceedingly fond of urine ; will drink it greedily, if they can get it.
Some Fanciers soak their loam with it, which induces them to eat a great deal of it.
They will scarcely ever leave the place where it is to be obtained. This may be very
well for those Fanciers who keep common birds and fly them ; I object to it for the
Almond Tumbler, on the same ground as salt, viz., creating an artificial thirst to birds
already sufficiently thirsty. Pigeons drink much at all times, particularly when feeding
large young ones ; they run to the water, take five or six hearty draughts, and imme-
diately feed their young ; this assists in soaking the food ; also in the easy discharge
of it from the crop of the old into those of the young.

OF PARTING THE BIRDS

AFTER THE BREEDING SHASON,

479. IT am a great advocate for this measure, having found my account in it,
thoroughly convinced of its beneficial effects, great utility, and convenience ; I shall
convince the young Fancier of the propriety of this plan, by a few observations. In the
first place, a great deal of trouble is saved to the Fancier, by the impossibility of the
birds going to nest, which they will, if not parted, in spite of all his efforts to prevent
them ; he is then under the necessity of continuing them another round, as the Fanciers
term it, (though he is convinced of the impropriety of it, at that late season of the
year) to the great detriment of the hens, and without a chance of bringing up what
they may happento hatch. In the next place, should the weather set in cold, the birds re-
main a little inactive for the moment as it were, the first warm day that comes, though
in December or January, they are all alive, calling to nest, copulating, &c., which is
very prejudicial to both, particularly to the hens, it tends to weaken and enfeeble them,
and make them what is called pappy, which is caused by their b@ing over salacious,
having too frequent connection with the males without going to nest, as they would do
if the weather was not so cold. Thus we plainly see, the only advantange to be de-
rived from keeping the birds together in the winter, is, ironically speaking, to spoil the
hens. .

480. And further, as few Fanciers match their birds in the manner they were matched

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the preceding season, from the number of young ones they have bred, which by the
following season are become matchable, and occasion the necessity of altering the old
matches, and from other causes, the advantage of parting the birds in the winter, is
here, I think, particularly conspicuous ; it will enable him to cross-match all his birds
without the least difficulty, as they will cross-match more readily when they have been
asunder two or three months, than when they have been kept together

481. When I have occasion to cross-match two or three pairs of birds in the height
of the breeding season, on account of their produce not pleasing me, I have frequently
had difficulty in obtaining my point, from the strong recollection the birds have of each
other ; though I have at last succeeded, the moment the hens have been turned into
the loft they have flown to their former pens and mates, it was a considerable time
before they were reconciled to their new mates and abodes. To prevent this, the new
matched pair should be fastened in their own pen, taking care the cock has the same
pen as he had before. This evil will be remedied by parting the loft, the Fancier may
then put a pair or two of the cross-matched birds into the contrary side to which they
have been accustomed, by this means avoid the intercourse that must take place between
the new matched birds, and their former mates.

482. Another thing is necessary to be attended to by the Fancier, is cross-matching,
viz.—he should have two or three matching pens in some part of. his house, if not too
inconvenient, in order that the birds he is about to cross-match, may be out of the
hearing of their former mates, and of the other birds in the loft, which will greatly
facilitate their speedy matching to their new mates. They will frequently be a long time
in matching in the loft, where Beey can both see and hear each other, sometimes will
not match at all.

483. If they continue obstinate, a handful of rape or hemp seed should be given them
occasionally ; if the cock is violent, fights his hen, an open lath partition should be put
across the pen, to separate them, that they may only see each other, they will soon
match by this method, which will be seeerained by the hen sweeping her tail, nodding
her head, &c., which is called shewing.

OF THEIR DUNG.

484. Their Dung is so valuable, in so great requisition, if it is preserved genuine, as
little straw and other rubbish as possible suffered to get amongst it, tanners and others
will give five shillings per sack for it, will fetch it whenever they are informed there is
any ready for them. It is used by the tanners to separate the hair from the hides,
being of an extremely hot nature, answering their purpose better than other things
they make use of. It is also an excellent manure for cold, wet, and clayey land, if it
could be procured in any quantity, the farmers of such sorts of ‘land would give almost
any price for it.

OF THEIR DISEASES.

485. The Almond Tumblers are not naturally liable to many diseases ; the majority
of those which do attack them, I attribute to a want of cleanliness, and good manage-
ment in their masters, if taken care of in these respects, they will live nine or ten
years, and sometimes longer, and are generally taken off at last by the moult.

486. The first and most fatal that has come under my observation is, what is com-
monly understood and called by the name of the Canker, (see paragraph 625.) This dis-
order is much confined to the young birds in the nest, does not very frequently attack
the old ones, as it originates in the cesophagus or throat, it seems to me to arise from
the putrefaction of a redundancy of the soft meat, that putrescency communicating
itself to the throat, causing a core, I am inclined to think, it ought with greater pro-
priety to be called agsore throat, and perhaps, from the intolerable foctor emitted from
the throat and crop, not improperly a putrid sore throat ; if the complaint is suffered to
go on without any attempt to relieve the bird, the core will enlarge, the throat swell,
and the bird soon die of suffocation.

487. Some people pick off the core, or cut it out, this is of no use, but fatal, as the
sore soon becomes larger than before ; could it all be cut clean out, the bird would die
shortly, if not in a few minutes.

159

488. I have more than once opened the throat of a bird that died of this disease, all
the information I could obtain was, the core adhered so tight to the fleshy or muscular
parts of the threat, it appeared like a part of the flesh, being as it was incorporated with
it, except the colour of the core, being of a yellow, distinguished it from the throat
itself ; the core was perfectly hard, would separate from the flesh, by pulling, or picking
it with a knife, this was with difficulty, on account of the adhesion, when it did sepa-
rate, it left a large and deep hole. I have been surprised I never have discovered any
pus in the throat, which induces me to think no suppuration takes place, this is pro-
bably because the bird must die of suffocation from the swelling of the throat, before
the matter can have had sufficient time te form, and discharge itself.

489. My researches, therefore, have not been attended with any certain success, but
have left me still to conjecture.

490. One thing I have ascertained, to cut or pick the core is fatal sooner or later,
from the great quantity of blood the bird loses from these operations.

491. Although, as I have observed, this disease is more particularly incident to
young birds in the nest, yet it is by no means uncommon in old birds ; it does. not in
general attack the throat, as in the young ones ; appears in a different way ; usually
comes about the mouth and beak ; is not to be discovered very readily at first ; when
it begins to enlarge, the bird will not be able to close its mouth ; seems as if it were
panting for breath. On examing it the core will soon be discovered. I once had a
bird that was attacked with this complaint : I discovered a core as big as a pea on the
outside of the beak or lower jaw, which was much swollen; it was with great pain
and difficulty the bird could swallow. This had no doubt been some time forming ; it
soon gave way on applying the remedy I have under written.

492. Not being able to trace the cause of this disorder, [ must endeavour to make
some amends to the Fancier, by communicating a cure when the effect is produced.
which, if attended to frequently, and patiently administered, will, I have no doubt,
generally succeed.

493. I cannot describe the quantums and proportion of the ingredients in the way a
medical man would do; I must content myself with telling the Fancier in a plain way
—to take

494, A half-pint phial, fill it three parts full of the best vinegar, drop into it as
many drops of the spirit of vitriol as will make it sufficiently pungent,
which may be ascertained by trying it on the tongue a few times, sweeten
-it with a little honey, which will make it adhere to the throat, shake them
well together ; take a feather, and anoint the inside of the throat of the
bird affected, two or three times a day, and in general a cure will be accom-
plished ; hang the phial up in the loft for future occasions. I do not per-
ceive the specific loses its virtue by keeping.

_ 495. This complaint is contagious ; it generally attacks a number of young birds at

the same time ; is most prevalent in the hot months. Formerly, this complaint used
to infest my loft every season, by which I lost many good birds ; from what cause it
arose 1 never could discover ; the same degree of cleanliness having been observed ;
the birds having been treated in every respect the same then, as since, as far as I
can recollect. I have not had a single instance of the kind for many years. The only
possible conjecture I can make is, that possibly I might not have been so particular
about the food I then gave them. Unquestionably, the quality of the food is very
material in the prevention of complaints.

THE ROOP.

496. The next disorder that comes under our notice is the roop. This, as I before
observed, is a kind of cold or influenza ; is more frequent in cold and damp weather,
therefore in such weather the loft should be kept clear of dung, which, if suffered to
remain, will increase the damp, making the birds worse, and perhaps spread the com-
plaint through the whole loft. This disorder is also contagious, therefore, on its first
appearance, the infected bird or birds should be taken away, kept warm, should occa-
sionally have a handful of seed given to them. Some put rue in their water : I do not

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think this is of any use. The only remedy I am acquainted with is to keep them
warm, and squeeze the rheum out of their nostrils, by pressing with the thumb and
finger, at the same time opening the mouth : a lump of rheum like a jelly will be seen
obtruding itself from the orifice, which should be removed ; the bird will then breathe
freely. This should be repeated twice a day, and a pill of bitter aloes, the size of a
pea, given once in two days, which will warm the inside. The bird will soon recover.
A few pepper corns are not amiss to be given the intervening days. This is by no
means a dangerous complaint, if attended to when discovered. It is similar to a vio-
lent cold and stoppage in the head,

THE VERTIGO, OR MEAGRIMS.

497. These birds are subject to a complaint called the Vertigo or Meagrims, which is
an involuntary turning or twisting of the head towards the back, accompanied with an
involuntary blinking of the eyes ; the bird flutters and flies indiscriminately against
anything that comes in its way. It is very disagreeable and painful to see them in
this situation. I have yet to find out a cure for this complaint ; as the bird seldom or
ever gets better of it, was it mine, and an indifferent bird, I should think it best to
put it out of its misery, not torture it with useless experiments. _

THE STAGGERS.

498. This complaint is a constant turning round or staggering, when the bird attempts
to walk or fly. As I am in the same predicament with respect to the cure of this com-
plaint as the other, I should be necessitated to adopt the same remedy.

499. Both the above complaints are very rare, and have never happened in my loft,
although I’have seen them, so I have never been driven to the necessity of considering
what would be proper to administer on these occasions. What information I have
gathered upon the subject, I am inclined to think these complaints are rarely or ever
cured. I think it probable, making a small puncture in the roof of the mouth, to let out a
little blood, might be attended with beneficial effects, as both seems to me to arise from
a giddiness in the head. Was a valuable bird of mine to be in either of these situa-
tions, I should certainly be induced to try the experiment. It would be hardly worth
making upon an ordinary bird, unless for satisfaction sake, for the purpose of knowing
how to treat a better bird, was it in that situation.

SCOURING OR PURGING.

500. Pigeons are sometimes subject to scouring or purging, particulary young ones,
which is generally accompanied with a foetid smell ; when this is perceived, put down
the throat a lump of chalk, the size of a bean, three or four times a day, which will
effectually stop it ; the bird will soon be well as before. Pump water, being more
astringent, should be given them ; the clotted feathers should be plucked from about
the anus, to prevent their being cold and wet, which the constant purging will occa-
sion. Their nests should be kept dry, as from weakness in this complaint they are fre-
quently unable to dung over the side of the nest pan.

THE SMALL POX.

501. The young birds are also subject to a complaint, which, from its similarity, is
by Fanciers called the Small Pox ; it generally makes its appearance, just before the
birds begin to fledge, and comes out pretty thick in little pustules, filled with matter,
about the head neck, and back. I never observed the birds were the least ill with it ;
It usually disappears in six or seven days, without having had the smallest effect upon
them that I could perceive, the birds thriving and growing all the time, as if nothing
was the matter with them.

502. They have some other little complaints too trifling to notice. If a bird is un-
well, and I cannot discover the cause of its illness, I generally administer a pill or two
of rhubarb, the size of a pea, and repeat it on the alternate day, which purges them,
and generally sets them right,

161

OF ODD OR UNMATCHED BIRDS.

503. The Fancier should avoid keeping too many odd or unmatched birds in his loft,
they will be continually getting into the pens of other birds that are sitting steadily,
fight them, if not break the eggs, in all probability cause the hen to forsake her nest, by
which she will be liable to lay again too quickly, without having sat a proper time to
recruit herself ; or if she was near hatching, her crop will be filling with soft meat,
which the Fancier will have no means of getting rid of, for her, and she will be in
danger of being sick and ill, in consequence of it. To remedy this, he had better buy
a common bird or two to match to his own that are odd ; they will thus be prevented
doing him mischief, and be attended with the advantage of being serviceable to him as
feeders.

504. Some Fanciers fit up their lofts with mere shelves, and partitions between
them, without any fronts, so that each division is open to the intrusion of every bird in
the loft, as well as to the pair it belongs to. This, in my opinion, is an extremely
erroneous notion, as the Fancier must be in a much greater degree of uncertainty as to
the genuine produce of his birds, of course much less able to give their true pedigree,
than if the pens were enclosed ; I have more than once been witness to the attempt of a
strange bird, to tread a hen, which has squatted to receive the tread of her own mate,
no doubt this takes place when the Fancier is not present to prevent it. Add to
this, birds are frequently prevented from treading their own hens, by the interference
of other birds, who will always fly at them, and prevent them, if they are anywhere
about the loft exposed to their view, which must ever be the case in open pens ; where
the pens have fronts to them, the birds can copulate in quiet, the strain is rendered
more certain. The birds sit better, less likely to forsake their eggs, which they will
sometimes do, if they are too much exposed. Another advantage is derived ; the pens
have fronts of good workmanship, takes off that naked look, and give the loft a much
more finished and neat appearance.

505. A bird has sometimes a crossed or wry beak, which is a great disfigurement, and
of course must be as great an imperfection. This may be remedied while the bird is
young, and running about the floor, in the following manner :—That part of the upper
beak which projects over the side of the under one must be paired off neatly, and the
like done to the lower beak, which in general curves upward on the contrary side, some-
thing similar to the tusk of a hog, but they must not be pared so close as to make them
bleed ; then give the upper beak a gentle turn the contrary way tn which it inclines,
serving the under beak in like manner, by repeating this several times a day, keeping
the curved parts of the beak constantly pared off, as they shoot again, the beak may
be got perfectly straight. This remedy will not answer for an old bird, as the horn of
the beak is not sufficiently pliable, is become hard and brittle, and in the attempt to
bend would snap off.

506. If the Fancier should have any young birds on the floor that are deserted, and
not fed by the old ones that should feed them, are unable to feed themselves, he must
get a few beans down them once or twice a day, to prevent their getting poor. This
is done by putting some beans in their mouths, applying the beaks of the birds, at the
same time opening them. As soon as the birds feel the beans, they will in general
swallow them readily. He must take care not to stop their breath by feeding them too
long at a time, their throats being very small just at the swallow, and one bean stick-
ing in that part would choke the bird and killit; he must also give them some
water in the same way; occasionally put their beaks into the fountain, and they
will soon learn to go to it themselves ; this is necessary only with such birds as above
described, that are backward from having been left too soon. Birds that are obliged
to be thus treated are very apt to get under the feet of the Fancier, as they run to
him directly he goes into the loft; he should, therefore, put such birds into the
area, eat he may nut tread upon them, particularly if he has any person in the loft
with him.

507. There was a Society of Gentlemen of the greatest respectability till within the
last three or four years. It grew too aristocratic—-it did not obtain fresh members for
L

hes
i)
Pe,

162

a cross—more properly speaking, it did not infuse young and fresh blood into the So-
ciety ; therefore it gradually sunk and became defunct. One thing that accelerated its
death was some of its members insisting upon better yellow or Almond-colour for the
ground or foundation of the ‘bird, and from which it derived its name—the “ Almond
Tumbler ;” this led to a schism, and the society unfortunately departed, after bringing
the Almond Tumbler to such a state of perfection, although I have at their shows seen
birds that it would be difficult to draw the line whether the ground of some of the birds
were red or yellow. (Read paragraphs 436 and 437). This excellent society departed
after an existence of over one hundred years, to the immense grief of those gentlemen
of the fancy who had the honour of seeing their birds on a grand show day—“‘ It was
a great and rare treat.” This society was formed for the encouragement of the breed
of the Almond Tumbler, under the title of THE CoLUMBARIAN SoctetTy, who met almost
monthly throughout the year, to dine and spend a cheerful day together, chiefly in con-
versation upon the Fancy, and to produce such young birds as they may have had bred
since their last meeting, for the inspection and entertainment of the society. These
gentlemen had a subscription among themselves, for the purpose of giving premiums
to such persons has had bred (that season in which the subscription is made) the best
birds, according to the standard laid down by the society. The prizes are generally
four in number, and divided into two classes, viz., two cocks and two hens ; and the
subscription is usually ample enough to allow the first cock and hen ten guineas each ;
the second five or six each. Sometimes there are six prizes, which are divided in the
same ratio, making the prize for the first bird in each class, considerably larger than the
others. These prizes are adjudged and determined by a committee of three gentlemen,
chosen from among themselves, prior to the shew-day, who have not any birds of their
own, qualified to act as candidates for the prizes. On the shew-day the committee
assemble; the birds which are candidates for the prizes are then put into the pens in an
adjoining room, the cocks by themselves in one pen, and the hens by themselves in
another, whither the committee adjourn alone, to decide upon the birds qualified to take
the respective prizes, according to the standard acknowledged by the members, which
the committee have before them, to remind and guide them in their decision. When
they have made up their minds, the birds are respectively marked, so as to ascertain
which is first, second, &c. And the members at large are then admitted into the room
to claim their own birds, and receive a prize for such of them, as from the before-men-
tioned marks shall be entitled to one. There was sometimes also a private subscription,
or sweepstakes, amongst some of the members, for the best cock or hen bird that has
not taken a prize, which has freqnently amounted to ten guineas; so that it is no
uucommon thing to divide between forty and fifty guineas for prizes on the shew-day.

507.* I think it will not be out of place here, if I give you what I believe to be the
standard of the original Columbarian Society, taken from an old work.

STANDARD FOR THE ALMOND TUMBLER.

The properties to be considered in the following order: —

Hrapd—Lofty and round.

Eyz—A bright pearl colour round the pupil. ;

Brak—Fine, straight, and pointed, the length not to exceed 3 of an inch from the
point to the inner circle of the eye.

FraTHER—The ground uniformly yellow through hackle shoulder and rump, the whole
to be equally spangled with black; the first nine flight feathers in the wings, (counting
from their extremities) to be distinctly broken with black, white, and yellow; the tail to
consist of twelve feathers, and no more, all of which to be broken the same as the flight,
in both cases the most yellow to have the preference.

SHapr—aA fine neck and prominent chest, short feathers, small round body, and the
bird to stand low.

IMPERFECTIONS inadmissable at a show—A darker colour than the shoulder, running
across the short flight without any break of black in it, also the beak being crossed or
turned up.

508. This society was for some years past, beld at Gray’s Inn Coffee-house, Holborn,

163

London, on the first Tuesday in every month in the year, with the exception of one or
two, when the members were likely to be out of town.

509. Iam aware, in some parts of the country, Fanciers live at too great a distance
from each other to meet once a month; but surely they could meet once a quarter, and
by forming themselves into a society, showing their birds, &c., which would greatly
improve their knowledge of the Almond Tumbler, and greatly facilitate the study of
this bird. I would suggest a society might be formed open to all the world, to show the
best Almond Tumbler for the five properties, on one day in the year ; the meeting to
take place in the most central part of the country—say Birmingham, supposing it to be
the most central for the London, Manchester, Liverpool, Scotch and Irish Fanciers ; if
not approved of—say London, or any other place; taking care there are facilities to get
to and from; it might not be convenient for some gentlemen to stop, dine, and
spend a cheerful day together in conversation upon the Fancy.

510. It is not my intention to enter into particulars how a society of this sort is to be
carried out, it may be done by subscription, or by Fanciers having to pay a certain sum
on entering each bird competing for the prize, or both combined. I have no doubt
many gentlemen who are not Fanciers, but great admirers of the Almond Tumbler,
would subscribe to carry out the object, and have the gratification of seeing some of the
best birds under the sun.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.

511. I sincerely hope I should be the last Fancier to instil into the mind of the
amateur (provided I had the ability, or more properly speaking, dishonesty), how to
make up a bird; I could not conscientiously pass over without informing you of your
privileges. You have a right to cut or shorten the beak to the end of the quick, to
scrape the sides of the beak with a sharp instrument or broken glass, to show it off to
the greatest advantage; at the same time, you have no right to cut or scrape through
the quick; if by accident you should do so, the bird would not die, yet the experienced
Fancier will discover it. The cause of my mentioning this circumstance is, the young
Fancier should not be disheartened, lamenting he cannot breed such short face birds as
he sees; from his want of knowledge, he may look at the head and beak of birds that
have been cut to the end of the quick, and look at his own birds whose beak have been
allowed to grow or run out, he could have wished his own birds were as short faced. It
is possible it might be shorter, he took his distance for the one to the quick,—the other
to the end of the horn. I hope I have said enough to open the eyes of the amateur,
without giving offence to the more experienced or practical Fancier,

512. The young Fancier has a right to pluck or withdraw any objectionable feather,
provided he keeps the bird in his own aviary or loft, he has no right to show it for fea-
ther; if he does, it may be discovered, if he has done so by way of selling the bird, it
amounts to a fraud; this is what is called in the Fancy weeding, or gardening.

513. In your time, you may hear things that appear strange, and greatly surprise you,
listen to remarks, I caution you not to repeat them unless you have been an eye witness.
It is possible you may hear of the making up of birds ; I believe the only properties it
is possible to alter is Feather, Head, and Beak. Feather we will take first, by plucking
or withdrawing any objectionable feather, called weeding or gardening; secondly, the
head, as I have heard stated, by employing caps, placed on the heads of young birds in
the nest to grow to.—It is possible it might have been tried, I never saw it done, I
discard it as unworthy of belief.--last, the beak; notwithstanding the above remarks as
regards feather and head, there are some few Fanciers of whom it is asserted make the
beak, (which is so much admired) by breaking the upper mandible when the bird is a
few days old; it may be detected from the injury it has received, similar to our own
flesh, when we have received a severe pinch; it may also be detected in the bird when
grown up, by the position of the beak, it has an unnatural appearance, the beak point-
ing upwards. Having made these remarks (the reason I shall inform you by and bye),
I again caution you not to make a charge by hearing, or even reading this treatise;
keep a still tongue, put the question to yourself, how is it possible you might discover
a bird made up as regards the head and beak. I informed you the beak has an unnatu-

164

ral appearance of being thrust upwards, which is the opposite of its natural tendency:
likewise appearing as though thrust further back into the head. I will give you a better
rule or criterion to judge by; experience teaches me these tricks cannot be played upon
the head and beak of the Almond Tumbler without greatly distorting the eye, making
it appear very unnatural, offending the eye of the Fancier ; it appears as though it was
a weak watery eye, always winking and blinking: at the same time should you, on
looking at a bird, believe tricks have been played upon it, but has a full, bold, beautiful
eye, I think you would be drawing a wrong conclusion; if the bird was for sale, you are
not bound to buy it, being in doubt.

514. There are Fanciers who scarce look at their young birds in the nest, but have
got into the habit of stroking the beak upwards; if they do nothing more I do not find
fault; I know it is the contrary of what I do, being determined to see what the beaks —
will come to in a natural way ; owing to this and having very fine beak birds, I should
not think there was a Fancier who bred more cross or wry beaks than myself. It is not
the fault of the Almond Tumbler, but of the Fancier, in not keeping the beak straight;
they are not hatched crooked or wry, but are wrenched by the feeding of the old ones;
those beaks we see crooked, if shortened and pared to thg end of the quick, would look
different. If I examined a crooked beak bird, and saw by trimming its beak to the
quick it did not exceed five-eighths of an inch, or a little over, I would as soon breed
from, or sooner, than from a straight beak bird I knew nothing about, knowing how
easy it is to keep the beak straight while the bird is young and the horn is sufficiently
pliable; will not answer for an old bird, as the horn is hard and brittle, in the attempt
to bend it would snap off. I do not know that it is possible to make up the head of an
Almond Tumbler, this much I do know, it would be utterly impossible to produce
first-rate birds from such. The cause of my making these remarks is, you may suppose
that Fanciers of the present day had not heard of these reports, this is the reason of its
appearing in this treatise; I do not like writing on such a dishonest subject; I informed
you before if I possesed both ability and dishonesty combined, I would not instruct you
how to make up a bird; the only way I know of making a good bird is to breed it from
two first-rate birds.

515 I believe there are Fanciers at this time, whose judgment of the Almond Tumb!er
has never been surpassed—are not likely to be eclipsed, yet is possible that the head and
beak Fanciers-of the present day may persevere in breeding such short-faced birds, as to
enable the young and rising Fanciers to breed birds whose distance shall not exceed the
half-inch from the iris round the pupil of the eye to the end of the quick on the beak.
I have some in my possession as short-faced as I have ever seen; I never witnessed
more than three birds whose ‘‘ Head and Beak,” as it is called, but did exceed the half-
inch in the course of my life. Still, I believe in a few years the head and beak will be
shortened, and that half-inch distance birds will not be so rare, or considered so great a
curiosity as they are at the present time; at the same time, I believe seven-sixteenths of
an inch never was seen, or ever will be seen, if you was to live a thousand years. There
is an amazing difference in a short-faced Tumbler between an half-inch, and a seven-
sixteenth of an inch in an Almond Tumbler; you may reason soundly that an inch is not
much in the length of a man’s nose (on the contrary I have seen a face without any
nose), I agree with you, but the sixteenth part of an inch in a short-faced bird, after
taking the standard at half an inch, is that which never was nor ever will be seen; birds
may be hatched without beaks, this I consider foreign to the question.

516. When you are going your round at six o'clock in the evening to see if eggs are
laid, observe at the same time the eggs you expect to be hatched on that day ; if they
are not sprung or chipped, place the egg to your ear, if you hear a brisk crackling noise
within, put the eggs into your mouth, one after the other, and well saturate them with
your spittle, repeat this, it is to be hoped as the shell dries and becomes brittle it wil
burst and let out a little wonder! I particularly cautioned you to know the day the
eggs were to hatch, and that without doubt. If I was in your aviary or loft with you
in the evening, you showed me a pair of eggs you believed were to hatch that day or
the following, if these eggs had not sprung or chipped, on putting the eggs to my ear
did not hear so brisk a noise in the shell, I should conclude it was to-morrow. It is
said to-morrow never comes, it came a day too late for you when you find the two birds
dead in their shells. I am convinced better head and beak birds have perished in their

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shell than ever were hatched, the reason is the amazingly short-faced bird cannot reach
the shell with its beak, and perishes in the shell, if the judgment of the Fancier, does
not extricate it ; on the contrary, the bird that only comes out to be killed by a good
Fancier, (I allude to the rough long-faced bird), sticks its beak through the shell, and
extricates itself.

517. I neglected entering into my register the days eggs ought to be hatched, which
gave me trouble and loss. J will give you two instances, looking at eggs, I knew by
experience were near hatching, I discovered an egg with a hole in it, the bird alive,
strong, and hardy, I considered it was to all appearance time it was out of the shell, I
gentry dented the shell of the egg all round with my finger nail, it bled profusely, I
placed it back in the nest pan with the otheregg, addled. At four o’clock next morning,
I looked to see if the young bird had extricated itself, the blood had caused the broken
shell to adhere closely, my opinion is, the parent birds had set heavily, as though the
bird and shell were jammed together, the bird apparently dead. I took it to the light,
the air caused the bird to open its mouth, I then extricated it from the shell, the bird
only lived a few hours. In this case I considered I was a little too fast. In the evening
looking at the eggs near hatching, placing some to my ear, I found one egg the young
one within making a sharp crackling noise, this egg not being sprung or chipped, I
could not perceive where the beak was, recollecting I condemned myself a few hours
before for being too fast, placed the egg back, at four o’clock next morning, again placing
the egg to my ear, all was quiet and remained so ever since. I then blamed myself for
being too slow. I would caution you against being too fast or too slow, my advice to
you is to “Remember the Seventeenth” day from laying the lastegg. I lost these two
birds from a little neglect, not having entered in the book the day on which the eggs
should have hatched, owing to my time being so much occupied. Had I known for
certain, in the first case, it was only the ‘‘ sixteenth” day from laying the last egg, I
might have been more cautious how I dented the shell, in the second case, if I had
known it was the ‘‘eighteenth” day from the last egg, I would not have hesitated in
breaking off a small portion of the shell, where, to the best of my judgment, the beak
lies, to let in a little air.

518. The idea struck me of communicating to you how many hours a bird will live in
the shell without being sprung, chipped, or a small hole made in the shell to let in air.
I am convinced it is not long, otherwise the bird will be suffocated in the shell ; a
bird may live comparatively speaking a considerable time in the shell, where the beak
has protruded through the shell and obtains air.

519. The difficulty you will encounter is when birds have set their full time, viz. the
seventeenth day from the last egg, when you place it to your ear a sharp noise is heard
in the shell, by the bird endeavouring to extricate itself, yet the egg is not sprung, or
the Jeast rise to shew where the beak lies ; under these circumstance I would advise you
to put it back for an hour, in the hope it will become visible where the beak lies, when’
you examine the egg again, if you can perceive the rise where the beak lies, pick off a
little of the shell on that part to let the young one have air. . On the contrary, should
it so happen you cannot by any possibility discover where the beak is, placing the egg
to your ear, believe it does not make so brisk or sharp a noise as before, it is a certain
sign the bird is becoming more weak, its short beak cannot by any possibility reach to
puncture the shell, and that it will he dead in a short time, if it does not immediately
receive air; under these circumstances the young Fancier must make a small hole, to

to the best of his judgment, where he supposes the beak lies.
i ;

520. Of two evils— “A little too Fast, or a little too Slow,” I should advise you to
choose the little too Fast ; remember, I said “little,” the better to rivet it on your mind,
would say ‘‘very little.” The greater part of this trouble may be avoided by a little
care on the part of the Fancier, by recollecting the ‘seventeenth day,” letting the
birds have warm nests, greatly assists in hatching the eggs ; with regard to the par-
ticularly short-faced birds, whose beaks cannot by any possibility reach the shell, it is
otherwise, no fault of the Fancier. He must pay great attention, by observing the eggs
that are hatching, endeavour to ascertain where the beak lies, when he is necessitated
to puncture a hole in the shell of an egg where the beak is not visible, he should use the
greatest caution. I particularly call your attention to paragraph 602.

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521. It will not answer to put an egg in your mouth that is much chipped, or alittle
smashed, owing to the old birds having set too heavy on the eggs, the blood within will
cause the shell to adhere so tight to the bird ; in this case the young Fancier must ex-
ercise his judgment, how he can judiciously with care (when the smashed shell is dry)
pick it off. Again when the bird has sprung the shell, which is always where the beak
lies, and the bird appears fixed tight in the shell it cannot move about, take a drop of
sweet oil, after picking off the shell, if not already off, passing it between the head and
the shell, by which means it will be greatly assisted in extricating itself, and many a
valuable bird saved. The cause of my writing much on this subject is, if you are not
careful you will loose the birds most desired to be saved, experience teaches me, if the
bird to be hatched on the last day (that is the seventeenth from laying the last egg) is
not out of the shell by the eighteenth day, it must be under particular circumstances ©
I would leave it there so long; I should not expect to see it out alive, this requires
judgment. To the best of my recollection, I never heard the bird alive in the shell,
twenty-four hours, or so long; if the beak does not puncture the shell—or, let in air,
the bird is suffocated in the shell.

522. There are Fanciers who take the eggs from the Almond two or three days before
hatching, and place them under a pair of feeders—such as baldheads or beards which
set closer, hatching sharper than the Almonds. It is done by placing the eggs of the
Almonds under the baldheads or beards, and vice. versa ; when the Almonds eggs
are hatched, then exchange again. At the same time, it does not follow their soft
meat, is up ; although they have set their time—seventeen days. It sometimes happens
their soft food does not come on for two or three days after; you must get them fed
from somewhere, otherwise they will perish. It would be uncharitable to expect the
young Fancier will know all at once; experience keeps a dear school, the most ex-
perienced Fancier that ever lived, had to learn in this school. Some of the Almonds
do not set close, particularly the old and valuable ones (why I say old and valuable
ones, had they been otherwise they would have been discarded) ; they do not appear to
have sufficient heat in their bodies to hatch theireggs. When thisis discovered, you had
better set their eggs at the commencement under feeders, that have laid at the same
time, by exchanging their eggs ; must not be done in a forgetful manner. You may
always know when you begin to understand whether their soft food is on or not, by
trying the craw or crop of the birds, if on, it appears soft and pappy ; on the contrary,
hard, but will come on in a few days.

523. When I get a little nonpareil out of the shell, I am lost in wonder and astonish-
ment how I shall get it fed. I have heard it stated there are Fanciers who keep doves
to feed their short-faced birds, I am assured they feed well, and longer than Pigeons.
As I never tried I do not know ; if they will, many a valuable short-faced bird would
be saved. I have before now been placed in such difficulty with a particularly short-
faced bird, after trying half a dozen pair of birds that had hatched at the same time,

-yet could get none to feed it. It may be worth trying doves, as they have eight broods
a year. The shorter faced your feeders the better, I think they ought not to exceed
six-eighths ; if you feed with strong long-faced, take for example a dragon, one inch
and a quarter, you will observe when the young little short-faced birds leave their pans,
if hungry, chase the old ones in their pen, aviary, or loft, in their haste to obtain food
will thrust its head into the old bird’s mouth, or comparatively speaking, down its
throat, to meet the food, by which means the young bird’s head is flattened, (being
soft at the time), the contrary of what could be desired, a lofty head ; it follows, having
long-faced feeders, you flatten the head and wrench the beak ; on the contrary, having
short-faced feeders the young ones cannot thrust their heads into their mouths, neither .
will the beaks be so wrenched. If the owl Pigeon was not so shy, I should prefer it
for a feeder. But short-faced hardy blue tumblers, beards, or baldheads are very good.

524. There are Fanciers who would not shift oftener than once, neither would I, pro-
vided I thought it safe to trust to that shift to finish the birds; as I do not, I shall
make my remarks :—I approve of shifting the young birds at six days ; giving the old
ones an older bird to draw off their soft food, which they do in about ten days. The
danger of their being off the young ones a considerable time, suffering them to die of
cold, with their crops full, while the ones are calling to nest. In your experience you
will find as many or more die of cold crammed full, than those that are not fed, the
reason is this, they require warmth by being set on, as much or more than food. I think

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crammed as they are, the food getting chilled or cold, is the cause that accelerates their
death. I give the young birds another shift when they are twelve or thirteen days old,
under a pair of feeders that have fed three or four days, for the sake of warmth ; and
now my last shift, however well apparently, the pair of birds feed that have the shift of
the birds twelve days old, will this pair of birds finish them, by feeding four weeks till
they can feed themselves—it may, or it may not beso. You cannot help your thoughts
on this or any other subject ; I do not think it safe, I endeavour for the last shift, to
get them at twenty-one days old under a pair of good tempered birds, there is a vast
difference in their tempers after they have fed a week ; calculating they will feed them
well for three weeks, which will finish them, by this time they will feed themselves. _

526. Experience teaches: I can take extreme cases. I will give you two that hap-
pened. I had a black mottled picked up the tares, and fed well at three weeks; at
five weeks it left off feeding itself, as it had lost all idea of being fed it died. The
other happened in my loft where I flew my feeders, a pair of short-faced would not
learn to feed themselves, although would take a fly round with the feeders, they were
fed by one or other in the loft, until they would feed them no longer, they both were
starved to death at two months old. These are not the rules, the exceptions; some-
times it happens you experience difficulty in shifting a bird so old as three weeks. I
am aware it is easier for the last shift, to shift at seventeen or eighteen days, the feeders
taking to them more kindly. When you shift the birds that have grown pretty old and
large comparatively, do not let the old birds come and take a sight of them, put the hen
upon the young. It is better to shift these large birds as near dark as possible; be
sure to put the hen on, in the morning she will not discover the exchange, or else be
reconciled to it. Should the colours of birds shifted vary much, experience teaches me
it is not so much in the size of the bird as the colour—was it not for the fighting atti-
tude the young bird puts itself into about three weeks old—therefore you will see the
propriety in shifting these large birds at dark. It would not do to exchange under
your feeders a young white bird, where before there had been a black one; and the
reverse by shifting a black one, where before they had a white one; the result, very
likely a good tempered pair of feeders after looking at and going from it a good many
times, might at last take to it: while the ill tempered pair would kill it at once. You*
will see the impropriety of shifting colours differing so widely; endeavour to shift by
giving the colour as near as possible.

527. It is important in shifting, your nest pans should be the same size and height;
if your feeders had a nest two inches high, in your shifting you gave them a pan .
four inches high, the one comparatively they could walk into, while they would have to
jump up to the other, cause them to be suspicious all was not right, forsake the pan
after killing the birds, owing to a little neglect on your part. You will find it a good
plan to put the shifted birds into their pans, till the feeders are reconciled to the birds
shifted, then you can with safety exchange the pans if necessary, owing to being dirty.

528. I observed before, young ones vary much as regards.feeding themselves; I will
inform you my method of treating young birds to learn to feed themselves. I havea
pen two feet square, nine inches high, made of strong wire, the wires not more than
one inch and a quarter apart, the birds will get out if further, wires up and down, no
bottom, the floor will form the bottom besides being easier to clean. Let it be wired
over the top, it will give more light; I have mine made in two halves, owing to my
aviary being parted; have an opening in the partition large enough to let the young
pigeons through, by placing one piece on each side of the partition it again becomes a
square, then form within and without the wire work, a frame work of wood, one inch
and a half, making three inches together. There is not any need of its being a fixture
whether you have them in squares or halves, I can place the half against the wall or
any where else; you will find the advantage in having them made in halves. Let this
frame work be one inch and a half high from the flooring where the wire work rests, it
will form a kind of trough—fill it up with the best old tares—at the same time so con-
structed that the water from your carboys, fountains, or other proper vessels, shall come
within the wire-work; now make all the old birds come to feed and drink where you fix
this pen. I informed you there is not any fixed rule or time when the young birds feed
themselves, much will depend on the strength and forwarduess of the birds, otherwise,
writing from observation, the hardy and forward ones at a month old are more inclined

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to pick up than at a more advanced age; it is policy to Jook round your aviary or loft
for these birds and place them inside the pen constructed for them. You will now
observe what I have been driving at, that is, the old birds coming to feed and water,
taking care they cannot get elsewhere (only water on the days you allow them to wash),
teaches the young birds to feed and drink.

529. It does not follow because you have placed them under this pen for the old ones
to teach, they will feed; you must have your eye and judgment upon them, and feel their
craw or crops if it is filled with food. To assist you, I will suppose a case. You have
brought down six young Almonds, their ages differing a little, and placing them in this
pen in the morning, between five and six o’clock in the evening examine them by feeling
their crops, which is easily felt by your hand; should only one have fed full, leave it _
under the pen, and ai Nege other five back to their places from where you took them,
the old ones will fill them full for the night; repeat this plan, by putting them under
the pen in the morning ; if there is not sufficient food in them in the evening, place
them back where you took them, continue this plan until they feed themselves, it will
prove my assertion, while some birds will feed at a month, others are not safe to be
trusted at six weeks; be sure before you draft them off to another place they feed them-
selves, it may turn out they are fed from old birds about the place (that have lost their
young by death or being shifted) through the wires of the pen, as some will feed any
young ones. I have tried experiments by way of enticing them to eat, giving them
hemp, rape, wheat, &c. I think these are bad, and often prevent their feeding on tares,
which is desired while they are young; I bred a very rich bright yellow whole feather,
beautiful in head and beak, I was desirous of rearing it, I decoyed it to feed by giving
it hemp, rape, wheat and tares: it took to wheat, would eat nothing else; it was now
three months old, I was determined to break it off wheat, that it should feed upon
tares—it beat me, by dying; it would not take to tares; a little of these might not do
harm. The best plan I ever found was to sift the tares as small as possible, put some
in a small pipkin, pour boiling water over them, put them into the oven by the side of
the fire over night, in the morning when the young birds were under the pen, I made
them a little heap of these tares (taking care the old pigeons could not reach them)

*about the same warmth as though they had come from the feeders, the young birds
would eat them freely while they continued warm. I think you will find your interest
in trying this. You will act unwisely if you put the young birds into the places in the
evening from where you took them in the morning, provided they are full; if they feed
keep them to it for a week; if you can put the young into an aviary, loft, or parted

- place, to prevent the old birds from worrying them, they will improve rapidly. The
sooner your young birds feed themselves the better, they are likely to be smaller, the
beak less wrenched, the head not less round.

530. You are not to expect the head of a bird at three months old, to appear as
beautifully formed as a bird’s head that is three years old; they fill out, or, more
properly speaking, as it. is termed by gentlemen of the Fancy, ‘‘ Make up,” therefore
it will be clear you require time and experience to know these things, Again, the
Almond Tumbler does not arrive at its highest pitch of plumage till it has moulted two
or three times ; some will still increase in beauty, others will decline till they become
mottled, splashed, or whole-feathered.

531. There are rich Fanciers who stand at nothing as regards expense; where they
breed on the floor, cut away the flooring to let in the nest pan flush or nearly so,
similar to the basin in wash-hand stands. It can be done in any of the pens above, by
letting the bottom of the pan come through the pen below; or you can have false bot-
toms to your pens. The cause of their adopting this plan is, some of the young birds
are restless by some means, get out of their pans, after rambling about in their pens,
fall again into their nest pans; on the contrary, if this plan is not adopted, the birds
could not regain possession of their pan, owing to being young, or badly fledged; if the
night is cold, you would probably find them dead in the morning. Many valuable birds
are lost otherwise would have been saved, had the former plan been adopted. I do not
approve of pitching boards projecting before the pens, would rather them flush with the
pens; for merry cocks would be pitching on these boards, consequently, being higher,
bi if they did no further mischief, tantalize or worry the birds to whom the pen

elonged.

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582. I think there is no occasion for a pen two feet square, it is larger than there is
occasion for, and appears unsightly, I will give you an idea of what I think would
look better : a pen two feet long, eighteen inches deep, sixteen inches high in the clear,
shifting fronts, the bottom of the door five inches from the bottom of the pen, to pre-
vent the young ones getting out ; let the door-way be open to the top, which will be
eleven inches high; let it be ten inches wide, placed in the centre of the pen, rabbetted
and fastened with two buttons on the outside, the bars not exceeding one inch and a
half, mortised in to give a neater appearance. Although I have shown the advantages
derived by sinking the nest pans, I would still have a shelf half way between the top
and the bottom of the pen, big enough and nothing to spare, with a hole in it to
receive the pan, the birds to fly up on the edge of the pan, direct over the pan that is
sunk in the bottom of the pen, it might be that the old ones were sitting in the above
pans, while finishing off young ones below; the rail of the door framing forms the
pitching board which is flush with the pen; this is one cause why I approve of large
entrances to the pens ; there is still a greater, preventing them striking the joints of their
wings, greatly injuring them, causing wens and crippling them for life. I should advise
the young Fancier to look round and see if there was anything in the aviary or loft,
provided the bird flew or came in contact with; above all things have no sharp edges,
let every thing be rounded, even the door ways to your pens, or perches in your aviary
or loft, if you have any. My advice is to have as few as possible, unless, ironically
speaking, you are blessed with a wilderness sort of place for your Almonds, even then
there is danger bya friend but stranger to your Almonds, who might frighten and cause
them to injure themselves against these uncalled for and dangerous places. Although
I said stranger to your Almonds, it is possible might know more about the Almond
than you that are reading, or I that am writing this treatise, still he is strange to
your birds

533. I will suppose my birds would be dirty if I gave them a chance, I will set my
wits to work and defy them, by removing every thing out of their way which would
in the slightest degree soil their plumage, I have my avairy and loft scraped up twice a
day, would have it scraped up three times or oftener if occasion required; on the floor-
ing in my aviaries and lofts, I have eleven-inch deals, sawed into three equal widths,
which is nearly three inches and three quarters each, fixing them edgeways on the
floors, about twelve inches apart, now these boards being three inches and three quar-
ters high from the ground floor, as the pigeon is fond of resting upon something,
prevents their tail and flight coming in contact with dirt on the floor, provided we
would allow any to be there.

534. Some Fanciers have small deal boxes, with a logger hole cut for the birds to go
in and out; it opens at top, being on hinges, to put in nest pans or look at the young
birds. I formerly used pots in my loft amongst my feeders where I shifted the young
Almonds; these pots similar in shape to a bee hive; the dimensions were twelve inches
high, ten in clear at bottom, with flat knob at top to lift it, without any bottom, the
flooring forming the bottom, a logger hole five inches wide, reaching seven high from
the bottom, I could place them anywhere on the flooring of the loft and put the nest
pan under. I used them in pens with Almonds, which kept them warm, it is too
troublesome to lift off to look at a number of young birds. It did not answer among
the feeders, the young birds getting out and were killed by the birds in the loft.

535. So much depends on the circumstances and spirit of the Fancier, the difference
so great between the prince and the peasant (although a spirited Fancier), if it was
their intention to prepare a place for the Almond Tumbler, the prince might construct
a place that would astonish those who are not Fanciers, more than the Almond Tumb-
lers; while the peasant would be compelled, comparatively speaking, to breed in a
rabbit hutch. The Fancier best knowing how he is circumstanced for room, will be
more competent to mature his plans; having tiers of pens is decidedly the best, as they
can be made portable and shifted from one place to another.

536. When a cock has become exceedingly troublesome, will take pens right and left
of his own, turn out the birds that belong to the pens, as a ferret would rats, I have
broke them off it by taking away the birds to whom the pen belonged ; have half
drowned the troublesome cock, gave it a good beating, filled its mouth with bitter
aloes, rubbed his tares with bitter aloes, made his water as disagreeable as possible, and

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fastened him in the pen that did not belong to him for two or three days; I have cured
most. I had one cock that forgot about the bitter aloes in a week. I thought I was at
last beat by a pigeon, I did not take in good part; it drove me to thinking, a thought
struck me I would put him the other side of the partition of the avairy, fortunately there
were two stinging game cocks for Almonds, right and left of the pen I put him in, it
was top row of pens, same as he had on the other side ; fastened him in a few days,
when I let him out, watched him; he was scarce a minute before he was in the pen on
his left, there was such a scuffle, he came out as though he had caught a tartar, and
went into his own pen to his hen; he had not been long in his pen, before he went into
the pen on his right; he soon came out, as though he had been treading on hot cinders;
he was placed on an equality, and learned good manners; after this he became as good
as “Guld,” and the least troublesome cock I had in my whole aviary. A Fancier must
not allow a pigeon to beat him; I am aware it is different where a Fancier flies his
pigeons; on letting out a fresh Tumbler, it shows its summerset, and wishes him good
morning, still the Fancier has the consolation to watch it out of sight, besides knowing
which road it took, whether north, east, south or west. See JoHn Boys, Esq., par. 590.

537. I have found in my experience, after taking pains in making good nests in the
pans, birds robbing and destroying each others nests, or making their nest otherwise
than I could have desired, a week after they had scarce a bit of straw left in their pans;
having many birds this annoyed me, caused me to think how I could alter it. My pans
are seven inches in diameter at the top, and four inches in depth (both in the clear),
sloped inwards, the bottom of the outside five inches, that they may stand firm if placed
on a shelf or the flooring; they are very stout, if a bird flew upon the edge of the pan
it would not pull over. I get rush matting (which may be obtained at the upholsterers,
&c.), and placing the top of the pan upon it, cut it round, then fresh yellow deal sawdust
that has the turpentine in it, which insects will not come near, take a pint of this and
put it into the pan, work it round by a smaller pan or wooden bowl, (I once heard a
Professional Gentleman state he made the nest in the pans with his lapstone) carefully
placing the rush matting, will cover the sawdust, form a lining within the pan, retain-
ing the shape of the pan.

538. While I was thinking of this plan, made up my mind to paste in the rush
matting, fortunately placing it in the inside of the pan, found it spring and adhere
closely, I abandoned the paste. It may be objected to by some Fanciers that the rush
matting would harbour the vermin, (they have no right in the aviary or loft) I believe
the turpentine in the fresh yellow deal sawdust would prevent that; cause great warmth
to the eggs or young birds. If you have allowed vermin in your aviary or loft, you
must exercise care or the vermin will beat you. It is otherwise with me, I have
declared war against and will exterminate them, should the sawdust fail in keeping
away insects. Having cut a score or two of these mattings, place them une upon
another in a pail, then get the strongest tobacco water, pour it on the matting, let it
absorb as much as it will, taking them out, put a few bits of lath or stout wire placed
over the pail, placing the matting judiciously so as to drain into the pail that none of
the tobacco water is lost (you will find ample room for economy in breeding and rearing
the Almond Tumblei), when dry, or nearly so, place over the sawdust aud form the
inner lining of your nest pan; should the tobacco water drain into the sawdust so much
the better. I think this would effectually keep them from the nest pans, it is to them
anything but a sweet savour. Should this fail, I will consider what will kill a young
pigeon, or one of these insects; if there was no other way left to exterminate the
vermin, I would rub a little of the blue ointment on that side of the matting that
comes next the sawdust, so as not to affect the young hatched bird, a very little would
do, and kill all that touch it, not injuring the young bird for it is on the other side of
the matting; if the insects are on the top side of the matting it will most assuredly
pass through, where there will be something that will give it a warm reception, and
effectually kill it. I do not expect you will be driven to such extremities, I think you
will find sawdust and the decoction of tobacco combined, will cause the insects, if any,
to leave the birds that are sitting, and get at the botton outside the pans. You will
perceive it not only keeps the young birds free from insects, but cleanses the old ones
during sitting. It will be as well to put a little hay in the bottoms of their made-up
pans; they like to sit on hay; it appears natural as anything I am aware of. I would

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not have the hay longer than six inches, for the better laying in the nest pans; after all
I think hay is best, my experience proves it.

539. You will find your interest in it if you let them have on the floor a small round
basket, the wicker one inch and a half apart, filling it with hay as before observed,
six inches long, it teaches them to find their pens, they take delight in carrying it to
their nest pans, leave off robbing their neighbours ; it is necessary at times to cast your
eye round to see the nest pans, for some few of the birds carry so much hay to their
nest, that it will surprise you how the eggs do not roll off, and if hatched, the young
would be in great danger of falling off the nest. when this is discovered remove a por-
tion, still leaving them a good nest, for fear they would desert it; my pan may be
objected to as being too deep, with the sawdust and matting I can make it any depth
as occasion requires.

540. I observed in a former part of the work, how restless some of the young ones
were, would get out of their pans and die of cold; might not this restlessness arise from
the belly ache? Why should not young pigeons have the belly ache as well as other
things? I have the advantage in having deep pans, I can take sawdust and matting
away, put a little hay at bottom will confine them to their pans; they could not get out
of a, pan four inches deep; the pan being seven inches diameter at the top, large enough
for Almond Tumblers, proves the advantages to be derived from snug pans. When
the pans have become dirty, necessary to clean them, lay hold of the rush matting,
pull it out, scrape it and lay it in the tobacco water, will kill the vermin should there
be any, dry it, it will be ready for use again; it will be advisable to turn the sawdust
into the fire: with respect to cleansing the pan, should there be any insects in the
porous parts of the pans, inside or outside, attempting to destroy them with clear
water would be useless. I formerly used (after my nest pans were washed) to place
them in a large tub of tobacco water which I obtained from the tobacco manufacturers,
it being stronger than I could make it, this effectually destroys the vermin and nits ;
some Fanciers wash their pans with soda and water; others put them into the
copper amongst the soap suds and soda after a “‘ Great Wash,” as it is called, not
forgetting to give the fire an extra poke. If you make your nests as I do with sawdust
and rush matting, instead of putting a little hay on the top of the matting use worm-
wood, a small quantity will do, it will cause the insects to leave the nest; be careful in
shifting young birds you do not give a pan with the nest made of wormwood where
before it was made of hay, from the strong smell the old birds may smell a rat; put a
little in all the pans.

541. Whenever you shift young Almonds, be sure and put the number of the pen on
the pan, by which you will know the pedigree of the young birds, as soon as pretty
well feathered, enter them into a book kept for that purpose: it is useless to attempt to
trust to memory if you have a number of birds. You will in your experience find
birds some days feed half a dozen young birds, other days not feed at all, and vice. versa.
with other birds; you must therefore shift the pan with the young birds where they
will get fed, otherwise they will die; those birds that did not feed will sit and keep the
fed birds warm, and feed well the next day; you will perceive it is quite immaterial
where the pan is shifted to, having the number on it; you must put the number on
the pan when you give them a clean one; should you be very particular about your
nest pans, or use pots to cover your nest pans, have a model made at a turner's, take it
to any pottery, they will make it to your pattern; have plenty of nests made in the pans
by placing one in another, say twelve high, the weight and pressure forms them nicely
—do not spoil a ship for a halfpenny’s worth of tar, or else I leave you to guess what
will follow. Iam ata loss to know why I should have written so much on the subject
of insects and cleanliness, for my birds are not allowed to be dirty, unless it be to put
you upon your guard against them. The plan I have adopted with regard to making
the nests in the pans with matting, sawdust, and wormwood this season, has answered
the purpose beyond my utmost expectation.

542. You will observe paragraph 458, treating on marks by which to ascertain the
colours of young birds in the nest, if the beak has no mark on it, is quite white, the
bird will be an Almond; this is true and false at the same time; the Almond will have
a white beak, and the white Agate coming from Almonds will have a white beak, the
experienced Fancier will, at a few days old discover whether it is an Almond or white

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Agate; so will you my young Fancier. It is all plain to him who understands, I will
inform you how to discover it:—look at the eye or eyelid, if a white Agate it will
appear ferrety, red, and fiery; while the Almond will be the contrary. The other
remarks as to colour of the birds by the beak, my experience teaches is correct, the
Fancier who first discovered it must have been a very close observer, and entitled to
great credit. If you match extraordinary rich feathered Almonds together, you will
breed more or less Agates, of various colours—yellows, reds, &c., some of these birds
have beautiful pearl eyes; if you breed a pure white, which is still an agate (owing to
its coming from Almonds), which rarely have pearl eyes, otherwise would be considered
@ curiosity, a proof you had matched your birds too high, as it is called.

543. I feel pleasure in seeing how heartily my birds engage in washing, should think
a bird not well that did not wash with great earnestness; if I became possessed of a
fresh bird, I should observe whether the bird took delight in washing, if not, should say
this is no favourite of mine, unless possessing some undeniable properties, I cannot
endure a bird dirty in body with a scrubby flight and tail. Deep earthen pans are
extremely dangerous, there being no foothold for the birds to get up the sides, many a
good bird is drowned. I will guard you against such a calamity, by informing you of
the construction of my tubs for the washing and cleansing of the birds: my tubs are
twenty inches in diameter, six inches high, both in the clear, with four steps all round
the tubs equal distances, one inch wide (similar to steps to go down into a bath or
a staircase); should some of your pigeons stand low, enter the tubs with avidity, if
they get out of their depth, they rush te the sides and climb up the steps, otherwise
they would be drowned. There is a small brass plug at the bottom of the tub to let
off the water gently after washing, you would find the tub and water heavy if you
attempted to turn it over, making a mess, besides splashing yourself; take especial care
the waste water is drained off cleverly; the tubs have lids to cover over after washing,
which forms a kind of pitching place for the birds; let the tubs be thick, or place a
beading round the top of the tub about three quarters of an inch wide; if you do not
adopt this plan let the top of the tub be rounded (it is dangerous to have any sharp
edges where there are Almonds), the birds coming out of the water after washing, they
rest upon the top of the tub, which cleanses their flight and tail; if they happen to
draw their wings on the floor, (this is called by the gentlemen of the Fancy drop
wings); they would not do this if the top of the tub was sharp and hurt their feet. I
employed a plasterer to form the steps or stairs inside my tubs who used compo, it set
as hard as stone; it is possible a carpenter or cooper would accomplish it.

544. I believe few Fanciers ever tried so many experiments as I have, I will give
you one:—TI considered if it was possible to put anything into their water to clear their
plumage, at the same time to destroy the insect, if any were there, without affecting
the health of the birds when they drank it. I consulted my friend the chemist upon
the subject, it was more than a dose for him; therefore I had to prescribe, which
bothered me; while thinking, a thought came into my head if I put soap into their
water, believing it would not hurt them if they drank it, it might give them a gentle
purge, (recollecting some Fanciers adopt the plan of taking their shaving box, make a
strong lather, then with their shaving brush rubbing their birds all over to destroy the
insects) I got half a pound of soft soap, put it into a quart pot, filling it up with boiling
water, stirring it up to cause it to dissolve, leaving it in the pot overnight, in the morn-
ing mixed it with the water they were to wash in; the birds did not approve I suppose
the colour of the water, and did not wash. I cannot help thinking if I had acted
more prudently, when I pulled out the plug to let off the water after washing, then
filling the tubs again, putting in the quart of soap and water, well mixing it, placing
the lid over to settle, keeping the birds an extra day from washing, but what they
would have eagerly plunged into the water—however, I have not tried it. The birds
should not have water to wash in oftener than three times a week, unless it is the hens
that are parted from the cocks, for some of them are rank sooner than the cocks ; it
would not be judicious to match them up so early in the spring, letting the hens have
the water four or five times a week, greatly cools them, and somewhat prevents their
calling to nest.

545. Should it happen your taste or fancy lies in having coarse, long-faced, mousey-
headed, and fiery-eyed birds, fly them by all means, not only fly them, fly them hard,

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the harder you fly them, the more rough and course you make them. If, on the con¢
trary, you want them little wonders, or nonpariels, short-faced, lofty-heads with good
stops, pearl eyes, fine beaks, and less wattled, then above all things, ‘‘ Do not let
them fly.”

546. As regards loam, spare neither pains or expense to get it as good as possible,
soak it in brine, you can get it from your butcher; turn it out to dry, then only let
your pigeons have it during the breeding and feeding season, believing it a great help
to old ones in assisting them to feed their young, besides I believe in a measure pre-
venting putrescence in the throat of the young birds ; the brine in the loam, I think,
sharpens the appetite of the old birds, I know causes them to drink more, which I
think assists feeding their young ; besides the brine or salt cleansing the throat or craw
of the young birds. I let my birds have it only during the breeding season.

547. I cannot see the utility of mortar where birds have loam soaked in brine, be
sides having gravel and grit ; on the contrary, I have experienced in my birds the loss
of an eye through it. Formerly I used to give my birds crushed mortar, some having
weakly eyes, I examined them, there did not appear the slightest sign of a peck from
other birds, appeared weakly, as though dust was in them ; I washed them with alum
and other eye waters, some of them baffled me, the birds lost their sight. I began to
suspect there was something wrong, after consideration took away the mortar, the re-
sult taught me I had removed the cause.

548. Gravel or grit is absolutely necessary ; my birds have it always. It would be
an improvement in getting the grit or small stones that are washed up after a storm or
dry windy weather, by the paths or gutters, taking half gravel and half grit, mix toge-
ther ; some gravel is so fine, not possessing sufficient little stones, which are essential
to assist in grinding and digesting their food. In giving gravel and grit, this must not —
be done in a careless way, or you may experience what I complained of as regards the
eye ; where there is a number of birds flying about the aviary or loft, coming in con-
tact with gravel and grit causes the dust to get into their eyes; place the gravel and
grit out of their way in flying.

549. There is scarcely any thing I would sooner call your attention to, than not
allow a single particle of dust in your aviary or loft. I would not have gravel or grit
in my aviary or lofts was it not necessary, it is placed cautiously, after my aviary or
lofts are scraped and swept. It will take you some years before you have tried as
many experiments as I have—some to my sorrow, would occupy tvo large a space to
give an account of all the results.

550. With regard to their food, there cannot be two opinions, that beans unquestion-
ably is the best food possible to give the Almond Tumbler, (provided you can procure
them small enough), I would give them nothing else, even through the breeding sea-
son, running the risk of choakiug a few young ones in the nest, provided I could get
all the old ones to feed upon beans, as some of the very short-faced breeders will not,
you are under the necessity of letting them have tares as well. Let your beans and
tares be old, of the best quality money will purchase, it will be cheap in the end. If
laying out money is not a consideration to you, if you ever saw a beautiful sample of
very small beans (although new) buy them and lay them aside for two years, it will
more amply repay than laying down wine, or money in the funds. The food next to
small beans, is sound old tares, and prime hard peas ; old wheat is nourishing and
fattening. It is well to give your birds a change of food, particularly when they are
feeding their yourg, they eat more and feed better ; small hard beans invigorates,
braces up, and makes your birds hardy. Some Fanciers are partial to rice.

551. I will inform you the manner I feed and water my birds, after trying all kinds
of hoppers, or other utensils, I found the most simple way the best : I informed you I
parted my aviary. I have pieces of wood five feet long, one inch and a half high,
placed not exceeding two inches distance from the partition : should you find one inch
and a half is wide enough so much the better, it prevents the birds dirtying the food ;
there are pieces of wood at each end the width you have it—no bottom, and not a fix-
ture, that you may be better able to free it from dust at times, placing bits of wood you
can make as many partitions as you please, and give them various kinds of food in the
partitions, such as beans, tares, peas, &c., likewise gravel and grit ; there is no top or

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board overhanging as there is to a hopper, it is more lightsome, an important thing on
dark days, amongst the short days.

552. With respect to the manner I water my Almond Tumblers, I use a kind of
earthen carboy with an earthen stand to receive it, (they are both made at the same
time at the pottery,) with holes all round for the birds to put their heads in to drink ;
it is a clever contrivance, when I give them water, turning the carboy upwards, the
stand receives it ; is easily filled, prevents making a mess on the floor. It appears the
makers of these drinking utensils have left off making, as I cannot obtain one. Some
Fanciers use a stone bottle, making a hole the height they wish their birds to drink,
say one inch and a half from the dish in which you place this bottle. You must make
it air tight at top, by placing a bung, sealing wax it over; it is apt to make a mess on
the floor by filling. You can get a stand made of hoop iron, with three or five legs to
come into the dish from which the birds drink, should the legs not be sufficient to pre-
vent the birds from dirtying the water, which is very important, have a few wires fixed
to the stand, make the birds drink through them. Carboys can be obtained of the
chemist’s, the size according to the number of birds you keep, having a stand judi-
ciously made is a good thing, otherwise a three-legged stool ; whatever you use, keep
the water clean and sweet. These are the most simple, at the same time the best way
I have discovered in feeding and watering my birds, besides partaking of their food
and water clean. I have an opening in my partition, (the carboy placed in the centre)
that the birds on either side of the aviary may drink out of the same utensil.

553. I have observed of the great difference in the feather of two birds, the one fed
on beans, others on tears ; the plumage bird often fed on beans would be rich, bright,
and shining—the others fed on tares, on the contrary, would appear dull, cold, and
without any gloss on the feather; the inference I draw is, that beans are to the plumage
of the Almond Tumbler, what nitre is to the horse’s coat.

554. It is admitted by Fanciers spring water is best for their driuk, soft water best
for them to wash in. I was desirous, if possible, to put something in the water to
make it more stringent and bracing, without injuring the birds; I consulted my old
friend the chemist, if he would inform me how I could carry my plan into effect, I shall
never forget how emphatically he answered me, (looking round the premises at the
time), by saying there was nothing in his warehouses that would so effectually answer
the end, as putting in the water a handful of rusty old screws ; I adopted, with the
addition of a few lumps of chalk, some green rue put in their water, this may be very
well, but if letto remain too long it will become stinking and furr the fountains, or what
utensil they drink out of. Especial attention must be paid to keep the water sweet and
clean, have the utensil from which your birds drink, scalded and kept thoroughly clean ;
do not let them have more water than will last them one day, let it be so constructed
the birds cannot get in to wash, (which they certainly will, if not prevented, and make
it dirty.) There cannot be a doubt but that some of the diseases which unfortunately
takes place in the Almond Tumblers of some Fanciers, arise entirely from a want
of cleanliness on the part of the owner of these birds, the putrid state of the water

produces the canker in the old birds, by the slime adhering to their beaks.

556. I object, for fear of adding to this fatal disease, (however clean your aviary or
loft may be swept), of making a constant practice of feeding the Almond Tumbler by
hand, as it it is called, of throwing the food on the floor, only letting the birds have as
much food as they will pick up ata time. The argument in its favor is, it keeps the
bird sharper, it will eat with greater avidity ; even if this was true I should object to it,
for however clean the floor of the aviary might be, when you begin to feed them by
hand, some of the birds would dung at the time of feeding, the beans and tares mixing
with the dung might cause or accelerate the canker or other diseases. I am sensible
you cannot avoid occasionally feeding them on the floor, for instance, if the mornings
are exceedingly cold, or the birds deep in moult, you are desirous all your birds should
share alike when you gave them hemp seed to warm and make them comfortable, it
would be unwise to give them a hopper full as you could wheat; under these circum-
stances you would be obliged to throw it on the floor as the birds eat it, taking
care if the birds dung while eating, not to throw any near that place. Many
Fanciers to prevent their birds calling or going to nest, sooner than they want them,
adopt this plan, only feeding them once a day, which keeps them lower, and checks

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them in going to nest. I will now return to the subject of their drink. Years back
I put ruein their water, I fancied they did not like the rue any more than we like
physic, I know they did not drink so much. It may be I made it too bitter and over-
did this as everything else, (prior to my attempting to write a treatise on the breeding
and management of the Almond Tumbler, in this I caught a tartar.) There is not a
shadow of a doubt in my mind, provided I had the ability, strictly adhering to truth,
derived from observation that I should overdo this treatise also ; unfortunately for me,
I see no fear of that, owing to my want of ability, therefore my young and inexperienced
Fancier you must take the will for the deed, by having it under-done.

557. As a preventive is acknowledged to be better than a cure, and having endeavoured
to instruct you how to keep your pigeons free from diseases by cleanliness and good
management. I should not have called your attention to the subject of their complaints
were it not to have mentioned a case that happened in my aviary, I had a celebrated
black mottled cock (well known by many gentlemen in the Fancy by the name of “ the
schoolmaster”) it was seized with a violent attack of vertigo, or meagrims; not
knowing what to do, I put it in a basket, took it to one of the most experienced gentle-
men in the Fancy, living at Highbury, he said in all his experience he never had seen
one so ‘‘drunk,” as he called it, advised me to put it in the dark. I thought it stood
in need of something more than putting in the dark, so taking it to my ffiend, the
chemist, and showing him the bird, we consulted what to do, came to the determination
if the bird did drink, it shonld drink that which the chemist prepared for it, as it
should have nothing else. The bird did not like the preparation, but thirst beat it, not
being able to get anything else, was compelled to drink when it became thirsty, and
that freely, it continued in this state about a fortnight, without appearing to get better:
it pained me to see it in this condition ; after attending a show, and being assured there
was not any cure for it, if there was, the chances were so great against its breeding,
under these circumstances I made up my mind to kill it. While dressing myself in the
morning I heard my man coming down stairs, I ordered him to kiil the bird ; before
he got to the kitchen, where the bird was kept by the fire, I called out to him not to
kill it till I had seen it, we both looked at it (he was a good fancier) and thought it
better, we shook the basket the bird kept its feet, from this time the bird gradually im-
proved and became as well as ever.

558. There was something remarkable about the hen I matched to this cock. A
Fancier, whom I knew, sure he wished me well as a young Fancier, called upon me one
evening, stated he had a black mottle hen, so good he could not afford to buy a cock
that was a match, should like me to have the hen, he was sure it would do me good ;
I purchased it. Being very green in the Fancy, took it to a Grand Show, put it in
the pen to hear its merits or demerits, knew as much about the properties of the bird
as the bird knew about me, being so ‘“‘ Raw” in the Fancy at that time ; the first re-
mark made was by one of the most spirited, I believe not second best, with regard to
judgment, to any Fancier living ; his remark was, as soon as I placed the bird in the
pen, “I will give fifty shillings for that black mottle hen.” I did not expect to hear
that, therefore reasoned silently, if the bird was worth to him fifty shillings with his
great experience, what must it be worth to me? Being desirous of making progress in
the fancy, I therefore declined parting with the bird, although a still higher price was
offered. Looking back to my early days in the Fancy I am sure I oftener got a good
bird by accident than by judgment: the inexperienced Fancier, when he becomes ex-
perienced, can recollect how he has been treated by Fanciers, who ought to have en-
couraged a young Fancier than otherwise. Having occasion to have some alterations
in my aviary and lofts, amongst the workmen was a carpenter who was a flying Fan-
cier, shewing him my birds when we came to the black mottle hen, he said, ‘‘ You
bought that of Mr. .” T asked him, how he knew that? He sold it to him fora
half a crown, as it did not fly well with his bald-heads, that a charwoman, knowing he
kept pigeons, brought it to him if he would buy it, he gave her one shilling for it. She
said she picked it up, while it was eating oats from horse-dung in the Holloway Road,
one bitter snowy winter's morning; the poor bird was nearly starved, might have
perished, had not this good woman saved it. There is not the shadow of doubt this
beautiful black mottled hen made its escape from some good fancier’s aviary or loft in
Holloway or the neighbourhood ; the bird could not fly well owing to having been
confined.

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- 559, From the cock that would have been dead in two minutes after I had ordered
it to be killed (had I not called out) I cured of the Vertigo, the hen nearly lost in every
sense of the word, I obtained my strain of black mottled tumblers, I believe not sur-
passed by any Fancier living, My young Fancier, I have two objects in view, in in-
forming you of this, the first is not quickly to despair of curing a bird ; the second is,
it is possible you may obtain a first-rate stud of birds, even through accident, if you
will only persevere and become A. 1. in the Fancy, (see paragraph 88.)

560. With regard to canker, it arises from dirty feeding and putrid drinking, of
which the unclean Fancier ought to be ashamed, it is to be hoped he will never do so
any more. In a former part of this work I called your particular attention to cleanli-
ness. Remove the cause that produces evils, the effect would follow. The Fancier ~
may say this advice comes too late, for his birds have got it, which nobody can deny ;
this unfortunately being the case, I will instruct him how to cure it :—take burnt alum
and honey, and rub the part affected every day, most likely it will be cured ; should
this not have the effect, dissolve five grains of Roman vitriol in half a spoonful of best
white wine vinegar, add it the former composition, rub the part affected. Or take half
an ounce of burnt alum, half an ounce of gunpower, a gill of best white wine vinegar,
mix them well together, take one of your pigeon’s flight or tail feathers you will find
about yotr aviary or loft, anoint the part affected ; you must use one of these prescrip-
tions with the feather, anoint the inside of the throat twice a day. Ido not object to
raising the scurf, and cause it to bleed a little where it can be got at, believing it more
effectual. There are Fanciers who object to this, thinking it searching enough without.
You can try it without, if it does not succeed, then raise the scurf a little ; fortunately
for me not having occasion to use these prescriptions, I have never tried the burnt
alum, gunpowder, and vinegar, but entertain a high opinion of its effects, owing to the
strong assurances I have received from some of the best Fanciers. It is absurd and
childish twaddle to assert that the canker arises from birds fighting ; call things by their
right name, then I do not object. You may say cocks fight, and get pecked on the
head ; this is true, if you like to call it sores on the head, I have no objection, and if
you apply the prescription, or use a little alum and water, will cure it, do not on any
account say it is the cause of canker, if you do, you assert anything but the truth.

561. With cleanliness and care I think your birds will not be troubled with diseases,
besides the delight it will afford you of seeing your birds healthy, vigorous, and clean :
on the contrary—Woe be to you! Fanciers differ with regard to the treatment of
birds, if unwell, some giving pills made of rhubarb, others giving pills made of bitter
aloes, my favourite pill is a compound of both. The way I do is to take a good many
at once, when they are not breeding, I remove their water overnight, and keep them
some hours in the morning without, when I think they are very thirsty, give them their
water as usual, with this difference: dissolve some Epsom salts, and mix it with their
water, they being very thirsty will not discover it until after they have drank heartily ;
I cannot tell you what quantity to mix not knowing how many birds you intend giving
it to ; should you have any birds in your aviary, or loft, that are scoured or purged,
remove them while the salts is in the water, if any is left, throw it away at night and
let them have their water as usual without any salts, then restore the birds that you
consider too loose.

562. I hinted before in a former part of the work it was possible I might have over-
done some things, on reasoning, I am not afraid of killing a pigeon, which I would
treat as mankind ; I will suppose my having a stomach full of hard old beans and a
pigeon with a stomach full of hard old beans, the pigeon got rid of the beans before I
did, (for ought I know the beans might kill me), the inference I draw the pigeon was
strongest, at all events its digestive powers ; although I should not be alarmed for fear
of killing an old bird, I should act cautiously where there were young ones, from one
hour to one week old, not give the salts and water where these young birds were, not
knowing the effect, it might purge and kill them. Were no young birds under three
weeks old, the feeders partaking of the salts and water, and then feeding these big
young ones, my opinion is, not any evil would -arise, on the contrary good, inasmuch
as it might cleanse the craw, prevent canker in the throat, cool the young bird which
is very hot, freely purged, at the same time the Fancier can exercise his own judgment.

563. Peppercorns are very good to give old birds, or those that appear cold, every

ee |

other day, giving three, by no means exceeding four at a time. They should be taken
from the aviary or loft, judiciously placed near the fire for a few days. In my expe-
rience if birds are kept too long before the fire they seldom recover, air is more import-
ant to their health than heat—but changes are requisite at times. You will find in
your experience some birds may live one or two years, never hardy or vigorous, will not
match up, but moping about, even from the nest ; unfortunately it happens they have
some good properties about them, otherwise we should effectually cure them by cutting
off their heads. I consider more birds die of consumption, or wasting away, than any
other complaint, that is a reason why I endeavour to keep my birds fat. There is
some little danger, not a tenth part where the birds waste away and die of decline ;
sometimes it happens a bird will fall from its perch on the floor like a stone, on picking
it up will be dead, as fat as butter, no doubt the cause was overflow of blood to the
head, and might be called apoplexy. The vertigo or meagrims arises from the same
eause. If I happen to be in my aviary, or loft, a bird falls off its resting place, or
taken in a fit, I plunge it into cold water as quickly as possible, and give it two com-
pound rhubarb and bitter aloe pills. There cannot be a doubt making a small puncture
in the roof of the mouth to let out a little blood might be attended with good effect, as
apoplexy, or vertigo, arises from too great a fulness of blood in the vessels of the head ;
if you do not let blood, well drench them with the pills.

564, There are many absurd things recommended for the cure of pigeons too numerous
to mention, I will give you one or two—such as spiders wrapped in butter. Where
would you find a spider in a genteel house, unless you went into the wine cellars, there
your cobwebs are ornaments, as mirrors or glasses to your drawing rooms. If there is
any charm it arises from the butter ; then again giving them three or four cloves of
garlick. When I got garlick for my pigeons it so happened it was the first and last time,
when I had stripped it and came to the clove, I thought I would give it, if I wanted to
choak my bird, not having such desire I refrained from giving it ; likewise giving them
a purge of tobacco—these things are too troublesome. It is possible you might get the
garlick down the throat by quartering it, then four cloves making sixteen pieces: a
pretty treat to a Fancier if he has anything else to do, or to crown all, get tobacco
water down their throats to give them a purge.

565. I am sensible the Almond Tumbler Fancier has great command of temper and
patience, he need have the patience of Job to try these things, My young Fancier, I
have not the power or right to prevent you from trying all you hear or read as to cures,
shall content myself with following my old fashioned way of considering a preventive
better than a cure. I am aware there are complaints over which we have no control—
for instance: a bird even from the nest never having a sound constitution, the vertigo
or meagrims, fits, &c. ; If I have a bird ill, from whatever cause, or bad eyes, &c, I take
it to my friend the chemist, he treats it as he would youor me, I advise you, my young
Fancier, to do the same, the sooner you take it after you have discovered something
wrong in the bird the better. According to your station in life, you may have an in-
timate friend or companion, a physician, surgeon, &c, as they are gentlemen by educa-
tion, their good sense teaches them, if you broach the subject, it was not intended as an
insult. I cannot inform you, otherwise I would, what it was that cured the black
mottled cock of the vertigo or meagrims, not considering it a fair question to put to my
friend the chemist. I now recollect taking Moorn’s book to the chemist, and calling his»
attention to paragraph 88, I have not any doubt the mixture he prepared was Moorr’s
prescription, at all events it is worth trying, (see Moor and Earton’s paragraphs 88).
Old tallow the size of a bean is an excellent thing for the roop, (whether it is the wet or
dry roop, which is a cold and cough,) put down their throat, heals their breast, and
eases their breath ; it is possible some good may arise from the butter (but the spider ?)

566. It is possible, from reading this Treatise, if two birds were in a pen, the one a
carrier, the other a Tumbler, you might be able to discover the Tumbler, from the great
difference of the birds, when you come to know, the one-sixteenth part of an inch
excites the admiration of good Fanciers, it is infinitely more appreciated, and greatly
enhances the value of the bird. I have endeavoured to root and ground you in the
most important things connected with the Almond Tumbler, by calling your particular
attention to the five properties how to breed a good bird; ro raise it by food
and drink, to preserve it alive for nine, ten, or noe years by good management and

178

cleanliness, besides other things connected with the management of the aviary or loft.
on taking leave of you for ever my inexperienced brother Fancier, I leave you to exer-
cise your judgment in as wide a field as I found it, I conscientiously consider the re-
marks I have made are worthy the attention of the young Fancier, who has made up
his mind to rank A. ] in the Fancy, and has made up his mind not to rank second
best.

567. If you do not keep a man or boy to look after your birds, when you go into
your aviaries or lofts, whatsoever you have to do, do quickly ; not saunter or idle away
your time as though to shew how lazy and sleepy you can be, let ‘‘ quick” be the word.
It will avail you nothing, whether the Author thinks little or much upon the subject,
provided you do not think for yourself. If you have never thought before, and the per-
fections or imperfections of the five properties of the Almond Tumbler cause you to ~
begin thinking, the Fancy will be a blessing’to you, for you cannot think hard or deeply
on the Almond Tumbler, without thinking on more important matters, which may lead
to the salvation of your soul. If you are in the habit of attending your church, whether
the established church, Wesleyan, Baptist or other denominations, depend upon it you
will never hear bad advice, depend upon it there are faithful ambassadors of Christ among
them, I have been delighted often with hearing the ambassadors, even from a ‘‘mud
heap,” and only regret there are not more of them about. Should you neglect attend-
ing the ‘‘ house of God,” through your hobby for Pigeons, give your Pigeons up at
once, otherwise it may cost you your immortal soul. You may say this is out of place
in a work like this, a word or two and I am done ; I think out of every book we ought
to learn something good, I plainly tell you and you are aware of it, if you are damned,

t is because you do not believe, he that believeth shall be saved, he that believeth not
shall be damned. TI caution you not to make a mistake in believing, there is a saving
belief, and there is a damning belief; devils believe and tremble, there are men who are
called christians pretend to believe, and trifle.

568. Should you, after reading this Treatise, be in doubt on the properties of an
Almond Tumbler, the only thing left me is, to advise you to look to the Portrait at the
beginning, to guide your judgment in the choice of such birds as are likely to be of
service to you. With my Friends I often stated it to be my intention to write a
Treatise on the Almond Tumbler, I abandoned it, after finding it was my master-piece ;
but the exhibition, comparatively speaking, in everybody’s mouth; I could not take up
@ newspaper, periodical, or any new work, without its appearing to me all Exhibition :
that some of the people of All Nations were about to exhibit something, I thought I
would like to exhibit too ; what to exhibit bothered me ; consulting some of my friends
what to exhibit, some said exhibit your » “I said I am sure I will not
do that ;’ after some consideration the idea struck me of the Almond Tumbler, be-
lieving the people of All Nations had not contemplated bringing out a work of this
kind, that it would be too bad not to present the young and inexperienced Fancier with
a treatise on the Almond Tumbler, at the time of the Exhibition, for these reasons
I would make an attempt even should I fail ; when the work is printed, I come to read
it over, I expect to be vexed, owing to omissions which I should have had great pleasure
in communicating to you.

569. ‘‘There is a time and season for all things,” as the wise man observed, and the
time has now arrived for us to part, I think I cannot say it may be for years, I think I
can with truth say it will be for “ever.” You and I may never meet in this world, let
us hope we may meet in a better, at my time of life I never expect to take up my pen
to write or compile another work, the subject will not admit of it, that I am aware of ;
In endeavouring to rack my poor weak brains, or brainless head, others may condense
my work and bring it out as a new work, in bidding you farewell for ever allow me to
suggest, has the perusal of the foregoing pages been the means of making you, my
young Fancier, a more ardent admirer of the Almond Tumbler? do you see fresh
beauties while studying the properties of this much admired bird? do you feel a
determination to excel in this pleasing and intellectual study ? if this is the effect it has
produced in your mind, I shall consider myself fortunate in producing such a result,
and I do most sincerely hope you may experience as much pleasure and satisfaction as
I have myself enjoyed. I believe the Almond Tumbler may beimproved beyond what
it has hitherto been, that new beauties may be discovered and a higher standard

179

as a Beau Ideal of each amateur, and that it may as far exceed the present standard aa
that which is now looked up to, does that of half a century back.

570. Hoping you may long enjoy the pleasure and the intercourse of intelligent
and agreeable Brother Fanciers, and that you may be able to exclaim—Happy is the
man, that forsakes his vices, and becomes an enthusiastic admirer of the Almond
Tumbler, it is the sincere wish of a Brother Fancier who has devoted time, care and
attention to the subject.

The Author,
A Brother Fancier,
With greatful acknowledgments for past favors,
JOHN MatTHEWwS Eaton.

- 81, Upper Street, Islington, London, N.
Late 7, Islington Green,
The Commissioners having altered the Number.

NOTES
ON :
A TREATISE ON THE ART OF BREEDING AND MANAGING THE

ALMOND TUMBLER.

BY JOHN BOYS, ESQ.

TO THE YOUNG FANCIER,

571. I shall endeavour to be brief as possible, fearing I have already ran out farther
than I intended. Some time after I had written my Almond Tumbler (1st of May,
1851), I received letters from JoHN Boys, Esq., Magistrate of Margate, Kent, a rare
and experienced Fancier, who took two copies of my Work on the Almond Tumbler;
after reading it over he highly complimented me on my production, stating, that it was
his intention to have written a Work himself. Having carefully read over my Work, he
abandoned the idea, and kindly offered me all his manuscript and marginal notes, to
make whatever use I thought fit of them ; ‘‘and what use do you think I have made of
them ;” to hand them down to you to read, mark, learn, and inwardly to digest ; at the
same time giving the credit to the observer, JOHN Boys, Esq., Magistrate of Margate,
Kent, for his observations.

572. I am particularly desirous the Fancier should not by any possibility overlook or
forget, that whenever he is called at this part of the Work with regard to the page, it
has reference only to the Work published 1802-1804 ; either of the years will do, as
the one is only a re-print of the other, entitled—A new and complete Treatise on the
Art of Breeding and Managing the Almond Tumbler, by an Old Fancier (name not
mentioned) ; the great unknown was no other than Winvvs, Esq., Solicitor,
Southampton Buildings, Holborn ; as far as I can, I wish to keep the names of old and
experienced Fanciers alive, when I refer you to the Columbarian Work, I refer you to
the Author — WINDUS, on whose Work Joun Boys, Esq.’s remarks apply, and that

souly.

573. On the 7th of October, 1851, I received Jonn Boys, Esq.’s Book, with his
marginal notes, and having an exact copy of the Work I copied his notes into a fellow
copy, word for word, with this little difference :—

574, ‘This day, Oct. 7th, 1851, received through the Post, the work on the Almond
Tumbler, dedicated to the Gentlemen of the Columbarian Society, with the notes of
Joun Boys, Esq., Magistrate, &c. of Margate, Kent, for which I feel grateful, and
shall fill them in this book, as he has done in the book he has sent me-—Joun M,
Eaton.”

M 2

180

575. ‘‘ The notes and corrections in this book have been made, some ten, some twenty,
and some thirty years ago, and up to the present time, as they occured to me from
experience.

Margate. JoHN Boys.”

576. WInNDUS, p.4 and 5. His remarks as regards the prices of Almonds,—‘“M.
1805 and 6. Excellent birds were to be had at five guineas a pair, although occasion-
ally they reached from ten to fifteen guineas ; they are much improved since that
period, but most difficult to be met with.”

577. Page 6. ‘Those who criticise and scoff at this Fancy should take care not to
become a Florist Fancier, or an admirer of improved Horses, Dogs or Sheep; nor ex-
change his ignorance for the knowledge of the best Piccatees, Dahlias, Tulips (worth
ten and twenty guineas a piece), Roses (of which there are 1500 varieties), Anemonies,
Heart-ease, Ranunculusses, Auriculars, &c. &c. &c.”*

578. Page 7. Writing from experience, ‘‘and by practice and experience to know
how to mix and improve the color of the Feather by the matching of the males and
females.” Writing of what are beauties and what are imperfections: ‘‘ Those whose
experience enables them to produce variety of Feather, may, by the matching of the
parents, also learn something of Nature’s laws in the marriage and qualification of
human parents, both in personal forms and principles, by inheritance either of health,
disease or sense.”

579. Page 12. On the handling of a Pigeon: “ The mode of handling a bird shews
at once whether the holder is a Fancier or not, even a wild and violent bird will become
quiet in the hand of an experienced Fancier.” On a badly formed head, “ which is
termed Mous-ey.”

580. Page 13. Writing on the property, beak, ‘it should never exceed six-eighths,
at the present day some are barely five-eighths.—1848.”

581. Page 14. ‘*The Lofts. The best Fanciers will devote three or four rooms to
his birds.” The area; “by keeping the birds from strangers, and taming them with
hemp seed to feed out of the hand, they may be caught and handled as easily as a dog
or cat.

582. Page 15. On drafting young birds into another aviary. ‘‘ By all means.”

583. Page 16. On laying: “‘an experienced Fancier will always know within a few
hours when the hen will lay her first egg of another nest ; and I have found, in general,
that a cock wil) not hunt and peck his hen so fiercely when his hen droops and laps
her wings ; but where he does he should be caged close to the hen’s nest until she has
laid her first egg.”

584. Page 17. On the warmth of the loft or aviary. ‘ But warmed air is most
valuable.” On dust: ‘All dust on the floor is certain to settle upon the oily feathers,
and make the birds look filthy.” Objecting to a cat in the loft ; ‘‘ I strongly object to
a cat’s guardianship.”

585. Page 18. On pairing: “In 1851, I had only two thin-shelled eggs, and Paired
twelve young ones in very cold weather, from sixteen pairs hatched in February.”

586. Page 19. Advantage of separating birds ; ‘‘ Birds separated during winter may.
be rematched with perfect ease in February.”

587. Page 20. On counteraction ; ‘‘ except as to their being both of too much fea-

* Page 6. J. M. E.—His marginal notes here apply to those Splatherers, who (as,
Solomon beautifully observes, ‘you may bruise in a mortar, yet you cannot obtain
gumption out of them”) ridicule the Pigeon. It may be pardonable in some of these,
simply because they are void of brains, not having been handed down to them ; or they
may have received an injury on a “large pimple,” growing out at the top of their neck,
which will never come to a head. But it is unpardonable in learned men, who attempt
to write upon the Pigeon, who only burlesque the Pigeon ; nevertheless, do not be ill-
natured to such, but throw around them your mantle of love and charity as I mean to
do, and to deeply lament and regret that learned men should attempt to write or ridi-
cule a subject they do not understand.

181
‘ther, in which case they produce white and blind or purry-eyed birds. On not matching
birds too high; ‘‘in this I quite agree, JoHN Boys, 1849.”

588. Page 21. Ondun colour: ‘‘ But on breeding for feather, they are most useful
in high bred matches. A dun in general, is a brown black, or a black brown ; at least,
it is a very bad black, and sometimes a blue black. A good dun, in its first plumage,
should shew a silvery appearance, that is, should seem to indicate that in its first moult
it would become silvery.”

589. Page 22. On pairing: ‘‘I recommend that pedigree in this case be attended
to, for doubtless a parent, or grand-parent, of almost every splash may be traced, and
if that parent was defective in any other point, the match of a young splash should be
considered and regulated accordingly; in reference to the hen he should have, the
splashes often fail in eye.”

590. Page 23. On prevening a cock getting master of two pens : ‘‘ I had one unruly
cock, and could only cure him of his tricks by swinging him round and round until he
was so giddy that he could not stand, and then put him into the breeding place where
he had so trespassed, and the pair so trespassed upon gave him a sound thrashing, and
forced him down from the nest, after which he desisted and gave up the point.”

591. Page 24. On nest pans: “ eight and a half inches out to out at top ; three and
a half deep, seven and a half wide bottom, outside. This is the admeasurement of my
pans made on purpose. (Four dozen.)”

592. Page 25. On straw: “ Oat straw is best.”

593. Page 26. On the cocks worrying and driving hens to nest: ‘I think this is a
useless precaution unless the birds are crowded. After the hen has laid the first egg,
the cock becomes quiet, and whenever she is separated from amongst the crowd of other
birds, he in general ceases to drive her ; and it is better to leave them to themselves
and to the instincts of nature, unless the cock be quite violent.”

594. Page 27. On laying first eg’s : “Or soon after ;’ on second egg: “ More fre-
quently nearer about two o'clock.” —

595. Page 28. On laying ; observes, see Page 37. “ Quite unnecessary ; warmth
only is necessary ; wrong and dangerous.”

596. Page 29. On laying: ‘The necessity for this has never yet come under my
observation, 1849 ; nor since.—J. B., 1851.” “I have saved many an egg dropped on
the floor, by placing a very small quantity of hay or straw under or round the egg, and
watching that hen that will go to it, and, when discovered, I have put the egg into the
nest intended for her, and shut her up until she has laid the second egg.”

597. Page 31. On parting the birds: ‘‘ 1 recommend the middle of September ; be-
cause, late bred birds will otherwise be moulting in cold weather, and when this is the
case, they seldom or never become strong and healthy, without artificial warmth, and
much trouble. When a bird from a valuable breed happens to be hatched so late as in
the second week of October, and if it be much desired to save it, the best plan is to let
its parents or nurses lay once more, and compel them to lay in the nest where this young”
valuable one is, and by this means the parents will always be sitting on the new eggs
with the young ones, and thereby the additional warmth will save it ; then break the
eggs and destroy the nest, about ten days after being sit upon.”

598. Page 33. On barren birds.—See a note at the foot of page 34.

599. Pages 34-85. On hatching; “I think the author is mistaken on two points in
reference to barren birds and the providing of soft meat. I have a pair of red mottles
that have brought up four nests in the season of 1849, without once laying, but with a
severe driving to the nest by the cock ; upon each occasion I first gave them sham eggs,
which I cheated to believe were laid on the first and third day, and upon one of those
occasions when they had only set ten days I happened to have an odd young one, just
hatched, and of little value, and for the sake of experiment, I put it under the barren
birds, to try if they could furnish soft meat before the proper time, and I was agreeably
surprised to find that they could and did supply it; although not so effectually as if they

‘had sat the full seventeen days ; but nevertheless, -the supply.was sufficient to save the
young one, and they brought up the young one to be a remarkably strong one. It

182

should, however, be mentioned, that I gave the barren birds a mixed food or refuse—
rice and bruised hempseed, in addition to what they could pick up out of the pigeon-
house, and they became as good nurses as the other birds that bred in due course.

600. Page 35. On egg springing and chipping.—See page 37.

: one Page 36. On the least effusion of blood will be fatal to the foetus: ‘‘ not quite
atal.”

602. Page 37. On hatching ; “‘ My practice was always as follows :—early on the
seventeenth day if the egg remained entire and unchipped, I put the egg into a tea-cup
full of water, blood warm, and the hollow part of the egg where the beak was, would
always float uppermost ; I then punctured the shell at that part to give air, and took
away so much shell as was free from the caul or membrane, and then put the egg under -
the parent. In the evening, if no progress had been made, I cracked the egg-shell all
round with my thumb nail, and on the following morning I found the young one had
always been hatched, unless any blood had been shed by the operation.—J. B.”

603. Page 40. On shifting; ‘‘ sometimes the seventh.”

604. Page 41. On shifting ; ‘‘In general there should not be a greater length of
time than seven days. I very seldom exceed three or four days and when the difference
is so great as nine or ten days the young ones begin to show the color of their feather,
and in consequence thereof the old ones will sometimes on discovering the cheat, kill
them or turn them out of the nest ; this however occurs but seldom.” It is an excellent
plan to remove the pans of young ones by slow degrees, i. e. from shelf to shelf down-
wards to the floor, where by placing clean straw in a warm corner the young of ten or
twelve days old, on getting out of their nests will resort and cluster together, thereby
obtaining constant warmth from each other, being fed by all the old birds that have
young ones on the same floor, which is always the case. I have seldom less than five
or six in a nest in this manner, at one time, on the floor.

605. Page 42. On hen with egg ; ‘‘after the birds are paired the hen will go seven
or eight days with egg before laying.” On shifting ; ‘‘ How is this to be accomplished
without endangering the nurselings placed under the care? The plan is not a good one
in my opinion.”

606. Page 44. On marks to ascertain the colour of birds.—See page 21.

607. Page 45. On marks, &. ‘Several of these points are correct, but this is not
to be depended on.”

608. Page 46. On drafting young birds ; ‘“ In this respect great caution is required ;
a young one should have eaten alone three or four days before being separated from its
parents ; for, upon being put amongst strange young ones, they will always at least
cease to feed heartily and perhaps not at all, lose flesh, and become ill: the best plan is
to draft them in the morning, and if towards evening their crops are empty, remove
them back again to the parents until the following morning, and repeat this for two or
three days, when they will do well, and may be finally separated safely. (1847.)”

609. Page 47. On drafting young birds and their food; “ Fine refuse ; rice at all
times in the breeding season, or wheat, tares old, ticks old, hemp in very small
quantity, and very seldom on rape ; and canary I object to.”

610. Page 48, On barren birds.—See page 34.

611. Page 51. On vermin, and blue ointment; ‘‘on each side of the breast bone ;
but it is too violent and dangerous a remedy upon a very valuable bird.”

612. Pages 52-53. On fumigating ; “ My plan by fumigation has been very suc-
cessful as follows :—Make a large brown paper bag with a hole through the bottom
sufficient for a bird’s head to be passed through it, put the bird in the bag with its head
outwards through the hole, and then with fumigating bellows fill the bag with very strong
tobacco smoke, taking care that the bird’s head is kept on the outside, so as to breathe
good air ; in three or four utes every insect will be killed, and set the bird at large ;
where eggs and knits are deposited,amongst the neck feathers, repeat the fumigation
about in the ensuing month.—Qu. Would not an oiled silken bag be more manage-
able and useful ?

183

613. Page 54. On vermin.—‘‘The common Pigeon Louse and Feather Louse are
totally, and in all respects, different. Pigeons kept clean never have fleas. I have
never tried this, fearing to destroy by the alkali in soap that oily coat which is on the
feathers, and for a time keeping the bird much warmer than otherwise—a bird so treated
is like a sheep shorn in cold weather.” See M.S. note in the 52nd page.

614. Page 55. On vermin on fresh birds ; “unnessary in the country, where birds
are kept clean ; but all newly added birds should be examined and cleaned.”

615. Page 58. On plumage, rain, and water ‘ Unless the spring water is from a
chalky soil.”

616. Pages 58-59. On flying the birds: ‘And especially if the loft is kept free from
dust and dirt. On the contrary, more than half of my flyers are by good usage quite
tame, and when I seat myself in an arm chair on the lawn, fly to me and surround me,
several of them letting me handle them, and playing with me by pecking my fingers and
cooing. This is quite true, I have a pair of red mottle, bred from Almonds, whose
grandmother was a red, and both tumbled beautifully.”

617. Page 60. On loam: “A bank of street sweepings, where the roads are daily
watered with sea water, is superior to all othermethods. The birds will always be upon
the bank on account of the salt, and they swallow a quantity of fine gravel on that
account.”

618. Page 62. Gravel.—See the note at the foot of page 60.

619. Page 63. Mortar; ‘‘ Mortar dust will greatly injure the plumage, and I never
admit mortar ; the dusty strong alkali, which, by settling on the feathers, kills the oil
of the plumage, and the birds are always dirty.”

620. Page 66. On their food ; “I do not concur in this; if the food is damaged
Nature points out to the old ones not to touch it, if they can get other food. Good old
wheat and tares, old tick, and refuse rice, are the best articles of food, placed in hoppers,
so that the old ones can always get what they like. The palate is their safest guide,
having plenty of choice.”

621. Page 67. On change of food.—see page 47. ‘‘ Beyond a week or ten days at
one period, change of food is of great advantage.”

622. Page 68-69. On the healthy state of the birds: ‘‘In this year (1849) from five
pairs of well bred birds I reared thirty-two young ones, by the aid of nine pairs of
common Tumblers, as nurses, and by shifting the young ones of those high bred birds
that deserted them. But I also attribute that success partly to diet, which I constantly
watched ; their principal food was old tick beans, and tares; but, for a day or two
before hatching, I always gave the old birds a little refuse rice and hemp-seed every
morning and evening, untill the parents had fed off their soft meat. By care I never
lost a bird ; for, in addition, I also watched the time of hatching, and frequently broke
the shell of an egg when the young one was not strong enough to extricate itself, by
first puncturing a small hole near the beak to give air, and on the following day crack-
ing the shell all round the egg. The first nest in April all failed from cold weather ;
from the second set in May and June, I obtained five young ones ; from the third set
in June and July, I obtained six young ones ; from the fourth set in July and August,
I obtained nine young ones; fifth set in August and’September, I obtained six young
ones ; and in the sixth and last set in September and beginning of October six more,
making altogether thirty-two. After this, and as soon as the old birds began to show
signs of going to nest again, I separated male from female, putting the young ones
under the nurses. During the whole season I did not loose a bird either by disease or
accident after the first three or four days. (J. B., November, 1849.)

623, Page 70-71. On parting the birds after breeding season.—See also page 31.
“One of the methods to check going to nest again, is to make them, if you can, feed
as many young ones as possible, as they are seldom with egg again whilst so feeding,
and more especially if their pans be taken away. The feeding lowers the old ones, but
not near so much as going to nest again ; and by this method your young ones become
much stronger birds, and more fitted to begin moulting before winter sets in.” Page
72-73. ‘No sound Fancier will keep his birds together in winter. I think this of but

184

little importance ; well managed birdsin a roomy loft are best left to themselves ; where
crowded, the remarks will apply.”

624. Page 74. ‘‘ Query.— Was the above remark worth publishing ?”

625. Page 75. On diseases: ‘“‘I have never lost but one young bird from this dis-
ease [canker]; it is in fact a cancer, and in my opinion is hereditary amongst the
highest bred birds when kept upon bad food, and in a filthy state ; or why should I
have escaped it amongst at least five hundred young ones.”

626. Page 80. The roop; ‘‘ Has never attacked my birds.”

627. Page 81. The vertigo or meagrims ; “ Thirty-six years ago when my collection
of Dragons (about thirty) every morning brought me from London, in slips, the leading
article of the Morning Post newspaper tied round the leg, I had three birds attacked,
but they recovered on resting them and giving good food. (Note in 1850.)”

628. Page 83. On the staggers; I have never had a bird die by being attacked by
either of the last three diseases, which I attribute to care, diet, regimen and flying at
large in fine weather.” On scouring or purging ;” ‘‘ The astringent quality depends on
the soil from whence the water issues, or the quality of the pipes which convey it.”

629. Page 84. Onsmall pox. “This disease never visited my birds.”

630. Page 86. On the Fancier scarcely knowing his own birds, when sore in moult :
“This is as true as it is remakable.” On moulting ; ‘Especially the late-bred young
ones, which should be kept in warmer rooms, or at least where the cold air is excluded.’

631. Page 92. On a bad eye, most difficult to counteract ; ‘“‘SoI think, (J. B.)”
632. Page 93. Sexes; “ difficult to tell.” ;

633. Page 94. Sexes of young birds: ‘“ By no means so easily decided until afte
they have moulted.”

634. Page 97. On feeders: ‘‘I am rather adverse to keeping common birds for
feeders, and prefer inferior bred Tumblers, Bald heads, or Beards ; but they have this
evil—by their constantly flymg and tumbling, they encourage the young, high-bred
birds to fly so much as to make them rather coarse, which is worse than shutting them
up altogether. All birds with wings should be allowed to use them in moderation
only.”

635. Page 98. On young birds deserted, on getting food down their throat: “‘The
present breed of small Almonds will not admit of beans. Give them sound old tares
and wheat.”

636. Page 100. On laying second egg: ‘“‘If in good health: but if in a weakly
state, it will be at two o’clock or later.” On the Portrait of Winpus’s Almond
Tumbler: ‘‘ In 1850 I bred a black mottled cock, whose carriage in my opinion so far
exceeded the representation here shewn in profile, that I employed an able painter to
make an oil painting of the bird, but instead of preserving the black mottled feather, I
gave the painter a richly Almond feathered bird to copy instead thereof, so that now I
have an oil painting of as perfect and bright an Almond as can be produced to my taste.
The two bird’s were caged for the painter’s guide.”*

FINIS.
[AS REGARDS JOHN BOYS ESQ’S. NOTES.]

* These Observations and Remarks are, upon the whole, true to the letter, which you
will find in your experience ; it is evident JouN Boys, Esq., was a very minute ob-
server and reflector on the Almond Tumbler. Fanciers may differ on the minor points,
they all agree upon the major points—the five properties of the Almond Tumbler. I
should have acted dishonest to you, if I had withheld this vast amount of experience de-
rived solely from Observation and Reflection from Fifty years study on the Art of
Breeding and Managing: I should have been no less dishonest, if I had attempted to
have disguised and cooked it up, and endeavoured to impose upon you, laying claim to
it as touching the Originality, There is no doubt that Jonn Boys Esq. could have

185

arranged his Observations infinitely better than I shall. Having his permission to make
whatever use I thought fit of his Notes in the margin, the thought struck me it was
pregnant with danger if I apprised him of my intention to publish his Observations, and
would thank him, if not too much trouble, to put them in that form he would like them
to appear in print ; having permission in my possession I did not like to run the risk,
he might for ought I know have withdrawn his permission. Should it so happen in your
experience from Observations, the idea has struck you that you have witnessed things,
that are worthy to be handed down to posterity among Pigeon Fanciers, and that it is
not your intention to publish a Work, if you will forward them to me, should there be
merit in them, I will take care they come to light among the gentlemen of the Fancy,
and you shall have the credit as touching Originality.

TAKEN FROM AN OLD WORK.

ARTICLES :
I. The Members of this Society to consist of and to meet the
in each Month from 7 o’Clock till 10 in the Evening.
II. Every Member to pay a Subscription of on or before the

Meeting in each Year, and in default, to be excluded for the season.

III. No person to be admitted unless proposed and seconded by a Member on one
Evening, and balloted for at the following Meeting, and should he have black
balls, such persons not to be admitted.

IV. Each Member to Subscribe for Cock or Hen, or for both if it be his choice, and
the Money paid at the time of Subscribing.

V. Every Member admitted after the Meeting Night in each Season to
pay for his admission. ;

VI. Each Member to stand President for One Night, in rotation, when called upon,
if not present to be fined 4

VII. Premiums for breed of Birds to be settled on or before the Night
in each Year, and entered in the Cash Book, and all Wagers made in this Society to
be paid when decided, and half the Money given to the Treasurer to be spent on the
Show Day of each Season.

VIII. Any Member present not producing a Bird of his own Breed on the
to forfeit and showing a Bird not his own - and if
any Birds be sold, the buyer and seller to pay each to the Stock.

(Eaton.)—I have seen Rules of a Society, brought out by a parcel of shop keepers,
that appeared to me as though brought out to bird-lime the House of Lords or
Commons. No doubt, as a Fancier, you have heard of the peg-ing of Chaffinchers or
bat-fowling of Birds, as you neither wish to be peg’d with bird-lime or bat-folder, neither
do I wish an injunction in Chancery lodged against me for taking in vain the rules or
articles of this Aristocratic Society. I am aware there are some men, who wish to be
thought Fanciers, who would not like to sit in a room with Fanciers unless they sported
a little bit of black satin or a velvet waistcoat ; I consider this ignorant or uncharitable
feeling was, in a great measure, the cause that accelerated the defunct of the once cele-
brated original ‘“‘Columbarian Society,” to whom we owe so much. There are times,
seasons, and places for various grades of society ; if a man is only a gentleman, and not
a Fancier, let him only keep gentlemen’s society ; if a man is a Fancier, let him keep
Fanciers society, and conduct himself as a gentleman ; if a man is a self-created proud
aristocrat, speaking high sounding words, suiting the action to the words, both added
together, the sense signifying nothing, my advice to this proud self-made, and self-
esteemed aristocrat, is to stay at home and look after his Chandler-shop. I am sensible
there is another class of men—I have made a mistake, I should have more properly
have called them fidgetty old ladies, who assumes that a man, whatever his station in
life, whether a Peer or Artisan, must be an incorrigible blackguard that keeps Pigeons,
I will not waste your or my time here with these nincompoops—see page 4, paragraph,
“‘T scarce know, &c., &c.” How different was the case with the spirited and celebrated

186

Fancier the late Sir Jonn SrBricut, M.P., who would astonish the House of Commons
and the country with his speeches, and the next day would be among the Spital Field’s
weavers, looking at their studs of birds. It is proverbially said of him, comparatively
speaking, he would go up a Chimney to look at a good bird, for some of the goings up
to the places where they kept their birds was little less trouble than going up a chimney,
nevertheless formerly they had excellent birds. Which proves my remarks, as the wise
man observed, “that there are times, seasons, and places for all things.

ORDINANCES

ESTABLISHED BY THE
COLUMBARIAN SOCIETY, AT THE GLOBE TAVERN, FLEET STREET;

RESPECTING THE PERFECTIONS AND IMPERFECTIONS OF

ALMOND OR ERMIN TUMBLERS,

1764.
PERFECTIONS, IMPERFECTIONS.
I. I.
FEATHER. - FEATHER.

Consists of three colours, viz., Black,
White, and Yellow, intermixed, or vari-
ously and richly displayed. Ground, the Ash Colour, or Blue, Barr’d on the
_best Yellow. The Rump, Yellow and | Flight. .
. Spangled. Tail, the most Yellow and
striped.

EX. i.
HEAD. HEAD.

To be Round and Small. The Forehead, Thin, Long Snouted. Beak, Long and

High. The Beak, Shortand Small. The | Thick. Eye, all Black or Red, or broken
Eye, a bright pearl colour round the Pupil. | colour.

IH. ITI.

SHAPE. SHAPE.

Gani Prominent Chest, and Long Body. Large, with Small Chest.

IMPERFECTIONS
Inadmissible at a SHEW for the PRIZE.
Blue Ermins, Ermins with entire blue tails, and Ash colowred Ermins.

(Eaton.) I believe the late celebrated Columbarian Society was a continuation of this
society, its name being the same “Columbarian Society,” the Columbarian Society
existed over a century which causes me to think it was part or continuation of this
society, it generally held its meetings in the localities of Fleet Street, or Holborn, changes
from holding their meetings always at the same place, from some cause or other are
likely to take place in a century, but from what I can glean, still their meetings were
held near the localities I have mentioned, while my attention is called to the year
1764, It is possible this society existed for years before they had rules, laws, articles
or ordinances, as they were pleased to call them, I know at this time, 1858, excel-
lent societies that have existed for many years, that have no printed rules, regulations

187

or standards, (I consider none the better for that,) they are gentlemen and don’t require
laws to keep them in order ; as to Standards, they are Fanciers and know what birds
ought to be. I have the honor to preside over a society of between fifty and sixty
members, gentlemen fanciers, and as touching their knowledge of the different varieties
of Pigeons, (as a society) is not equalled by any society under the sun, whether
learned or unlearned I consider it unfortunate. We have not printed rules and standards
at this time, I think we shall not go over another season without them. It is possible
1764 is a re-print, or the society, as I observed before, have existed many years,
prior to their ordinances being printed, which causes it to fall short, 6 years of a century,
according to the ordinances. I amatalossto account for the society dropping the last
letter, e, in Ermine, it is possible it was spelt that way at the time; it is possible, a
century back, they had Ermine birds with two colours, black and white, from which it
derived its name, as well as having Almonds, with the three colours, black, white and
yellow, from the yellow or almond ground this bird derived its name Almond, and com-
pared to well broken Tulips, and may be the cause of confounding the ‘‘ Ermine with
the Almond.” Looking at the portrait that accompanies the ordinances as a frontispiece,
1764, I thought it was printed from the same plate that accompanies the work, dedi-
cated to Joun Mayor, Esq., being so much alike, (I am satisfied that the engraver
who did the one, executed the other, one has Simpson Sculp, the other no name.) On
more minutely examining the portraits, I observe the portrait of 1764, with fewer spots
on it, likean Ermine, or what we call a gay Mottle, the other portrait only one year after,
that accompanies the work dedicated to JoHN Mayor, Esq., has a deal more feather
in the body of the bird, the hackles of both the birds are very dark, they are
only neat heads, down beaks, not straight, with long legs. If the two engravings
were faithful likenesses of what the Ermines or Almonds were in 1764, or 1765, all I
can say they were nothing to boast of. Allow me to imagine for a moment: the idea
strikes me that JoHN Mayor, Esq., was President of the Columbarian Society at these
dates, 1764 and 1765 ; that DANIEL GiRTIN, Esq., was a member, that he wrote the
work and dedicated it to JOHN Mayor, Hsq., President of the Society, by way of a
compliment ; afterwards he brought out the same work and attached his name to it.
On a moments reflection it is evident those who were members of the Columbarian
Society, say 1840 or 1850, could not have been members of the Columbarian Society
of 1764, the course of nature would not allow it, although the late Mr. Harry Epwarp
Morey, Chairman of the City Columbarian Society, who was a member of the society
I am writing of, and an excellent old Fancier, used to say, however low at times his stud
of birds were reduced, he never was without Pigeons for the last sixty years, still this
would fall short of going back to 1760, which proves my opinion that the late celebrated
Columbarian Society was a continuation of this Society.

(Eaton.) Tomy young Fancier, as great progress has been made in these birds from
the time Moore Esq., wrote his work, 1735, to the time the work was dedicated to
Mayor, Esq., 1765, thirty years, further progress was made in these birds from 1765 to
1800, and very great progress has been made from 1800 to the present time, 1858. I now
putit to you, my young Fancier, if you still go on progressing, what will the Almond Tum-
bler be in the year 1900, allowing 42 years. I shall never live to see the year 1900, but I
have my eye on some young Fanciers, who are about 25 years of age, that are likely to
see it, should they continue in the fancy, I see no reason why they should not, for ’tis said
“Once a Fancier, always a Fancier.” As Fanciers have made progress for the last 123
years, it is possible you may make a little progress in the next 42 years, in the five
properties, you may breed a more perfect bird ; your greatest chance in improving the
bird will be the property feather from which the bird derives its name, ‘‘Almond,” it
may be you will obtain in these 42 years a more rich bright yellow or almond colour,
with a more decided sound black, I scarce think, with the other four properties, we have
gone so far that we cannot go further, at the same time I have seen birds that will take
a great deal to beat, and especially to eclipse, the same opinion may have been enter-
tained by good Fanciers a century or two back, I believe I have seen as good Almonds
as ever was seen as touching the five properties, Head, Beak, Eye, Shape and Feather,
as any of my brother fanciers, still I never saw a perfect bird in the five properties,
some property or other was deficient ; a perfect bird is scarce to be expected where there
are five properties in it, and each property taken to an exceeding high standard, still
the aspiring young fancier should press forward to gain the prize that very many other

188

fanciers aspired to. I have seen perfect birds, as they are called, where a queer or low
standard is taken ; but the fact is, the birds and the standards put together was worth
nothing, should the young fancier progress in the 42 years I have given him, on the five
properties, the Almond Tumbler will be a “ wonder” to behold, I stated I thought I
had seen as good birds as ever was seen on the five properties, I have seen three Almond
bred birds whose distance, as short faced birds, did not exceed the half inch, never saw
seven-sixteenth of an inch bird. I will not be hard with the gentlemen of the fancy, I
will give them 42 years simply only to reduce the distance from half-inch to seven-six-
teenth of an inch, after all it is only the one sixteenth part of aninch, you may think
I am very charitable, or what is that, ‘simply try it,” I believe it will not be accom-
plished, you may say no doubt good fanciers, a century ago, might have believed the
birds they had, could not have been improved, I believe it may have been thought so.

(Eaton. )—There are many things that astonishes many people, but what astonishes me
is, now that I have nearly brought my work to the end, I find my feelings strongly work-
ing upon me, and that I am becoming quite enthusiastically poetical. You may reason
as the Welsh farmer churchwarden did with the Clergyman of the Parish, when he gave
him a gentle hint that he never gave them a dash, shower, or flood of Latin or Greek
in his sermons ; the conscientious Clergyman replied, if he did, his congregation would
not understand it. The witty Welch Churchwarden replied, as they paid for the best,
they had a right to have it. You may reason with me on the terms, that as I have
charged you the best price, therefore you have a right to have a little poetry. Then,
without further beating about the bushes, I wiil come to the point at once, as the Life-
Guardsmen said to the Chinamen.

‘¢ Put a Tailor on horseback, i
And he'll ride to the Old Gentleman dressed in black.”

It is impossible for me to say how the style, metre, or measure, pleases you, it scarely
pleases me ; I think I have seen poetry that runs smoother or more in rhyme, take
“Pope” for instance. You may say, I have taken a step in the right path as regards
the measure, that if I go on as I have begun, by the time I get to the end it will be
good measure ; you may say, the second line is twice as long as the first, which some
would say was extra measure. As it is my first attempt at poetry, and as it scarcely
pleases me, I had better try my hand at it ‘‘ to-morrow,” and bring it out in a separate
volume. At the same time, you may say, a work without poetry would be like a land-
scape without a stream, I will therefore give you the best I can cater or glean for you
on the subject.

TAKEN FROM AN OLD WORK.

‘¢ May honor be all our aim,
When ever we assemble together ;
May the Birds that we breed increase fame,
Among united Friends of the Feather.
Among Friends of the Feather, being already known,
The Almonds the Birds we propose to be shown,
With your round and broad heads, quick stops and pearl eyes,
Tf all other properties must take the prize.
Bring your rich standard Cocks and best Almond Hens,
With Birds of first rate to furnish the pens,
Tf your judges in judgment be nothing deficient,
May gratify all if nothing clandestine.
So Friends of the Feather, support honor so bold,
May your fame be thus mounted with trophies of gold.

- I promised you at page 6 a Preface, (that there should be something new under the
Sun,) therefore I have placed it at the end of the Book ; my object being to bring you
sooner to the subject of the Work. Also some Extracts from my Work on the
«¢ Almond Tumbler,” also my work on ‘‘ Tame, Domesticated and Fancy Pigeons,” and
other matter.

THE PREFACE.

Owing to the noise of the rattling of carriages of every description before daylight,
and not being able to sleep, I got up, lighted my candle, made up my mind to endea-
vour this day to contribute more to the Work (The Almond Tumbler) that I am
engaged upon, than any other day I shall have it in hand. This day, 18th of Novem-
ber, 1852, is appointed for the solemn funeral of the mortal remains of the immortal
Wellington ; such a sight will take place this day as never was witnessed before in
England, and never will be witnessed again. He richly merited all that a grateful
Nation lavished or bestowed upon him. Filling the office, he could not help the loss of
life ; he treasured and husbanded the lives committed to his charge, and did not spill a
single drop of blood more than could by any possibility be helped ; taking into consi-
deration what he had to accomplish, and it is a question whether any other man could
be found that would have spilled so little ; notwithstanding, he had some of the greatest
and bravest officers that ever lived. Owing to a grateful Nation paying their last debt
of gratitude to the spiritless body (for the spirit had returned to God¥ who gave it) of
the Great Iron Duke. Take him for all in all, I believe him to be the greatest man
that has been born into the World, since Jesus Christ, in whom he trusted ; I believe
the Nation believes that he could glory and exult with a confidential hope, whenever he
uttered these words ; for I know that my “‘ Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at
the latter day upon the earth, and, though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet
in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold,
at not another, though my reins be consumed within me.” Job, xix. chap., 25th, 26th,
27th verses.

This grave is incomplete, craving the ashes of that great and good Statesman, the
late Right Honourable Str Ropert PEEL, Bart., the greatest and best Statesman this
Country ever produced. He had the Poor at heart, and caused the Widow and the
Orphan Childrens’ heart to leap for joy. He was the cause of making provisions cheap
for the Poor. Jt was a great loss to the Nation at the time, there not being a Public
Funeral for so good a man. John Bull is a heavy, at the same time a deep thinking
man. He is not altogether forgetful, and may reason, the promise may be long de-
layed, but cannot come too late. This may be applicable to the raising of the monu-
ment to Nelson. Years may roll on before the Nation claims the ashes of the greatest
and best-hearted statesman it ever produced, to perfect the grave that lays under the
centre of the dome of Saint Paul’s ; then will the Nation have its Trinity in Unity (I do
not mean the incomprehensible union of the three persons in one Godhead.) But
having the greatest Sailor, the greatest Soldier, and the greatest and best Statesman
this country ever produced, laying side by side and their dust mingling together. I
may not live to witness it, but believe it must take place to complete the grave.

Mr. Moors, Paragraph 6, writes, give me leave to entertain you with the story, &c.
&c. I have only simply and plainly to inform you, that it is not my intention to
apologise to you in stating facts.

When I had concluded my Treatise on the Almond Tumbler, 1851, and bid you fare-
well, after giving you my observations and reflections on the subject, I called your
attention to the “‘ Wise Man’s Saying,” Pargraph 569, ‘‘ There is a time for all things,
and the time had arrived for us to part.” Judge of my surprise, in 1852, with pen in
hand, endeavouring to compile a Work on Tame, Domesticated and Fancy Pigeons in
general, as encouraged by the acknowledged best Fanciers that ever lived, and Para-
graph 410, informed you there was nothing so base as ingratitude, and I cannot bring
my mind to bear otherwise, and brand myself with ingratitude, if I did not attempt to
compile a Work worthy your acceptance, after the highly complimentary Testimonials
of the Press, besides many letters from all parts of the country to the same effect,

190

pressing me to write a Work on Fancy Pigeons in general ; I repeat, judge of my sur-
prise, appearing before you again in so short a time ; it was the last of my thoughts
after having completed my Almond Tumbler, on that I caught a Tartar.

Should the Work, or-compilation, which-it is my intention to lay before you, not
please after reading it over, blame yourselves not me, for endeavouring to carry out
your earnest entreaties ; I can assure you it is no joke to bring out a Work on the sub-
ject, it will make enemies of a few waspish, crabby Fanciers (“ but they are not all the
Fanciers in the World!”), who do not wish the young Fancier to know more than
answers their purpose. The first time the idea struck me of writing the Almond
Tumbler, I mentioned my intention ; a gentleman remarked, if I wrote one he would
answer it; it may be this put a damper upon me and my work at the time, I abandoned _
it: time rolled on—I gained more experience—all the world in a fever about the forth-
coming Exhitition, I was desirous of bringing out something ; after racking my brains
(which I think, generally, is about as clear as mud in a wine glass) the idea of the
Almond Tumbler struck me, which I brought out. Mark the remarks that was made
upon it by men who knew better, they ‘‘ did not believe I had the ability to produce
such a work.” Others went so far as to give the credit to my much respected and es-
teemed Brother Fancier, Mr. DEAN WOLSTENHOLME, as the Author; who was the
engraver of the Portrait of the Amond Tumbler, the set of Six Portraits, life size, and
all the engravings in this Work. In stating facts, after having written my work, and
prior to consigning it to Press, I thought it right to read it over to some friend or
friends. I prevailed upon Mr. WoLSTENHOLME, whose judgment upon Pigeons in
general is second to no man, and whose honesty in these matters qualifies him for an
impartial judge upon any occasion ; and also upon my much esteemed respected old
school-fellow, a young and inexperienced Fancier, who had not much time, and less
money to lay out in the Fancy, who was a common-sense man ; before my two friends
I read over the manuscript ; Mr. WOLSTENHOLME gave me two ideas and no more,
which J will give you. F

First.—Sir JoHN SEBRIGHT said, he would produce any given feather in three years ;
but it would take him six years to obtain head and beak.

Second.—(Paragraph 513, on my writing on Beak.)—“‘ By breaking the upper man-
dible when the bird is a few days old; it may be detected, from the injury it has
received, similar to our own flesh when we have received a severe pinch ; it may also be
detected in the bird when grown up, by the position of the beak, it has an unnatural
appearance, the beak pointing upwards.” For these two ideas I feel grateful to my
friend and brother Fancier—the Animal Artist, WOLSTENHOLME. The case was dif-
ferent with my much respected, esteemed, and old school-fellow, Hzanry Masor, who
would not tell a lie to oblige a friend, or hurt a foe. He was not an experienced
Fancier, not having been long enough in the Fancy. He said he could not give a
single idea. But he thought, without altering the idea, by transposing some of the
sentences, would read better. He did so; we read them over, and approved of the
transposition, for which I feel grateful. I am aware there are a few Fanciers who
would have given the credit (provided there was any due) to Mr. H. MaJor, it would
not do, simply because he was not a sufficient Fancier.* It appears to me some Fan-
ciers were willing to give the credit, provided there was any due, to any one save me,
the Author.

I will lay before you a few paragraphs, some extracted from letters to a young Fan-
cier, but old schoolfellow, Mr. HENRY Major, Geelong, Australia.

* Allow me in this part to give you a portion of a Letter I received from my much
respected old schooj-fellow, HENRY Major, on board the “ Peru,” lying wait off
Gravesend, to sail for Geelong, Port Phillip, Australia :—

” “2nd Sept., 1852.
‘¢ DEAR EATON,
‘< In case you were not able to come down to see us once more, I thought
I would drop you a line to say, We are well, and going on as well or better than we

could expect, &c. &c. I trust that every incident that may happen may serve to recon-
cile us to a voyage, and to life on the other side of the Globe, &c. &c. Remember me

191

September 5th, 1852.
My dear Harry, &c., &c,

You will be surprised when you come to read what I am about to inform you ;
a short time prior to your leaving old England, that you loved, made a vow to your
better half, provided circumstances would allow to come back, and lay your weary head
low in old England, who, you said, ‘‘ You loved with all its faults ;”’ It is possible you
can reccollect, I shewed you a paper; I headed it “‘ Wisdom,” reasoned what I should
gain or lose in the estimation of Fanciers in general, if 1 attempted a Work on Tame,
Domesticated and Fancy Pigeons ; the conclusion we came to, was, I had every thing
to lose and nothing to gain, therefore came to the determination to abandon the idea for
ever, especially as I could not obtain my text, (JoHN Moorn’s Work, 1735) ; although
it cost me many pounds one way and the other, to obtain the book, besides great loss
of time, I searched every Bookseller, North, East, South and West, besides advertising
it several times through the different channels. Had I not seen and read the Work,
should not have believed there was such a Work. The Fancier to whom the Work be-
longed, used to say it was the only copy in the World; he promised me more than a
year, he would lend it to me, (if he had, I had made up my mind to have employed
some one to have written it out before I returned it), he had lent it to a Fancier, and
could not get it back.

You had scarcely sailed, 3rd September, for Geelong, having two gentlemen to wait
upon in town with the difference of about an hour and a half as to time; knowing by
the time I arrived home, it would be time to start again to wait upon the other, I
thought I might as well loiter about as to work hard for nothing ; being in a bookselling
neighbourhood, the idea struck me I would try if possible to obtain Moorn’s work, by
passing away the time, believing booksellers with their immense stock of old books, not
having a methodical catalogue of their old books, and being busy at times, when a
question is put to them without considering answer, No! it is possible booksellers may
not have a work to-day, who knows but they may have it to-morrow. I was de-
termined to make good use of this one hour and a half surplus time on my hands, went
into many bookshops, the answer was No! No! No! You must Hunt it up! I
thought I had hunted it up, the more I hunted it the further I was off the scent, I knew
my labour to obtain this book, better than any one can tell me; if you doubt what I
say, take a bumper and try to obtain it.

Seeing two boys in deep conversation at an extensive second-hand or old book shop,
I believe if I had asked one of them if he had Moors on Pigeons, he would have said
No! (I had my wits about me for the first and last time), J arrested both their atten-
tions, stating 1 would stand a glass or a shilling’s worth of brandy and water if he had
got the book I wanted, told the boy to consider before he said No! the two boys looked
at each other, I took them by surprise, ‘‘ I think they smelled the brandy and water ;”
afte a little consideration one of the boys went down a tremendous long shop to his em-

to Dean WoLSTENHOLME, and every Brother Fancier (if I may have the vanity to call
myself one), convey my best wishes, and tell them, when I am far away I shall still
bear them in remembrance.

ROB are Wells 24.5. aeicr mes and believe me to remain,
“* Yours most sincerely,
“ HENRY MAJOR.”

The vessel sailed the following morning, 3rd September, his Old Friend and myself
went to see him, but the vessel had sailed a few hours before we arrived, to our great
disappointment.

Why was I so great an admirer of Major, he was a man of integrity and of truth,
and would yield to no man if he thought he was right ; in argument, on different topics,
at times, we were mountains high, (but we agreed to differ, believing each other
sincere,) and to use an expression of his elder brother, Mr. Gzorez MaJor, that he
carried about him so large a quantity of Carbonic Gas, he was afraid to come near him
for fear of being ‘‘ Blown up.”

192

“sage who went and laid his hand upon a book ; I saw the boy coming with a book in
is hand, I thought it was something about Pigeons, never thought it was Moornz’s
work ; to my astonishment and delight it was the identical work I was in search of,
having it in my hands, I thought my eyes would have darted out of the sockets of my
head when I beheld the book, I thought, ‘I'll be blessed if ever this book leaves my
hands, whatever the price.” I paid the price, the boy had his shilling, all pleased with
the transaction.

I began to think upon the work, recollecting it contained so much matter I had read
before in other works, I was determined to see what amount of original matter be-
longed to each writer upon Pigeons, took Moore's 1735, then Mayor, 1765, compared
them as I read, interlined Mayor’s work, what I found in Moors, that which was not
interlined, I considered original matter, I adopted this plan with all the works that was.
in my possession, I am not aware there are any I am not possessed of that is worth
having ; I never hear talk of any ; and having Joun Boys, Esq.’s beautiful Observa-
tions and Reflections, derived from fifty years experience, the idea struck me what. use
I would make of them, entertaining so high an opinion of the late Joun Moore's
Work, as I heard there was not another copy, believing there could not be more than
two or three copies in the world, I thought it a pity so valuable a work from which all
others have grown out, should be lost for ever to the Pigeon Fancier, (for ought you and
I know the book may have been stole from the gentleman to whom it was lent, and no
wonder the Fancier could not get it back again, and that I purchased the work ; I think if
it was so, it is excusable, considering the use I intend making of the book). I thought
1 would publish the work entire, and give the original matter due to other authors, be-
sides endeavouring to make a few remarks from observations, as ideas struck me, when
my Almond Tumbler was printed, I regretted I had not numbered the paragraphs, it
was too late then. I borrowed the idea from CoBBETT’S grammar, to paragraph this
work.

When I brought out my Almond Tumbler, and read the manuscript over to you and
WoLsTENHOLME, only two original ideas was added to the manuscript, the one, the trick
of breaking the upper mandible of the beak, to form a straight or up beak. The other
was the late Sir Joon SeBricur’s remark, he would breed feather in three years,
would take six years to breed head and beak ; this was due to Mr. WOLSTENHOLME. Your
labour was different, although you could not give me a single idea, that of transposing,
you know some stated WOLSTENHOME was the Author. I came to the determination
that this Work should go forth with all its faults—no doubt, are many—without its
being read over to any one, rather than be nettled and stung by a few pismires. There
may be good attending this, if these few will exercise their grammatical knowledge (or
the want of it); then again, if they cast them up, it will improve them in their arith-
metic. Should it require transposing, which it will, they can do with it as the cat does
with the kitten—endeavour to lick it into liking. Why I should have taken notice of
these few, that resemble the dog in the manger, that would not write themselves (to in-
struct the young and inexperienced Fancier), found fault with me for attempting ;
besides stating they did not believe I had the ability to write my Almond Tumbler.
Will these few believe now what they read, and exercise their abilities upon it, or will
they attempt, after my weary head is laid low, in a cowardly lying way, lay claim to the
Work, on Tame and Domesticated Pigeons, as being the Author, or having aided or
assisted me in any way. Let them come forward in my life-time, not after I am dead,
that I may be able to prove to the contrary ; but enough of this. The idea struck me
I would endeavour to contribute my mite in rescuing the Work from the hands of rude
Old Time, and hand it down for some years yet to come to my Brother Fanciers, be-
lieving no other Fancier had the intention. I am sensible as you are, when you come
to read the Work over, you will discover inelegancies of ideas. I believe, had you been
in England, I should have read the Work over to you, you knowing it would not do to
dub you as the Author. But then, the Unmerciful Pruning knife? you are so fond of.
The style I should have liked best to have brought it out,. provided I had the ability to
imitate, was Dr. FRANKLIN’s “ Poor Richard,” more than the powerful and accomplished
reasoner Locke ‘‘On the Understanding ;’ as I cannot imitate either, I am com-
pelled to make the best of my own Originality. Those knowing me and my ways, would
say, ‘ This is Eaton All Over !” as many Gentlemen said who knew me, after reading
my Almond Tumbler. We did not always agree in reading the Almond Tumbler over,
owing to my obstinacy, which got your monkey and carbonic acid gas up, although I

-

193

"never said so to you, I often said within myself (Harry don’t ‘‘ frown !’) it is hard

when a man gets his monkey up, at the same time to look exceedingly pleasant ;
excuse me here while I pour myself out a glass of wine to drink your health, wish-
ing you a very large measure of good luck. I mentioned you would discover
inelegancies, more than that, ‘‘rude ideas ”; I was driven to that, to keep near
‘my original ways, otherwise those that know my ways, would not have believed
the animal wrote it. Iam aware it is not written after the style that Mayor in
his frontispiece has, which is taken from BAKeER’s Natural History. Curiousity
and a fondness for novelty are implanted by Providence in the mind of man, to
make him observe and examine things attentively ; distinguish their various pro-
ductions, form and structure; and admire their beauties, properties and use.
While he is doing this, he is improving his judgment, performing his duty and
making himself happy.

For the unkindness I received from some few, prior to my writing my Almond
Tumbler, I promised them I would be a thorn in their sides, before I had done
with them, that was the thorn that stuck in their sides, my Almond Tumbler 1851.
My work on Tame, Domesticated and Fancy Pigeons 1852, stuck in their throats ;
the work I am bringing out now on Tame, Domesticated, Foreign and Fancy
Pigeons 1858, I expect will stick in their gizzards, for endeavouring to open the
eyes of the young and inexperienced, by instructing him to read, mark, learn and
inwardly to digest ; to open his eyes and look out of the windows of his under:
standing, to think for himself, not to believe all he hears at a Pigeon show gospel.
Although my Almond Tumbler has now been published seven years it has not
been answered.

I cannot find language to express my gratitude to the gentlemen of the press for
the very high testimonials they have thought fit to give upon my works, the
Almond Tumbler, 1851, also my work on Tame, Domesticated and Fancy Pigeons,
1852, with these flattering testimonials, combined with many entreaties from
Fanciers from all parts of the country, urging me to bring out a work on Tame,
Domesticated, Foreign and Fancy Pigeons, and if possible to give a more lengthy
or greater amount of information on Toy and Foreign Pigeons ; do you think | am
to be cowed by unkindness? If you do, you do not know what the little Bit of
Stuff that is writing is composed of. It is true I am too short for a Militia Man,
I know I am tall enough for a superior officer ; I believe many a brave soldier has
lost his life on field of battle, simply because he was not so shortasIam. I ask
Do you think I am to be cowed by unkindness? Certainly not; it urges me on
~ toaccomplish my undertaking, and as Mr. Moore beautifully observes in Paragraph

16, hoping it will have the desired effect of pushing on some abler pen, ‘‘ I commit
it to the candid censure of mankind.”

Taken from FRANKLIN’Ss Way TO WEALTH, or Poor RicHarD IMPROVED :—~
‘* Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other,” as poor Richard
says, and scarce in that; for it is true, ‘‘ We may give advice, but we cannot give

‘eonduct.” However, remember this, ‘‘ They that will not be counselled, cannot
be helped ;” and further, that ‘“‘If you will not hear reason, she will surely rap
your knuckles,” as poor Richard says. .

Mr. Moore in his Work, Paragraph 5, says, ‘‘I have wisely learnt from it to
seek a proper refuge against any ill-natured censures.” To this purpose I beg
leave to prefix your name, Sir WILLIAM STAPLETON, Bart., to this Work, and to
assure the World that you who have purchased Pigeons at very considerable prices
do not consider the subject below your regard.

The question is where am I to fly for refuge against any ill-natured feelings, for
having brought out my Almond Tumbler, 1851, my Work on Tame, Domesticated
and Fancy Pigeons, 1852 ; also the present work on Tame, Domesticated, Foreign
and Fancy Pigeons, 1858 ; also a set of 6 matchless engraved colored Portraits,
‘« Life Size,” viz.—The Almond, Black Mottled, Red Baldhead, and Yellow Beard
Tumblers, Blue-pied English Pouter, and Black Carrier ; also 3 different diagrams
of building or fitting up a Pigeonary. I repeat where am I to fly for refuge against
any ill-natured feelings. Simply I purpose screening myself, by throwing myself
upon the candour of true, honest, upright and experienced Fanciers, acknowledging
I owe an immense debt of gratitude to the following gentlemen who aided and
assisted me, as will be seen by the paragraphs :—BreEntT, Boys, CorKER, and
TONGE, Regence ; especially to Brent and Boys, Esquires. Should you experience

194

in reading it over, with as much pleasure as I experienced in writing and compiling
the Work, we shall both have our reward.

I have endeavoured to glean and cater for you, my inexperienced brother in the
Fancy (notwithstanding the sneers of some puppy would-be Fanciers), and believe
me, I am as ever thine, to serve thee, a brother Fancier, who has devoted time,
care, and attention to the subject ; and believing it to be my last effort, and never
attempt to write or compile another Work on this subject, but stick to my Poetry
believing there is room for improvement; therefore, with grateful acknowledgments
for past favors, take leave of you, my brother Fancier.
we may meet in a better place.

A brother Fancier,

Farewell for ever, hoping

JOHN MATTHEWS EATON.

81, Upper Street, Islington,
Lo N.)

ndon. (

CONTENTS.

Those marked thus (*) are colored Portraits.

Page
Be Frontispiece, the
Almond Tumbler,
dedicated to the
Young and Inex-
perienced Fancier,
on Tame, Domestic-
ated, Fancy and

Foreign Pigeons... 3
Columbarian, or the

Pigeon House ...... 7
Library on Pigeons .. 16
Introduction.........+++ 20
Judges and Umpires,

their Duties ......... 21
The method of Build-

ing a Loft ...... 27
», methodof Match-
ing and Pairing

your Pigeons... 31
To know a Cock from

@ HOR. ..ck. Pecauthwes 32
The generation of
PRS C0B8 ca ernap <ena foam 33
Their Diet, (:.0s.-.02e0 36
The Salt Cab: ., 0340. 37
Distempers of Pigeons 38
Their Usefulness...... 42
pi PONG dao wena scnen 43
(*)The Carrier ......... 44
The Horseman....... 53
= ( )Dragons.-n-.' 57
;, Pouter, Dutch... 59
2 », (*)English 60
pie wy) Laisa or? ae
a vc: ( Uploper,. 434

», Pouting Horseman e
;, Tumblers
», (*)Tumbler Almond 7 5

See John Matthews
Eaton’s Almond
el lcrh pees 138

(*) Tumblers Mottled 82 | The Skinnum

(*) Tumbler Blue...... 83

Page
(*) Tumbler Baldhead 83

(*) ,, Beard,short
faced os. <i: 85
», Beard, long
TAGE assis: 86
Standards, Extremes 86
(*) Runt, Leghorn ... 88
» Spanish ... 90
», Friesland... 90
(*) The Spot........... 91
3, Spot, white or
masked...... 9]
5, Laugher ...... 92
(*).,,. Trumpeter... 92
(*) ,, Jacobine...... 94
»,- Capuchine ... 96
(*) -.¢ cota inss, ste 97
(*) ,, Helmet ... 98
si Ben Sig tes sf 98
55 niki: bes 98
95 TEER <ii..3 99
(*)..,,\ | Barb-or
_ Barbary... 99
(*) ,, Mahomet ... 101
(*) 44,3 Eb Gace 3: 103
(8), Owl. oats 104
(*) ,, Broad Tailed
Shaker or
Fantail ... 106
Narrow
Tailed do. 107
An Alphabetical Ex-
planation ain! 108
The Lace Pigeon...... 110
» Frillback do. ... 110
sp emifer do, ss. 110
», Chinese do. ...... 110
(*)The Porcelain ...... 111
(*) ,, AntwerpPigeon 112
Pigeon Flying Matches
in Belgium ......... 113
bist > debts 115

Pigeon Flyingin Delhi 117

Page

J. G.. Kohl’s Russia
Pipeots <i2:.decssease 117
Our Native Doves ... 118
The Ring Dove ...... 118
», stock Dove: ...... 118
;, Lurtle Dove ...... 119
», Rock Pigeon ...... 120
», Wood Pigeon ..... 120

,, DoveHousePigeon 121
(*)Swallow Pigeon 123
», swallow or Sea

Tern Pigeon ... 123
», Lahore, or Martin

Piccon’. 22a 124
,, Carmelite do....... 124
;, Schwab, or Suabian

Spangled de. ... 125
5) Priest dos ss..002- 126
5; Monk do.°.2i2k. 127
>, (*)Archangel do. 127
;, Ditto, the Breast

or White do. «.. 127
», Stomacher do. 128
by StarlingorBreasted.

Pigeon «....seeeee 128
», Swiss Pigeon...... 128
» Ice Pigeon ......... 129
», Stork Pigeon ce 129

(*)Magpie Pigeon 129

», Shield Pigeon .. . 129
», Gull Pigeon ...... 130
yy) PIGEONS .s...eeeeeee 130

s, Model Prize List
for Pigeons ...... 131

», Pigeons at the
Shows “..20essstes 132

», A Prize List for
Pigeons .....+0s 132

Z ee ag Bronze
ING cesceceecees 136

ES (ones Crowned
Pigeon ......see00 . 136

Almond Tumbler 138

. Dedication to

Page
(*) Frontispiece, the
Almond Tumbler 138
the
Young and Inex-
perienced Fancier
of the Almond
Wumtbler ©. .-..:-0s.. 138
Description oftheBird 141
The Feather............ 14]
», Shape orCarriage 142

Pespored & (E1216 esate Tae 142
aa Beale s2. enn. owe 143
Be AUVOU cree qgrormeccts 143

Gi © sa cies ccs csds 143

145
», (*)Whole Feather 145

195
CONTENTS—Continued.

Page

Of the Nest Pans ... 153
Marks by which to
ascertain the Color
of Feather when

FEATHERS peace vastnass 153
OR Dice t ie farensoncass 153
,, Barren Birds ...... 154
», Washing ..........0 154
», Flying the Birds 154
BO AUOAINN oeenacus ence sa 155
by AG TOW El acinven sohienw owe 155
N MEOTUNE'. ssh sap segs 155
», Lheir Food ......... 156

Te bein Drink: i. LP

», Parting the Birds
after the Breed-
INg S€ASON.....+.+- 157

Page
Purging.......+ 160
The Small Pox......... 160
Of Odd or Unmatched
goat (= ae eee 161
Standard forthe Almond
WHEL <-04 2. 162

General Observations 163
JOHN Boys, Esq., Ob-
servations on the
Almond Tumbler...
Rules, Laws and Ar-
ticles of a Society 185
Columbarian Society

Established ......... 186
Their Ordinances...... 186
POCtrY, oscnen occ+ntnerse 188
IPPETAGO ede hae soaeeede ss 189

Of Laying...........-66 147! ,, Their Dung..... ... 158 | Contents of the Work 194
»» Hatching ......... 148 | ,, ,, Diseases ... 158 | Testimonials of the
Me TELIIIG sce snecicens 149 | The Roop....... oe eeeeee 159 Pregsic secs see ceee 195
se IMoulLing ~.-<26-+« 149| ,, Vertigo or Works published by
GEMM bonenavaae oe 150 Meagrims...... 160 the Author ...... 200
The Loft or Aviary... 151] ,, Staggers «........ 160
Of Penning the Birds 152) ,, Scouring or
FINIS.

TESTIMONIALS OF THE PRESS ON
A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing the
Almond Tumbler. By J. M. Eaton, Islington, London.

BELL’S LIFE, July 6th, 1851. A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing
the Almond Tumbler.—By J. M. Eaton. Never was a man more enthusiastic than
Mr. Eaton. No Arab of the Desert every attended with greater care to his Stud of
thorough Breds, than does Mr. Eaton to his Stud. He informs us our good Queen
is also a good Fancier, and that Napoleon the First was one.

MORNING ADVERTISER, July 19th, 1851. A Treatise on the Art of Breeding
and Managing the Almond Tumbler.—By J. M. Eaton, Islington, London. ‘‘ Let
every Man speak of that to which he hath devoted study and attention ; I mean
not mere book reading, but Observation and Experiment, and He cannot fail to
add to the general stock of our knowledge.”—So wrote John. Locke.

And another great Man observes :---Too much praise is given to ‘“‘mere” writing
of words, in lieu of teaching things; and such is the Book of Mr. J. M. Eaton on
the Almond Tumbler. We can say, that without some spark of enthusiasm
nothing excellent was ever produced ; for without it there can be no perseverance,
and without perseverance Nature refuses improvements. To return to matter of
Fact, Mr. Eaton’s Pages give more minute, sound, practical and available In-
struction and Advice as the means of procnring, propogating, preserving and
discriminating the merits of the most beautiful of all the varied Breeds of the
CoLumBa, to wit, the Almond Tumbler, than any writer who has preceded him ;
in fact, his is the Monograph on this Subject.

MINING JOURNAL, July 26th, 1851. A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and
Managing the Almond Tumbler —By J. M. Eaton, Islington, London. In the
treatment of the subject the author has avoided all ambiguity, eschewed Low and
Flash Terms, and stated his advice and meaning throughout in plain English. In
the description of the Almond Tumbler—the management of them in feeding,
pairing, hatching, &c. their treatment under disease, &c. gives convincing proof
of much practical experience in the subject he writes upon, and we strongly
recommend the volume.

MORNING POST, Aug. 19th, 1851. A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and
Managing the Almond Tumbler.—By J. M. Eaton. Pigeon Fanciers will derive

196

great pleasure, as well as very useful information from reading this book. We
believe that Young Fanciers. may safely place themselves under the guidance of
our Author. His knowledge of the habits and character of the Bird appears to
be complete, and he has taken pains to omit no point upon which his readers
could desire information or advice.

THE WEEKLY DESPATCH, Aug. 3lst, 1851. A Treatise on the Art of
Breeding and Managing the Almond Tumbler.—By J. M. Eaton, Islington, London,
The Author has, under the above title, published a very useful Manual regarding
the ‘‘Almond Tumbler ” Pigeon, of very beautiful form and peculiar plumage.
The matter is ample in its range of subject, copious and plain, so far as the
directions for management, breeding, training, &c. goes, and the evident pleasure
the Writer seems to have taken in his subject makes his Book a very agreeable,
as well as a very Instructive one. ° A

TESTIMONIALS OF THE PRESS ON

: A "TREATISE
ON THE ART OF BREEDING & MANAGEMENT OF ALL THE KNOWN

TAME, DOMESTICATED, AND FANCY

PIGEONS.

BELLS LIFE, January 23rd, 1853.

PIGEON FANCY.—We have just received a Treatise on the ART OF BREEDING
anD Manacine Tame, DoMESTICATED, AND Fancy Piceons, by Mr. John
Matthews Eaton, of 7, Islington Green. The present is a work much wanted by
the Fancy, and at present we have only space to say that the Author is a Fancier
and Breeder, and thoroughly master of his subject.

MIDLAND SPORTING CHRONICLE, January 28th, 1853.

A TREATISE ON THE ART OF BREEDING AND MANAGING ALL THE KNOWN FANCY
Picrons.—By John Matthews Eaton, 7, Islington Green, London. The subject
could not have been better handled than it has been by Mr. Eaton, whose pages
indeed, give ‘‘ More Minute, sound practical, and available instruction and advice,
as to the means of procuring, propagating, preserving and discriminating the
merits” of the Fancy Pigeon than any writer we are acquainted with, .Truly, his
is the monograph on this subject. A well executed set of Engravings, showing
the Fancier what to ‘‘ Breed up to” accompanies the work.

BELL’S LIFE, January 30th, 1853.

A TREATISE ON THE ART OF BREEDING AND Manacine TAME, DOMESTICATED,
AND Fancy Pigeons. By Jonn Marruews Eaton.—As an Instructor in the Art
of Breeding and rearing every species of Pigeon, Mr. Eaton cannot be surpassed, .
and all his various knowledge he has scattered cleverly over the pages of the book
under notice. Young and inexperienced ‘‘ Fanciers,” buy it immediately.

MORNING HERALD, FrEsruary Ist, 1853.

A TREATISE ON THE ART OF BREEDING AND MANAGING TAME, DOMESTICATED,
AnD Fancy Picrons. By J. M. Eaton. Published by the Author, Islington
Green. It may truly be said that the Author of this work thoroughly understands
the subject which he employed his pen. No point, however minute, has escaped
his observation in the Rearing, Managing, and Training of Pigeons of every kind
and variety. He is anexperienced Professor, and his Book may be consulted with
confidence on all the matters relating to the Procuring, Propagating, Preserving,
and Discriminating the merits of the Pigeon tribe. It is accompanied by Six finely:
Coloured Plates,—the Pouter, the Carrier, the Beard, the Bald-head, the Black
mottle, and the Almond Pigeons. d

MORNING POST, FEesruary 9th, 1853,

A TREATISE ON THE ART OF BREEDING AND MANAGING TAME, DOMESTICATED,
AND Fancy Pigrons.—By John Matthews Eaton, Author of the ‘‘ Almond
Tumbler.” Mr. Eatonis a very experienced and very enthusiastic Pigeon Fancier; —
and to those who desire information on the Breeding and Management of these.
‘* Beautiful Birds,” we cannot recommend a better guide, with the notes added by .
John Boys, Esq., is convenient, and appears to render the book exhaustive of the
subject. Portraits of splendid specimens accompanies the Volume.

197

SUNDAY TIMES, Fresruary 13, 1853.

A Treatise on Breeding and Managing Pigeons. By J. M. Eaton. There seems
to be an inherent love amongst English people for rearing and improving the breed
of Pigeons. The Book, as far as we are competent to judge, appears to be a com-
plete practical guide for the inexperienced Pigeon Fancier, an elaborate Treatise by
a man who has evidently devoted Time, Care, and Attention to the subject upon
which he writes. Accompanying the work we have received some well-executed
Engravings, Coloured after Nature, of the much-admired ‘‘ Almond Tumbler ”’ and
other rare and beautiful varieties of Fancy Pigeons.

MIDLAND SPORTING CHRONICLE, Marcu 4th, 1853. ¥

A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing Tame, Domesticated and Fancy
Pigeons. By John Matthews Eaton, 7, Islington Green, London. It is difficult to
select one page more than another, where so much valuable theoretical and practical
information prevails throughout. The same able and intelligent author has pub-
lished a series of admirably executed Engravings, coloured to the ‘‘ Very Life,”
which forms a beautiful and instructive Illustration of the subject which he has in
the above Book executed with such masterly skill. They consist of Portraits—
1, Carrier. 2, Pouter. 3, Bald-head. 4, Black Mottle. 5, Beard. 6, The Almond
Tumbler. This proves a valuable and beautiful appendage to the studio of the
Ornithologist. THE FIELD, Marcu 5th, 1853.

A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing all the known Tame, Domesticated
and Fancy Pigeons. Published by, and to be obtained of, the Author, John
Matthews Eaton, 7, Islington Green, London. Mr. Eaton has dedicated his
Illustrated Work to the Young Fancier, and appears to have had an especial Eye
to giving him the advantage of all his own experience, derived from long observ- .
ation and reflection. He points out the way of obtaining such birds as will lay a
foundation, or improve a stud or strain of birds, and at the same gives the more
experienced Fanciers-(so often appointed Umpires) much wholesome advice. It
appears that Mr. Eaton has dived deeper into the subject of Fancy Pigeons than
any other author, and that he has seriously weighed every remark He has made
before committing his Volume to Press.

; THE MINING JOURNAL, Marcu 5th, 1853.

A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing Tame, Domesticated and Fancy
Pigeons.. By John Matthews Eaton. It would only detract from the value which
will doubtless be attached to the Publication by the ‘‘ Fancier,” and those
intimately interested in the question, were we to attempt any extracts : indeed, to
do the subject fair justice, the Treatise should be perused throughout, as the best
evidence of how much may be said on a subject which at first might appear of so
little significance. It should be observed that the Volume, in addition to the
Plates introduced, is accompanied by elaborately Coloured Engravings of the Pouter
the Carrier, the Beard, the Bald-head, the Black Mottle, and the Almond Pigeon,
which are executed in a superior manner, and in themselves the full Value of the
Treatise in question. In conclusion, We can recommend the Work to the perusal
of all interested in the Study, and would say to others, in the various departments
‘illustrative of Natural History or scientific uses, ‘‘Go Thou and do likewise.”

THE GUARDIAN, Marca 16th, 1853.

A quaint, but clever and amusing little gentleman, by name Eaton, has, it seems,
devoted himself heartily to the rearing of ‘‘Tame Pigeons,” and the production of
those marvels of Head, Beak, Eye, Carriage or Shape, and Feather, which so
much attract the ‘‘ Fancy.” He has certainly a great deal to tell, and he tells it
in a curious but entertaining fashion. The Notes are very Original, and contain .
a deal of Observations and curious Facts ; the half-dozen Prints which accompany
the Volume are excellent—they are really Lovely Birds.

JOHN BULL, Juty 30th, 1853.

A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing Tame, Domesticated and Fancy
Pigeons, carefully compiled from the best Authors, with Observations, containing all
that is necessary to be known of tame, domesticated, and fancy Pigeons. By John
Matthews Eaton, Author of the ‘‘ Almond Tumbler.”—Published for the Author.
This Treatise, on a subject equally interesting to the World of Science and to the
Fancy, and is well known among “ Fanciers,” has just received additional
Tllustrations from a beautiful set of Plates, in which the Author has immortalized
several of the most singular and valuable specimens of the Pigeon Genus. Both.
the Book and its Pictorial accompaniments are deserving of all commendations.

198

COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.
OcroBER 20th, 1853.

It is the best and fullest Work which has yet appeared upon the subject, and
with it are given a Portfolio of Portraits, beautifully Drawn and Colored, the
‘¢ Size of Life,” of the Almond Tumbler, Bald Head, Beard, Black Mottle, Carrier,
and Pouter. Mr. Eaton is not a practised writer, and, therefore, there is a fresh-
ness and raciness about his rambling that disarms criticism, and He is, in truth,

the most vagrant of Scribes—but there is a carelesness of Rules, and an
earnestness of purpose, that defies and disarms Censure. One great Merit for
which Mr. Eaton’s Book deserves a position on the shelves of every Pigeon Fancier,
arises from its value as a Record for upwards of 100 years, of the various Standards |
and points of Excellence in the different varieties. Itis far from being the ex
parte statement of the views and prejudices of an individual, that Authorities,
past and present, pro and con, are fairly placed in review before the Reader, to
whom Mr. Eaton then explains the reasons on which his own judgment would be
grounded. We consider it the best Work that has hitherto appeared relative to
Pigeons, because it is the accumulated experience of Practical Men arranged by
one enthusiastically fond of the Birds concerning which he writes. This enthusiasm
carries him beyond the bounds of sober judgment occasionally, but the Reader
will consider this unpardonable, ‘‘even although he goes the length of admiring
an Almond Tumbler” as the most beautiful of God’s creatures, with the exception
of ‘‘ Lovely Woman.”

MOUBRAY’S TREATISE ON DOMESTIC & ORNAMENTAL POULTRY,
By L. A. Meaty. June 1854.

We also cheerfully acknowledge our obligations to a Treatise on Pigeons, by
J. M. Eaton, 1852, which we recommend to those who desire further information,
as being decidedly the most complete Book that can now be had on the subject ;
it contains a reprint of Moore’s Treatise, 1735: its principal value, too, consists
in the originally and practically useful information scattered throughout its pages.

THE POULTRY CHRONICLE, Aveusr 9th, 1854. —

Mr. J. M. Eaton’s Treatise on Tame, Domesticated and Fancy Pigeons, price 10s.
with colored plates (large as Life), to be obtained of the Author, 7, Islington Green,
London.—Is the best Work I know of. Mr. Eaton deserves the thanks of all.
Pigeon Fanciers for rescuing from the cobwebs and oblivion the original work of
the late Mr. John Moore (1735), to which he has added, in the most honourable
way all the additions of subsequent Authors, acknowledging each; and the Author
has also added an excellent Treatise on the Almond Tumbler. §

THE BOSTON AND LOUTH GUARDIAN, AND LINCOLNSHIRE
ADVERTISER, SrepremMBer 20th, 1854.

A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing Tame. Domesticated, and
Fancy Pigeons ; to which is now added, A Treatise on the Almond Tumbler, with
Colored Portraits (Large as Life), by Mr. John Matthews Eaton, of whom the
Work may be had, at 7, Islington Green, London.—Price 10s. Post Free.

The first part of the Book before us is a re-print of Mr. John Moore’s excellent
Work, published 1735, which was supposed to be lost to the Fancy, but rescued
from oblivion by Mr. Eaton’s indefatigable exertions. He afterwards collated the
Work with that of Mayor, 1765, Daniel Girtin, and those of other subsequent
Authors, and being in possession of the Observations and Reflections derived from
Fifty Years’ experience in the Fancy, by John Boys, Esq., Mr. Eaton determined
upon publishing the Work. The Work is very cleverly written, and there is a,
freshness and raciness about it which more than compensates for its rambling
style, whilst the variety of matter brought together renders it the Text Book of
the Pigeon Fancier : the general Reader will also find much instruction and enter-
tainment in itstpages. We believe Mr. Eaton is without a rival as Preceptor in
the management of Pigeons, whose history he has for many years closely studied,
and his experience is here, through his enthusiasm, placed at the disposal not only
of the Pigeon Arbitrator, but the Young and Inexperienced Fancier. The judges
of Pigeons may here learn upon what authority the Standard of Excellence is
established ; for the Author well observes :—‘‘ to judge only from the appearance
of a bird, which may be very ‘ Pretty,’ but yet far from the Standard, 1s a very

199

childish affair, and produces ill-will ; whereas, with a Standard the properties can
be pointed out, on which the competing birds ‘ Win or Lose,’ which must give
general satisfaction.”

After giving full directions on the building of Lofts, Matching, to distinguish
the Sexes, Generation, Diet, and Diseases, commenting on the usefulness of
Pigeons, concludes with a full description of the numerous Varieties ; also giving
the Standard Points, giving full directions as to Breeding, including the Hatching
and Shifting the Young, and the rule whereby to ascertain the future Color of the
Young long before any signs of Feathers are visible, flying the Birds, &c. &c.
concludes by some most valuable general observations.

It is almost impossible to make selections where all is alike valuable. In
conclusion, we must not omit to draw attention to the Frontispiece, which is a
Colored Portrait of an Almond Tumbler, and to the six other Colored Portraits,
(Large as Life) which accompany the Work, illustrative of the Pouter, Carrier,
Beard, Bald-head, Black Mottle, and the Almond, which are truly Works of Art,
and well worthy of being Framed and Glazed, to ornament the drawing or other
rooms of the Pigeon Fancier. The Portraits alone are worth more than twice
the price of the Work.

THE LINCOLNSHIRE CHRONICLE, AND NORTHAMPTON, RUTLAND .
AND NOTTINGHAM ADVERTISER, Octoper 13th, 1854.

A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing Tame, Domesticated and
Fancy Pigeons, by John Matthews Eaton. Published for, and to be obtained of,
the Author, 7, Islington Green, London. Price 10s.

The Work before us is in two parts, the first being a re-print of a Work published
in 1735, by John Moore, intituled ‘‘ Columbarium, or the Pigeon-House ; being
an introduction to a Natural History of Tame Pigeons, giving an account of the
several species known in England, with the method of breeding them, their dis-
tempers, and cures ;” being the first Work ever published on Pigeons, with many
valuable Notes appended by Mr. Eaton, together with a ‘‘ Catena Aurea,” of
somewhat more recent writers in the same track, including Mayor and Girtin.
The second part consists of ‘‘ A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing
the Almond Tumbler, by John Matthews Eaton :” published in 1851, but now
incorporated with Mr. Meore’s Work. Mr. Eaton is evidently an enthusiastic
fancier, and though unused to authorship, has braved the censure of his brother
fanciers to aid the young and inexperienced in the Fancy, as appears from the
Preface, wherein he assures the reader it was ‘‘no joke to bring out a work on
the subject,” for it made enemies of a few waspish, crabby old fanciers, who do
not wish the young Fancier to know more than answers their purpose ; and who
‘*did not believe that Mr. Eaton had the ability to produce such a work.” Such
praise from the Author’s enemies must have been very gratifying to him, and we
can assure our readers the Work ought to be in the hands of all Pigeon Fanciers
and Students in Natural History. The Work is illustrated with a Colored
Portrait, from life, of an Almond Tumbler, in the possession of the Author, and
accompanied by a portfolio of exquisite engravings of different varieties of Pigeons.
These last are portraits from life, and worth very considerably more than the
price of the volume, and as we survey them, we know not which to admire the
most—the Pouter, Carrier, Beard, Bald-head, Black-mottle, or Almond Tumbler—
all are alike beautiful in form and colour, and high standards for the Fancier to
breed up to. We do not know of anything so appropriate to the Smoke-room of
the Gentleman Fancier as these beautiful Portraits, framed and glazed, which
would supply him with materials for mental study, whilst he puffed away at the
aromatic weed ; and they are also worthy a place in the Portfolio or Gallery of
the Connoisseur of Engravings. At page 18, there is a laughable anecdote of the
Author, when a school-boy, leaving home to angle without bait and knocking down a
wasp for that purpose, whereby he caught a tartar, as he got severely stung by it,
but for which we have not room, and conclude this notice by the following passage
from the Almond Tumbler, which will also, in some degree, apply to the Poultry
Fancier :--‘‘T shall here endeavour to rivet, as it were, on the minds of those who
will engage in this delightful study, some great facts ; the first thing especially to
be attended to is the selection of really good birds : they should be young, healthy,

200

vigorous, and bred from as pure and as good a stud or strain as can be obtained.
From the highly artificial state of the Almond Tumbler, in the present day, there
is a tendency to degenerate, or throw back, as it is termed by the Fancy; for even
when good birds are put together, they do not invariably throw birds equal to
those they are bred from ; but if inferior birds are. matched together, the produce
must necessarily be unworthy the attention of a Fancier. Nonpareils will not
always produce nonpareils: but nonpareils cannot be expected from inferior birds.
Much attention and great care are necessary with these birds, to insure success,
especially if the young Fancier raises a standard in his mind to surpass those who
have tried before him, and who has made up his mind not to rank second best;
but the satisfaction of producing the best bird must be very great, and will amply
repay him for all the care and labour that has been expended.” :

THE DOVER CHRONICLE AND KENT & SUSSEX ADVERTISER,
OcToBER 14th, 1854.

A Treatise on the Art of Breeding and Managing Tame, Domesticated and Fancy
Pigeons. By John Matthews Eaton, Islington Green, London. Price 10s.

‘Having read this interesting Treatise, we have much pleasuse in recommending
it to our friends ; while to the admirers of those beautiful birds, whether Fancier
or Amateur, it will be found very valuable. We believe it to be the best book of
the kind extant. It contains the whole of Mr. John Moore’s Work on Pigeons,
published 1735, to which Mr. Eaton has added all the additional information of
subsequent authors, honorably acknowledging each. The Work also contains an
excellent treatise on the Almond Tumbier by himself, of which variety the author
is an enthusiastic Fancier and able Judge. The Work treats of the various sorts
of Fancy Pigeons, and all things necessary as to their treatment and management.
Seven large colored Portraits embellish and add greatly to the value of the work.

WORKS PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR.

A TREATISE ON THE ART OF BREEDING AND MANAGING THE ALMOND TUMBLER,
1851.—incorporated in the Work on the Art of Breeding and Managing Tame,
Domesticated, Foreign and Fancy Pigeons.

Atso A TREATISE ON THE ART OF BREEDING AND MANnaGine TAME, DOMESTICATED
_ AND Fancy PicEons, 1852,—incorporated in the Work on the Art of Breeding
and Managing Tame, Domesticated, Foreign and Fancy Pigeons.

Atso A TREATISE ON THE ART OF BREEDING AND MANAGING TAME, DOMESTICATED,
ForEIGN AND Fancy Piceons, carefully compiled from the best Authors, with

- Observations and Reflections, containing all that is necessary to be known of
Tame, Domesticated, Foreign and Fancy Pigeons in health, disease and their
cures, with 30 matchless Steel Engravings, coloured. 1858.

Auso A Set oF stx Matcuiess ENGRAVED CoLouRED Portraits ‘‘ Lire S1zz,” BY
WolLsTENHOLME, viz. :—The Almond, Black Mottle, Red Baldhead, Yellow
Beard Tumblers, Black Carrier, and Blue Picd English Pouter, the set of 6, six
shillings, separate 1s. 6d. each, originally the set of 6 sold for 27s. ; singly, 5s.
each. The Portraits, when Framed and Glazed are much admired, and are
considered great ornaments to any room.

Also a Third Edition of a New and Improved colored Diagram, or a Plan of Building
or fitting up a Pigeonary, embellished with Tumblers, Pouters and Carriers,
price 2s.

Published by, and to be obtained of the Author, JOHN MATTHEWS EATON,
81, Upper STREET, IsLincton, Lonpon, (N.) ‘‘ All Post Free.”

Money Orders made Payable at the Post Office, Islington, London, (N.)

P.S.—Some of the Committees and Patrons of the Poultry and
Pigeon Shows award Mr. EATON’S WORK ON PIGEONS

or the PORTRAITS and DIAGRAM of a PIGEONARY, as.
an Extra PRIZE.

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