i855.] PIGEON FANCYING. 411 



do very well. The chief points which I am, and have been 

 for years, very curious about, is to ascertain whether the 

 young of our domestic breeds differ as much from each other 

 as do their parents, and I have no faith in anything short of 

 actual measurement and the Rule of Three. I hope and be- 

 lieve I am not giving so much trouble without a motive of 

 sufficient worth. I have got my iantails and pouters (choice 

 birds, I hope, as I paid 20^. for each pair from Baily) in a 

 grand cage and pigeon-house, and they are a decided amuse- 

 ment to me, and delight to H." 



In the course of my father's pigeon-fancying enterprise he 

 necessarily became acquainted with breeders, and was fond 

 of relating his experiences as a member of the Columbarian 

 and Philoperistera Clubs, where he met the purest enthusiasts 

 of the " fancy," and learnt much of the mysteries of their art. 

 In writing to Mr. Huxley some years afterwards, he quotes 

 from a book on ' Pigeons ' by Mr, J. Eaton, in illustration of 

 the ''extreme attention and close observation" necessary to 

 be a good fancier. 



''In his [Mr. Eaton's] treatise, devoted to the Almond 

 Tumbler alone, which is a sub-variety of the short-faced vari- 

 ety, which is a variety of the Tumbler, as that is of the Rock- 

 pigeon, Mr. Eaton says : ' There are some of the young fan- 

 ciers who are over-covetous, who go for all the five properties 

 at once [/, <?., the five characteristic points which are mainly 

 attended to, — C. D.], they have their, reward by getting noth- 

 ing.' In short, it is almost beyond the human intellect to 

 attend to all the excellencies of the Almond Tumbler ! 



" To be a good breeder, and to succeed in improving any 

 breed, beyond everything enthusiasm is required. Mr. Eaton 

 has gained lots of prizes, listen to him. 



" ' If it was 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 (/. ^., 

 the tumbler's) properties, I should think that scarce any 

 nobleman or gentleman would be without their aviaries of 

 Almond Tumblers.' " 



