Harris.] 356 [Januarys, 



means common in ornithology, and if we accept Darwin's theory of 

 the origin of all these varieties, it Is difficult to see how th?y were 

 produced in the first. 



Passing to the first of the groups previously mentioned, the tumb- 

 lers, we find here three classes as before enumerated. The air tumb- 

 lers are of all the five colors, and of all possible conglomerations of 

 those cold's. 



The shai>e is a prominent peculiarity. You will observe in the two 

 sjjecimens upon the table a marked difference ; one is a common 

 street pigeon, the other is a very beautiful specimen of the yellow, or 

 almond tumbler. In this latter, the head is well set back, the breast 

 prominent and broad, the eye small and bright, the beak short and 

 fine, and the tail rather pointed than otherwise. The tumbler is dis- 

 tinguished, too, for its alertness and activity, but Its striking peculiar- 

 ity is shown in its flight. The perfect tumbler then rises to a great 

 height, wheeling with great rapidity, and at Intervals turning a com- 

 plete somerset in the air. At such times the bird does not pause or 

 drop in Its flight ; the head is suddenly thrown upwards and back, 

 the wings held motionless and outstretched, and the body Is twli'led 

 over, as It were on a pivot. The evolution In highly prized birds is 

 repeated rapidly twice, thrice, or more times. I do not know of Its 

 parallel in the feathered tribe : it seems to proceed from pure exuber- 

 ance of spirits, and to give as great a pleasure to the bird itself as 

 to the wondering spectator. The attainment belongs solely to the 

 tumbler, and so far as my own experience goes In watching the habits 

 of these birds, extending over a period of ten years, I have never 

 known a hybrid to manifest anything more than the feeblest attempt 

 at a somerset. 



The so-called ground tumbler, Is simply a variety of the air tumb- 

 ler. He never attains a high flight, being often Incapable of reaching 

 any considerable height, but contents himself with turning a succes- 

 sion of somersets In rising to or falling from the perch. All that I 

 have ever seen are shaped more like the common street pigeon, and 

 resemble the Indian birds rather than the European. 



The rollers are very rare In this country. Several years ago an old 

 sailor greatly amused me by stating that he had seen In India, a pigeon 

 that rolled over on the ground like a cart wheel. I did not in the 

 least credit the story, but soon after I received a box of pigeons from 

 Calcutta, and among the number was a roller. The mate had unfor- 

 tunately rolled through the ship's scu})pers on the voyage and was lost. 

 This bird, a female, was placed In my coop and reared quite a num- 

 ber of young ones until two years ago, when an accident deprived 

 her of life. She was at first mated with a remarkably fine air tumb- 

 ler. The young never tumbled or rolled. She was then sent to 



