286 



JOtmNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



[ March 28, 1867. 



production of an omnivorous reader, " The Doctor," by R. 

 Boutliey. In the one-volume edition, pape 350, in a chapter 

 entitled " Facts and Observations Relating to Onomatology or 

 Names," Southey, after epeakiuR of the different names of 

 gooseberries, apples, pears, &c., goes on to say, "Hath not 

 Daniel Girton, of Bucks, in his ' Complete Pigeon Fancyer,' 

 wherein he jioints out to the gentlemen of the fancy the foul 

 marks and real psrfections of every valuable species of fancy 

 birds and Toys which in his time were bred in England, France, 

 and Holbmd : hath not Daniel Girton I say (though Boswell 

 thought that a sentence so formed as to require an ' I say ' to 

 keep it together resembled a pair of ill-mended breeches, and 

 candidly acknowledged the resemblance in his own — the sen- 

 tence I mean he was penning, not the breeches he wore). 

 Hath not Daniel Girton, I say, particnlaily enumerated in his 

 title-page among the varieties of such fancy birds ' Pouters, 

 Carriers, Horsemen, Dragons, Croppers, TJplopers, Pouting 

 Horsemen, Fantails, Chinese Pigeons, Lace Pigeons, Tumblers, 

 Eunts, Spots, Laughers, Trumpeters, Jacobins, Capuchins, 

 Nuns, Shakers, Helmets, Ruffs, Fiuikius, Turners, Barbs, Ma- 

 homets, Turbits, Owls, Smiters?' concluding the imperfect 

 enumeration with an '&c.'" N.B. — Soutbey must have pos- 

 sessed a copy of Girton, and written with it before him, as the 

 order of the names is exactly as given in the title-page of " The 

 Complete Pigeon Fancyer." 



Returning to " The Dovecote," the author of which was a 

 Pigeon lover rather than a Pigeon fancier, and who for real 

 fancier knowledge frequently quotes the older writers ; still we 

 may be glad that such an original work was written by one 

 gifted with a charmingly descriptive style, who raised the taste 

 for Pigeons, and proved that these beautiful birds, despised 

 too frequently by the naturalist and the gentleman, need not 

 necessarily be associated with the lower orders of society. It 

 is said that in olden times every fourth Dutchman was a 

 Pigeon fancier ; perhaps something of this kind may yet take 

 place in England. Every one needs a hobby, and what prettier 

 things can be found to constitute one than fancy Pigeons ? In 

 "The Dovecote," now I believe out of print, we find the first 

 mention of the Archangel Pigeon. An abridgement of the 

 work containing the more practical portions has been published 

 by Routledge in his series of " Books for the Country." It 

 forms the first part of the volume entitled " Pigeons and 

 Babbits," by E. S. J'elamer. 



I now turn to one of the curiosities of literature, " The 

 Treatise on Fancy Pigeons" by J. M. Eaton, and bearing the 

 dale of 1858. This edition includes his book on the Almond 

 Tumbler, first published in 1851. I have called it a curiosity 

 in literature, .and indeed it is — so strangely written, so wan- 

 dering, so odd ; sometimes we laugh with the author, more 

 frequently we laugh at him. He is a most enthusiastic Pigeon 

 fancier, going far beyond the bounds of ordinary enthusiasm ; 

 then he mixes all sorts of things in his book; yet, though 

 style, manner, and matter are often of the queerest description, 

 no one can doubt the thorough knowledge which the writer 

 possesses of his subject. The coloured illustrations by Wol- 

 Btenholme are most excellent — the poor birds at length had 

 full pictorial justice done to them. The same may also be 

 said of the twelve large coloured portraits of perfect Pigeons 

 (alas ! where are the realities?) life size, published also by Mr. 

 Eaton. I shall never forget the delight of an old fancier to 

 whom I showed the pictures in Mr Eaton's book, and who 

 had always deplored the ugliness of Pigeon pictures and their 

 want of truth both to nature and fancy. 



The plan of Mr. Eaton's book is this : — He publishes Moore's 

 work with notes by himself and others, some notes excellent, 

 some extremely funny. Thus he brings the fancy down to the 

 present time. Then is added as a second part " The Almond 

 Tumbler," which is in fact, as I have before stated, the work 

 of Windus with additions, some acute and sensible, others in 

 the odd vein. Manifestly the writer had but few early educa- 

 tional advantages, and therefore I forbear to make extracts or 

 further to criticise. A better-arranged edition much condensed, 

 as the writer himself seems to think, w-ould be an improve- 

 ment, as also omitting the coarse parts and expressions, now 

 printed in full from the older works, but which a modern and 

 better taste decidedly disapproves. 



And now I come to the last-published and the best book on 

 fancy Pigeons — " The Pigeon Book," by B. P. Brent, a name 

 respected in these columns ; for who, being a Pigeon fancier, 

 has not profited by our deceased fellow contributor's clearly ex- 

 pressed and sound advice ? It may at once be said that Mr. 

 Brent did not hold the picturesque pen of the author of " The 



Dovecote," that he did not write what all would read for 

 amusement, but that he strictly wrote to give infonnation, and 

 he gave it in plain words; and his work is by far the most 

 complete on llio Pigeon subject generally, a work to which to 

 appeal and refer. This book forms the fourth original one on 

 the subject — " The Columbarium ; " then that of Wiudus ; then 

 " The Dovecote ; " and, lastly, '• The Pigeon Book ; " but both 

 Ihu second and third must yield the palm to the additional 

 information given by Mr. Brent. His residence on the Con- 

 tinent caused him to be able to introduce to the English reader 

 a great number of German and French Toy Pigeons, which had 

 never been previou^'ly noticed. Among these were Carmelites, 

 8uabiaDs, Hyacinths, Porcelains, Swiss, Stomachers, Priests, 

 Sea SwoPows, &c. 



Mr. Erent arranges Fancy Pigeons very sensibly, in one 

 division taking in all birds having certain strongly defined 

 points or properties, such as Carriers, Tumblers, Pouters, 

 Jacobins, &c., and then in a second division, he comprehends 

 those Pigeons which are mere birds of feather, in which shape 

 is little or nothing ; and this property, feather, once lost they 

 liecome only common Pigeons. In this class he places Sua- 

 bians, Priests, Shields, and the general mass of German Toys. 

 In addition to much useful information concerning manage- 

 ment, feeding, &c., Mr. Brent was the first to arrange a prize 

 list, placing the original colour of each variety first, and then 

 also giving the particular fancy points of each breed, thus being 

 a guide to purchasers, owners, and judges. Whoever wants 

 good sense and correct guidance on the Pigeon subject, let him 

 turn to the pages of Brent. 



I have now traced fancy Pigeon literature from the first 

 known English writer to the last, and as far as I know I have 

 not omitted to notice one worthy of remark. I shall now turn 

 to my own connection and experience with fancy Pigeons. It 

 is an old love, and from which I have never even desired to be 

 off. — Wiltshire Reciok. 



CROSSES IN D.VRK BRAHMA POOTRAS. 



Having never had any communication with Miss E. Watts, 

 I was much gratified to read her remarks last week on Brahma 

 combs, and to see so entirely independent a corroboration of 

 my opinion that the shapeless combs we now so often see were 

 derived " primarily from the various crosses whii^h have been 

 attempted with the idea of improving the breed, and since 

 perpetuated by want of care." The only two of such crosses 

 which now demand special notice are those with the Cochin 

 and Dorking, both of which linger unsuspected in many 

 Brahma strains, and a few words may not be useless with 

 regard to their detection. 



I should, however, premise in explanation that I am no 

 opponent of judicious crossing; I have a strong opinion that 

 by scientific experiment in this direction, with subsequent 

 careful selection, we might obtain a fowl with all the size, hardi- 

 ness, and unequalled laying qualities of my favourite breed, 

 combined with the edible excellence of the Dorking; but such 

 would be a new fowl, and should be shown as such. And if I 

 admit, also, that many existing breeds have been greatly im- 

 proved bj' a cross, I contend that in such cases all traces of the 

 cross should be thoroughly eradicated before the fowls are 

 shown in their old name. For instance, it it be true, as I 

 believe, that Dorkings were raised to their present standard of 

 size by a cross with the Cochin, and with great advantage to 

 their constitution, it is equally true that every trace of the 

 cross but size is effectually gone. Such is not the case with 

 the crosses I am now considering in the Brahmas. 



The cross with the Grey Dorking has arisen from two 

 motives — the one being a desire to improve the form and table 

 qualities of the breed, and the other to give that indispensable 

 requisite in a prize pullet — a dark breast. One well-known 

 yard, which, of course, I cannot name, has specially sinned 

 in this latter respect. Yet, whilst I know that the obtaining 

 a darkly pencilled breast has often been the motive of a Dork- 

 ing cross, I cannot agree with Miss Watts in her inference 

 that all the darkest birds are thus tainted ; for Mr. Teebay 

 was a most inveterate antagonist to any Dorking taint in a 

 Brahma, whilst the hens he used to show were even darker 

 than any we see now. 



The Dorking taint shows itself in several ways. A large, 

 coarse, cruel-looking head is one pretty certain sign, which is 

 seldom absent. White-legged pullets will also appear from time 

 to time in every yard thus contaminated, and such legs aie an 



