February 10, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE A^D COTTAGE GARDENER. 



119 



the pure Silver Mealy — a bird very useful to the darker Blues, and 

 rarely now found in all its perfection owing to certain crosses in the 

 Bine strains — we may say in general terms that it is principally on 

 the side of strength and structure to the standard classes that non- 

 standard birds have been, and can be, best utilised. And thus is 

 revealed the only principle on which they may safely be admitted to 

 competition : — strictly as a class for the convenience of breeders, which 

 in the schedule should be named the " defective plumage class," and 

 should be judged solely for the structural properties, size, strength, 

 and contour. Such a class would cover the whole range of non-stan- 

 dard specimens ; for besides unelassed birds, it would bring out many 

 of sound colour, not now entered in the standard classes by reason of 

 their too extravagant markings or their unpied breasts and pinions. 

 And to this extent it would be of extra value to the breeder, who would 

 occasionally have the opportunity of selecting matches uniting with 

 structure some advantages of counteraction in plumage properties. 



The reasons for the classification now suggested were argued at 

 much length in this Journal some seasons ago, and are too numerous 

 for complete recital. Whatever may have been the earlier uses of 

 defective birds, certain it is that the standard classes of to-day bear 

 evidence to their too profuse employment. Breeders are not always 

 confining to the seclusion of the loft their methods and operations, — 

 bringing only to the light good results in the shape of improved stan- 

 dard ; but, on the contrary, they are too frequently to be found putting 

 into the show-pen as standard (!) birds, specimens betraying the faults 

 of their defective parentage in proportions quite outweighing excel- 

 lencies ; and betraying, too, that economy rather than standard was 

 the object contemplated in the parental matching. 



Again, that great consideration for defective birds, which might have 

 been justified when crosses were fewer, and the standard classes more 

 in need of structural help, is no longer warranted, for superiority of 

 structure is frequently found within the standard classes themselves, 

 and they for the present can supply a plenitude of desirable crosses. 

 Indeed, we may safely assert of the Show under report that the 

 standard classes have little to hope, and much to fear, from very 

 many of the non-standard birds exhibited. From all but a very 

 very few, nothing but retrogression could fairly be predicated as the 

 result of their employment, while more than ever the use of an un- 

 standard bird should be regulated by the consideration that the ad- 

 vantage to be obtained completely counterbalances any possible evil. 



If, therefore, the Society is anxious, as we know it is, to give a 

 further impetus to scientific Pouter breeding, let it strengthen its posi- 

 tion by merging the present formidable array of non-standard classes 

 into a single "defective-plumage class," with the usual sub-division 

 for cocks and hens, and let it be a strict instruction to the judges to 

 award only for superiority of strength, size, and structure. Thus the 

 standard will be guarded at every point from infringement or prejn Kce, 

 provision will be made for every meritorious or really useful bird, 

 breeders will be accommodated, the prize money will be economised, 

 weedy specimens will find their true level, and the repute of the 

 Society will be advantaged. 



Once more we urge that a tolerance of inferior birds will more than 

 outweigh any good likely to result from the maintenance of non- 

 standard classes. The alternative is, therefore, between their rejec- 

 tion altogether, or a severe treatment in classification and judgment. 

 A few general criticisms will conclude our report. 

 {To be continued.) 



SKY TUMBLERS AGAIN. 



I started the correspondence upon this BuVject, and I think 

 that I can close it very summarily. The Sky Tumbler is, I feel 

 sure, our English Tumbler, the long-faced as distinguished by 

 that designation from the fancy short-faced variety, carefully 

 bred — not akin in nesting pairs — for model, in Swallow form, 

 and for length and strength of pinion or wings. I have birds 

 now, not six months old, with flights or wings that cross at the 

 points over the tail, long bodies, rounded at the breast, bullet 

 heads, short legs, sparrow-bill beaks, and pearl eyes, in outline 

 not unlike the Swallow or Swift, and which birds, of their own 

 accord and not driven, will fly cloud height any fine day for 

 from one hour to one hour and a half. 



My birds are not in a trapped loft, but at liberty, and almost 

 daily, when fine, fly as I state for their own diversion like so 

 many Swallows or Swifts. I feed them, like winged racers, on 

 red wheat, small horse beans split, and little grey peas mixed, 

 inside the loft always, and let the water bottle and salt cat 

 stand at their will, iuside also. Grit they pick up outside at 

 leisure. 



Birds that fly under training from a trapped loft, would fly 

 a couple of hours naturally without fatigue; when flown longer 

 they fly unnaturally — that is, are driven or trained, and excited 

 by brandy paste, or by a dose of hemp seed before being flown. 

 Hemp seed produces semi-intoxication, so does brandy paBte, 

 bence birds fly themselves sober again, flying for hours, end 

 occasionally they fly away altogelher — i e., lose themselves, as 

 nnfeathered and wingless bipeds do under somewhat similar 



circumstances. Therefore, my conclusion is, that Sky-Tumbler- 

 flying is an art of breeding and training, exactly as cocking 

 was, and is still, or as horse-racing is at this day. 



The birds should not be akin, and should be allowed to breed 

 from February to September only ; and every alternate nest 

 should be robbed to keep the old birds to their young until on 

 the wing, otherwise they will breed their stamina out, and dege- 

 nerate. Let your readers procure good mated birds as I men- 

 tion, not akin, and try the art of breediug and feeding — train if 

 they like — on my plan, and I dare guarantee Sky Tumblers in 

 their lofts. 



I can confidently commend the Birmingham Roller from 

 experience and practice. The word " Koller " is apt to mis- 

 lead, for this Tumbler is no Roller other than skywards, but is 

 vulgarly called a Roller because in its descent it thro ws occasional 

 double somersaults, or rapid rolls, like a wheel, a recommenda- 

 tion, in my opinion, so gracefully and wonderfully performed as 

 this roll is by some of these Pigeons. The appropriate descrip- 

 tion is " Birmingham Sky Tumblers," which these birds are 

 in the strictest sense. The Macclesfield Tumbler I know to 

 be an excellent bird, a fleet high flyer, though, I think, not 

 so enduring as the Birmingham Tumbler, the difference being, 

 I should say, as that betwixt the racer and the hunter in horses, 

 a difference of bone and sinew, and not bottom or pluck, in 

 which both excel. 



" Old Bob Ridley " — I acknowledge the compliment of this 

 gentleman's repeated reference toMicclesfield, Manchester, and 

 Chester, as likely to answer my search for Sky Tumblers. The 

 music of his letter, certainly "with a tune in it," is as enchanting 

 as the poesy 'neath which he veils his fintasy; for although 

 our correspondent soars well nigh " the mu-ic of the spheres," 

 and leaves us awhile in mystic haze, he drops his wings, and 

 alights again in our midst with the lyrical melody of " Old 

 Bob Ridley" on his lips. 



I am delighted to fiud " Old Bob," though not the ideal 



of my former conception of humanity, still to be a sublunary 



mortal, with sympathies his " nam de plume " awaken in kindred 



! souls. " One touch of Nature maies the whole world kin." 



— Reader. 



TRUMPETER PIGEONS. 



I observe on page 77 a letter upon this Pigeon, and being 

 of the same opinion as your correspondent, that interchange of 

 ideas upon the standard properties of the different varieties 

 would be acceptable to fanciers, I offer a few words on the sub- 

 ject he introduces. Having kept and bred Trumpeters for 

 years, I have had a pretty fair experience of the variety, and 

 shall be glad if I can say anything worth reading. 



In the first place, I agree with your correspondent's pro- 

 position, that the properties of a Trumpeter are hood, limb 

 (or feel), colour, and size. 



• Rose and hood, are, undoubtedly, the first properties in any 

 colour. 



The rose should be large, coming well over the eyes, and 

 nearly to the end of the beak, well placed on the head, and ra- 

 diating every way from the centre with the greatest nicety. A 

 split rose is very objectionable, and although size of rose is a 

 great point, I would prefer a rose of moderate size well placed 

 to a larger one which wae irregular and uneven. 



The hood should be thick, the feathers being long, standing 

 well above, and curving well round, the head in an unbroken 

 outline. The broader the head the better. 



Trumpeters should have a mane something like that of a 

 Jacobin, though, of course, not nearly so thick in feathering. I 

 have seen some really first-class birds whose neck feathers grew 

 as in a plain-headed Pigeon just up to the point where the 

 head sets on to the neck, and at this point the feathers grew 

 upwards to form the hood. This causes a disagreeable-looking 

 break, though only a minor point. 



A perfect specimen should have about thirty feathers on 

 each foot, from the under side of the hock joint to the middle 

 claw, without counting the short feathers which cover the 

 inner side of the leg, and top side of the foot. The longest of 

 these feathers should be nearly 5 inches in length. This is a 

 point too much neglected. 



In their anxiety to secure good roses and hoods, fanciers are 

 apt entirely to neglect the feet-feathering. For my own part, I 

 like to see the three points I have named, in equal excellence, 

 as I place length and quantity of foot and leg-feathering only 

 the merest trifle below rose and hood. 

 Another important point is matching. A pair of Trumpeters 



