Jaly 23, 1869. ] 



JOUENAL OP HORTICULTDBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



71 



the Almond Tambler, and the writer gives an account also oJ 

 the Black-mottleJ Tumblers. Then came soon after Daniel 

 Girtou, and be gives four pages and a half to the Almond and 

 other short faces, mentioning even Yellow Mottlea. Then, 

 next follows Windus, in 1302, who speaks ot the Kites by 

 name. But cue thing is certain, both from the written accounts 

 in " The Treatise," Girton and Windus, and also by the en- 

 gravings, that short-faced birds had but comparatively short 

 faces, and were as nothing to the beauties we now see. This 

 induces ms to mike another remark. Sometimes we hear an 

 express-on that fancy Pigeons are not now as good as iu former 

 years. This is said either by old fanciers who have given up 

 the fancy, or by fanciers who only judge from what they see in 

 their own neighbourhoods. 



Now, I am bound to say, having seen the best Pigeons that 

 England, Scotland, and Ireland can show, that thirty years 

 ago, or even twenty years ago, there were not so many good 

 birds as now. That, as in other things, there have been im- 

 provements and advance, so in fancy Pigeons. The Periste- 

 ronic and Glasgow Shows tell us plainly that the birds and the 

 fanciers are both higher-class than in former years. 



First stands among the short faces, and ever will stand, the 

 beautiful Almond. I may call it a choice specimen of leather 

 and form, beauty untrained, and leaden must that eye be which 

 can see no beauty in the shape or plumage of the little Almond. 

 From dainty head to dainty little foot it is a lovely bird, a 

 little gem. 



But just 83 lovers equally admiring a fair one may differ as 

 to their estimate of her various charms, and warmly dispute, 

 so. alas ! do Almond fanciers. As of the lady, one lover says, 

 " Oh ! it is her retrouse nose and finely rounded little head 

 that I think so much of." Another says, " Pooh 1 nonsense, 

 it is her figure that I admire ; you admire a little part, I the 

 whole." Wljile a third may say, " You are both wrong, it is her 

 drees which 1 think perfection." Just exactly so of the Almond 

 fair one. One class is all for head and nose (beak) ; a second 

 for form ; a third for feather. 



Kow, as who is to decide when doctors differ, so, only much 

 more, who is to decide when Pigeon fanciers differ :' Please, 

 good enthcaiasts, do not throw atones either at me or each 

 other. 



It is clear that the oldest fanciers put feather first. Thus, 

 in " The Treatise " on the Almond Tumbler, supposed to be 

 written by Windus, and published in 18u2. In this, the very 

 first book written on the subject, the writer says in the very 

 first page, '• The first thing that strikes the eye on looking at 

 the Almond Tumbler iu the area is, the feather, or, perhaps, 

 the shape may strike some, if that should happen to be very 

 good; but as I think {rather ougJit to Iiave tkc picferciice, I will 

 take that first." The President of the Peristeronic, Mr. 

 Esqailant, also, so 1 believe, places feather first ; and in con- 

 firmation ot this view, whicli I own is mine, this of giving 

 preference to the whole bird rather than merely a part — i.e., 

 head and beak, I have the pleasure of quoting the following 

 remarks of a. very able Glasgow fancier, who writes to me thus 

 — " In Almonds, Mottles, Baldheads, and Beards, feather is the 

 /iVsf point ; for instance, an Almond cannot be so called unless 

 it is of almond fcatJu'i: The face may be ever so short, but 

 without feather it is not an Almond. So I hold feather to be 

 the first property. If a standard bird showing all the colours 

 in each feather on flight and tail, and otherwise well marked 

 on the body, then we have the perfect Almond. In thii: bird 

 head and beak come second; if perfect in those, then we have 

 » standard Short-faced Almond Tumbler. 



" In the other three varieties of Tumblers, feather though it 

 must be, is not ot so much importance — they may be slightly 

 foul, or not clean cat ; and Mottles are seldom seen perfectly 

 marked (mottled on the shoulders only). Head and beak is, 

 perhaps, ot more importance in them; still wo must say to 

 have a perfect Short-faced Baldhead, the face must not only 

 be perfect, head and beak, but also the feather. The B.ild- 

 head must have a white head ; it only halt white, then he is 

 not a IJildhead. I do not lay down the law, only I give my 

 opinion." 



Ko one deserving the name of a Pigeon-fancier but mnst be 

 interested in the welfare of the Almond Tumbler, as for a 

 huudrei years or more it has been the prime pet and hobby of 

 the London fanciers. A small bird, it needs but liitlo room, 

 and never wants to fly : hence in a small aviary or garret it 

 can be enjoyed and cultivated to perfection. The other Short- 

 faced Tumblers, whether Kites, Mottles, Balds, or Beards, are 

 the near relatives of the Almond, and are very interesting. 



Perhaps the most beautiful — yet who is to venture to dogma- 

 tise among so many and such beauties ?^is the Black Mottle. 

 Those who were fortunate enough to be at the last Glasgow 

 Show, will remember the pair exhibited by Mr. Fulton, and 

 will agree with me that nothing in bird form could be more 

 lovely. 



The whole range ot Short-faces are most interesting as pets, 

 and have a hold on a fancier for life it he once keeps them. 

 In them is no sameness, but an infinite variety of feather. 



I trust that this article may lead fanciers to write more 

 about these lovely pets. — ^Wiltshire Rector. 



ENTHRONING A LIGURIAN QUEEN. 



The arrival of an Italian queen without previous notice 

 surprised me, tor I was not in the least prepared for her coming, 

 although I had for some time desired news ot her. What was 

 worse, she came on the morning of our annual villaga festival, 

 when little attention could be paid to royalty even. At all 

 hazards, then, I was compelled to consign her mnjasty to the 

 cold and shade of the pantry for twenty-four hours, after 

 placing a piece of honeycomb in the box. I then eitemporised 

 a queen cage of perforated zinc, about 4 inches square, and the 

 same thickness as ordinary brood comb, into which I contrived 

 to get the queen with her threescore of courtisrs. Under the 

 protection of this cage she was at once placed in a nucleus box 

 with three brood combs from the nearest hive. These combs 

 were well examined previously, and a little shaken in order to 

 remove the greater portion of the adult bees. The box was 

 then closed until towards evening, when a number of bees were 

 found clinging to the outside of the cage, but with no very 

 manifest symptoms ot an attempt at regiciJe. Later still the 

 bees ran iu and out ot the hive and touched each other, as is 

 their wont when they miss their queen. 



Next morning I determined to set the queen at liberty ; but 

 before doing so I gave the bees a little smoke, and poured some 

 syrup over the combs. For the next two hours there was war, 

 but I was unable to tell whether the invaders or invaded led on 

 the attack ; if the former, they were plucky, to say the least. 

 You will be aware that I was suflioiently anxious for the safety 

 of the queen ; but at mid-day my eyes were gladdened by the 

 sight of her walking over the combs, as if she had been resident 

 all her life. As this is my first attempt to introduce a foreign 

 queen, you will not wonder when I tell you that the apiary re- 

 sounded with a shout enough to alarm a nervous queen. I 

 trust she is now safe after all her wanderings by .lea and land. 

 — Clekicds, Cumberland. 



THE INTRODUCTION AND PROPAGATION OF 

 LIGURIANS. 



In responding to the appeal made by " T. B. H.," in page 

 384, of the last volume of " our Journal," I feel that I shall be 

 compelled to trespass, in some measure, on the patience ot 

 older apiarian readers, by repeating much which has already 

 appeared. It will, however, be evident to all, that among the 

 constituency ot a popular and advancing periodical, there must 

 be a large and ever-increasing body of new roaclers, who are 

 unable to refer to former volumes. This is especially the case 

 iu regard to the subject of the present article, and " T. B. H." 

 is but the representative ot a numerous class who urgently de- 

 mand that, as the numbers containing the information which 

 they desire are out of print, information shall be repeated 

 tor their benefit. With this demand 1 now propose to comply, 

 hoping by the addition of such hints and fui tier information 

 as may be suggested by more recent and enlarged experience so 

 to season my rechauffe, as to render it not altogether unpalat- 

 able to more advanced readers. 



The first step towards the introduction and juopagation of 

 Ligurians, is, of course, the obtaining a pure stuck ot bees, 

 or, at any rate, one or more pure queens ; and as the purify of 

 the original queen or queens is of such essential importance, 

 that, unless it is secure, all future proceedings must end in dis- 

 appointment, no precaution should be neglected in endeavour- 

 ing to attain this end. I should, therefore, advise no one to 

 purchase Ligurian stocks or queens of which the vendor will 

 not guarantee their purity, whilst it is of at least equal im- 

 portance to deal only with those whose known character and 

 standing among apiaiiana are such as to give weight to their 

 guarantee. 



In the first place, then, I presume that no one will attempi; 



