April 29, 1875. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOaXIODLlUBE AND GOTIAGE OARDENEB. 



841 



another point of beauty — viz., the rose, a centre spot of white 

 down, caused by the feathers turning different ways, and with 

 this point, which is a great one, we complete the characteristics 

 of a true Jacobin — viz., the hood-chain, mane, and rose. In 

 olden times a good Jacobin and a really valuable bird was proved 

 when, by taking hold of the bill and drawing the head back- 

 wards, the two sides of the chain lap over each other, but this 

 is unnecessary in our present age ; and I know of many birds 

 in which the chain not only unites, but crosses over while loose 

 in the pen, and it is in these birds you find the true 'hog mane' 

 BO much sought for, instead of the chain going all around the 

 neck and head of the bird, having a roundness at the back 

 instead of a sharp peak, caused by the feathers meeting from 

 either side. Many fanciers want a good specimen to have white 

 thighs, but this I do not agree with, as then the Jacobin carries 

 too much of baldpate ; and while referring to them I must say, 

 in regard to the head of the Jacobin, there must be no white 

 feathers under the bill, and on no account so low cut as the 

 baldheaded Tumbler of the present day. In Red Jacobins we 

 frequently find a slaty-bluish-coloured thigh; bat I prefer the 

 thighs being of the same sound colour as the body of the bird. 

 Now and then we come across a good bird with white thighs ; 

 bat at the same time there is a tendency to be low cut in the 

 head, which is a great fault. In the Jacobin I notice many 

 peculiarities of carriage, some literally standing on their tails. 

 This, of course, is a fault, and in spite of all your trouble you 

 cannot keep the bird clean ; others are lazy, and mope in a 

 corner of a pen until stirred up with a long pole. What I 

 want in a Jacobin is a small tight bird, with its wings slightly 

 drooping, though not a la Tumbler, and then I can see as 

 much carriage and style in a Jacobin as Sootty does in a 

 Pouter. I do not call them good nurses, but still I do not use 

 * feeders,' and can manage to rear a good bird now and then. 

 One thing I have noticed for many years is the pugnacity 

 of White Jacobins, especially in the breeding season; they 

 seem to master the whole loft, and have a special hatred for a 

 red bird. 



"In conclusion I must say I am in a great measure indebted to 

 Mr. Esquilant for my knowledge of a Jacobin ; he is well known 

 to us all as a great admirer and successful breeder of this very 

 beautiful variety, and from him, many years ago, I purchased a 

 pair of Black Jacobins, which won, I think, first at Birmingham 

 for three years, besides many cups and other prizes. Though 

 these are gone, I have still the strain left, and intend to do my 

 best to keep this very interesting variety a prominent feature in 

 the Northern Counties Columbarian Society." 



[The above interesting paper on the Jacobin is extracted from 

 the American " Fanciers' Journal." It is difficult, of course, to 

 say anything new of an old variety of fancy Pigeons, therefore a 

 great deal ot the above is, of necessity, familiar to all readers of 

 the old and of new books on Pigeons ; but much of interest is 

 added, and Mr. Eoyds does not seem to me to write quite clearly 

 about the mane of the Jacobin. Hespeaks of the "chain or mane." 

 For young fanciers I will explain that the chain is on each side 

 of the neck ; the mane is at the back of the neck, and is well 

 called by Mr. Esquilant a "hog mane." This I consider a 

 marvellous beauty in the bird. A stiff line of erect feathers 

 withno notch in them, which the birds have that have no mane, 

 to my mind look as if a bit had been cut out of the feathers 

 by a pair of scissors, whereas the maned birds have a vastly 

 superior appearance. 



■The rose is also another marked beauty, and best seen, I 

 think, in yellow birds, as the under part of the feathers of that 

 colour show better than that of the black, and yellow is a 

 more delicate and tasty colour than red ; nence, perhaps, the 

 yellow Jacks ranked first with the old fanciers. There is another 

 thing to be said for the Jacobin, which can also be said for the 

 Black Mottled Tumbler; the better it is to the eye of a fancier 

 the more pleasing it also is to a non-fancier. It is a bird which 

 pleases at once every eye, whereas Pouters, Carriers, Barbs, 

 and Almond Tumblers must have trained and skilled eyes to 

 see their beauties, which very beauties non-fanciers do not see, 

 but actually dislike. The prize Barb, ladies call a horrid red- 

 inflamed-eyed thing; but the more perfect the Jacobin the 

 prettier it is. Give the small head, the pearl eyes, the close 

 hood, the long chain, and the firm upstanding mane, and the 

 sound colour, it is as delightful a bird to one who does not 

 understand fancy Pigeons as to those who know every property. 



This is the same with the good black Mottle Tumbler, and 

 the graceful petite Scotch Fantail. The beauty of each is re- 

 cognised at a glance by all. — Wiltshlre Bectob.] 



OWL PIGEONS. 



How doo'^ors do differ ! aye, and some of them are called 

 fighting men too, because tbey cannot agree with their friends 

 and neighbours in everything; but without those so-called 

 fighting men we should never detect the imperfections we in 

 common desire to discover and to know, and consequently wish 

 to avoid. I have read in our Journal the debate so far on this 



subject, and agree with " Bubo ;" I agree with him in all but one 

 term, and that is " degenerate." 



I do not wish to throw cold water on anyone's hobby, very 

 far from it, but I would like to see the various classes of Pigeons 

 placed in their proper light, so far as we can place them, and to 

 bring out clearly the perfections or imperfections of each bird 

 as the case may be, not only to make sure of the purity of the 

 race of birds we keep and fancy, but of the birds worth our 

 keeping, of their true characteristics, and if possible the original 

 history of each race. This is our sole aim, and for which fortu- 

 nately the columns of our Journal are open to us. 



In a word I think the Enghsh Owl is a mongrel bird. Did I 

 say it was degenerated I should allow it had fallen from its 

 normal state, become coarse and otherwise changed by some in- 

 fluence or another; but in using the word mongrel I con- 

 sider it a crossbred bird. No doubt the true Owl has been one 

 of the original parents of the English Owl, the other may have 

 been a small Blue Dovecote Pigeon, and I think by careful 

 selection I could produce thus a good English Owl in two 

 generations, such a bird as would stand well at a show. 



In looking over the large classes of English Owls at our shows 

 I rarely see above a pen or two showing the head of the true 

 Ow), and often all the best of them are coarse, large, and cross- 

 bred-looking, some of the best having very little frill or purl; on 

 the other hand the great bulk are long, or as some will have it, 

 pleasant-faced, many of them with the head and features of a 

 common Pigeon. Most judges I think will admit that while 

 judging classes of English Owls the first thing they look for are 

 the birds that come nearest to the African ; should they hit upon 

 such a pen there are few, if any, complaints. If colour is to be 

 taken into account that is a different thing, the worst coloured 

 birds may be the best in the class as Owls. So convinced am I 

 that the English Owl is but a mongrel that I should advise it to 

 be replaced by the African, and then breeders will find that they 

 will produce something worth their labour. 



It has all along been my belief (it may be called theory) 

 founded on many years' observation and experience, that the 

 varieties of domestic Pigeons are natives of different parts of 

 the world, and from the fact of the African Owl being unique, 

 and so far as we know coming from Africa only, I am still more 

 confirmed in my opinion. 



The African Owl is a brave little bird, he will fight for his 

 place in the Pigeon house against both strong and large odds, he 

 is full of life and activity, and withal he is " gentle as a dove." 



The White variety is lovely, his face is far beyond pleasant- 

 ness, and as a bachelor friend once said, " It is just a thing for 

 kissing." Really there is something melancholy in this saying ; 

 but never mind, their exceeding smallness, trim figure, and fine 

 mild expression and habit render them at once the Una of the 

 whole Pigeon family. 



I do not know why, but pets seem all the more esteemed it 

 little. Well, the African Owl in its normal state is the smallest 

 of all domestic Pigeons, and therefore must and will become the 

 greatest of all pets in Pigeons. At present it is not much known 

 to the public, but I hope to see ere long large classes of them at 

 our shows. 



As to the flying powers of this little bird I have had sorry ex- 

 perience, such as causes me to differ from my friend " Wilt- 

 saiKE Rector." I would not advise my friend to try it, for 

 most likely off goes a five-pound note, or as Mansie Waugh 

 would say, " Like the flash of the setting sun," it may never be 

 seen again. The bird I lost was watched for a day and night, 

 but proved too sharp for the most cunning hunter. 



I agree with my friend that this bird breeds in this country, as I 

 have seen young birds in the nest from imported birds, and these 

 young birds seemed quite as fine as the parents. But I differ 

 in regard to the Trumpeter ; they may not breed (imported birds) 

 iu England, but certainly they do in Scotland. Mr. Ure I know 

 bred last year six or seven birds from one pair of imported 

 birds. The climate may have something to do with this, but if 

 we can acclimatise the Canary so that it will fly at large and 

 build its nest in a hedge in Scotland, surely we can also 

 acclimatise the African Owl or any other Pigeon.— James Huie. 



A CUTTING-ODT EXPEDITION. 



A FEW weeks ago a gentleman and neighbour consulted me 

 about a colony of bees which had been located for many years in 

 the wall of his stable, apparently flourishing, but of no utility 

 to anyone, and a natural desire had grown-up that the lodgers 

 should pay some rent ; so I promised to pay a visit of inspection 

 and see what could be done. 



I found the wall was a double one with a clear space of 6 or 

 8 inches between, and divided by perpendicular piers at inter- 

 vals. The bees entered about 10 feet from the ground, through 

 a large gap which, years ago, had been made, and through which 

 the combs had been removed. The bees had then moved 

 farther to the right and set-up their establishment again, not- 

 withstanding the inclement east wind which entered the gap. 

 My advice was that the wall should be further opened and the 



