NoYember 5, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICDLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



413 



origin. The Tnrbit is thought by many to be a native of the 

 Bonth of France, as it is said to ba found there in greater per- 

 fection than elsewhere. Germany also claims it as one of her 

 own production, which I am inclined to think, with just reason, 

 as most of the varieties and colourings now bred in tbis country 

 are traceable to Germany. They have been a favourite of mine 

 for years, and I have bred and seen more than twenty-five 

 different varieties and colourings, nearly all of which (except 

 the shouldered birds) can be traced to Germany, and a majority 

 of these also came from that country, many of which were quite 

 well booted, which is not often the case with Turbits brought 

 from England. Brent says that dark tails in the shouldered 



birds were not objectionable. I have occasionally seen birds 

 coloured in this way, but did not consider them as a pure variety, 

 but supposed them to have been bred by crossing the shouldered 

 and tailed birds together. Sbouldered Turbits without caps 

 are also frequently met with in this country, and were once 

 much more common than now, and are often sold as " shouldered 

 Owls." Most of the specimens I have seen bad the appearance 

 of being produced by a cross between the two varieties. The 

 two latter varieties or colourings I have never known any fancier 

 attempt to breed pure ; but have only occasionally seen them 

 in the hands of dealers. — Jos. M. Wade. — (American Fanciers' 

 Journal.) 



Fig. 1113,— The tdrbit. 



■:.'!, '\ 



[The Turbit is without doubt one of the very prettiest of all 

 onr Toy Pigeons. In addition to all Mr. Wade says of its beauty 

 there is one point which makes me admire the Turbit, and that 

 is the peculiar soft look of its feathers — a kind of silky downy 

 look which is very pleasing. It looks like a bird fitted for a 

 child or girl to fondle. Mr. Wade prefers the shell-crested to 

 the point-headed. I own I do not. As to which is originally 

 correct, I must add that neither is. The smooth-head is the 

 original. The portraits in the "Treatise," Girton, Eaton, by 

 Wolstenholme, and down even to Brent, are all smooth-headed. 

 The last-named writer is the first who alludes to any crest at 

 all. As the modern fancy says we mnst have a crest to the 

 Turbit, by all means let it be the point head ; this suits the 

 character of the beak and head, and keeps the bird removed far 

 away from the Nun kind. Booted Turbits are simply atrocious. 

 I also think that, if not English, the Turbit is French, and not 

 German : it is a bird to please the Celt rather than the Saxon, 

 and leg-feathering would utterly destroy its petite neatness. 

 The Pouter needs his long legs, which are so conspicuous, to 

 be covered. The bulky Trumpeter needs his legs to be booted 

 to match his heavy-feathered head; but protect us from any 

 small, dapper, neatly -shaped bird being feather-legged. A finely 



chiselled face in man needs no whiskers ; and as the Empress 

 Josephine said of Napoleon's, " his was one of the few that 

 needed none," so the finer the shape in Pigeons the less need of 

 leg-feathering. I would almost as soon have the Almond Tum- 

 bler booted as the Turbit. The blundering-looking Brahma 

 fowl wants his leg-covering, not the perfectly and symmetri- 

 cally formed Game fowl. Let all in fancy matters be consistent. 



— WiLTSHIBE ReCTOB.] 



MIDDLESBOROUGH BIRD SHOW. 



" Wire-in," a fancier once said to me, " and if you are defeated 

 let it be no bar to your future endeavours." There appears to 

 have been no lack of determination on the part of many fanciers 

 in different parts of England to do battle at the Canary Show 

 held at the Odd Fellows' Hall, Middlesborough, on October 23rd 

 and 21th. The very good schedule issued was responded to by 

 exhibitors, who contributed no less a number than 389 entries, 

 to " wire-in " for the respective money prizes and the " specials," 

 which consisted of a five-guinea silver cup, presented by Mr. 

 George Handsome, of Middlesborough, to the winner of the best 

 Mule in the Show ; the President's cruet, " Happy as a King," 



