108 FANCY PIGEONS. 



incline downwards. Botli the flight and tail feathers are 

 excessively long, the former being carried crossed above the 

 latter, and measuring as much as 32iin. from tip to tip, 

 when outstretched, according to Mr. Ludlow, who also says 

 that the tail primaries measure 7|-in. between tips of quill and 

 fibre. As a comparison, I measured an ordinary-sized flying 

 Tumbler cock in the same way, and his outstretched wings 

 covered 27in., while one of his tail primaries was 5|in. The 

 flights and tail of the Swift, therefore, extend 2fin. beyond 

 those of similar sized pigeons. To see how these measure- 

 ments would compare with those of the Pouter, I measured 

 a blue pied cock of lO^in. in feather, and found that his out- 

 stretched wings covered 37in., and that one of his tail feathers 

 was no less than Sy^in. in length. The Swift stands low, on 

 unfeathered legs, is smooth-headed, and is represented by Mr. 

 Ludlow as an owl-headed, gulleted pigeon, with a narrow flesh- 

 coloured eye cere and yellow iris. He says it is found 

 in various colours, such as blue, blue-chequer, almond- 

 feathered, and chocolate colour, heavily shot with yellow 

 on the neck and wing coverts, which latter is the colour 

 Mr. Ludlow has chosen for his illustration, and which might 

 be called an exaggeration of the golden-dun found in 

 Short-faced Tumblers. As represented by him, it is a very 

 beautiful colour, and one not found so pronounced in any 

 other variety I know of. 



Instead of being an advantage to the Swift in flight, its 

 long wings are an impediment to it, as the feathers are thin, 

 and weak in texture. Like the Hawk Swallow, it rises from 

 the ground with difficulty, but, unlike it, cannot make use of 

 its long wings when once in the air. I once, when my age 

 could be told by a single figure, caught a Swift Swallow in a 

 garret, which I played with on the grass for some time, as it 

 never attempted to fly away ; but happening to throw it slightly 

 from the ground, it went off like an arrow from a bow. 



Mr. Ludlow says the Swift is hardy and long lived, one 



