114 FANCY PIGEONS. 



serve their pinions well. The young ones begin to flap as 

 soon as fledged. The Ringbeater is a healthy, very lively, 

 and quarrelsome bird, causing much disturbance in the loft, 

 and unfitted to live with other pigeons. It is also very 

 prolific, and it is a matter of wonder that it is not more 

 spread. Besides good ringbeating, we require in this pigeon 

 a considerable size of body, fine bright colours, and pure 

 markings. The price of purely marked black and yellow 

 ones is several marks a pair; the red, mostly bad in colour, 

 are cheaper." 



The Ringbeater is a pigeon that would be valued by many 

 in this country, where, as appears from the pigeon books of 

 the last century, it was formerly not uncommon. It is the 

 same bird that Willughby wrote of as the Smiter, and which 

 Moore calls the Finnikin, though evidently now bred for colour 

 and marking as well as ringbeating. It was no doubt produced 

 by selection from such as had its peculiar flight in a modified 

 degree. In a loft of Tumblers some lively cock will often 

 be found having a good deal of the above description in his 

 flight. 



