135 OTHER ASIAN PIGEONS. 



distinct race. The head is round and full in front, the beak 

 short and fine, the iris pure white, surrounded by a thin 

 purple-black cere, and the beak and toe nails black. The 

 plumage is a rich metallic black, sparkling with lustre, the 

 tail, with its coverts, alone being white. Mr. Caridia says 

 there are also similarly marked bJues and whole-coloured 

 whites. The Capuchin gets its name from an extensive close- 

 fitting hood on the back of its head, which comes down a 

 very short distance on each side of its neck. It carries the 

 flights low, generally below the tail. It is thin-necked, 

 broad-chested, and has much of the shape and carriage of 

 the Short-faced Tumbler. It is said to be a good flyer, 

 breeder, and feeder. 



I have heard some say that this pigeon is the original of 

 our Jacobins, which I consider an hallucination. Its black 

 eye cere alone points to a separate origin, but I believe the 

 third or fourth cross from it and the Jacobin has resulted in 

 very fair specimens of the latter breed, which I can easily 

 imagine would be the case. I could fancy it to have origi- 

 nated from the Jacobin and the Mahomet, but this is mere 

 speculation. The breed as it stands may be many centuries 

 old. 



The Coral-eyed Pigeon. 



The Coral-eye is a variety of the domestic pigeon well 

 known in Bengal. I have seen these birds in the posses- 

 sion of different fanciers in Calcutta, among whom they 

 went by the above name ; and I believe their Hindo- 

 stanee designation has the same meaning. In size and shape 

 the Coral-eye resembles a strong English Owl Pigeon, but 

 its head and beak are more of the common type, the 

 latter not long and spindly, but of moderate length and 

 thickness. It is neither turn-crowned nor feather-legged, and 

 always, as far as I have seen, whole-coloured blue, with the 

 usual black wing bars. What constitutes this pigeon of pure 



