150 FANCY PIGEONS. 



be carefully cultivated in tlie loft. Many of the old breed 

 were capital drummers, and kept up a constant concert in 

 tbeir lofts; but some of tlie new ones are very deficient in 

 vocal powers, wbicli is, perhaps, the reason they left their 

 native place. The Trumpeter's voice does not seem to have 

 been cultivated so well in this country as in Germany. 

 From Neumeister and Piiitz I gather what constitutes a good 

 drummer there — " Excited by anger or love, its voice falls 

 directly, or from the usual cooing — which, however, must 

 rarely be heard in a good drum pigeon — suddenly into that 

 rolling, quivering, deep hollow drumming; at the same time 

 — mostly sitting still — moving the beak, puffing up its crop a 

 little — the less the better — moving to and fro the front part 

 of its body, and trembling with its wings. For correct 

 drumming, there are required a good beginning, a distinctly 

 marked delivery, alternate rising and falling of the sound, 

 shaking, and sustaining. The more frequently, and especially 

 the more sustainedly, without stopping, it drums in good 

 style, the more valuable is the pigeon. There are cocks 

 which, with quite short interruptions, drum away for ten 

 minutes, and make themselves heard the whole day, especially 

 in spring, or if they get a good supply of hemp seed. Even 

 when eating they drum away, and by a number of good ones 

 a dunning noise is produced. The principal sounds come 

 rolling out of the mouth like the beating of a drum, the 

 lower mandible at the same time moving up and down. The 

 sounds become by turns stronger and weaker, and die off till 

 they can scarcely be heard. The more subdued sounds form 

 a monotone rolling, which is produced in the interior with- 

 out movement of the beak, and thus appearing to come 

 from another bird altogether. There is no difference in the 

 sounds whether the crop be full or empty. The hen also 

 drums, less frequently, however, and with less force and 

 perseverance." 



It is usual, during the breeding season, to clip the Trum- 



