166 FANCY PIGEONS. 



mentions two varieties of the Fantail, but the long-necked, 

 tremulous, short-backed variety, seems to have died out in 

 England, along with good quality in the rest of the above- 

 mentioned kinds. 



The Indian Fantail. 



Indian Fantails, as found in Calcutta, are usually entirely 

 white, with large, well- spread tails, long backs, and without 

 much tremulous motion in the neck. It is rare to get them 

 both smooth-headed and free of leg feather, most of them 

 having peak-crested heads, or grouse-feathered legs, while some 

 have both. Indian fanciers are fond of putting small brass 

 bangles on the legs of Fantails. This is done before the birds 

 leave the nest, so that, when full grown, the ornaments cannot 

 fall off. The bangles are hollow, and open at the edges, and 

 have small metal balls put into them ; their edges are then 

 brought close together, and, as the birds walk about, a tinkling 

 sound is produced. In India, the tail feathers of Fantails 

 are sometimes cut off short, and the ends of Peacocks' tail 

 feathers introduced into the hollow stumps. If well done, this 

 has a pretty effect. After the entirely white Fantails, whole 

 blues, and ash-coloured, or barless blues, are the commonest. 

 The latter are nearly even in colour all over. I knew a 

 fancier in Calcutta who had a breed of glossy green lustred 

 blacks, with peaked heads and feathered legs. I knew of 

 whole reds and yellows in India, but never saw any. They 

 belonged to a doctor in the Government service at Dinapore, 

 and at his death were advertised for sale, but before I could 

 secure them, as I intended doing, they were bought by a 

 native gentleman. I heard that fine coloured reds and 

 yellows could be got in the North-west provinces of India. 



Dundee Fantails. 



Moore mentions having seen black, blue, red, and yellow 

 pieds. Three old paintings in my possession, that appear 



