316 FANCY PIGEONS. 



Baldheads, and Beards. I am of opinion that foreign 

 elements have been, in some cases, introduced into the 

 breeding of the self colours and Mottles, to give colour, 

 and that few of the pretty birds to be seen at shows 

 would be of much account in a flight; but there is this to 

 be said of showing Tumblers, that, independently of per- 

 formance in the air, they are worth show recognition from 

 a fancy point of view. The show Tumbler should have, in 

 the first place, all the character in shape of head, beak, 

 and body, of the best type of the real performing Tumbler, 

 and on no account have about the head even a suspicion 

 of any cross with the Short-faced Tumbler. Many people 

 erroneously think, or used to think, that the half or quarter- 

 bred Short-face, being neater in head, is better for the show- 

 pen ; but this idea is on the wane, if it be not altogether eradi- 

 cated. There is a medium between shortness and too great 

 length of face, and between too thick and too thin a beak 

 for the show Tumbler. I have known a quarter-bred Barb 

 win all through a season as a common black Tumbler. The 

 Barb cross gave colour, pearl eyes, and a white beak ; but 

 the latter was too thick, and there was too much beak and 

 eye wattle to deceive me. The reddish tinge on beak and 

 eye wattles was no conclusive proof of the cross, because this 

 accompanies fine colour in black, red, and yellow, and I have 

 had the very best performers so coloured in the eye wattles. 

 The black, red, and yellow colours ought to be as sound, 

 and accompanied with as much metallic lustre, as possible. 

 Glossy blacks may be seen, but I have never seen reds and 

 yellows within many shades of the colour to be seen in many 

 foreign pigeons. These colours not being in the breed, there- 

 fore, in their best possible tints, any crosses with other 

 varieties which do possess them must result in the loss of 

 the tumbling propensity, however much the appearance of 

 the pure Tumbler may be retained ; but as the tumbling pro- 

 pensity is of no account, and cannot be tested in the show- 



