325 THE TUMBLER. 



tlie tail is also wanting. Turkish Rollers are of many colours, 

 sucli as black, white, dun, and almond splash, the blacks being 

 well-lustred, and with white, black-tipped beaks — as is usual 

 with good-coloured blacks, among British Tumblers. I have 

 not had any of these birds myself, but Mr. Ludlow, from 

 whose description I have gathered the above, asserts that 

 they are capital performers and flyers. 



The Double-Ceested Tumbler. — The first of this in- 

 teresting variety, comprising a pair each of Almonds and 

 Blacks — or, probably. Kites — were brought to Liverpool, from 

 some Mediterranean port (probably Smyrna), in the spring of 

 1886. The Almonds were purchased by me, and theii' descrip- 

 tion is as follows : The cock is rather dark, of a mahogany 

 ground colour, and well spangled with black : the hen light 

 bufE in ground, and showing very little black spangling, 

 except in neck. In size and shape they resemble the best 

 type of flying Tumbler, having extremely good carriage, with 

 head thrown back, and full, prominent breast. The flights 

 are generally carried low. In head, beak, and eye, they are 

 similar to our common Tumblers, and their legs and feet are 

 unfeathered. They have a broad shell crest on the nape, and 

 a rose on the forehead similar in formation to that of the 

 Trumpeter, but smaller. I was told they were guaranteed 

 to tumble well; but I have not tested their powers, being 

 afraid of losing them before I had bred some young ones 

 from them. Their first three nests produced three pairs of 

 almonds, all with the head feathering of the parents. Their 

 fourth nest contained one almond and a white, or albino, 

 both double-crested. 



The Russian Frontal-Crested Tumbler. — Herr Priitz, 

 in his new book on pigeons, illustrates this curious variety, 

 which may be described as a Tumbler of the common smooth- 

 legged type, with a frontal tuft on the forehead, but nn- 

 crested on the nape, thereby resembling the Altenburg 

 Drummer. These pigeons are represented of a dark reddish 



