337 THE SHORT-FACED TUIVIBLER. 



Pouter breeding, lie adds : " The above, and many other in- 

 conveniences too tedioiis to mention attending the Pouter, 

 and no trouble at all (comparatively speaking) attending the 

 other, easily accounts for the preference given to the Almond 

 Tumbler," which requires " no attendance while breeding, 

 provided you supply them with meat and water, and throw 

 them a little straw." Considering that he himself quotes a 

 sale of Pouters by auction, where the prices realised were as 

 high as sixteen guineas a pair, and that Moore had known 

 eight guineas refused for a single Pouter, the price of the 

 Almond Tumblers — two guineas each — was nothing great ; but 

 then he says they were not the best ; and probably some of 

 the lot of five pairs were worth much more than the average 

 price of the whole. 



The fancy for the Almond Tumbler was now established, 

 and, the year before (1764), a standard had been j)ublished 

 setting forth the perfections and imperfections of the bird. 

 This was entitled " Ordinances Established by the Columbarian 

 Society," and was headed by a picture of an Almond, " elegantly 

 engraved on copperplate." The Almond went on increasing 

 in popularity after this, and its name, at least, became so 

 widely known that people who would not have recognised 

 the bird had they seen it, had heard of it. The Sporting 

 Magazine, some years after its commencement, in 1792, 

 had a portrait of a choice specimen ; and, in 1802, a 

 monograi^h on the breed was published in London, by 

 "An Old Fancier." The author was Mr. W. P. Windus, a 

 solicitor, a member, and afterwards the president, of the 

 Columbarian Society. An engraved circular, dated 1813, 

 signed by him, and headed by a picture of an Almond, 

 calling a meeting of the society, is in my possession. His 

 treatise was the first book ever published on any single variety 

 of fancy pigeon, and it goes thoroughly into its subject. 

 We learn from it, that though it had been necessary to limit 

 the length of face, from the point of the beak to the iris, or 



2 G 



