258 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



SO high and so far forward that the tail feathers will extend 

 in front of their heads. 



Jacobins have a heavy crest of feathers all over their neck 

 and head. They can be developed to such an extent that their 

 ruffled feathers will completely blind them. 



Turbits that have short heads and short beaks can be so ex- 

 tremely developed that they cannot eat grain from off the ground 

 on account of the freakish shape of their head and beaks, and 

 the only way they can eat is out of a cup, where they can grab 

 at several grains at a time and in this way secure one. 



A Tumbler pigeon turns over in the air when it flies and 

 Tumblers can be bred and developed to such an extent that 

 they cannot fly. Such birds are called Parlor Tumblers. Every 

 time they start to fly they turn over backwards and when they 

 get excited they continue to turn one revolution after another. 



A cross between a Fantail and a Turbit or a Fantail and a 

 Tumbler or any other two fancy pigeons will produce a mon- 

 grel, and if a person crosses and continues to recross different 

 breeds, they will in a short time produce a common pigeon 

 without any special feather markings or colors, but generally 

 blue with black bars. This likewise applies to squab producing 

 pigeons. 



Therefore little or nothing can be gained in the way of cross- 

 ing breeds and progress only can be made by developing breeds 

 already established, which were not created, as most people 

 would imagine by crossing breeds, but by taking a single breed 

 and developing it through special mating and selection into 

 certain directions, with certain results. 



I might add that if you have any curiosity as to what would 

 be the offspring of different breeds of pigeons crossed together, 

 buy a common pigeon to start with and save yourself the trouble. 



