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94 PIGEONS. V 



although the surface of its feathers is of a cream-color, the part 

 next the body, the flue feathers, and even the skin, are of a dark 

 sooty tint; it is about the size of a " turbit," but it has in place 

 of a frill, a tine gullet, with a seam of beautiful feathers ; its 

 head is thick and short, and its eyes orange-color, surrounded 

 by a small, naked circle of black flesh ; it has a little black 

 wattle on its beak, which is short and stout, and somewhat 

 resembles that of a bulfinch. 



This variety was originally brought from Barbary. In size, 

 It is somewhat larger than the Jacobin ; it has a short, thick 

 beak, a small wattle, and a circle of thick, naked, incrusted 

 flesh round its eyes ; the wider this circle of flesh spreads round 

 the eye, and the more brilliant its color, the more the bird is 

 prized ; the circle is narrow, at flrst, and is not fully developed 

 until the bird is three or four years old. 



The plumage of the Barb is usually dun or black ; but there 

 are pied birds of both colors ; these last are held in little esti- 

 mation, as they are supposed to be only half bred ; when the 

 pinion feathers are dark, the irides of its eyes are pearl color ; 

 but when the pinions are white, the irides are red. Some of 

 these birds are ornamented with a tuft of feathers rising from 

 the back part of the crown of the head. 



THE TURBIT. 



This variety is somewhat larger than the Jacobin. Its head 

 is round, and beak short; from the breast grows a tuft of fea- 



