I855-] PIGEON FANCYING. 4 II 



do very well. The chief points which I am, and have been 

 for years, very curious about, is to ascertain whether the 

 young of our domestic breeds differ as much from each other 

 as do their parents, and I have no faith in anything short of 

 actual measurement and the Rule of Three. I hope and be- 

 lieve I am not giving so much trouble without a motive of 

 sufficient worth. I have got my fantails and pouters (choice 

 birds, I hope, as I paid 20^. for each pair from Baily) in a 

 grand cage and pigeon-house, and they are a decided amuse- 

 ment to me, and delight to H." 



In the course of my father's pigeon-fancying enterprise he 

 necessarily became acquainted with breeders, and was fond 

 of relating his experiences as a member of the Columbarian 

 and Philoperistera Clubs, where he met the purest enthusiasts 

 of the "fancy," and learnt much of the mysteries of their art. 

 In writing to Mr. Huxley some years afterwards, he quotes 

 from a book on ' Pigeons ' by Mr. J. Eaton, in illustration of 

 the " extreme attention and close observation " necessary to 

 be a good fancier. 



"In his [Mr. Eaton's] treatise, devoted to the Almond 

 Tumbler alone, which is a sub-variety of the short-faced vari- 

 ety, which is a variety of the Tumbler, as that is of the Rock- 

 pigeon, Mr. Eaton says : t There are some of the young fan- 

 ciers who are over-covetous, who go for all the five properties 

 at once [/. e., the five characteristic points which are mainly 

 attended to, C. D.], they have their reward by getting noth- 

 ing.' In short, it is almost beyond the human intellect to 

 attend to all the excellencies of the Almond Tumbler ! 



" To be a good breeder, and to succeed in improving any 

 breed, beyond everything enthusiasm is required. " Mr. Eaton 

 has gained lots of prizes, listen to him. 



' ' If it was possible for noblemen and gentlemen to know 

 the amazing amount of solace and pleasure derived from the 

 Almond Tumbler, when they begin to understand their (i. e., 

 the tumbler's) properties, I should think that scarce any 

 nobleman or gentleman would be without their aviaries of 

 Almond Tumblers.' " 



