PIGEONS. 325 



There is a particularly fine variety 

 of this species, called the bald-pated 

 tumbler, from its having a beautiful 

 snow-white head; it has pearl eyes, 

 and in plumage is exceedingly diver- 

 sified, the tail and flight feathers, 

 however, matching the head, being 

 of a pure white. When a tumbler, 

 either of a black or blue colour, has 

 a long dash of white from the under 

 jaw and cheek to a little way down 

 the throat, it is called a black or 

 blue- bearded bird, as the colour may 

 be ; and if this beard is well shaped, 



and the bird is clean in the tail and flight, as before described, it may 

 be reckoned very handsome and valuable. When these birds are 

 dashing along in the brilliant sunshine, the lively contrast of their 

 feathers adds much to the beauty of their appearance, as every hue 

 is then touched with golden splendour. 



There is another and still more beautiful variety of the tumbler, 

 styled by some fanciers the ermine, but which is most generally 

 known by the name of the almond tumbler. It is an extremely 

 elegant and highly- prized variety, and derives its origin from common 

 tumblers judiciously matched, such as yellows, duns, whites, black 

 splashed, black frizzled, &c., so as to sort the feathers. When in 

 perfection, tumblers are esteemed by many persons as the prettiest 

 of all the pigeon tribe, and this high opinion is borne out by the 

 beautiful diversity of colours which they show, which is so elegant 

 and rich in some birds, that they have been compared to a bed of 

 tulips. The more they are variegated in the flight and tail, especially 

 if the ground colour is yellow, the more they are valued ; and the 

 reason why a fine bright yellow ground has the precedence of all 

 others, is from its being so exceedingly difficult to acquire, as twenty 

 light-coloured birds may be procured for one displaying a deep, 

 richly- tinted ground. There are also the black- mottled and yellow- 

 mottled tumblers, named principally from their colours only. 



THE RUNT. 



There are several species of runts the chief of which are known 

 as the common, or dove-cote, the Roman, the Smyrna, the Fries- 

 land, the Leghorn, and the Spanish. The common species are 

 usually good nurses, and are generally employed in that capacity for 

 the more valuable kinds of pigeons. The Roman runts are so large 

 and unwieldy, that they are scarcely able to fly ; those of Smyrna 

 are middling- sized birds, with feathers sprouting from the outside of 

 their feet, so as to present the appearance of small wings. The runt 

 of Friesland is rather larger than the middling- sized common runt, 

 and its appearance is very singular from its feathers being all in- 

 verted, or turned the wrong way. The Leghorn species is a fine full- 

 bodied, short-backed, broad-chested, close- feathered pigeon ; its head 



