147 PIGEONS OF PECULIAR VOICE. 



The fancy points of the Trumpeter are rose, crest, eye, leg 

 and foot feather, colour and marking, quality of feather, 

 size, shape, and voice. 



THE ROSE is the first property of the Trumpeter, and is 

 what makes it distinct from all other pigeons. The Priest, 

 and other varieties which possess it, do so only in a modified 

 degree, and are supposed to have derived it from this pigeon. 

 The rose is formed by the feathers on the crown of the head 

 growing out from a centre in regular form. In a good bird 

 it will be large enough to form a complete covering to the 

 head, hiding the eyes, reaching nearly to the shell crest, and 

 covering the beak wattle, but not the point of the beak. All 

 the feathers forming the rose should lie well down, without 

 any irregularity, and the more circular and even the rose 

 is at its edges the better. 



THE CREST is an extensive shell hood, reaching round the 

 back of the head, almost from eye to eye, and finishing off 

 at its extremities with an ornamental turn, of the same forma- 

 tion as the rose. The crest ought to be of a cupped form, 

 reaching over the head ; but though wanted as firm and com- 

 pact as possible, it is always more or less loose in texture, 

 from the nature of the bird's feather. The feathers forming 

 the crest, and those supporting it, can be moved by the 

 bird at will, and the crest is, therefore, seen more loose at 

 some times than at others. 



THE EYE. Though described by the old writers as pearl- 

 eyed, the Trumpeter was generally red or orange-coloured in 

 the irides immediately before the introduction of the Bokhara 

 breed. The latter have generally pearl eyes, regarding which 

 a German author says : " The fine pearl eyes betray the noble 

 race which exacts admiration from every fancier." 



LEG AND FOOT FEATHER. The legs and feet should be 

 heavily hocked and feathered. In this property the former 

 birds excelled the first importations of the Asian race; but 

 the latter, from the silkiness of their feather, were more liable 



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