213 FRILL-BREASTED PIGEONS. 



mingham, has said he named the last two. The differences 

 between the five kinds consist in colour and marking, in plain 

 or crested heads, and in smooth or feathered legs and feet. 

 They vary a little in size, but, for the most part, are larger 

 than British Turbits. They are generally excellent in car- 

 riage, sometimes very round in head, full in gullet, and short 

 and thick in beak, which is generally well-boxed, and not 

 overlapping at the point. From a side view, their heads are 

 sometimes well-arched; but they are often deficient in great 

 breadth of skull and forehead, and, leaving size out of the 

 question, are seldom or never up to the standard of the best 

 Tunisian Owls in head properties. When crested, the correct 

 standard for all the varieties is a needle-pointed peak, standing 

 as high as possible; not springing from a mane, as in the 

 Turbit, however, but divided from the feathers at the back of 

 the neck by a notch. The peak is sometimes seen very good 

 on these pigeons, though lopsided and half shell crests are 

 common enough. Mr. H. P. Caridia considers that "no 

 maned bird can possess a close-fitting, well-pointed crest," 

 in which opinion I think he is mistaken. When feathered 

 on the legs, the correct style is what is sometimes called 

 grouse -legged, or stocking -legged that is, with legs and 

 feet completely covered with rather short feathers, so as to 

 show no bare skin. The feathers on the legs should be long 

 enough to stand out somewhat at the sides of the feet, but 

 the toes ought to be covered with very short ones. 



The great majority of the coloured-shouldered, white-bodied 

 varieties are very foul on thighs and under body. It appears, 

 from what Mr. Caridia has written, that no attention is paid 

 to this in the East, and that they are allowed to be foul- 

 thighed. I have never, however, seen him point out definitely 

 how the colour must be disposed on the under body, nor can 

 I believe, were competition to arise in Turkey, as it exists 

 here, that foul under body would be any longer recognised 

 there. With a standard of only seven white flight feathers, 



