74 PIGEONS. 



stance, round the eye, like that of the carrier. The iris 

 of the eye is white, if the feathers of the pinions incline 

 to a darker colour ; but red, when the feathers are white, 

 as in other birds. 



VIII. Smiters are pigeons supposed to be the same 

 that the Dutch call draayer. This sort shake their 

 wings as they fly, and rise generally in a circular man- 

 ner : the males, for the most part, rising higher than 

 the females, and frequently falling and flapping them 

 with their wings, making a noise which may be heard 

 a great way off", caused by an evolution often the means 

 of breaking or shattering their quill feathers. 



These very much resemble the tumbler pigeon : the 

 difference being chiefly this, that the tumbler is some- 

 what smaller, and in its flight will tumble itself back- 

 ward over its head : the diversity of colours in the 

 feathers is of no consequence. 



IX. The helmet pigeon is distinguished from the 

 others, because it has the head, the quill-feathers, and 

 the tail-feathers, always of one colour, either black, 

 white, red, blue, or yellow; while the other feathers of 

 the body are of a different colour. 



X. The light-horseman. This is supposed to be a 

 cross strain, between a cock cropper and a hen of the 

 carrier breed, because they seem to partake of both, as 

 appears from the excrescence of flesh upon their bills, 

 and the swelling of their crops. These are not inclined 

 to leave the place of their birth, or the house that they 

 have been used to. 



