CHAP, iv.] A FANTAIL'S MISADVENTURE. 89 



blance to miniature Swans. Rarely, they are quite 

 black; occasionally, they are seen white, with slate- 

 coloured patches on the shoulders, like Turbits. A sin- 

 gular habit is the trembling motion of the throat, which 

 seems to be caused by excitement in the bird. The 

 same action is observed in the Runts, in a less degree. 

 The iris of the Fantail is of a dark hazel, the pupil 

 black, which gives to the eye a fulness of expression 

 quite different to what is seen in most other birds. I 

 mention this, because Colonel Sykes, in the Transactions 

 of the Zoological Society *, makes the colour of the iris an 

 important guide in determining the affinities or dissimi- 

 larities of species, believing it occasionally to manifest 

 even generic distinctions. Now amongst fancy Pigeons 

 the iris varies greatly, and is thought of much conse- 

 quence, as is known to every amateur. The cere, at the 

 base of the Fantail 's bill, looks as if covered with a white 

 powder. These birds, Willughby tells us, are called 

 Broad-tailed Shakers ; " Shakers, because they do almost 

 constantly shake, or wag their heads and necks up and 

 down ; Broad-tailed, from the great number of feathers 

 they have in their tails ; they say, not fewer than twenty- 

 six. When they walk up and down, they do for the most 

 part hold their tails erect like a Hen or Turkey- Cock."} 

 A friend writes, " I had a white Fantail Pigeon 

 which lived nine years, and died at last almost blind 

 with old age. But the most curious thing which ever 

 happened to her, is that she fell down one of the 

 hothouse chimnies, and then walked along about sixty 

 feet of the flue, that was nearly choked up with soot, 

 before she got into the furnace, in which there luckily 

 was no fire. The door happened to be shut, and poor 

 * Vol. ii. pp. 7, 8. f Willughby, p. 181. 



