440 
FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by Joseph M. 
Wade, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
J 
(&■ 
ANCIER3' jJJ OULNAL AND 1J0ULTRY ^XCHANGE, 
JOSEPH M. WADE, Editor and Proprietor. 
Published Weekly at 39 North Ninth Street, Philadelphia. 
seven to nine colored flight feathers.” The best and oldest 
authorities describe them as having from “ five to seven,” and 
those that have taken prizes in England, repeatedly, had only 
six. But the main point that I wish to speak about is where 
he says “ that Spots and Snells are the 1 culls ’ or 1 outs ’ of 
Nuns.” This I think an error, and that he nor any one else 
is smart enough to produce a pure German Snell from a Nun 
— they are as distinct and different as two birds can be. 
SPOT. 
SUBSCRIPTION. 
Per Annum, $2 50 
Six Copies, one year, 12 00 
Specimen Copies, by mail, 10 
Per Annum to Canada, 2 70 
Per Annum to England, 3 54 
ADVERTISEMENTS 
From reliable parties, on any subject interesting to Fanciers, will be 
inserted at 10 cents per line, set solid ; if displayed, 15 cents per line of 
space will be charged ; about 12 words make a line, and 12 lines make an 
inch of space. 
1 inch of space, set solid $1 20, displayed $1 80 
1 column, about 108 lines, setsolid 10 80, “ 16 20 
1 page, 216 lines, solid 2160, “ 32 40 
Advertisements from unknown parties must be paid for in advance. 
Sherman A Co., Printers, Philadelphia. 
A “ Spot ” is a bird that is marked as follows : The top of 
the head, over and down as far as the eye, is colored ; the tail 
is of the same color of the spot ; body and wings pure white. 
It is hardly possible that in time you may breed-out the 
colored flight feathers in the Nun, and dispose of the colored 
feathers, or “ bib,” under the throat, but I think a man 
would die of old age before he accomplished it. A “Ger- 
man Snell” is a very different bird from a “Nun” or 
“Spot,” not only in its markings, but in its carriage and 
build throughout. I have bred them (black, red and yellow), 
and they always breed young true in their markings , as 
several can vouch for that had them from me. 
GERMAN SNELLS. 
^ M 
w 
-J - - 
PiqEO[J 
DEp^J|VIE[yIj. 
(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
THE TUMBLERS. 
High in the air the Tumblers fly, 
Cleaving the blue empyrean ; 
Oh 1 for such wings that I might try 
The unknown realms of space to scan. 
Above the clouds the Tumblers roll, 
Tossing somersaults prompt and bold; 
Ah ! with such skill I might control 
The worlds, by thought alone, foretold. 
Swift through the winds the Tumblers sweep, 
Circling about their home so dear ; 
Oh ! for such speed that I might leap 
Into the ofttime dreamt of sphere. 
Down from the clouds the Tumblers drop, 
Folding their wings with silent grace ; 
Ah ! how certainly time will lop 
From life, the dreams our fancies trace. 
Wilbur P. Morgan. 
(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
NUNS, SNELLS, AND SPOTS. 
Dear Sir : 
In one of your back numbers, some few months ago, I 
noticed an article on “Nuns” that contained some state- 
ments that I cannot, as an old breeder of pigeons, accept as 
being correct. The writer goes on to describe a “Nun,” 
which is correct, except where he says “ there should be from 
A pure German Snell lias a small colored spot, about the 
size of a pea, right between the eyes, and starting at the 
base of the beak, but does not extend over the head like a 
“Spot.” The tail is of the same color as the spot on the 
forehead, they are booted with the same colored feathers as 
the spot and the tail, and have a crest like a Priest. They 
have the carriage and build of a swallow, and act like them 
in their movements. If a “Snell” is an “out” from a 
“ Nun,” how does he obtain a booted bird from one that is 
smooth leg? I know feathers can be bred-out, but I never 
knew you could breed them on from birds that never had 
them. 
Portland, Me., 1874. W . W . Stevens. 
(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
UNUSUAL INCIDENTS. 
Jos. M. Wade, Esq. 
Dear Sir: A friend and fancier, whom I visited a few 
days since, showed me a strange way or rather an attempt 
to raise an English sparrow. The facts of the case were as 
follows : It seems that a large gray squirrel had escaped from 
its cage and ran up and down the trees that are on my 
friend’s place. In jumping from one tree to another he up- 
set a box nest, with three young sparrows in it that were 
just about ready to fly. Two of them were instantly killed 
by the fall, but the third was still alive and was put by my 
friend under a pair of pigeons whose young had just died. 
The birds at once set to work to rear the little stranger, and 
in this they succeeded for a little over nine days, when it 
ungratefully died, positively from the overfeeding to which 
it was subjected. Yours truly, B. 
New York, June 29, 1874. 
[The above reminds us that some two years ago, while in 
Glasgow, Scotland, we were accompanied by the late Mr. 
Miller (a most thorough and devoted fancier of Pouters), to 
see the loft of a Pouter fancier. After climbing up through a 
trap-door, we witnessed the curious incident that a pair of 
Pouters had hatched a chicken and a pigeon in the same 
nest, and although two weeks old, they occupied the nest 
together. The chick would leave the nest, which the old pig- 
eons would try to prevent, get food and water, and then re- 
turn. But the most amusing part was when the old birds 
