Angnat 11, 1870. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



113 



the Pouter, ia an indigenous variety that the fanciers of this 

 country may well feel proud of, it may be as well, perhaps, 

 to preface our remarks by stating that our aim on the present 

 occasion is not to set up any new standard or to improve upon 

 any of the properties which have long ago been established. 

 We merely hope, by the help of the accompanying exquisite pic- 

 ture, and by setting forth the points of the variety in question 

 briefly and lucidly before the readers of this Journal, by pointing 

 out its beauties, and perhaps touching a little on that bugbear 

 which no doubt deters many from entering the fancy — the diffi- 

 culty of breeding— to be able to enlarge the circle, not of the 

 admirers of the Almond, for every one, whether in the fancy or 

 not, admires its pretty form, its jaunty step, and wonderful 

 diversity of oolour, but the circle of its cultivators ; in short, 

 to induce more gentlemen to enter into this engrossing fancy, 

 and not to leave it, as at present, in the hands of but a few. 



Farther improvement we do not think it is possible to make 

 upon the best strains; the utmost limit having been reached. 

 But the majority of the birds we meet with, especially out 

 of the neighbourhood of the metropolis, are sadly in want of 

 some improvement, particularly in head, beak, and carriage ; 

 and we cannot but express the hope that our present contribu- 

 tion to "our Journal" maybe instrumental in some slight 

 degree in bringing about this desirable end. We should much 

 like to see this lovely variety in greater force at our exhibitions ; 

 to see some of the gems which we know are in the possession 

 of a few private fanciers who never dream of exhibiting ; to see 

 them with their beautiful plumage all fresh and glossy from 

 their own lofts, instead of the jaded and in many cases worn- 

 out birds which make their appearance merely for trade, and 

 which are bundled from one exhibition to another till death 

 happily puts an end to their miserable existence. We are, 

 however, well aware of the uselessness of setting our anticipa- 

 tions too steadfastly on a pleasure which we fear will never be 

 realised, at least while exhibitions continue open so long as 

 at Bmgley Hall, standard Almond Tumblers so valuable, and 

 the prizes (we are not complaining), so inadequate to the risk 

 incurred. 



But to return to the more immediate object of this notice. 

 In giving a description of the five acknowledged properties of 

 the Almond Tumbler, we are well aware that we are touching 

 upon a delicate subject. It is a well-known fact that even our 

 nrst fanciers and judges cannot agree amongst themselves as to 

 which property of the five is of the greatest importance. Some 

 claim colour, others head and beak, and some are for shape 

 and carriage. In offering our opinion upon this contested 

 point we merely state what we as a society are guided by, 

 without in the slightest degree hoping, after so long a period 

 01 indecision, that our opinion will come to be the generally 

 acknowledged one. It has been argued that the great difficulty 

 Of attaining and maintaining the true standard feather of the 

 Almond should not only cause that to occupy the first position, 

 but to rank equal to three of the other properties. But we would 

 respectfully urge that this difficulty exists only in connection 

 with the high-class head-and-beak birds— that is, getting both 

 Head and colour together. It is well-known that among the 

 coarse common birds some of the loveliest colours are not only 

 easily got but just as easily kept. In fact, there is not the 

 Slightest difficulty in breeding to standard for feather in that 

 class. We may, perhaps, be allowed to ask the practical 

 question" Which of the properties imparts the greatest value 

 to a bird intrinsically, setting aside all questions of indi- 

 vidual taste ?" and we have every confidence that the answer 

 from the majority of fanciers who really know what ilmonds 

 are,_ would be, " head and beak." However beautiful birds may 

 be in feather, and combining, as we have known instances, a 

 good carriage as well, if they want the head and beak— that is, 

 if they are mousey and coarse— a few shillings is the most 

 which can be obtained for them. Generallv, and we speak from 

 experience, the difficulty is to get rid of them at all. On the 

 contrary, however, for first-class head-and-beak birds, what- 

 ever may be their colour, whether Kite, Agate, Whole-feather 

 or Splash, a ready market is always at hand, with good 

 prices, and sometimes such fabulous ones as would astonish 

 many an uninitiated person. Fifteen pounds have been re- 

 fused for Kites and Agates, and we have even known their 

 weight in sovereigns offered and refused for a pair which it 

 was well known would not breed. How much would have been 

 offered for them with bad heads and beaks, but maintaining 

 every other point they possessed ? We leave the question to 

 the decision of the fancy, merely repeating that the property 

 or properties which intrinsically lend the greatest value to a 



bird are, in our opinion, the most important. We are not par- 

 ticularly anxious about this matter, neither do we wish to 

 thrust our opinion upon those who do not agree with us ; but 

 believing we are right, and that the majority of the faney who 

 are competent to judge are with us, we shall mention the pro- 

 perties of the standard Almond in the following order — viz., 

 head, beak, eye, Bhape and carriage, feather, and leave our 

 readers to the Englishman's privilege as to what they will 

 make up their minds to breed for. 



The head of the Almond Tumbler should be round, broad, 

 and high. The forehead especially should be broad and pro- 

 minent, the feathers rising perpendicularly from the nostril, 

 and the more they give the appearance to the bird of the fore- 

 head overhanging the beak the greater will be its value. This 

 is, of course, when looking at a bird in its natural position ; 

 but the actual skull of the bird denuded of its feathers, or 

 when they are pressed down with the finger, should form the 

 half of a circle — that is, drawing a Hue from the centre of the 

 nose wattle to the back of the hef.l. A head such as we have 

 described possesses what is termed by the fancy a good " stop," 

 and is the very opposite to the term " mousey," which means 

 a low, narrow skull, tapering gradually and in a point to the 

 bill. This latter is, in our opinion, the greatest defect a bird 

 can have. The feathers runriing fivtn the lower jaw round to 

 and covering the ears should be full, prominent, and slightly 

 curving upwards, as shown in the portrait. This feature adds 

 very much to the appearance of the head, and its technical 

 term is " muffy." 



In speaking of the beak, we shall not attempt to describe the 

 points of difference between what, are termed the Goldfinch, 

 Canary, or other beaks, or instance half an oat or barleycorn 

 as a simile. Such guides are at the best merely ambiguous 

 ones, and point out nothing definite to the young fancier. We 

 shall simply say the beak should be as short, straight, and fine 

 as possible ; and the smaller the nose wattle is the better. It 

 has been said that it should be so fine as merely to resemble a 

 white thread drawn across the roots of the feathers ; but we 

 do not wish to cut the matter so fine as this, because, for 

 various natural reasons, we do not think it is to be obtained. 

 On the other hand, we would deprecate anything in the way of 

 a large and coarse wattle. It has also been urged that the beak 

 should be white ; but this, again, cannot be depended upon, as 

 it is always affected very much by the colour and age of the 

 bird. 



The eye should be a clear pearl, large, bright, and prominent, 

 and should be in the centre of the head. If possible, no cere 

 or lash should be perceptible, and the feathers should grow 

 close up to the edge. 



The shape and carriage of the Almond are generally taken as 

 one property, and as such is one of the greatest recommenda- 

 tions a bird can have in the eyes of a true fancier, especially 

 for purposes of breeding. Such property at once indicates a 

 well-bred bird. The smaller a bird is the better, the beauty of 

 the other properties being thereby greatly enhanced. It should 

 be short in body, flights, and tail ; the legs short, and the feet 

 small. The neck should also be short, and thin immediately 

 around the throat, curving gracefully and imperceptibly into 

 the chest, which should be full, broad, and prominent. In 

 position the bird should stand erect with the head thrown back, 

 so as to be in a direct perpendicular 'ine above the feet; the 

 chest held well up, showing its greate-t )>rominence between the 

 butts of the wings. A low chest is a y.ro&t disfigurement to the 

 proper carriage, and is what is termed " goose-breasted." The 

 tip of the tail should just touch the ground. The flight 

 feathers should be carried droopin;: ^elow the tail, showing 

 their colours to greater advantage, and clearly developing the 

 rump, which should be well covered with feathers, and nicely 

 curved. A bird in the above position should Btand entirely on 

 its toes, the ball of the foot beina slightly raised from the 

 ground. Of course an Almond Tumbler is not always to be 

 seen in this position, any more than the Carrier or Pouter are 

 constantly in the positions in which they are invariably ponr- 

 trayed ; but if a bird has any pretensions at all to a good shape 

 and carriage, whether cock or hen, it will be seen in all its 

 beauty during the time the cock is driving to nest. 



In speaking of colour, we must confess we are troubled by 

 the difficulty with which all writers on this subject have had to 

 contend — that is, the want of a suitable term adequately to 

 express what the proper ground colour of the bird should be. 

 The term most in use, and which seems to us the best for 

 the purpose, is to call it a bright " Almond Yellow " — that is, 

 that it should as nearly as possible resemble the colour on 



