Also to John Boys, Esq., the highly-respected and worthy magistrate of Mar= 

 gate, Kent, for his truly beautiful notes, observations, and reflections on the 

 Almond-Tumbler, which I have inserted in this Work after my Almond-Tumbler. 

 You will perceive 1 owe these two gentlemen an immense debt of gratitude. 

 Whether I shall be under obligations to others, I cannot inform you here, as this 

 part of the Work will be in the bands of the printer to-morrow. If any, I pro- 

 mise to attach their names to the remarks I receive from them. 



I have made up my mind to take a high standard, and you will think so, too, 

 ■when I inform you, my inexperienced brother Fancier, that I shall attempt to 

 brins: out a Work, — or compilation, — or mass of information on the subject 

 (Pigeons) I believe no man under the sun ever compiled. I am prompted to do 

 so, believing it to be my last attempt or eff*ort on Pigeons. " The subject will not 

 allow of it, owing to the true, beautiful, and fixed standards, now 1858, being 

 the same as when Mr. John Moore brought out his work, ' Columbarian,' 1735." 

 I am sensible we have occasionally new varieties brought from foreign parts, 

 which scarcely look like Pgeons. Fanciers feel grateful to exhibitors for exhi- 

 biting any new varieties, although they take little or no notice of them, com- 

 paratively speaking, simply because they cannot work any good with them. 



It is the last of my thoughts to endeavour to impose upon Fanciers that the 

 Work I am endeavouring to bring out is all new matter. The Fancy will not 

 allow of it. As I stated, before, the standard laid down by John Moore, 1735, is 

 the same standard, with very trifling exceptions, to what the standards are now, 

 1858, the time of my endeavouring to write this Book, which I shall endeavour 

 to prove by and bye. I think it would be wasting ) our tin)e to read and mine 

 in endeavouring to write more on the cause of mv bringing out this Work. I 

 told you the fact that I had sold all my former Works, and seriously considered 

 whether it would be right and fitting to leave the young and inexperienced 

 Fancier without a Work of reference worthy to guide him to a knowledge of the 

 properties of the different varieties of Pigeons. 



I scarce know whether it is worth my while to write, or yours to read, an idea 

 just flashed across my mind; while I have my pen in hand, I may as well put it 

 on paper, and see how it looks. You are aware there are some crotchetty men, 

 who play the parts of old ladies with this disadvantage — their intellects being 

 more weak than their legs, who draw inferences or assumes that a man must be 

 an incorrigible blackguard, notwithstanding his station in life, whether a peer or 

 artisan. I do not approve of writing on such poor, weak, addle-pated nincom- 

 poops, who are so weak in their heads as to be fiightened at their own shadows 

 (boys never do), which proves the brain is becommg soft (query, was it ever 

 hard and clear ?). After the death of Mr. Neal, late the excellent Chairman of 

 the Southwark Columbarian Society, I had the honour to be chosen Chairman, 

 and filled the ofiice since October, 1853, being between four and five years. I 

 have presided over between fifty and sixty members; I am not aware I ever 

 heard a bad word escape one of the member's lips. 'Tis true at times visitors, 

 not knowing the rules of the society, may make a trifling mistake, and if it is 

 considered unparliamentary, he is called to order : no one was ever given in 

 custody. You must not suppose our members are like members of Parliament, 

 or that we turn our meetings into a bear-garden. I am informed the original 

 Columbarian Society, that existed over 100 years (now unfortunately defunct), 

 and presided over in the cream of its day by the late Sir John Sebright, num- 

 bered seven members of Parliament at one time, and, 1 strongly contend, none 

 the worse for that. 



Extracted from John Boys', Esq., notes. 

 ** Those who criticise and scoff at this Fancy should take care not to become a 

 Florist Fancier, or an admirer of improved Horses, Dog* or Sheep ; nor exchange 

 his ignorance for the knowledge of the bsst Piccateesj Dahlias, Tulips (worth ten 



