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lofty flight of two or three hours, of rising above the clouds, and frequently lost to 

 eight ; such are the delights of a flying Fancier. I am aware that the head and beak Fan- 

 ciers consider that everything else must give way before these points, and to a certain 

 extent this is quite right : but those gentlemen that admire the short-faced Tumblers, 

 will, while they enjoy their fancy, allow others to enjoy theirs, and not exclude, as 

 some seem to wish, the flying birds frum all exhibitions, for birds with such short beaks 

 that they cannot rear their own young, or so delicate that they must not be trusted 

 out, are certainly not fitted for lofty flights, but good Tumblers are rather scarce, they 

 being either too delicate to fly, or too coarse to be admired — a medium sort is the best 

 adapted for good flyers, 



(Eaton, 196 E. — Long-faced Beaeds.) — While much has been, and more will be, 

 written on the Short-faced Tumblers, which may meet the approbation of Short-faced 

 Tumbler Fanciers, it would appear to me a very one-sided affair if I did not attempt 

 to take any notice of the Long-faced Tumblers and Fanciers. They are very fashion- 

 able at this time, and are to be met with in great numbers about Eegent- street, the 

 Parks, the lounges of fashionable watering places, &c. I have no doubt a few could 

 be met with at Bath and Cheltenham. It is reported the late — Muntz, Esq., M.P. 

 for Birmingham, had a superior stud. 'Tis said, " Ladies are great admirers of them" 

 — I believe only to giggle at or about them after they have passed. Strange to say, 

 the more ugly they are the more they rivet attention ; I am surprised how they pick 

 up or feed, and that they are not completely starved. This accounts for their being 

 so extremely long-faced or lantern-jawed, although heavily bearded. I have noticed 

 before now, in a room where a grand show took place, although not any Beards in 

 the pens, there has been some tremendous, ugly, very long-faced heavy Beards in the 

 room. I have wondered (one name is as good as another for argument) how it were possi- 

 ble, if Mr. Smith wanted to smoke Mr. Southwood's Meerschaum pipe, he could get 

 it into his mouth. You will observe, though strange — yet not more strange than 

 true, there must have been a cross with the Baldhead and the Beard ; although they 

 are long-faced heavily bearded, they are almost perfectly bald-headed. Their feather 

 is mostly grizzle, or a pepper and salt colour. I have heard of "Blue-beard," With 

 regard to this Fancy, I cannot by any possibiKty think but there ought to be a dis- 

 tinction that only men in the army should be allowed to indulge in this Fancy. If 

 others will indulge in this bearded Fancy, and take such immense pains in rearing and 

 coaxing them, and consider them so luxurious, they ought to pay a heavy tax, like gen- 

 tlemen paying the powder tax, which would enable the Chancellor of the Exchequer 

 to take off" the Income Tax and greatly benefit the revenue ; or gentlemen only should 

 rear tbem ; for to see a long, thin-faced, rough, ugly beard, deep in mouth or ragged 

 as a colt, what looks worse 1 You will perceive some of them have a kind of hood on 

 the upper mandible. Some of the inexperienced Fanciers take them to be Rabbi's, 

 Monks, or Priests ; the experienced Fancier calls it Moustache. I find I have made 

 a slight mistake here ; I have been describing the long-faced walking or promenading 

 Beard, instead of the long-faced flying Beard ; therefore I must try back. 



(Eaton, 196 E.) — Standards, among Gentlemen Pigeon Fanciers, are drawn from 

 the greatest extremes, viz., heads perfectly round, others perfectly flat ; beaks, short, 

 fine, spindle, others long, thick, and deep ; short neck, others long neck ; eyes, pearl, 

 others gravel, red, black, or bull-eyes ; bodies, short as possible, others as long 

 as possible ; standing, low as possible ; others standing high as possible ; wattle, little 

 as possible, others much as possible ; head, short as possible, others long as possible ; 

 beaks, white, others black ; small as possible, large as possible ; smooth-headed and 

 not smooth-headed ; some feathers going the right way, others going the wrong way ; 

 some thin, others chubby ; some no crops, others large crops as possible ; some slen- 

 der as possible in the girt or waist ; Runts large as possible, to weigh heavy ; some 

 with white flights and tails, others with flights and tails to match bodies ; some not 

 tumbling enough, others tumbhng too much ; some not flying high enough, others fly- 

 ing out of sight ; some bearded, others bald-headed. I have endeavoured to enumerate 

 a few of the opposite extremes that the Gentlemen of the Pigeon Fancy are pleased 

 to lay down as a standaid to test Pigeons by. You can, at your leisure, look for 

 plenty more. Fanciers do not and will not admire a medium standard for Pigeons, 

 that is, half-and-half, which is neither "here nor there," but admire extremes. Many 

 Fanciers greatly admire the Short-faced Beard ; they would not think any the worse 



