^1 



sort of middle-sized Runts ; its feathers stand all reverted, and I cannot 

 see for what it can be admired except for its ugliness. 



206.— There are other sorts of Runts, as the Roman Runt which is so 

 big and heavy it can hardly fly ; and the Smyrna Runt, which is middle- 

 sized and feather-footed. I have seen the feathers growing on the out- 

 side of each foot, that they look as if they carried wings on their feet, I 

 have measured some of these feathers which have been four inches and a 

 half long ; these birds are very apt to drag their eggs and young ones out 

 of the nest, if not kept clean and dry. To these we may add the common 

 Runt, which are kept purely for the dish, and generally in locker holes 

 in inn yards or other places, and are well known to every body ; they are 

 good feeders and therefore good nurses for any of the more curious sorts 

 of Pigeons. 



207. — The following sorts of Pigeons are generally deemed and called 

 Toys by the gentlemen of the Fancy. 



COLUMBA MACULATA. The Spot. 



208. — This Pigeon is about the size of a small Runt, and was first 

 transmitted to us from Holland, but from whience the original of this 

 breed came, I can't as yet learn ; they have spot upon their heads, just 

 above their beak, and from thence take their name, the feathers of the tail 

 are of the same colour with the spot, and the rest of their body is all 

 white. The spot and tail in some of these Pigeons is black, in others 

 red, in others yellow ; and I have been informed that there are some blue ; 



(Brent, 208.) • -According to Mr. John Mogee, 1735, this variety was brought 

 here from Holland. They were frequently to be met with a few years back, but now 

 seem to be getting scarce. They have a coloured spot on the head over the beak, and 

 the tail is also of the same colour, either black, blue, red, or yellow ; the whole of the 

 rest of the plumage is white. They are clean-footed, and occasionally turned crowned, 

 the upper mandible should be dark and the lower hght ; they are the size of the 

 common dove-house Pigeons. They are active and field well ; and are reported always 

 to breed their young ones of the same colour. Their German name is " Bless," 

 (Spot) or " Masken-Tauben," (masked Pigeons). 



THE WHITE SPOT, OR MASKED PIGEON. 



(Brent.) — This variety is very scarce in England, but common in Germany, where 

 they are known as " Die Weiszblessige Taube," White Spotted Pigeon; or "Weisz- 

 masken Taube," White Masked Pigeon. They are rather smaller and lighter made 

 than the common dove-house Pigeons, also quicker and more active, and take willingly 

 to the fields to cater for themselves ; they are smooth-headed, and generally slightly 

 feathered on the feet, the upper mandible is white, the lower dark, on the head, directly 

 over the beak is an oval white spot, the tail also is white, the rest of the body being 

 coloured, so that they are exactly opposite to the Spot Pigeons last described ; some 

 few, however, have white wing bars. 



Herr Gottlob Neumeister enumerates five sub-varieties as follows : — 



1. The Black — white spot, with and without white wing bars, and occasionally with 

 white spangled shoulders. 



2. The Blue — white spot, with the same markings as the above. 



3. The Eed — white spot, of a fine copper brown red, without wing bars. 



4. The Yellow — white spot, their colour brown yellow ; they also have no wing bars. 



5. The Copper-shouldered — white spots, their ground colour is dark slaty black, the 

 neck changes to shining olive-green, the shoulders of the wings are deep copper red, 

 and the under parts of the body light ash grey. 



