92 



they look pretty when they spread their tail and fly, and always breed 

 their young ones of the same colour. 



COLUMBA EIDENS. The Laugher. 



209. — This Pigeon is about the size of a middling Runt, and much of 

 the same make, and I am informed has a very bright pearl eye, almost 

 white ; as for its feather, it is red mottled ; and some tell me they have 

 seen blues. They are said to come from the Holy Land near Jerusalem. 

 When a cock plays to his hen he has a hoarse coo, not unlike the gurg- 

 gling of a bottle of water, when poured out, and then makes a noise, 

 which very much imitates a soft laughter, and from thence this bird has 

 its name. 



COLUMBA TIBICEN. The Trumpeter. 



210. — The Trumpeter is a bird much about the size of a Laugher, 

 and very runtishly made ; they are generally pearl-eyed, black-mottled, 

 very feather-footed and legged, turn crov/ned like the Nun, and some- 

 times like the Finikin, but much lajger, which I take to be the better 

 sort, as being more melodious ; but the best characteristic to know them, 

 is a tuft of feathers growing at the root of the beak, and the larger this 

 tuft is, the more they are esteemed. The reason of their name, is 

 from their imitating the sound of a trumpet after playing ; though I once 



209. (Beent.) — Although I have never seen any of this kind of Pigeon, still I 

 should deem my present series of papers on Pigeons incomplete did I not notice this 

 variety, which I believe is brought from Arabia and the Holy Land, and derives its 

 name from its strange coo, some part of which is thought to resemble laughter. 



209. (Brent.) — Mr. Moore gives the following short description: — "This Pigeon 

 is about the size of a middling Runt (*. e., common Pigeon), and much of the same 

 make, and has a very bright pearl eye, almost white ; as for its feather, it is red mot- 

 tled ; and some teU me they have seen blue. They are said to have come from the 

 Holy Land, near Jerusalem. When the cock plays to his hen, he has a hoarse coo, 

 not unhke the gurgling of a bottle of water when poured out, and then makes a noise 

 which very much imitates soft laughter, and from thence this bird has its name." 



209. (Brent.) — When a boy, I remember, my father was very desirous of obtaining 

 some Laugher Pigeons, but was never successful, from which circumstance, and never 

 having met with any myself, I should have concluded that they were extinct in Eng- 

 lend, were it not that in No. 283 of the " Cottage G-ardener, March 2nd, 1854, I 

 perceived an account of them as recent arrivals from the coasts of Arabia. They are 

 described as being rather under the average size, with clean legs and beak rather 

 hooked, varying in colour, being mostly blue, red, and white, blue pied or mottled, 

 their various cries being certainly extraordinary ; some of the notes are those of a loud 

 coarse laugh, but when much alarmed — more like a hoarse clamour. The writer con- 

 siders them to stand our climate tolerably well, and from their risibiUty if disturbed at 

 night, being almost as good as a house dog. 



209. (Brent.) — PS. The Germans call the common cage Dove or Collared Turtle 

 " Die Lachtaube," i. e., Laughing Pigeon or Dove. Since writing the above I have 

 obtained a pair of Laugher Pigeons ; in colour the cock is a chequered, the hen che- 

 quered and white, and they look like very common mongrels, more dove-house than 

 anything else, from which they are not easily to be distinguished. There may, perhaps, 

 be slight fullness of the throat, and the shanks are slightly feathered ; there is not any- 

 thing different about the beak ; but the voice is very peculiar, quick, broken, and tre- 

 mulous ; it gives the idea of a stuttering Pigeon interrupted by hiccup, that is the 

 inspiratory Ah ! which causes them to be called Laughers. 



