99 



and much about the same size. The crown of its head is turned much 

 after the manner of a snake's head ; it is gravel-eyed and has a tuft of 

 feathers on the hinder part of the crown, which runs down its back not 

 unlike a horse's main ? it is clean-footed and legged and always black, 

 and blue pied. When it is salacious, it rises over its hen and turns round 

 three or four times, flapping its wings, then reverses and turns as many the 

 other way. 



229. — Were a*gentleman in the country to stock a dove-house with this 

 sort of Pigeons, their whimsical gestures might engage the country people 

 to imagine he kept an enchanted castle. 



230. — Some people disapprove of this sort of Pigeons as apt to 

 vitiate their other strains by making a hen squat by these antic gestures ; 

 but in fact they are no more dangerous that way than any other breed 

 when salacious. 



COLUMBA CIRCUMAGENS. The Turner, 



231. — This Pigeon is in many respects like the Finnikin, except that 

 when it is salacious and plays to the female it turns only one way, where- 

 as the other turns both ; it has no tuft on the hinder part of the head ; 

 neither is it snake-headed. • 



COLUMBA NUMIDIOA. The Barh, or Barhary Pigeon. 



232. — This Pigeon is in size somewhat larger than a Jacobine, it is called 

 a Barb for shortness instead of the Barbary Pigeon, being originally brought 

 from that country. 



233. — It has a very short beak like a bull-finch, with a very small 



of their voice, so are these Pigeons from their very grotesque movements. There ap- 

 pear to be three varieties of this kind, called the Finnikin, the Turner, and the Smiter. 

 I have seen some Pigeons of this sort in Germany, where they aie called " Ring-Schla- 

 gen Tauben," i. e., Ring-beating Pigeons, and apart from their strange movements and 

 actions, I could see nothing else in them different to other common kinds. Thev are 

 considered very productive ; but I am not aware that any are now to be found in 

 England. In Mr. Moore's Work I find the following description : — " The Finnikin is 

 in make and shape like a common Runt and about the same size ; the crown of the head 

 is turned much after the manner of a snake's head ; it is gravel-eyed, and has a tuft 

 of feathers on the hinder part of the crown, which runs down its neck, not unlike a 

 horse's mane : it is clean-footed and legged, and always black and blue pied. When it 

 is salacious, it rises over its hen and turns round three or four times, flapping its w'inga, 

 then reverses, and turns as many the other way. The Turner is in many respects like 

 the Finnikin, except that it tm-ns only one way, has no tviffcs on the hinder part of the 

 head, and is not snake-headed." The Smiter is described by M. iioitard and M. Corbie, 

 French writers, as follows : — They are a little stouter than the Tumblers, have a small 

 sere round the eyes, which are black ; the feet are feathered. Whatever the size of the 

 place in which they are, they rise to the top, and come down again in circles, turning 

 first one way and then the other, and they turn round in flying even in their dovecots : 

 but they are quarrelsome and jealous. In plumage (they say) they are grey, with black 

 marks on the wings, red, or pearly white, with a pure white horse-shoe mark on the 

 back. They frequently break some of their wing feathers by the violence of their move- 

 ments, which seem to resemble convulsions ; and they are generally very productive. 



233. (Eaton.) — The Gentlemen of the Fancy agree that the Barb should take pre- 

 G2 



