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London, on the first Tuesday in every month in the year, with the exception of one or 

 two, when the members were likely to be out of town. 



509. I am aware, in some parts of the country, Fanciers live at too great a distance 

 from each other to meet once a month; but surely they could meet once a quarter, and 

 by forming themselves into a society, showing their birds, &c., which would greatly 

 improve their knowledge of the Almond Tumbler, and greatly facilitate the study of 

 this bird. I would suggest a society might be formed open to all the world, to show the 

 best Almond Tumbler for the five properties, on one day in the year ; the meeting to 

 take place in the most central part of the country — say Birmingham, supposing it to be 

 the most central for the London, Manchester, Liverpool, Scotch and Irish Fanciers ; if 

 not approved of — say London, or any other place; taking care there are facilities to get 

 to and from ; it might not be convenient for some gentlemen to stop, dine, and 

 spend a cheerful day together in conversation upon the Fancy. 



510. It is not my intention to enter into particulars how a society of this sort is to be 

 carried out, it may be done by subscription, or by Fanciers having to pay a certain sum 

 on entering each bird competing for the prize, or both combined. I have no doubt 

 many gentlemen who are not Fanciers, but gseat admirers of the Almond Tumbler, 

 would subscribe to can-y out the object, and have the gratification of seeing some of the 

 best birds under the sun. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS-. 



511. I sincerely hope I should be the last Fancier to instil into the mind of the 

 amateur (provided I had the ability, or more properly speaking, dishonesty), how to 

 make up a bird; I could not conscientiously pass over without informing you of your 

 privileges. You have a right to cut or shorten the beak to the end of the quick, to 

 scrape the sides of the beak with a sharp instrument or broken glass, to show it ofi" to 

 the greatest advantage; at the same time, you have no right to cut or scrape through 

 the quick; if by accident you should do so, the bird would not die, yet the experienced 

 Fancier will discover it. The cause of my mentioning this circumstance is, the yovmg 

 Fancier should not be disheartened, lamenting he cannot breed such short face birds as 

 he sees; from his want of knowledge, he may look at the head and beak of birds that 

 have been cut to the end of the quick, and look at his own birds whose beak have been 

 allowed to grow or run out, he could have wished his own birds were as short faced. It 

 is possible it might be shorter, he took his distance for the one to the quick, — the other 

 to the end of the horn. I hope I have said enough to open the eyes of the amateur, 

 without giving ofi'ence to the more experienced or practical Fancier, 



512. The young Fancier has a right to pluck or withdraw any objectionable feather, 

 provided he keeps the bird in his own aviary or loft, he has no right to show it for fea- 

 ther; if he does, it may be discovered, if he has done so by way of selling the bird, it 

 amounts to a fraud; this is what is called in the Fancy weeding, or gardening. 



513. In your time, you may hear things that appear strange, and greatly surprise you, 

 listen to remarks, I caution you not to repeat them unless you have been an eye witness. 

 It is possible you may hear of the making up of birds ; I believe the only properties it 

 is possible to alter is Feather, Head, and Beak. Feather we will take first, by plucking 

 or withdrawing any objectionable feather, called weeding or gardening; secondly, the 

 head, as I have heard stated, by employing caps, placed on the heads of young birds in 

 the nest to grow to. — It is possible it might have been tried, I never saw it done, I 

 discard it as unworthy of belief.- -last, the beak; notwithstanding the above remarks as 

 regards feather and head, there are some few Fanciers of whom it is asserted make the 

 beak, (which is so much admired) by breaking the upper mandible when the bird is a 

 few days old; it may be detected from the injury it has received, similar to our own 

 flesh, when we have received a severe pinch; it may also be detected in the bird when 

 grown up, by the position of the beak, it has an unnatural appearance, the beak point- 

 ing upwards. Having made these remarks (the reason I shall inform you by and bye), 

 I again caution you not to make a charge by hearing, or even reading this treatise; 

 keep a still tongue, put the question to yourself, how is it possible you might discover 

 a bird made up as regards the head and beak. I informed you the beak has anuunatu- 



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