190 



pressing me to write a Work on Fancy Pigeons in general ; T repeat, judge of my sur- 

 prise, appearing before you again in so short a time ; it was the last of my thoughts 

 after having completed my Almond Tumbler, on that I caught a Tartar. 



Should the Work, or compilation, which it is my intention to lay before you, not 

 please after reading it over, blame yourselves not me, for endeavouring to carry out 

 your earnest entreaties ; I can assure you it is no joke to bring out a Work on the sub- 

 ject, it will make enemies of a few waspish, crabby Fanciers (" but they are not all the 

 Fanciers in the World !"), who do not wish the young Fancier to know more than 

 answers their purpose. The first time the idea struck me of writing the Almond 

 Tumbler, I mentioned my intention ; a gentleman remarked, if I wrote one he would 

 answer it ; it may be this put a damper upon me and my work at the time, I abandoned 

 it : time rolled on — I gained more experience — all the world in a fever about the forth- 

 coming Exhitition, I was desirous of bringing out something ; after racking my brains 

 (which I think, generally, is about as clear as mud in a wine glass) the idea of the 

 Almond Tumbler struck me, which I brought out. Mark the remarks that was made 

 upon it by men who knew better, they " did not believe I had the ability to produce 

 such a work." Others went so far as to give the credit to my much respected and es- 

 teemed Brother Fancier, Mr. Dean Wolstenholmb, as the Author; who was the 

 engraver of the Portrait of the Amond Tumbler, the set of Six Portraits, life size, and 

 all the engravings in this Work. In stating facts, after having written my work, and 

 prior to consigning it to Press, I thought it right to read it over to some friend or 

 friends. I prevailed upon Mr. W olstenholme, whose judgment upon Pigeons in 

 general is second to no man, and whose honesty in these matters qualifies him for an 

 impartial judge upon any occasion ; and also upon my much esteemed respected old 

 Bchool-fellow, a young and inexperienced Fancier, who had not much time, and less 

 money to lay out in the Fancy, who was a common-sense man ; before my two friends 

 I read over the manuscript ; Mr. Wolstenholmb gave me two ideas and no more, 

 which I will give you. 



First, — Sir JoHN SEBRIGHT said, he would produce any given feather in three years ; 

 but it would take him six years to obtain head and beak. 



Second. — (Paragraph 513, on my writing on Beak.) — " By breaking the upper man" 

 dible when the bird is a few days old ; it may be detected, fi-om 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 pointing upwards." For these two ideas I feel grateful to my 

 friend and brother Fancier — ^the Animal Artist, Wolstenholmb. The case .was dif- 

 ferent with my much respected, esteemed, and old school-fellow, Henry Major, who 

 would not tell a lie to oblige a friend, or hurt a foe. He was not an experienced 

 Fancier, not having been long enough in the Fancy. He said he could not give a 

 single idea. But he thought, vdthout altering the idea, by transposing some of the 

 sentences, would read better. He did so ; we read them over, and approved of the 

 transposition, for which I feel grateful. I am aware there are a few Fanciers who 

 would have given the credit (provided there was any due) to Mr, H. Major, it would 

 not do, simply because he was not a sufficient Fancier.* It appears to me some Fan- 

 ciers were willing to give the credit, provided there was any due, to any one save me, 

 the Author. 



I will lay before you a few paragraphs, some extracted from letters to a young Fan- 

 cier, but old schoolfellow, Mr. Henry Major, Geelong, Australia. 



• Allow me in this part to give you a portion of a Letter I received from my much 

 respected old school-fellow, Henry Major, on board the **Peru," lying wait oflF 

 Gravesend, to sail for Geelong, Port Phillip, Australia :— 



"2nd Sept., 1852. 

 " Dear Eaton, 



" In case you were not able to come down to see us once more, I thought 

 I would drop you a line to say. We are well, and going on as well or better than we 

 could expect, &c. &c. I trust that every incident that may happen may serve to recon- 

 cile us to a voyage, and to life on the other side of the Globe, &c. &c. Remember me 



