The Feather's Practical Pigeon Book 



It is done very neatly, and they always land on their 

 feet. In fact, the little fellows that can not rise from the 

 floor always, after a turn, land on their feet. 



The question whether it is a pleasure to them is one 

 hard to. answer. But. the fact that they try to avoid 

 raising, and only tumble when startled, inclines me to 

 believe that it is a nervous affection, and not a volun- 

 tary action, and that when startled they lose control of 

 themselves and in trying to rise go over backwards. 

 The fancier wishing to display their qualities to a visitor 

 usually takes a small stick and strikes the floor behind 

 them, sometimes they respond at once with a somer- 

 sault, at others they will run away, and it requires sev- 

 eral attempts with the stick to get them to tumble. 

 Often by scuffing the foot behind them, they will turn 

 over, but all movements to get them to tumble have 

 to be sudden. 



Young birds of excellent parentage do not always 

 inherit the qualities of their parents, and can never be 

 made to tumble in the room,. but as soon as turned out 

 of doors become good Outside Tumblers, although liable 

 to lose their control, and tumble to the ground. I calU 

 to mind a fine black specimen of this kind that had been 

 flying at large for some time. One day he alighted ojs 

 the eaves of the barn and when he attempted to rise, 

 would turn a complete somersault, and land on both feet 

 in the place where he started. It was amusing to see his 

 look of seeming surprise every time he made a rise and 

 came back in the old place. He finally made an extra 

 effort, cleared the barn, and landed in the yard, where 

 he was picked up and transferred to the Inside Tumbler 

 room, with the idea that he would be a good bird to 

 breed from, and as it proved he ever after made a good 

 inside performer. 



"7 



