ii6 Fancy Pigeons. 



seen in the nest tail of more than one pigeon, a decidedly swallow tailed 

 formation, but this appearance was always lost when the feathers were 

 changed at the first moulting. Regarding the swallow-tailed baldheo,ds 

 from Manchester, mentioned by Brent's acquaintance, I cannot accept 

 the account of them ; but a pair may have existed having a modified 

 formation of the forked tail in their nest feathers. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



THE RINGBEATER PIGEON. 



UxDER the names of smiter, finnikin, and turner, our former "writers 

 on pigeons have described varieties agreeing more or less witla the 

 French Pigeon Tournant, and German Rhxjschlo/jer, or ringbeater. 

 Willughby says of smiters, "These do not only shake their wings as 

 they fly ; but also flying round about in a ring, especially over their 

 Females, clap them so strongly, that they make a greater sound than 

 two battledores or other boards struck one against another, whence it 

 comes to pass that their quil-feathers are almost always broken and 

 shattered ; and sometimes so bad, that they cannot fly." He describes 

 the turner merely as " having a tuft hanging down backward from their 

 Head, parted like a horse's mane," and the finnikin " like the precedent 

 i.(?., the Turner) but less." 



Moore describes no smiter, but his finnikin "is in Make and Shape 

 very like a common Runt, 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 neek not unlike a horse's mane ; it is clean footed 

 and legged, and always black or 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." 



The turner, he says, "is in many respects like the finnikin, except 



