126 Fancy Pigeons. 



the narrowness of their tails, as the name imports. They are said also 

 to vary in colour. This kind we have not as yet seen, nor have we more 

 to say of it." Willughby had this information, without doubt, from 

 some pigeon fancier who knew the breed, though he does not name his 

 a^lthority, as he elsewhere names Mr. Cope, of Jewin-street. 



When Moore wrote his '^ Columbarium," about sixty years later, he 

 described the narrow-tailed shaker, the last kind he mentions in his book, 

 as follows: "This Pigeon is reckon'd by some a distinct Species, tho' 

 I am apt to believe it is only a bastard breed between the foregoing (the 

 broad-tail' d shaker) and some other Bird. Its neck is shorter and 

 thicker, its back longer, the Feathers of its Tail are not so much spread 

 out, but fall as it were double, lying over one another, and the Tail 

 generally lops very much." And thus, from Moore onwards, every writer 

 described the narrow-tailed shaker as a crossbred fantail, as no doubt the 

 bird above described was, Moore never having seen the true breed. But 

 it will be observed that Moore says, " This pigeon is reckon'd by some a 

 distinct species." No pigeon fancier would reckon a crossbred fantail 

 as a distinct species, so there were, even in Moore's time, some who 

 either had known or had been told about the true narrow-tailed shaker, 

 which is the Indian Mookee, a pigeon having the tremulous shaking 

 neck of the fantail, and a close narrow tail with the normal number of 

 twelve feathers. 



The head of the Mookee is flat, showing no stop, and is all drawn to 

 a point ; it also is invariably peaked behind. The irides are dark hazel 

 in colour. The upper mandible is white, and tlie lower follows the 

 plumage. The whole head is white, above a line running across the eyes. 

 The two longest flight feathers should be white, and all the rest of the 

 bird coloured. The head often comes foul or unequally out, and the 

 flights often foul. Three, or even four, a side, are better than unequal 

 flights, but two a side are considered the standard. The curious thing 

 about the Mookee is the tremulous shaking of the neck, which is never 

 absent, and which is most constant when the bird is salacious. It is 

 singular to see the cock driving the hen to nest : his head and neck 

 shake continually backward and forward, but he never loses his balance. 

 The tail is carried horizontally and close, as in most pigeons. 



I have seen all colours in this breed, as in the Sherajee, but the great 

 majority are black. Blues with black bars, barless blues, and duns, are 



