TJie Goolee. 



127 



next in order of number, while reda and yellows are comparatively 

 scarce, though they were to be seen in the possession of several Calcutta 

 fanciers ten years ago. 



Putting aside the curious markings, it is obvious that the Mookee is 

 not a bastard fantail, for, united to a close tail of twelve feathers, it has 

 all the shaking of ordinary fantaUs ; and it is known that in crossing the 

 fantail, its tremulous neck motion is lost long before the tail is reduced to 

 twelve feathers. It is as probable that ertra tail feathers in the Mookee 

 resulted in the broad-tailed shaker, as that it was bred down from the 

 fantail. No one can say now how either variety was produced, and to 

 experiment on the subject would be wasting time that might be better 

 employed, as we have both varieties ready made to our hands. 



The Mookee is a good breeder and feeder. It is a long-lived pigeon. 

 One dun cook that I sent to Dnidee, from Calcutta, old when he left, 

 lived for ten years afterwards. 



CHAPTER XLIX. 



THE GOOLEE PIGEON. 



The Goolee is a small pigeon, not much larger than the short faced- 

 tumbler. It was in the possession of a Mr. Wood, in Calcutta, one 

 of four brothers, all pigeon fanciers, that I first saw a good collection 

 of Goolees, and what at once struck me was their close resemblance in 

 shape and carriage to our short-faced tumblers. The Goolee has a spin- 

 dle beak, like that of our small clean- legged flying tumblers, and an 

 abruptly rising forehead, showing a decided stop. Were the best of them 

 to be subjected to treatment from the skull improvers, that our late 

 books on pigeons make a point of illustrating for the benefit of unthinking 

 people, the result would be birds differing little from short-faces, except 

 in coloTir. The benighted heathens, however, do not use such instru- 

 ments, for they only value properties that can be bred in their pigeons. 

 But this may be the result of simple ignorance, for I know well that if 

 they once thought any additional value would accrue from a made skull, 



