Fancy Pigeons. 



asserting a half-bred jacobin to be a distinct species ; however, if there 

 was a pure race, as described, known as the Capuchin then, we do not 

 know it now ; for its description cannot apply to the bird we now class 

 under that name. 



The Capuchin was first imported into England and first described in 

 Fulton's book by my friend Mr. H. P. Caridia, of Birmingham. It is a 

 native of one locality of Asia Minor, he says, and those I have seen are 

 certainly of pure and distinct race. The head is round and full in 

 front, the beak short and fine, the iris pure white and siu'rounded by 

 a thin purple-black cere, and the beak and toe nails are black. The 

 plumage is a rich metallic black, sparkling with lustre, the tail with 

 its coverts alone being white. Mr. Caridia says there are also similiarly 

 marked blues and whole coloured whites. The Capuchin gets its name 

 from an extensive close fitting hood on the back of its head, which comes 

 down a very short distance on each side of its neck. It carries the 

 flights low, generally below the tail. It is thin necked, broad chested, 

 and has much of the shape and carriage of the shortfaced tumbler. It 

 ie said to be a good flyer, breeder, and feeder. 



I have heard some say that this pigeon is the original of our jacobins, 

 which I consider an hallucination. Its black eye cere alone points to a 

 separate origin, but I believe the third or fourth cross from it and the 

 jacobin has resulted in very fair specimens of the latter breed, which 

 I can easily imagine would be the case. I could fancy it to have origi- 

 nated from the jacobin and the Mahomet, but this is mere speculation. 

 The breed as it stands may be many centuries old. 



CHAPTER LII. 



THE LAUGHER PIGEON. 



The Laugher is a, breed of pigeon that has been known in this country, 

 off and on, since Moore's time. It seems to have died out and been re- 

 imported several times. From all accounts it has almost nothing to 

 distinguish it in general appearance from the common pigeon. Brent 



