The Mottled Tumbler. 155 



sharply, like that of the nun, but gradually dlaappearg in mottling, and 

 there are more or leaa grizzled feathers on the neck, breast, and body. 

 This variety breeds true to these characteristics, but with some variation 

 in darkness of points. 



In addition to such tumblers as I have described, Moore mentions the 

 Dutch tumbler as " much of the same make, but larger, often feather- 

 leg'd, and more jowlter-headed with a thin Flesh or Skin round the Eye, 

 not unlike a very sheer Dragoon ; some People don't esteem them upon 

 this Account, tho' I have known very good ones of the Dutch breed, not 

 any Ways inferior to what they call the English. Others have remarkt 

 that they are apt to tumble too much, and to lose Ground, that is, sink 

 beneath the rest of the Flight, which is a very great Fault, but I have 

 observ'd the same by the English, and am apt to believe that most of the 

 extraordinary Feathers have been produc'd by mixing with the Dutch 

 breed; for it is generally observ'd that the English Tumblers are chiefly 

 black, blue, or white." This is a good description of what are now 

 known as Birmingham rollers, many of which are much larger and 

 coarser pigeons than the neat, trim, clean-legged tumblers. 



Eollers are of many colours, such as whole feathers ; mottles ; saddles, 

 marked exactly the same as the magpie ; white sides marked the 

 reverse of the turbit when through the moult, but self-coloured as 

 nestlings ; badges, which are all coloured except with some white 

 sprinkling about the head, white flights, and white leg- feathering from 

 the hocks down ; grizzles, of various shades, and oddities of all kinds 

 of uneven markings. Eollers may be smooth or feather-legged. Many 

 are heavily-hocked, with feathers on the feet Sin. to 4in. long. They 

 are much fancied in Birmingham and the midland counties, where 

 great numbers of them are kept, and when bred for good shape, colour, 

 and markings, they realise considerable prices for show purposes. I 

 have seen tumblers imported from the Continent with much of the 

 character of these pigeons. 



The Mottled Ttjmblek. 



Mottled flying tumblers for the show pen are either black, red, or 



yellow, though I have occasionally seen dung. The mottling of these birds 



should either be a rose pinion on the shoulders, composed of single white 



feathers, no two of which should be in contact or run together, or the 



