Foreign Tumblers. 163 



tion. They were first described and illustrated by Mr. J. W. Ludlow, of 

 Birmingham, in the Fanciers' Oazette of 20th June, 1874. They are 

 longer in head and beak than our tumblers, the head being flatter, and 

 wanting the high forehead, and the beak thicker and stronger. The neck 

 is rather short, as are the legs. The back is hollow, and the tail is 

 carried rather elevated and over the flights. The tail is the most peculiar 

 feature in their formation, it being long and composed of from fourteen to 

 twenty-two feathers, the average being about sixteen. These feathers 

 have no approach or resemblance to a fantail, but lie one over the other 

 in two divisions, showing a slight division or split between them. As is 

 common with other varieties having an abnormal number of tail feathers, 

 a double feather growing from one quill is often seen in this breed. 

 They also want the oil gland above the tail. They are of many colours, 

 such as black, white, dun, and almond splash, the blacks being well 

 luatred, and with white black-tipped beaks — as is usual with good-coloured 

 blacks among British tumblers. I have not had any of these rollers 

 myself, but Mr. Ludlow, from whose description I have gathered the 

 above, asserts that they are capital performers and fliers. 



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