1 68 Fancy Pi'i'coiis. 



refers to — whether they were merely crosses of different coloured tumblers 

 to produce the almond feather, or of other breeds of fancy pif^eons as 

 well, to produce the short-faced tumbler. The latter is what he meant, 

 and as the knowledge Mr. Morey possessed is lost, all I can say is that 

 there is good evidence for my belief, that the short-face has something 

 more in its composition than the common tumbler. 



The pictures of the almond tumbler in the Treatises of 1765, 1802, and 

 1851 show the gradual improvements made in eighty-six years. I do not 

 put much stress on the wings being carried over the tail in those of 1765 

 and 1802, as they might have been so represented on account of trailing 

 wings being considered faulty. Windus says, regarding carriage : " The 

 bird should stand low, with a fine, prominent, and full, or, as the Fanciers 

 term it, a square chest, which is thrown up considerably by the bird's 

 elevating himself on tiptoe, and thereby depressing his tail, so that the 

 point of it touches the flooring of the area, penn, or whatever place he 

 stands upon." And yet a picture of an almond carrying his tail off the 

 ground and over his trailing wings had appeared about ten years before 

 he wrote this, and his own circular, dated 1813, in my possession, is 

 headed by the picture on page 13 of his book, so that he evidently 

 altered his opinion from that expressed above. 



As interesting to the fancier of short-faces, on account of the light it 

 throws on the materials used about eighty years ago for breeding 

 almonds, I here give a copy of a little handbill in my possession, which 

 is probably unique. I found it, with the circular signed by Windus, 

 in a copy of the 1802 treatise, which has the autograph of Thos. Garle, 

 jun., 7th Feb. 1809. The reward offered would imply that the pigeons 

 were valuable. Though the bill is undated, the type shows it to have 

 been issued not later than 1810. The old letter s, like f, is used, while 

 the modern s is used in the treatise of 1802, but as old type might have 

 been employed for such purposes after it had been laid aside for books, I 

 give the date as above, though it might have been much earlier. 



Fifteen GuiDeag 

 REWABD, 

 WHEREAS the DOVE-HOUSE of Ma. PARR, ot BetlmaUGreen, was on Feidat 

 Nifc-ht.thelStlimst., BROKE OPES, and the following 



TWELVE TUMBLER PIGEONS 

 Stole therein : 

 A very fine Feathered ALMOND OOCK, small Size, remarkable bright Pearl Eyes, 

 fine Beak, the end of upper Bill rather Brown, owing to the Canker when younK. 



