1 88 FiDicy Pioeons. 



headed blacks, blues with white heads, flights, and taiU, and similar 

 blues, with the addition of yellow wiug bars. Some of these were pro- 

 bably Priest pigeons. 



The Altenburg trumpeter is a German race, regarding which Nenmeister, 

 says, " Its home is the district of Alteuburg, where of old it originated 

 from a mixture of the Russian drummer with the blue rook pigeon." It 

 appears sometimes to have the rose and crest of the trumpeter, sometimes 

 neither, and sometimes only one of these ornaments. His illustration of 

 it represents a pigeon with a small rose on the forehead, but no crest at 

 the back of the head. It has feathered legs and feet. "It is of an 

 insignificant exterior and bad bearing. The eye is pearl-coloured, the legs 

 sometimes smooth and sometimes feathered, the toes generally bare. The 

 plumage is full and rather loose, self-coloured, mostly dull or dirty blue, 

 gray, or pale blue, in different gradations, with brownish-blaok or dirty 

 white wing bars. There are also others of a pale yellow, with brownish- 

 yellow wing bars. The ability of drumming is the only characteristic of 

 the Altenburg drummer, whose voice contrasts very favourably with the 

 EuBsian, by a longer sustained clearness, height, flexibility, and variation. 

 The hen is especially distinguished by her melodious voice. In hardiness 

 and breeding powers it is at least equal to the Russian ; however, it is 

 not fond of flying, nor is it easily tamed." 



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