The Whiskered Owl. 



221 



The frill also reached up below the throat, and dividing to right and 

 left, waa continued almost round the neck. I understand that in some of 

 them it actually goes quite round the neck. These pigeons are called 

 Chinese gulls in Germany {Chinesische Mijvchen), and the only account 

 of them I have found is by Neumeister and Priitz, as foUowa : 



" The Chinese gull ia somewhat larger, but not ao finely buUt as the 

 Egyptian gull (Tunia owl) . The beautifully arched head is smooth and 

 not so angular, but rounder ; the strong bill, somewhat crooked in front, 

 is a little longer, in the form of a parrot' s beak, with which bird this 

 pigeon has much resemblance in many respects, as, namely, in bearing, 

 neck, and eyes. The eye is large, the iris orange coloured and very 

 lively. The breast is fuU, the neck short and powerful, the pinions reach 

 to twelve millim. from the end of the tail. Feet and toes are short and 

 smooth. The jahot (frill) on the breast and neck is the moat peculiar 

 thing about this pigeon. When it stretches its neck the crop is invisible, 

 as it is hidden behind the so-called cravatte. This cravatte ia formed by 

 several rows of feathers, which stand upwards on the under side of the 

 neck, lying closely to each other from one side to the other. Proceeding 

 from this, the jahot goes downwards to the middle of the breast, forming 

 a rosette. The feathers from this point radiate to all sides, reaching 

 almost over the breast and offering a beautiful sight. This pigeon became 

 known in Germany only a few years ago, and, therefore, the price for a 

 pair ia still rather high. It is found in blue with black bars, black, 

 yellow, silver grey, and sometimes white. 



" J. Destriveaux, a fancier in Paris, who accidentally came into pos- 

 session of a pair, originated the name Chinese guUa. There exists a 

 certain obscurity about the descent of these pigeons ; however, they pro- 

 bably owe their origin and propagation to chance. Some ships laden with 

 sugar, returning from the East Indies, brought, shortly after 1850, ^ 

 large number of Chinese gulls to Tilsit and Memel, and that in so excel- 

 lent a plumage as now-a-days is no more to be seen. From thence these 

 pigeons came into the South of Germany and disappeared from the 

 market for a long time, until later they re-appeared in Paris, from which 

 place the distinguished fencing master, A. Prosche, in Dresden, got 

 possession of some, and he has bred them successfully for years, as well 

 as the Egyptian (Tunis) owl." 



Prom the above it seems that the whiskered owl cannot now be found 



