224 FiDicy Pigeons. 



also the bone behind the head, which forms a third, which gives their 

 head a sort of resemblance to that of a toad." 



I have seen the frog" or toad head even more marked in some birds 

 than this description, the head having a decided hollow between the two 

 rising- eyebrows, and this was in the case of some birds bred from a 

 tnrbit and African owl. I dislike this style of head, and hold with many 

 fanciers, such as Fulton and Caridia, that the nearer the head of a turbit 

 approaches that of the ideal owl, the better it is. The owl type is that 

 most difficult to obtain, for it can seldom be got very good ; it is the 

 result of careful breeding, and never comes by chance. 



The ideal standard of a turbit, in my opinion, and in that of many 

 more who arc devoted to this beautiful pigeon, is therefore exactly the 

 same as that of the African owl, except as to colour and crest. 



She. — The turbit, as it exists, is, even in small specimens, very much 

 larger than the African owl. I prefer it small, but would not have it so 

 at the sacrifice of any property. Generally speaking it is as large as the 

 clean legged flying tumbler. To reduce it materially in size can only be 

 accomplished by crossing with the African owl, its undoubted relative. 

 I have been doing this for several seasons, with much greater success 

 than I had hoped to anticipate, and I believe others are now adopting 

 the same method. Such experiments, however, take long to complete, 

 and as all the frilled pigeons are, with me, more dehcate and apt to 

 succumb under that dread disease, inflammation of the bowels, than any 

 other race of pigeons, I have several times been thrown back after 

 making a decided advance. In crossing with the African owl, my object 

 has been both to reduce size and improve the turbit in head and beak ; 

 in fact to have a peak-headed, coloured-shouldered African owl, which 

 would be, in my opinion, the perfect turbit. 



Tii-e Peaked Tiirhit. — This variety should have a hog mane running up 

 the back of its neck, quite unbroken, and ending in a finely-pointed peak 

 crest. There is much to contend with in getting the right peak and 

 mane. The peak ought to reach higher than the crown of the head; but 

 it is rarely more than level with it, and often set so low down in the 

 neck, that the bird would look better if altogether smooth-headed. As 

 the peak crest is formed by the feathers on the nape and those on each 

 side of it, all drawing to a fine point, the bird cannot look so round- 

 headed as the smooth-headed owl. A very good peak is sometimes seen 



