The Turbit Pigeon. 227 



tnrbits. This bird was a strawberry cock, and he bred him from a yellow- 

 shouldered cook, imported from Germany, I beUeve, and the original 

 peak headed black turbiteen hen. There is, therefore, a preponderance 

 of foreign blood in the birds I am writing about. 



The turbit is found in all the twelve barred, chequered, and solid 

 colours, mentioned on page 48, but of these only five — the black, red, 

 yellow, blue, and silver, are chiefly bred and shown. 



The black colour, when in perfection, is strongly glossed with a green 

 metaUic lustre. Even when decidedly bad in colour, a black turbit shows 

 any foul feathers on thighs or vent so glaringly, that they tell strongly 

 against it in competition with others, such as blues and silvers ; and I have 

 often seen specimens of the latter colours, which were no better than 

 blacks opposed to them, preferred because they appeared cleaner thighed 

 and vented, whereas they were in reahty very much fouler. But the in- 

 consistencies of judging at pigeon shows are too well known, and they 

 often arise from too little time being allowed the judge, or from his hurry 

 to leave. The best black tnrbits I know of, are those of Mr. Eoper'a 

 strain, now widely distributed. I have stated how those that sold for the 

 highest prices at his sale were bred, and they were probably the best 

 collection of blacks ever seen together. In the production of them he 

 was associated with a reverend gentleman, whose name as joint owner 

 did not appear, and as their sale was consequent on a dissolution of 

 partnership, and each bought back a few in a perfectly hona fide way, the 

 letters that appeared at the time, on the question of a seller being entitled 

 to buy in his own stock, would not have been written, had aU the cir- 

 cumstances been known. 



Ked and yellow tnrbits were, at the beat, only fair in colour before the 

 introduction of red and yellow turbiteens from Smyrna. A great im- 

 provement has been effected by crossing with these beautifully coloured 

 pigeons, and though their feathered legs, head markings, and plain 

 heads, take much careful breeding to eradicate, it has been done. So 

 much has crossing with the turbiteen been resorted to during the past 

 few years, that I imagine few fanciers could say for certain that their 

 red and yeUow turbits, if fit to hold their own in strong competition, were 

 of pure English blood. Beds and yellows, when anything Uke right in 

 colour, show any foulness on their underbody very distinctly ; when poor 

 in colour, foul thighs hardly show on them ; hence I have known them 



