322 Fancy Pigeons. 



nmnber of messages, illustrating the method of communication employed 

 during the siege by the pigeon post. " Les Colombiers Militaires, 

 rapport adresse a M. le Ministre de la Guerre," 28 pp., and 18 engra- 

 vings. "Les Colombiers Militaires, Paris, 1874.," 16 pp., being the 

 author's second pamphlet on this subject. 



A translation of M. La Perre de Roo's work on pigeons for military 

 purposes, by M. P. Graells, entitled "Las Palomas en la Guerra, " was 

 published in Madrid, in 1873. 



M. La Perre de Eoo is presently engaged on a general book of 

 pigeons, which he expects to pubUsh in 1881. He has favoured me with 

 an inspection of several of the illustrations, which include some of a 

 new variety produced by himself, and which he obtained by numerous 

 crossings. This variety may be briefly described as a white owl or turbit 

 with the markings of the German spot pigeon. It is either smooth- 

 headed, shell-crested, or peak-headed. It has an oval coloured spot on 

 the forehead, either blue, black, red, or yellow, with a coloured tail and 

 tail coverts to match. He aays that they breed true to colour, nine out 

 of eleven young ones bred during the past season being well marked. 

 He has named them Pigeons cravats de Sibirie, the coloured spot on 

 their forehead resembling that of the Himalayan and Siberian rabbits. 



The work known as " Girton's Complete Pigeon Fancier," of which I 

 now know of seven editions, was first published in 12mo., as " A 

 Treatise on Domestic Pigeons, containing valuable information, &c., &o. 

 London: Printed for the Proprietors, and sold by all the booksellers in 

 town and country. Price only two shillings and sixpence." The Treatise 

 on Pigeons of 1765, being a book which would likely, from its appear- 

 ance, cost a good deal, and, therefore, be only available to people of 

 means, as is proved from the number of copies in existence containing 

 bookplates and coats of arms, a cheap edition would soon be necessary, 

 and was brought out as above, without illustrations. However, 2s. 6d. 

 seems to have been too dear for it, and the remainder passed into the 

 possession of A. Hogg and Co., who dealt in remainders, as they after- 

 wards dealt with the remainder of Windus's "Treatise on the Almond 

 Tumbler,' ' as already pointed out. They then printed a new title-page 

 and got a plate engraved containing the figures of twelve pigeons, copied 

 in small from the large Treatise, and sent out the book as "The Complete 

 Pigeon Fancier," price Is. 6d. This is the history of this manual, which 



