26 



altering the old matches, and iiom other causes, the advantage of parting the bird* 

 in the winter, is here, I think, particularly conspicuous; it will enable him to 

 cross-match all his birds without the least difficulty, as they will cross-match ten 

 times more readily when they have been asunder two or three months, than when 

 they have been kept together. 



When I have bad occasion to cross-match two or three pair of birds in the heighth 

 of the breeding season, on account of their produce not pleasing me, I have 

 frequently had great di^culty in obtaining my point, from the strong recollection 

 the birds have had of each other; and though I have at last succeeded, the 

 moment the hens have been turned into the loft they have flown to their former 

 penns and mates, and it was a considerable time before they were reconciled to 

 their new mates and abodes. To prevent this, the new matched pair should be 

 fastened into their own penn, taking care that the cock has the same penn as he 

 had before. This evil will be completely remedied by parting the loft, as the 

 Fancier may then put a pair or two of the cross-matched birds into the contrary 

 side to which they have been accustomed, and by this means avoid the intercourse 

 that must necessarily take place between the new matched birds, and their former 

 mates. 



Another thing is necessary to be attended to by the Fancier, in cross matching, 

 viz. — he should have two or three matching penns in some other part of his house, 

 if not too inconvenient, in order that the birds he is about to cross match, may 

 be out of the hearing of their former mates, and of the other birds in the loft, 

 which will greatly facilitate their speedy matching to their new mates. They will 

 frequently be a very long time in matching in the loft, where they can both see 

 and hear each other, and sometimes will not match at all. 



If they continue obstinate, a handful of rape or hemp seed should be given them 

 occasionally ; and if the cock is very violent, and fights his hen, an open lath 

 partition should be put across the penn, to separate them, so that they may only 

 see each other, and they will soon match by this method, which will be ascertained 

 by the hen sweeping her tail, nodding her head, &c. which is called shewing. 



OF THEIR DUNG. 



Their dung is so valuable, and in so great requisition, that if it is preserved 

 genuine, and as little straw and other rubbish as possible suffered to get amongst 

 it, tanners and others will give five shillings per sack for it, and will fetch it 

 whenever they are informed there is any ready for them. It is used by the 

 tanners to separate the hair from the hides, being of an extremely hot nature, and 

 answering their purpose better than most other things they make use of. It isi 

 also an excellent manure for cold, wet, and clayey land, and if it could be procured' 

 in any quantity, the farmers of such sorts of land would give almost any price for it, 



OF THEIR DISEASES. 



The Almond Tumblers are not naturally liable to many diseases ; the majority 

 of those which do attack them, I attribute to a want of suflScient cleanliness, and 

 good management in their masters, hut if taken care of in these respects, they will 

 live nine or ten years, and sometimes longer, and are generally taken off at last by 

 the moult. 



The first and most fatal that has come under my observation is, what is 

 commonly understood and called by the name of the Canker. This disorder is very 

 much confined to theyoung birds in the nest, and does not very frequently attack 

 the old ones, and as it originates in the oesophagus or throat, it seems to me to arise 

 from the putrefaction of a redundancy of the soft meat, and that putrescency 

 communicating itself to the throat, and causing a core, I am inclined to think, it 

 ought with greate* propriety to be called a sore throat, and perhaps, from the 

 intolerable fostor emitted from the throat and crop, not improperly a putrid sore 



