of snch a thing, but I think it very improbable, and I cannot 

 divest my mind of the idea, that at least some of the so-called 

 varieties are something more. 1 allude to the wattled pigeons, 

 the fantaUs, the trumpeters, the jacobins, the croppers, and the 

 tumblers. These birds have aU certain peculiarities by which 

 they may be known and distinguished, under whatever oircum- 

 stJances of form or colour they may be bred. These properties 

 are fixed, and do not appear among other varieties ; nor are 

 they liable to be lost, unless cross-breeding is resorted to. 

 Neither have I ever heard of their appearing suddenly, or 

 from any particular plan of breeding, which we might expect 

 if they were, as some suppose, owing to taking advantage of 

 some freak of nature or accidental malformation, I should 

 incline to the belief that the various fancy pigeons owe their 

 origin, not to one particular stock, but to the domestication 

 and mingling of some five or six varieties, or uearly-aUied 

 species. These original families have long since become lost 

 and obliterated, while from their mixture our present numerous 

 varieties arise, the result of long domestication, and careful 

 selection and breeding." 



THE TUMBLER PIGEON. 



This aerial acrobat is one of the most favoured of the 

 pigeon tribes. He deserves to be. Whether spinning about 

 among the clouds, turning back summersaults, unsurpassed for 

 neatness by anything ever attempted in that line at Astley's, 

 or sitting at hand, his plump little body firmly set on his 

 sturdy little legs, and his intelligent-looking head well set on 

 his handsome neck, a more desirable pigeon cannot be found. 

 Moreover, they are among the most prolific of their kind. 



There are several varieties of the tumbler breed: the old 

 English tumbler, the Grerman feather -footed breed, the common 

 flying tumbler, and several others. The old English variety is 

 nearly extinct. They are smaller than the ordinary sort, with 

 short beaks and round heads, and are extremely high flyers. 

 The ordinary colour of this breed is blue. The German feather- 

 footed are large, handsome birds, and good breeders. The 

 general plumage of these birds is black, while the feather 

 festoons about their feet (slippers they are called) are white. 



" I once," says an experienced pigeon fancier, " kept a 

 considerable flight of them, and can speak from experience 

 that, notwithstanding their size, they would soar and tumble 

 as well as the English birds ; but, though they flew lightij 



