THE TUKBIT AND BAUB PIGEONS. 



one colour. A turbit's chief points of goodness are a short 

 bill, a fall Ml, and a small round head. 



" Wholly white turbits," says a recent authority, " have 

 been also written of, but I have 

 never seen any that might not be 

 with as much propriety called 

 owls ; for the distinction between 

 the owl and turbit consists in the 

 head, beat, gullet, and friU, and 

 thouglx slight and scarcely ob- 

 servable to an uninitiated eye, yet 

 there is sufficient difference to „„„„™ „„„„™ 



...... , ... TURBIT PIGEONS. 



constitute them separate varieties 



independently of colour. The beak of the owl is more hooked, 

 the upper mandible bendiug over the lower, which, combined 

 with their shy and wild nature and their prominent-looking 

 eyes, has given rise to their English name of owl pigeon. 

 The eye, too, is of a pearl or gravel colour, very different from 

 the turbit's, the head is rounder, and the friU rarely so long. 

 The old writers describe it as opening and reflecting botlj. ways 

 Hke a rose, which could not be said of the turbit's frill. 



" The points of the owl may be enumerated as follows : — 

 Beak short and hooked; head round; eye pearl- coloured and 

 bolting; gullet well developed; friU rose-shaped; size small; 

 general appearance wild ; colour blue or silver; with black bars 

 across the wings, and a light powdery cast of colour about the 

 neck. I am not aware that this variety is known in France, 

 though they have a white variety of turbit, Pigeon Cravate 

 Blanc." 



THE BAEB. 



As its name implies, this bird is originally a native of 

 Barbary. It is a pretty little creature, a fertile breeder, and 

 a good nurse. Seen at a short distance, it is easily mistaken 

 for the carrier. It has a short back and a small wattle. Its 

 chief feature, however, is a spongy pinky skiu round the eyes, 

 which increases in size till the bird is three or four years old. 

 In young birds, this wrinkled skiu round the eyes is hardly 

 perceived. 



The best colour for barbs is an entire black. In such, the 

 prismatic shadings of the neck are particularly beautiful, and 

 the scarlet circle roTind the eye forms a very handsome con- 

 trast. ' Dun-coloured barbs are also met with occasionally. 



