268 BIRDS 



eighteen hours thirty-two minutes, made at Leicester, Eng- 

 land, by Mr. E. Chamberlain, on June 22, 1913. 



Tipplers are commonly flown in kits of three, five or, 

 more rarely, seven birds, preferably all of one sex. The art 

 of flying these birds, as in too many other similar sports, 

 is more or less enveloped in mystery, most initiated persons 

 having a decidedly mean habit of keeping their " secrets " 

 to themselves. Many diets and methods of training are 

 whispered from one to another, each man pinning his faith 

 to his own system. 



Young Tipplers should be treated as recommended for 

 Rollers, except that the tumbling factor is eliminated, thus 

 greatly simplifying matters. A very little training suf- 

 fices to get youngsters flying well, and competitions are 

 often flown with birds but eight or ten weeks old. It is 

 essential that Tipplers be trained to a " dropper," as it often 

 is much more difficult to get them down than to make them 

 go up, many a good kit having been lost because of their 

 failure to drop at night. Although, as already stated, many 

 Tipplers tumble, such birds must be discarded, as their 

 action interferes with the flying of the kit. 



As with most other flying pigeons. Tipplers have found 

 their way to the show room. There are now several recog- 

 nized standard varieties, bred entirely for exhibition pur- 

 poses, without regard to their flying ability. These show 

 birds resemble in type the Clean-leg Tumbler, except that 

 the head is a little less full and the beak not quite so short 

 and stout. 



There are three marked varieties. The Dark Mottle or 

 Print is a dark chocolate color, the wing coverts evenly 

 marked with white. The Light Mottle or Print has brown 

 markings evenly distributed over a white ground, the flights 

 and tail always remaining dark. The Light or Chuck is 

 pure white throughout except for its flights and tail, and a 



