The Breeds of Pigeons. 183 



quite the most popular of all Pigeons, having a very 

 strong and active specialist club to look after its 

 interests, and which club holds its annual show at 

 The Hague. At this show classes are provided for 

 whites, blues, blacks, reds, yellows, grizzles, 

 mottles, blue, black, red, and yellow pieds, and 

 the same colours with white flights. Some years 

 since the Plolle Cropper Club, at its annual meeting 

 bestowed upon myself a unique distinction by elect- 

 ing me its "Member of Honour," as a mark of its 

 esteem, and in recognition of my labours and writings 

 on behalf of the columbarian family. This makes me 

 the first member of the club, taking precedence even 

 of the president, thus the honour is, indeed, a great 

 one. 



THE SHORT-F.\CED TUJIBLIiR. 



Amongst the Tumbler family are to be found 

 possibh' the oldest of our Fancy Pigeons — the Short- 

 faced. At one time it was the Pigeon above all 

 others Icnown to the Fancy, special societies with 

 regular meeting-nights beino- devoted to its culture, 

 especially in London. That it is essentially a bird 

 adapted for large towns is not to be denied, because 

 it does not require a great amount of room. As to 

 the varieties, these are Almonds, Agates, Kites, 

 Mottles, Selfs, Baldheads, and Beards, and b^' general 

 consent the Almond is voted the king of the family. 

 The Mottles are, perhaps, the most valued, but they 

 are in so few hands, and are so seldom seen in any- 

 thing approaching perfection that the palm must be 

 given to the Almond. 



Before proceeding to describe the colours of the 

 various Tumblers, I will deal with their structural 

 properties. There is not much doubt that the reason 

 why vShort-faced Tumblers fell from the high esteem 

 in which they were held was because of certain 

 revelations some years ago as to the means adopted 

 by fanciers to produce the peculiar shape of skull. 

 The effect of those disclosures has passed away, and 

 now the Short-faced Tumbler is becoming more 

 popular again. 



