200 THE PRACTICAL PIGEON KEEPER. 



behind looks as if all black, and -when from the front all 

 white, the line being very sharp and clear. Lahores are good 

 breeders and feeders, and very tame and domesticated. 



Mr. J. C. Lyell, who spent some time in India, states that the 

 Lahore is 'only a sub-variety of a pigeon called there the Sherajee, 

 whidh has the same markings, but is stocking-legged or grouse- 

 legged, like a Pouter. He fui'ther states that there is a sub- 

 variety of the Sherajee still more esteemed, which, in place of 

 being pure white in front, is mottled on the breast. In this 

 case no two feathers of the mottle must touch each other, but 

 every spot be clear; and when this is the case the natives 

 value the bird highly, and will pay so much for each mottle, 

 even up to 1,000 rupees per bird. The colours known of the 

 Sherajee are yellow, red, black, blue, dun; blacks being the 

 most common and, therefore, least valued. 



The Mookee, Mr. Lyell affirms, is the true narrow-tailed 

 "Shaker," so long lost, of Willughby's "Ornithology." Since 

 "Willughby plainly describes a narrow or poimtedrtailed bird, 

 and not a spread-tailed one, it certainly is impossible to believe, 

 with Moore and Brent, that he meant a bastard between a Fan- 

 tail and some other sort. He again mentions expressly a close 

 tail, with the tremulous motion. The Mookee exactly answers 

 to this ; and coming from India, the home of the Fantail, is 

 probably the pigeon meant. It is peak-crested ; white-headed, 

 like a Baldhead, but cut high across the eye, with the upper 

 mandible light and the lower dark; eye dark; two outer flights 

 of each wing only white, all the rest of the bird coloured. The 

 head is carried back, and there is a constant vibration of the 

 neck backwards and forwards, as in Fantails, but not to so 

 great an extent. The head is rather peculiar in shape — neither 

 short nor yet the common type, but as if drawn straight to a 

 point. Most of the birds are black, the rest blue arid ash- 

 coloured. The most usual fault is in flights, such as one and 

 three, two and five, &c. Three and three are allowed, but 



