THE BREEDS OF POTJLTBY 37 



more are used for flying in races. This is also true of the c, 

 Antwerp, which is both used for show and flying. And then 

 the true d, flying homer which can be of any color and shape, 

 although fliers are recognizing that the best performers usually 

 have certain shape-characters which they favor. 



High flyers. By many these are classed as tumblers, but 

 they do not tumble, and are kept and admired for their desire 

 to attain high altitudes and long hours of flight. 



Birmingham roUers, as mentioned above. 



Cumulets. 



Tipplers. 



Perhaps it might be well to say that while pigeons belong 

 to the great family of Aves, they have a trait of character 

 which distinguishes them from all other birds. They are the 

 only birds which drink by holding their beaks in the water and 

 swaUow the water without removing the beak; and they are 

 also the only birds which feed their young with a milk which 

 is secreted fl-om the inner lining of the membrane of the crop, 

 and which secretion is present only after they have incubated 

 a pair of eggs. 



Whfle there are some wild pigeons of India which closely 

 resemble our domesticated breeds, such as the bleeding heart 

 pigeon which is sometimes seen in our public parks, there are 

 also a few other rare kinds that have not been domesticated. 



THE CORNELL STUDY OUTLINE 



The student wfll find the following outline, which was de- 

 signed by Cornell Poultry Department, useful in the super- 

 ficial study of breeds. 



CLASSIFICATION OF BREEDS OF FOWLS 



I. Asiatic class: 



A. General characteristics: 



1. Large, heavily feathered, phlegmatic, brown eggs, 

 good mothers, not incUned to fly, red ear-lobes, four 

 toes, feathered shanks. 



B. Breeds: 



1. Brahma — Pea comb. 



2. Cochin — ^single comb, yellow skin. 



3. Langshan— single comb, white or gray skin. 



