150 DOMESTIC PIGEONS. <j„ A1 >. y 



Race VII.— Tumblers. (Tummler, or Burzel-Tauben : Cul- 



butants.) 



During flight, tumble backivards ; body generally small; beak 

 generally short, sometimes excessively short and conical. 



This race may be divided into four sub-races, namely, Persian, Lotan 

 Common, and short-faced Tumblers. These sub-races include many 

 varieties which breed true. I have examined eight skeletons of various 

 kinds of Tumblers: excepting in one imperfect and doubtful specimen 

 the ribs are only seven in number, whereas the rock-pigeon has eight ribs. 



Sub-race I. Persian Tumblers. — I have received a pair direct from 

 Persia, from the Hon. C. Murray. They were rather smaller birds than 

 the wild rock-pigeon, being about the size of the common dovecot pigeon, 

 white and mottled, slightly feathered on the feet, with the beak just 

 perceptibly shorter than in the rock-pigeon. H. M. Consul, Mr. Keith 

 Abbott, informs me that the difference in the length of beak is so slight 

 that only practised Persian fanciers can distinguish these Tumblers from 

 the common pigeon of the country. He informs me that they fly in flocks 

 high up in the air and tumble well. Some of them occasionally appear 

 to become giddy and tumble to the ground, in which respect they resemble 

 some of our Tumblers. 



Sub-race II. Lotan, or Loivtun : Indian Ground Tumblers. — These birds 

 present one of the most remarkable inherited habits or instincts which have 

 ever been recorded. The specimens sent to me from Madras by Sir W. 

 Elliot are white, slightly feathered on the feet, with the feathers on the 

 head reversed; and they are rather smaller than the rock or dovecot 

 pigeon. The beak is proportionally only slightly shorter and rather 

 thinner than in the rock-pigeon. These birds when gently shaken and 

 placed on the ground immediately begin tumbling head over heels, and 

 they continue thus to tumble until taken up and soothed, — the ceremony 

 being generally to blow in their faces, as in recovering a person from a 

 state of hypnotism or mesmerism. It is asserted that they will continue 

 to roll over till they die, if not taken up. There is abundant evidence with 

 respect to these remarkable peculiarities ; but what makes the case the 

 more worthy of attention is, that the habit has been strictly inherited since 

 before the year 1600, for the breed is distinctly described in the ' Ayeen 

 Akbery.' 15 Mr. Evans kept a pair in London, imported by Captain 

 Vigne ; and he assures me that he has seen them tumble in the air, as 

 well as in the manner above described on the ground. Sir W. Elliot, 

 however, writes to me from Madras, that he is informed that they tumble 

 exclusively on the ground, or at a very small height above it. He also 



15 English translation, by F. Glad- and crested as at present. Mr. BIyth 



win, 4th edition, vol. i. The habit describes these birds in 'Annals and 



of the Lotan is also described in the Mag. of Nat. Hist.,' vol. xiv., 1847, p. 



Persian treatise before alluded to, 104 ; he says that they " may be seen 



published about 100 years ago : at this at any of the Calcutta bird-dealers." 

 date the Lotans were generally white 



