THE COMMON TUMBLEK. 103 



what they call the English. Others have remarked that they are apt to tumble 

 too much, and to lose ground, that is, sink beneath the rest of the flight, which is 

 a very great fault; but I have observed the same by the English, and am apt to 

 believe that most of the extraordinary feathers have been produced by mixing with 

 the Dutch breed ; for it is generally observed that the English Tumblers are 

 chiefly black, blue, or white. 



" This pigeon affords a very great variety of colours in its plumage, as blacks, 

 blues, whites, reds, yellows, duns, silvers, and, in short, a pleasant mixture of all 

 these colours with the white. But, amongst all, there is a mixture of three 

 colours, vulgarly called an Almond, perhaps from the quantity of almond-coloured 

 feathers that are found in the hackle : others call it an ermine, I suppose from the 

 black spots that are generally in it ; however, I am sensible the name is not com- 

 patible to the term so called in heraldry, which is only white spotted with black ; 

 yet as the gentlemen of the fancy have assigned this name to this motley colour, I 

 shan't quarrel with them about a term ; if the three colours run through the 

 feathers of the flight and tail, it is reckoned a very good almond, or ermine, and 

 is much valued. 



"An Ermine Tumbler never comes to the full beauty of its feather till it has 

 twice molted off, and when it grows very old will decline till it runs away to a 

 down-right mottle or other colour. 



" These pigeons by their flight afford an admirable satisfaction to those gentle- 

 men of the fancy that have time to attend them and make their observations; for, 

 besides the pleasure they afford by their tumbling, which is very considerable, 

 they will rise to an immense height in the air, so that sometimes the eye can 

 scarcely follow them. I have frequently lost sight of them, though they have 

 been almost perpendicular over my head, and the clay has been very clear and 

 serene ; yet by a fixed regard of the place where I lost them (for they never 

 ramble far like the Horseman, and, if good, when they are used to each other, a 

 flight of a dozen will keep so close together that you may cover them all with a 

 large handkerchief), I have at length perceived them, but so small that they 

 appeared no bigger than a sparrow. 



" At this height they will keep two, three, four, and sometimes five hours 

 together ; nay, I have heard it frequently asserted that there have been pigeons of 

 this breed which have flown nine hours when they are up at their pitch. The 

 better sort seldom or never tumble, choosing rather to afford you that diversion 

 when they are more in sight, tumbling very often at the first beginning to rise, 

 and again when they are coming down to pitch. 



"I now come to the method of raising a flight of Tumblers ; and, in the first 

 place, they ought, if you have the convenience, to be kept in a loft by themselves, 

 not having any acquaintance, if possible, with your other pigeons ; for if they are 

 used to fly with others, it will make them sink their flight when they observe 

 others skimming in the air below them. 



" Secondly, they ought to be turned out and put upon flight only once a day at 



