THE SHOBT-FACED TUMBLER. 117 



submission. I think is not attainable ; we must therefore be content with having: 

 the ground of a bright almond colour (approaching as much as possible to yellow), 

 well spangled, and broken with black and white, particularly in the flight and tail ; 

 and the more these feathers resemble the broken colours of the tulip, the nearer 

 they approach perfection. 



" The hackle, or neck-feathers, should be bright, and well broken with the 

 same colours, and should resemble the delicate touches of the pencil of a fine 

 artist. 



" Shape.— The bird should stand low, with a fine prominent and full, or, as the 

 fanciers term it, a square chest, which is thrown up considerably by the bird's 

 elevating himself on tiptoe, and thereby depressing his tail, so that the point of 

 it touches the flooring of the area, pen, or whatever place he stands upon ; the 

 neck should be short and thin, and curved under the throat, and thrown back. If 

 the bird is naturally of a good shape, it is more particularly conspicuous when he 

 is driving his hen to nest, and then he shows himself in his greatest beauty and 

 to the best advantage. 



" Eye. — The next property which seems to demand our attention, without 

 taking the bird in hand, is the eye. The iris should be of a silvery white, or 

 pearl colour-, all round the pupil, and the brighter and more silvery this is the 

 better, and should be fixed in the centre of the head ; the outside or eyelid should 

 not be fleshy, but feathered close to the edge of the eye, which should be 

 prominent. 



" Head. — The next property is the head, which, although it should be very 

 good, does not strike a young fancier forcibly till he handles the bird. (Here I 

 must digress a little, which I trust the reader will pardon, as it is absolutely 

 necessary for him to know how to hold the bird, before he can examine its head,, 

 beak, and eye. This is done by placing the bird in his left hand, putting its legs 

 between his first and second fingers ; the flight and tail will by that means lie over 

 his forefinger; then put the thumb down on the lower part of the bird's back, till 

 the point of the thumb comes in contact with the forefinger, which secures the 

 bird and prevents its struggling, and it may then be examined at pleasure, which 

 is to be done by laying hold of the throat gently with the thumb and forefinger of 

 the right hand, and turning the head which way the holder pleases, by which 

 means he will obtain a complete and distinct view of the head, beak, and eye of 

 the bird, in every direction.) To return to the head — this should be lofty and 

 round, and as near as may be semicircular, the eye directly in the centre ; and to 

 add to the greater beauty and finish of the head, the feathers under the eye and 

 about the lower jaw should be full, and a little curved upwards, which is called 

 mufly. The feathers forming the front of the head should stop well, and not run 

 out in a point into the wattle on the beak. 



" Beak. — I now come to the last, but by no means the least, beautiful property 

 — the beak. This should be very fine and pointed, and run in a straight line from 

 the head; it should not exceed seven-eighths of an inch from the point to the iris,. 



