138 PIGEONS. 



lieu of a frill, the feathers rather appear like a seam : the head is short and 

 inclined to he thick ; hath an orange eye, and a small naked circle of black flesh 

 round the same, and a beak resembling that of a bullfinch, with a small black 

 wattle upon it." 



From this very circumstantial account, it would appear that there really existed, 

 a hundred years since, a barb-like breed with black skin and wattles and dark 

 under-down to the white plumage. In these respects the birds would resemble 

 somewhat the black-skinned silky fowl. The proof of their continued existence 

 would be of great interest to those naturalists who have studied the varieties of 

 species, and the Editor would be most willing to reimburse any reasonable expense 

 his readers might incur in forwarding to him birds of this breed, should they 

 be sufficiently fortunate to meet with them in any part of the world. 



Mr. Brent, writing in the " Poultry Chronicle," Vol. II. page 202, says : — 



" This is one of the varieties of Fancy Pigeons with which I have but a very 

 slight acquaintance, having only once seen a pair at a London dealer's, and 

 their appearance gave me the idea of a cross between an Owl and a Barb 

 pigeon ; nevertheless, their seam and black wattle, sere and skin, I consider 

 sufficient distinctive peculiarities to give them a place among Fancy Pigeons as 

 a separate variety." 



We should be very doubtful whether the birds thus cursorily seen by Mr. 

 Brent possessed the black skin and wattle described by the older authors. 

 Certainly a cross between an Owl and a Barb would not give rise to such a 

 character. 



Before concluding the history of the Barb, the Editor may state one fact for the 

 benefit of such of his readers as are Barb fanciers : — Some years since, he possessed 

 some very superior birds of this variety ; wishing to try some experiment in 

 increasing the size of the eye-wattle, he obtained one of the largest-eyed Carrier 

 hens ever seen, — her eye was so large, that when flattened out, a half-crown laid 

 upon it did not quite cover it. This hen was well known as being formerly the 

 property of the late Mr. Southwood, and as the parent of many of Mr. Hayne's 

 best birds. She was mated to a very short-faced Barb cock, and reared three 

 birds one season — not one of which, strange to say, possessed an eye-wattle of 

 even moderate goodness : as far as the experiment was conducted, it was an 

 entire failure. 



