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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



VOICE OF THE GIPSY QUEEN. 



BY HELEN HETHERINGTON. 



Come ! — cross my hand with silver, 



And I'll tell thee, lady fair ! 

 The star that guides thy destiny, 



The heart thy love would share. 

 There's much good luck in store for thee, 



And happier days I ween ; 

 Believe me, fairest of the fair ! 



And hear the Gipsy Queen. 



You smile. Alas, that fate should change 



That bright, that happy smile ! 

 But oft the brilliant sun will hide 



Behind a cloud awhile ; 

 Yet, when 'tis past, how bright his beams., 



How pure the rays are seen ! 

 'Tis thus with life. I'll tell thee more ; 



For I'm a Gipsy Queen ! 



When those bright eyes were closed in sleep, 



I sought thy destiny; 

 And many a brilliant star reveal'd 



The oracle to me. 

 Ere three pale moons are on the wane, 



When one of lofty mien 

 Shall seek to claim thee for his bride, — 



Think on the Gipsy Queen ! 



And I'll forgive that doubting smile, 



For naught of scorn is there ; 

 A long, a long and merry life, 



I wish thee, lady fair ! 

 May happiness across thy path 



With gentle radiance beam, 

 And bright reality reveal 



Affection's fondest dream ! 



NOTES ON FANCY PIGEONS. 



THE ALMOND TUMBLER. 

 BY F. C. ESQU1LANT, ESQ. 



I PERUSE YOUR PLEASING PAGES, my 



dear sir, with much delight ; treating as they 

 do of Nature in her varied but glorious forms, 

 whether animate or inanimate. 



There is, however, one of the most pleasing 

 fancies, which as yet you have little touched 

 on. I allude to those beautiful specimens of 

 the feathered tribe — pigeons, which from the 

 earliest ages have ever found the most en- 

 thusiastic admirers, and which I have heard 

 you say you idolised even when a boy. 

 [Indeed we did ! and so we do now.] 



I do not propose to-day to enter upon the 

 subject of pigeons generally ; but to speak of 

 the " Almond Tumbler " only. I select this 

 bird as being one to which I have devoted 

 much attention, having been successful in 

 breeding it to a very high point of perfection. 

 I hope, by setting the example, to induce 

 other gentlemen of the fancy to give (each) 

 a paper on their particular bird ; by which 

 means the many beautiful varieties of the 

 pigeon would be introduced, and afford much 



assistance to all entering upon this attractive 

 fancy. I carefully avoid copying from any 

 book that has been published on the subject. 

 Whether the matter be good or bad, it ought 

 to be " original." 



The Almond Tumbler is, I believe, ac- 

 knowledged to be the most artificial and 

 least understood of all our varieties. And 

 first, of its general attributes. By common 

 consent, it has five properties accorded to it, 

 viz., feather, carriage, eye, beak, and head. 

 These I have arranged in the order of what 

 I conceive to be their relative importance. 

 Should I be incorrect in this, or any other of 

 my deductions, I shall only be too happy to 

 receive the opinions of others upon the 

 subject* 



The first property — feather, from which 

 the bird derives its name — will, I think, be 

 at once conceded as not only the most diffi- 

 cult to attain, but to maintain. In this pro- 

 perty alone, there are no fewer than five 

 points quite indispensable — a yellow ground 

 on the whole body of the bird. The term 

 "yellow" I use for want of any other name 

 to apply to it. Perhaps the term almond- 

 yellow would be its more correct fancy 

 denomination. There is much difference of 

 opinion on this most important feature My 

 view is, that the color we have to attain 

 resembles that on the outside of the shell of 

 the almond nut — the brighter the better. 



This ground should be well broken, or 

 spangled throughout with black. The whole 

 feathers of the flight and tail should be at 

 their base of the same color as the body 

 feather, with a black or yellow quill, broken 

 at their extremities with a clear black and 

 white. The whole of the feathers of the 

 almond should be covered with a metallic 

 lustre or gloss, similar to that on the hackle 

 of the bird ; but they are not to be expected 

 in so great a degree. This feather, so diffi- 

 cult to attain, should, I consider, when 

 approximating to the desired standard, rank 

 as equal to three of the other properties in 

 estimating the value of the bird. 



That such a feather, in conjunction with 

 the other four properties, is to be obtained 

 by judicious matching, I have already proved 

 by a bird of my own breeding. Indeed, the 

 bird is now in my possession. It has been 

 repeatedly exhibited at the various societies 

 and exhibitions, and has excited universal 

 admiration. A vast number of persons being 

 anxious to obtain his portrait, it has been 

 taken, and it appeared in a late number of 

 the Field newspaper. 



Allowing that the Almond Pigeon has dete- 

 riorated from what it was when the celebrated 

 birds of Mr. Bellamy were exhibited, I am 

 yet of opinion that there are as good birds as 

 ever, if proper judgment be used in selecting 

 and matching them. The most sceptical may 



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