KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



331 



rest assured of the possibility of obtaining 

 the desired color. 



II. Carriage. — This important feature 

 is considered by many as distinct from shape. 

 I shall treat them as one, considering that a 

 bird of good carriage cannot be a bad shape ; 

 and if a bad shape, it is impossible for it to 

 be of a good carriage. The neck of the 

 Almond should be short, and broadening to 

 its base ; so as to become, as it were, part of, 

 and undistinguishable in its junction with, its 

 body. The chest should be broad and 

 prominent ; the legs short, and placed in the 

 centre of the body ; the bird in its whole cha- 

 racter presenting an appearance of a series 

 of curves flowing easily and gracefully one 

 into the other, so that it is not readily per- 

 ceived where the one ends and the other 

 begins. The wings should droop on the 

 ground, which adds much to their beauty, 

 displaying the beauty of the flight feathers. 



III. Eye. — The eye should be large, 

 circular, and prominent, placed in the centre 

 of the profile of the head — not close to the 

 top of it (as it appears in the Carrier). Its 

 pupil should be black, and its irides pearl- 

 white : hence the denomination of pearl-eyed. 

 I may remark that this is the property 

 earliest lost, when breeding very high in 

 feather ; or where the birds are very closely 

 " bred in," and require " crossing." 



IV. Beak. — The beak should be short, 

 fine, and straight (similar to an ear of the 

 oat), cut across the centre, placed horizon- 

 tally in front of the head. In color it should 

 be white, or nearly so. This beak (which I 

 designate the corn beak) I consider prefer- 

 able to the goldfinch beak ; it not being so 

 likely to shoot out in length as the other, 

 thereby becoming twisted and misshapen. 



In conjunction with the beak, of which it- 

 is generally considered a part, is the wattle 

 at its base ; which, while serving as a nostril, 

 should merely suffice to break off the appear- 

 ance of the roots of the feathers immediately 

 in front of the head. From this last, it 

 should appear to spring, and be partly buried 

 under, not standing out in strong relief, as if 

 it. challenged the attention of all beholders. 



V. Head. — I now come to the much- 

 vaunted property — the head. This I have 

 but little to observe upon. Setting aside 

 those remarks so frequently saluting you at 

 the meetings of brother fanciers as — "What a 

 stop ! What a breadth ! Splendid front ! 

 &c. &c.,— I shall describe it as perfectly 

 circular in form, planted firmly and shortly 

 on the neck, varying in size in the cock and 

 hen, but attaining a circumference of three 

 inches in a well-proportioned cock bird. 



I have thus endeavored to give you my 

 idea of what the Almond Tumbler should be, 

 and what I hope to see it, — not in isolated 

 cases, but as a whole. When possessing the 



foregoing properties in a fair degree of per- 

 fection, it is — by the varied splendor of its 

 plumage, the beauty of its carriage, the 

 brightness of its eye, the delicate fineness of 

 its beak, and the uniqueness of its head, 

 added to its activity, courage, and docility, 

 all combined — one of the most fascinating of 

 our fancies. And when our perseverance in 

 breeding them is rewarded with any degree 

 of success, there exists not only a pleasing 

 but a lasting impression in their favor. 



[When we add that this paper is by the 

 Hon. Sec. of the " Philoperisteron Society," 

 renowned throughout the world for their 

 well-merited success in the breeding of fancy 

 pigeons, we need offer no further comment 

 of our own. We have seen, and been charmed 

 beyond expression with the collection of 

 pigeons in which this Society so much de- 

 lights — also the Almond Tumblers of our 

 good friend Mr. Esquilant.] 



THE GOODNESS OF GOD. 



BY ELIZA COOK. 



Oh ! prize not the essence of Beauty alone, 

 And disdain not the weak and the mean in our 

 way, 

 For the world is an engine — the Architect's own, 

 Where the wheels of least might keep the 

 larger in play. 

 We love the fair valley, with bloom in the shade, 

 We sing of green hills — of the grape and the 

 grain ; 

 But be sure the Creator did well when he made 

 The stark desert and marsh — for there's nothing 

 in vain. 



i 

 We may question the locusl that darkens the land, 

 And the snake, flinging arrows of death from its 

 eye ; 

 But remember they come from the Infinite Hand, 

 And shall man, in his littleness, dare to ask 

 why? 

 Oh ! let us not speak of the ". useless " or "vile," 

 They may seem so to us — but be slow to 

 arraign : 

 From the savage wolfs cry to the happy child's 

 smile, 

 From the mite to the mammoth, there's nothing 

 in vain. 



There's a mission, no doubt, for the worm in the 

 dust, 

 As there is for the charger, with nostrils of 

 pride ; 

 The sloth and the newt have their places of trust, 

 And the agents are needed, for God has sup- 

 plied. 

 Oh ! could we but trace the great meaning of 



ALL, 



And what delicate links form the ponderous 



chain ; 

 From the dew-drops that rise to the star-drops 



that fall, 

 We should see but " one " purpose, and — 



NOTHING IN VAIN. 



