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The Illustrated Book of Plgeons. 
black or bull-eyed. Sometimes this broken appearance will come from the bird catching cold in 
the eye when young ; if so, it scarcely ever gets better, but always has a watery look, and the eye 
will often be found closed up in the morning ; while, not unfrequently, a small cataract will form 
which ultimately causes complete loss of sight. On this account, a pure white eye is not only to 
be valued as pretty to look at, and as a desirable standard point, but as a sign that the eye is 
sound and healthy, and not liable to disease. 
A fine large white eye adds much to the appearance and size of the head, especially if the 
eyes stand out prominently from the head, as they should do. Some birds have so little of the 
wattle or skin round the eye, termed the eyelash, that it can scarcely be seen. This is generally 
accompanied by a small eye, which makes the cheek appear flat. On the other hand, a conspicuous 
eyelash is generally found along with a full and prominent eye, which makes the whole head or skull, 
if properly shaped above, appear as round as a marble. This is the proper shape of the head ; but 
no one must expect to see it fully developed until eighteen months old. It will improve in size 
much longer — even till ten years old, if the bird live so long — but if not of good formation at 
eighteen months old, will never afterwards become so. 
Much as we admire a nice white eye, still we would never compare it to any of the other 
properties of standard value in importance, were we judging Almonds. 
LEGS AND FEET. 
The thighs of the Almond should be so short as not to appear, and the legs also as short as 
possible. This property can hardly be exaggerated, as the shorter on the leg a bird is the more 
beauty of carriage does it show, trailing its flights low down like a Sebright Bantam, and thus 
exposing to view the back, rump, and tail. In a bad-carriaged bird, the three standard colours 
cannot be seen in the flights and tail without opening them. But a bird with short legs and good 
carriage walks, when aroused, nearly on tiptoe (the feet, too, should be as small as possible), and 
thus, hanging its wings, and showing the mixture of black, white, and yellow in the standard 
feathers, exhibits the last and finishing beauty of the Almond Tumbler. 
We have now to consider the breeding of this fascinating little bird ; but it is first necessary to 
mention and describe the various colours which occur in breeding it, and which are used again 
in crossing. Probably the Almond was first formed by crossing and combining these various 
colours. At all events they are of constant occurrence, and when properly “ Almond-bred ” birds, 
are as valuable in breeding Almonds as Almonds themselves. 
First, we will take the Red and Yellow Agate Mottles. Many of these in their nestling 
feathers appear to a careless eye precisely to resemble in marking a regular Black Mottle ; and we 
have known many such purchased by amateurs, who thought they had obtained a fine cross for 
their breeding of Mottles ; of which, as they will be treated of in the next chapter, we only need 
say here that a Mottle is a bird of the same colour all over, except a rose of small white spots on 
the shoulders of the wings, and with or without other small white feathers on the back. But every 
time the Agate Mottle moults it shows more and more white, so that such a purchaser’s hopes are 
soon blasted, and not seldom in such cases the seller has been reproached for having trimmed the 
bird, whereas, all that was wrong was the purchaser, and perhaps seller also, not knowing the 
difference between a true Mottle and an Agate Mottle which is Almond-bred. Yet this is readily 
to be seen. Though at first sight the Agate in its nest-feathers may show all the colour of a true 
Mottle, if the flight and tail feathers be opened, the quill of the feather will be found either 
altogether or in places white, or nearly so, and the colour of the feather itself will be seen to be in 
