Evils of Tampering with the Skull. 
159 
may have formed within them, as is the case with a healthy pigeon, they become quite closed, 
Breathing is then confined entirely to the already diseased and foul mouth, which rapidly causes 
disease of the lungs, as may often be discovered on dissecting a bird which has died in this way. 
The eyes often suffer also, though not always, of course. Still, comparatively few birds which 
have been much operated upon will be found to possess two nice clear pearl eyes, being more 
frequently seen as what old fanciers call “dull” in eye. This condition most usually, though not 
always, is caused by tampering with the beak and skull ; and a bird thus affected is very often in 
trouble, the eye being very apt to discharge and then get closed up, unless carefully looked after 
by bathing with warm water, and, after drying, anointing the eyelids with grease. When the 
weakness comes from tampering, there is no hope of ever curing it. Of course, weakness in the 
eyes is often found in birds which have not been tampered with ; but it is seldom accompanied by 
any watery discharge, which probably depends on the stoppage of the nostrils already alluded to, 
and is pretty generally connected with more or less approach to the immensely large, and generally 
black eyes, already described as “ bladder-eyes,” and which arise from breeding together two birds 
too extra-good in head to be a safe match, showing, thereby, that Nature will not allow us to go 
beyond a certain point in any particular without taking her revenge. 
Our readers will now understand our reasons for not setting such extraordinary value upon 
head and beak as many fanciers. We know the commercial value of these properties; and, if our 
readers only consider how we are flying in the face of every private business interest in what we here 
state, they will, at least, give us credit for honesty and sincerity in our desire that those properties 
of the bird, which are really hardest to be produced, and which must be really bred in the bird, and 
cannot be imitated by art, should be given higher rank than they have had, and be considered of 
more value than what is so much and so extensively the result of mere manipulation. We are not 
going too far in saying that at least three-fourths of the birds we see in various show-pens owe 
more or less to the doctoring we describe. And hence, however we may value as a commodity a 
property we find of special value, in writing our opinion as fanciers for the guidance of others, we 
must say what we think ; and if the result of these plain remarks shall be to change the values put 
upon these respective points by most judges and fanciers, and to re-arrange them in an order which 
is more fair to honest exhibitors, and to the pigeon as nature and skilful breeding alone can make 
it, we shall feel much gratification. Let no one, however, suppose we advocate birds with no 
head properties. We do admire a good head, and would call no bird a good Almond Tumbler which 
did not possess a high and round skull. We would have it as good as possible; and our meaning 
simply is, that it is the placing such an extravagant value upon a point which can be greatly produced 
by art, which has caused it to be so generally produced in that way ; and that by placing, as we 
advocate, the chief value upon points which are even harder to breed than head and beak, and 
must be either bred in the bird or not be seen at all, we shall get with least trouble and difficulty a 
better state of things. In what order we would rank the various points we will next state. 
JUDGING ALMONDS. — The very reason commonly given for setting the chief value upon 
head and beak in an Almond — viz., that it is the property hardest to produce — is a complete 
mistake. We have seen hundreds of nearly perfect-headed birds, but not fifty that could be called 
good-feathered ones, including all we have either had pass through our hands during a long 
experience, or seen at all the shows we have attended. Not insisting further on the fact we have 
already treated at such length, that most of these good-headed pigeons were “ made ” such, even 
the far fewer birds whose heads were really and naturally good are much more numerous at any 
time than good-feathered ones, and far more easy to breed. Moreover, the head has long been 
