Varieties of F lying Tumblers. 
187 
Yellow, the feathering upon which should be composed of a complete intermixture of black and 
white, red and white, and yellow and white, interspersed with regularity throughout the entire 
body. Of each sort the flights and tail are preferred entirely black or coloured, but white feathers 
thereon arc not regarded as a blemish. Beaks light-coloured, but streaked with dark, in harmony 
with the feathering ; eyes, pearl. Then, again, there arc White-sides , in Black, Blue, Red, Yellow. 
In these the head, neck, breast, back, tail, and flights should be black or coloured, all else white, to 
a line across the front of breast-bone. If feather-legged, these must be coloured. A rather 
singular fact concerning this kind is, that the first plumage, or ncst-fcathcrs, are all dark, i.e., 
solid black, red, or yellow, and the tail and flights, which are required of good colour, arc 
actually the lightest until after the first moult, when an entire transformation in them takes place ; 
eyes, pearl. Bronzes should be Black or Chequered, with a brown or bronzy intermixture 
throughout plumage, as in a good Kite. Grizzles should be a thorough admixture of blue, 
black, and white, presenting a greyish appearance over the body, head and neck being light and 
powdery, flights and tail rather of a darker colour. 
“ The above-named complete the seventeen varieties of dark-winged birds, of which there arc 
either feather-legged, medium-muffed, grouse-clothed, or clean-legged. 
“ The following are the best and prettiest of the White-flighted varieties : — 1. Saddles in Red, 
Yellow, Black, Blue, and Silver. — The chief points of this kind are accuracy of markings, intensity 
of black, and purity and uniformity of colour ; they arc marked exactly as a Magpie pigeon. 
Head, neck, and breast (to a line across keel) black or coloured ; back and tail also black or 
coloured ; all else white, pure, and spotless. If feather-legged, whether long or short, the feather 
must be white, and each kind must have a clear, well-defined coloured ‘ saddle.’ The Blues 
should be a clear light blue, with black bars. The Silvers should be of a very pale delicate greyish 
colour, with dark bars, the deeper the better ; all ‘ pearl ’ eyes. 2. Badges in Black, Red, Yellow, 
Blue, Silver, and Chequer. — In Hiese the ten primary flights must be \\ kite, and, if muffed-legged, 
whether long or short feathers, such must be pure white from the hock-j fints to their tips ; all else 
black or coloured. Intensity of black and richness of colouring are important points, more 
particularly upon back and tail, which unfortunately is too often of a dingy hue. A sprinkling of 
white upon the head is also observable (see illustration). This is the peculiar marking from which 
the name Badge is derived. 3. White, of course pure and spotless throughout its plumage ; the 
natural colour, or rather the prevailing colour of the eye here is dark, but there are many hand- 
some pearl-eyed specimens which look better, and are more highly prized. 4. Oddities — Under 
this distinguished title (as the name signifies) come a large number of singularly marked birds, 
which, although perhaps not of very prepossessing appearance, still generally possess some degree 
of excellence as fliers or Rollers above their fellows. There may often be seen Tricolourcd or 
Almond-feathered birds, odd-sided ones, and variously marked or mixed feathered ones. I have 
seen two or three specimens of a very strange character, one of which was a perfect Red Badge 
on one side, and as a perfect Black Badge on the other. Again, I remember another bird which was 
a Red Saddle on one side, and Black on the other, both accurately marked and clearly defined 
along the centre line of saddle ; the back (beneath the saddle) and the tail was of a dark dingy 
hue, showing the complete admixture of both Black and Red. Further, I have known a Badge 
on one side, and Saddle on the other, both black ; in fact, such may often be seen in large flocks. 
“ Having now enumerated the chief and most attractive varieties, I had better state here that 
any of the afore-mentioned arc to be found either long-muffed, medium-muffed, grouse-feathered, 
or clean-legged. It is quite a matter of taste and sheer speculation as to which is preferable 
either as show birds or as fliers ; but to constitute a good long-muffed bird, the feather should be 
