556 
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 
named on account of the resemblance of its tail to a fan. There are 
from 20 to 36 feathers in a tail; the more feathers a bird has the greater 
is its value. The shapely body and tapering neck give it a swan-like 
appearance. The chest is brought forward; the carriage is erect, 
with head thrown well back and resting on the cushion. The tail is 
circular, slightly concave, and should be carried well up evenly, not 
drooping over the head or hanging loosely to the right or left. The 
Fantail in appearance has a graceful movement, and appears as if 
standing on tiptoe, walking in a jaunty manner, with a series of con- 
vulsive jerkings or twitchings of the neck. The head is small; eye, 
dark hazel; beak, thin and about one-half inch in length; beak, wattle 
and eye-cere are small and fine in texture, and legs short. Fantails 
are bred in all colors, but the pure white are the most popular. 
The Jacobin is a beautiful as well as an interesting bird. The 
characteristic points of feather in the Jacobin are the hood, chain, 
rose and mane. In size they are small and rather slenderly built, with 
an erect carriage of the head and neck to display the hood advantage- 
ously. This variety is bred in all colors. 
The Turbit holds an exalted place in the ranks of pigeondom. 
Their wonderful beauty and dainty little forms claim for them the 
admiration of all. The Turbit is a small bird, with a plump, broad 
chest; short on the legs and in the neck. Their bold and upright 
carriage and jaunty manners make a pleasing picture to the eye. 
They are bred in all colors. 
The Antwerp pigeon, better known as the Homer, is perhaps the 
best-known of all the varieties of pigeons; they are among the fore- 
most in popularity as an interesting bird. Their utility for the purpose 
of messengers has established them as a profitable as well as an orna- 
mental bird. It is not only as messengers that Homers are profitable, 
for this is the breed of pigeons used for squab breeding, which has 
become one of the most important branches of pigeon raising. A 
nice young squab makes a delicious dish, and the number killed and 
used for the purpose extends into the tens of thousands annually. 
An immense number of squabs are used in place of wild birds in the 
leading hotefc and restaurants, and the number bred and consumed) 
'by lovers of high living is beyond estimate. In fact, the business ofj 
squab breeding is a growing and profitable one to engage in as a special 
business, or in connection with other branches of stock raising. This 1 
is a branch of stock breeding that can be conducted profitably by. 
nearly all fowl keepers or farmers. 
The Homer is used for breeding squabs in preference to all other 
varieties of pigeons, on account of its large sire and prolific and fertile 
breeding; they are splendid breeders, the squabs are always in nice, 
fat corulitiqn for selling for broilers, or the5 r can be raised to full growth 
and sold at a profitable price. They can be bred in confinement or at 
liberty, and raise from 12 to 16 young in a year, or a pair every six 
weeks from January to November, or molting time. They lay but 
