52 
FANCY PIGEONS. 
them in Turkey, and which is the best mode to be followed generally, is 
this: The person who has the charge of rearing and training them watches 
for the arrival of the young pigeons at the full strength of wing, and then 
takes them in a covered basket to a distance of about half a mile from their 
home. They are then set at liberty, and if any of them fail in returning home 
from this short distance, they are considered stupid, and are rejected as value¬ 
less. Those that return home are then taken to greater distances, progres¬ 
sively increased from two to a thousand miles, and they will then return with 
certainty from the farthest part of the kingdom. It is usual to keep these birds 
in a dark place for about six hours before they are used; they are then spar¬ 
ingly fed, but have as much water given them as they will drink. The paper 
upon which the message is written should be carefully tied round the upper 
part of the bird’s leg, but so as in no way to impede its flight. When loosed, 
the bird usually soars high in the air, and after flying round in circles for a 
few times in succession suddenly darts in the direction of “home.” 
The usual speed of the carrier is about thirty miles an hour, or one thou¬ 
sand a day. 
THE TUMBLER. 
This pigeon derives its name from its habit of turning over, or “ tumbling” 
in the air. They rise to an immense height in the air, and generally, when 
commencing their upward flight, make a series of somersaults in the air, 
like the clown in a pantomime. When in the blue empyrean, they will re¬ 
main on the wing for several hours in succession; and, when soaring in the 
air on a fine summer’s day, the flight, tumblings, and antics of a flock of 
these pigeons is very amusing. 
The finest variety of this pigeon is the bald-pated tumbler , from its having 
a snow-white head and pearl-like eyes; another is called the ermine , or 
almond tumbler, and is a very elegant and beautiful bird, and is distin¬ 
guished by the colors and marking of its feathers, in which it varies very 
considerably. 
THE ERMINE, OR ALMOND TUMBLER. 
The almond tumbler is said to be the result of cross-breeding between 
the various kites, such as blacks, whites, and cinnamons, and the various 
splashes, as myrtle-splash and cinnamon-splash. Their form is the same as 
in other good tumblers, but their coloring must be a combination of at least 
three tints on each feather, if possible, so as to give the idea of the petal of 
a well-broken tulip, or a rich and polished fragment of breccia marble. 
The most curious point about almond tumblers is the form which some of 
them have been brought to attain ; the whole thing, however, is very simple. 
The common well-bred tumbler, in its ordinary state, has a compact little 
body, with a round head, short beak, and neat little feet. But this did not 
content some fanciers. By pairing together birds in which these qualities 
