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FANCY PIGEONS. 
ered, and it is, in general, pearl-eyed; and, to be a valuable bird in the eyes 
of its rearers, it ought to have a hood at the back of its neck. 
THE F ANT AIL, OR SHAKER. 
The fantail is a beautiful variety of the pigeon tribe. It has its name 
from its spreading its tail in the shape of a fan, and bending it over the 
back, so that the tips of the feathers brush the back part of its head. 
There are two sub-varieties of this bird—the broad-tailed and the narrow¬ 
tailed shaker. The former ought to have a tail of at least twenty-four 
feathers, a swan-like neck, a full breast, and a quivering motion of its tail, 
which gives it the second name of shaker. The plumage of this bird is 
generally white, although some are red, blue, or cream-color. The narrow¬ 
tailed shaker is produced by pairing the broad-tailed shaker with the stock 
dove. The tail of this bird is not so wide or spreading as its name imports; 
while it is also a shorter, thicker, and less graceful bird. It is usually 
white, but sometimes it is spotted or ermined, and occasionally displays a 
rich variety of colors. 
THE CROPPER. 
The body of this variety is thick, short, and clumsy; as are also the legs, 
which are feathered down to the feet. They have a large pouch, or bag, 
hanging under their beak, which they can inflate with wind or depress at 
pleasure. Their crop hangs low, but is very large; and they are loose 
breeched on their thighs. 
