566 FANCIERS’ 
JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 

that a hen knows that her eggs need turning every day 
during a portion of the period of incubation in order to pro- 
duce chicks, and also knows when they do not need turning, 
is foolishness. She knows nothing about it. In short it is 
not true. No sitting hen never intentionally turned over 
her eggs. Sume hens never touch them with their beaks, 
while others, apparently more nervous, seem to delight in 
poking them around, but such are just as likely to poke one 
of them half a dozen times as to poke half of them once. 
My opinions are based on close observation and actual ex- 
periments, with an experience of over twenty-five years. 
Others can prove them in the same way. Fowls know 
nothing of the relation of eggs to chickens ; their inclination 
to sit is forced upon them by wise laws over which they have 
no control. Geese, ducks, turkeys, and a great portion of 
the hens will sit as long on a barren nest as though it was 
filled with eggs. They sit because they ‘‘can’t help it.” It 
is instinct alone that governs them. 
As to the theory of selecting eggs for cockerels and pee 
I have no remarks to make at present. 
J. Y. BICKNELL. 
August 24th, 1874. 















Pigeon Department. 
THE TURBIT. 


THE sbouldered variety is one of the prettiest of our fancy 
pigeons, and commands the admiration of all at first sight. 
It is small, neat, and elegant in appearance; rather short; 
chest broad and full; active and interesting; good breeders; 
and can be had in a great variety of colorings; which, in the 
shouldered birds, gives a pleasing contrast and beauty of 
plumage peculiar to this variety of pigeons. 

The head of the Turbit is quite peculiar, and differs from 
any other variety of pigeons except the Owl, which it some- 
what resembles. The head should be broad, full, and short, 
while the top should be somewhat flat. The beak should be 
white; broad at the base, like that of a good Owl; but 
perfectly straight, and cannot be tooshort. In this point, as 
well asin size, Turbits have degenerated much in late years— 
too much regard being paid to frill and purity of marking 
at the expense of other equally important points. 
‘The eye should be large and full, of a dark hazel color, 
having the pupil black. A point of great merit is for the 
eye to be encircled by a buff-colored lash cr cere.’? Most 
of the birds imported from England at the present day, have 
a point or peak-crest,in place of the shell-crest or turn- 
crown. They look very neat, but I do not like them as 
well as the shell-crest. I have never bred a bird with a 
point or peak-crest from shell-crested birds; but, in most 
cases, when a shell-crested Turbit is crossed with an Owl, the 
point or peak-crest is produced ; which would seem to indicate 
that # peaked bird is not as pure as the one with a per- 
fect shell-crest. The point-peak or shell-crest is formed 
by feathers growing upward on the head and neck, and 
coming to the point or crest just above the head. In good 
birds the neck feathers grow backwards from the throat, 
forming what is called by fanciers a perfect mane from the 
crest down to the shoulder, asin good Jacobins. The gullet 
is also a very important point in Turbits and is formed by a 
loose skin, forming a kind of dewlap under the beak ; which, 
in good: birds, will continue until lost in the purle or frill; 
which should be well developed, with the feathers growing 
each way outwardly from the centre of the breast, and 
cannot be too large. The better the frill the more valuable 
the bird; young fanciers seldom paying any attention to other 
points if the bird is well frilled and comparatively well 
marked—losing sight altogether of head, beak, and gullet, 
The secondary wing feathers, greater and lesser wing co- 
verts, and scapular feathers; should be the only feathers 
colored in the shouldered birds, the rest of the plumage, in- 
cluding the ten flight feathers, should be pure white. We 
would remind the beginner that we are describing a perfect 
shouldered bird, like the cut above (which our artist has re-en- 
graved from the London Journal of Horticulture, and which 
we have not yet seen), they always having more or less 
colored feathers on the body under the wing, sometimes 
extending to the rump and thighs. But, if the colored feath- 
ers do not show at all when the bird is at rest, and it is 
otherwise perfect, it would be classed as a good bird. The 
coloring should be as pure as possible, the following being 
the recognized colors of the present time in the shouidered 
birds: Black, blue with black bars; blue, with white bars, 
and plain winged blues; silver, with white bars; silver, 
with black silver, with brown bars; and plain silvers ; 
also, plain red, and plain yellow. Booted Turbits are not 
unusual and are supposed to be of German origin. The 
Turbit is thought by many to be a native of the south of 
France, as it is said to be found there in greater perfection 
than elsewhere. Germany also claims it as one of her own — 
production, which I am inclined to think, with just reason, 
as most of the varieties and colorings now bred in this coun- 
try are traceable to Germany. They have been a favorite 
of mine for years, and I have bred and seen more than 
twenty-five different varieties and colorings, nearly all of 
which (except the shouldered birds) can be traced to Ger- 
many, and a majority of these also came from that country, 
bars ; 
