FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
505 
at the age of six weeks — so I am advised by the party to 
whom I shipped the eggs. In this connection, I will give 
the other side of the picture. I ordered and received four 
dozen eggs from Hartford, Conn., this last spring, and they 
produced — not a chick. I received them packed in saw-dust, 
in a common square box. 
Yours, &c., James Littlehai.e. 
California. 
Editor Fanciers’ Journal. 
Dear Sir: While working in one of my chicken yards 
last evening, my attention was called to a chicken evidently 
in distress, near the barn, about a hundred feet from where 
I was. I hurried to the spot, and when about thirty or 
forty feet from the chicken, I noticed that a large rat had 
seized him by the back, near the rump, and was endeavoring 
to draw him under the barn, but the chicken, a fine young 
game, about one and a half pounds weight, was holding his 
own, although terribly lacerated and bleeding profusely. 
For a moment I hesitated, thinking how I could secure 
the rat. Imagine my surprise, when he showed no inclina- 
tion to give up his prey till after I walked up quietly to him 
and had nearly crushed his life out with my foot. 
I had no hope for the chicken’s life, as his entrails pro- 
truded several inches, and were very much torn, but I see 
he is alive to-day, and may recover. 
Respectfully yours, A. McLaren. 
Meadville, Pa., July 25th, 1874. 
New York, July 10th, 1874. 
Mr. Editor : I have a place on the top of my house about 
five feet square, possibly a little larger, in which I should 
like to keep pigeons, and come to you, thinking you or some 
of the many readers of your valuable Journal could inform 
me as to the best kind of pigeons to keep in such a place, 
and how many could be kept comfortably. I intend to let 
them fly all the time, except when the weather is cloudy or 
rainy. 
Hoping to hear from you soon, I remain, 
Yours truly, N. O. Body. 
[We should not commence with more than two or three 
pair at the outside, and would recommend Tumblers or 
Antwerps, or any other variety except Carriers or Pouters. 
But we cannot understand why you would keep them up in 
rainy weather, for this is the time above all other that the 
pigeons like to be out. It is amusing to see them lay on 
one side in a shower, and hold up one wing like a sail, to 
receive the rain, from which they seem to derive great 
benefit. — Ed.] 
Mr. Editor. Brooklyn, July 23d, 1874. 
Dear Sir: Will you be kind enough to inform me what 
Viennese or Maltese Tumblers are, and whether you can 
buy any in this country ? The reason I ask you is because 
a friend of mine, knowing I kept pigeons, wrote to me ask- 
ing if I kept that variety, and stating that if I did not have 
them, to see if I could purchase a couple of pair for him, and 
as I have never heard of such a variety of pigeon, I decided 
to ask you. Yours, &e., FT. V. K. 
R- S. — I have taken your Journal from the first number, 
and do not know how I ever could have got along without 
it. I was in hopes you would give us a few more chapters 
of John Moore’s work on Pigeons, I being very much in- 
terested in it. Ft y g; 
[We know nothing of the above Tumblers by the name 
given. Probably the Berlin Tumbler (so called) is meant, 
which we believe is bred by H Colell, of New York City. 
We never saw but one pair in this city, and they resembled 
Blue Magpies. No one would buy them, believing them 
to be a cross between a Magpie and a Tumbler. We would 
like to hear more about this variety from those who have 
bred them. 
Moore’s work on pigeons will be continued in chapters 
until completed. We are also publishing the same in book 
form. — E d.] 
New York, July 23d, 1874. 
Mr. Editor : Can you or some of the readers of your 
valuable Journal inform me what the proper marks of the 
Belgian Tumbler pigeons are ; whether they will tumble like 
a common tumbler, or stand around doing nothing, like the 
short face variety? I have asked several persons, and some 
say there are excellent flyers and tumblers, while others say 
they do not fly at all, but are merely a show bird. Are 
they any other colors beside blue, as that is the only color I 
have ever seen ? Yours truly, M. B. K. 
[We are not acquainted with the Belgian Tumbler, by 
that name. Will some of our readers please answer ? 
Our correspondent has evidently had worn-out birds of 
the Short-faced variety, or Button-head. We used to keep 
quite a number of these, but they did the reverse of stand- 
ing around doing nothing. They were active little fellows, 
bred well, and raised their own young. We seldom had to 
use feeders, and yet our stock was of the finest. — E d.] 
INTELLIGENCE OF HOGS. 
Hogs often show great intelligence and aptitude to learn. 
A forester had a Chinese pig which followed him like a dog, 
came at call, and ran up and down stairs. It learned to 
bow and perform several tricks. It was very expert in 
hunting mushrooms; and, when told to keep watch, it would 
remain at its post until called away. When its owner said 
“ I am going to kill you,” it would lie down on its back and 
stretch out its legs. 
When Louis XI was sick, in order to relieve the sadness 
of his mind, a nobleman thought of teaching a pig to dance, 
and bringing it before him. It was not long before a pig 
could hop about very well to the sound of a bagpipe ; they 
then dressed it with coat, pantaloons, necktie, hat, sword, 
&c., — in short, all that the court gentlemen of the time were 
accustomed to wear, and introduced it into the presence of 
the King. The animal bowed, danced, and followed all or- 
ders in the most artistic manner, until, getting tired, it be- 
came so awkward that the King roared with laughter, to 
the delight of his courtiers. 
An English gentleman carefully trained a hog for hunting. 
Slug, for so the hog was called, was very fond of the chase, 
and was ever on the alert when the huntsmen were prepar- 
ing to start, but the dogs could not endure its company, and 
their owner was never able to make use of both at the same 
time. Slug would scent a bird from a great distance, and 
would dig in the earth to show where it had been. When 
the bird hopped, it followed like a dog. 
Hogs have been trained for draught. A countryman was 
in the habit of going to St. Alban’s market in a small cart 
drawn by four hogs ; another countryman won a wager that 
his hog would carry him on his back four miles in one hour. 
These facts are cited to show that the. hog is a more intelli- 
gent animal than we give him credit for. 
JBgjy” It is said that the pure white breeds of poultry pos- 
sess more delicate constitutions while young, and are there- 
fore more difficult to raise successfully than those of darker 
colors. 
