FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
535 
past fifty years. When he first sa w them, they were bred by 
an Englishman, by the name of Egleton, in this city, and 
for years afterwards they were known by the name of “ Egle- 
ton Blacks,” which has always been the prevailing color. 
At this time they were excellent tumblers, and often had 
six white flight feathers — a peculiarity they have since 
entirely lost — and which gave them a very pretty appearance 
when on the wing. Mr. Wister can throw no light on the 
actual origin of the bird ; but it is more than probable that 
they came from England, or the East, via Germany, as many 
of the old German merchant settlers imported largely in 
days gone by. The remnants of many fine strains of different 
varieties of toy pigeons are yet to be occasionally met with 
among the dealers of this city. If any of our fanciers can 
give any further information about the “ Big Eye,” not 
contained in the above article, we shall be pleased to give it 
to our readers. 
Jos. M. Wade. 
BOOK ON CARRIER PIGEONS.-WING BARS. 
“ dST o separate work has ever, as far as we know, been pub- 
lished on English carrier pigeons, although there is a Bel- 
gian one on homing birds. No English fancy pigeon has 
had the honor of a distinct book except the Almond Tumbler, 
upon which a work was published in 1802 and 1804. A dun 
bird has no wing bars, being a whole color ; a silver should 
have brown bars ; a blue, black bars. The colors differ, so 
in our belief should the wing bars. Silvers with black bars 
are a kind of washed-out blues. Silver duns, bars red. The 
color of the bars should vary with the color of the body of 
the pigeon. To look for black bars on a silver is as wrong 
as to look for black bars on a mealy pouter. In all common 
sense the bars should vary with the color of the pigeon ; if 
they do not, the distinctness of a color is lost.” 
[We reprint the above from the London Journal of Horti- 
culture. It was written in answer to a correspondent and 
contains much information to pigeon fanciers ; although 
there is a difference of opinion about the wing bars on a 
Silver Pigeon in England, we believe there is none on this 
side of the water. We decidedly object to anything but a 
black bar, and the blacker thp better, on a silver bird. We 
have seen many Shouldered Turbits with a brown or reddish- 
yellow wing bar on a silver ground. But they are mongrels 
and can be produced at any time by crossing a blue wing 
with a yellow or red wing. But we know of no method 
of producing a pure Silver-wing Turbit with black bars, 
not even by the application of “greenbacks,” for we have 
been trying all known methods for the past four years. — E d.] 
Jggg“ Mrs. Lucy Audubon, widow of the distinguished 
ornithologist, John James Audubon, died on the 17th of 
June, at the residence of her sister-in-law, Mrs. Wm. G. 
Bakewell, in Shelbyville, Ky. Mrs. Audubon was born in 
England, but came to this country when a mere girl. Her 
maiden name was Bakewell. Audubon first met her in one 
of his rambles after birds on the banks of the Schuylkill ; 
fell in love with her, and made her his wife. She took great 
interest in his work ; assisted him in his researches, and 
shared his privations as well as enjoyed the honors which 
were heaped upon him. After the death of her husband, 
in January, 1851, Mrs. Audubon went to reside with her 
relatives in Kentucky. She is now dead, at the ripe age of 
eighty-eight. She retained full possession of her faculties 
to the last. Her remains were buried by the side of those 
of her husband. 
I J E [VI S. 
In order to make our “ Item ” column as interesting as possible, we 
would be obliged to our readers for contributions of original matter, how- 
ever short — yes, let it be condensed and to the point, in a variety o 
style — facts and fancies interesting to fanciers. 
An old lady was admiring the beautiful picture called 
“ Saved.” “ It’s no wonder,” said she, “ that the poor child 
fainted after pulling that great dog out of the water.” 
“ Dad, if I were to see a duck on the wing and were 
to shoot it, would you lick me?” “ Oh no, my son, it would 
show that you were a good marksman and I would be proud 
of you.” “ Well, then, dad, I peppered our old Muscovy 
duck as he was flyin’ over the fence to-day, and it would 
have done you good to see him drop.” 
A Milwaukee cat was chasing a rat recently, when 
a dog took after her. To escape the cat, the rat jumped into 
the water, and in went the whole procession after him. The 
cold water effaced the carnivorous propensities of all con- 
cerned, and each speedily paddled for a landing, regardless 
of the others. The dog and rat regained dry land, but tabby 
found a watery grave, to the great regret of a sympathizing 
crowd. 
j§gg?“ The Pulaski Citizen says: “ Charles T. Robinson, of 
Giles County, killed a chicken snake which measured seven 
feet in length. He found it in the crack of a fence, half of 
its body being on either side. An examination developed 
that the snake had swallowed a rabbit before it attempted to 
crawl through the crack, and that after his body was half 
way through it caught and swallowed another rabbit, thus 
having a rabbit on each side of the fence. The crack was so 
small that the rabbits could not get through, and the conse- 
quence was that the snake was hitched. It was killed in 
this situation.” 
The Cunning Thrush. — There is much more 
intellect in birds than people suppose. An instance of this 
occurred the other day at the slate quarry belonging to a 
friend, from whom we have the narrative. A thrush, not 
aware of the expansive properties of gunpowder, thought 
proper to build her nest on a ridge of the quarry — in the 
very centre of which they were constantly blasting. At 
first she was very much discomposed by the fragments fly- 
ing in all directions, but still she would not quit her chosen 
locality. She soon observed that a bell rang whenever a 
train was about to be fired, and that, at the notice, the 
workmen retired to safe positions. In a few days, when 
she heard the bell, she quitted her exposed situation, and 
flew down to where the workmen sheltered themselves — 
dropping close to their feet. There she would remain until 
the explosion had taken place, and then return to her nest 
The workmen observed this — narrated it to their employers, 
and it was also told to visitors who came to view the quarry. 
The visitors naturally expressed a wish to witness so curious 
a specimen of intellect ; but, as the rock could not always 
be blasted when visitors came, the bell was rung instead, 
and for a few times answered the same purpose. The 
thrush flew down close to where they stood, but she per- 
ceived that she was trifled with, and it interfered with the 
process of incubation ; the consequence was, that afterward, 
when the bell rang, she would peep over the ledge to ascer- 
tain if. the workmen did retreat, and if they did not, she 
would remain where she was. — Exchange. 
