The record-union., 1891-03-15
THE FANTAIL PIGEON.
The Domestic Pigeon Appears to Have
Come To LIS; El.o1n India

THE F'ANTAIL PIGEON.
The Domestic Pigeon Appears to Have
Come TO Us From India.
Stephen Beale, an English authority,
writes the Country Gentleman, giving the
history of the fantail pigeon. 1t is in
tefestlng, and from it we extract as fol-
lows:
This charming variety of the domestic
pigeon appears to have come TO us from
Indla, where, one writer says. it is the
commonest variety offered for sale. IL
would appear to have been known in
that. country for very long period of
time, but how long cannot be determined.
Still, references to the fantail appears as
lar back as do any, so that the antiquity Of
the bird is undoubted. Its dissemination
would begin as soon as trade began to be
done, and as to-day the captains Of ships
trading between England and America
and also Australia are constantly pur-
chasing birds to sell them at the other
end, SO we can readily see how easy it
would be for these birds to be scattered
far and wide. 1t would seem that the
fantaii has been known in Britain for
about two hundred years, the term given
1t being the "broad-tailed shaker" under
which term it is described both by Will
loughby and Moore. The former writer
says they are ''called shakers because
they do almost constantly shake or wag
their heads and necks up and down.
Broad-tailed from the great number of
feathers they have in their tails; they say
not fewer than twenty-siX. When they
walk up and down they do for the most
part hold their tails erect like hen or
turkey-cock. These also vary much in
color.n
Moore's description is very interesting,
and goes into fuller detail. He saws:
This pigeon has a beautiful long, thin
neck, which bends like the neck of
swan, leaning toward the back; it has
| frequent tremulous motion, or shaking
i in the neck, especially when salacious,
which is the reason they are called shak-
ers. 1t has full breast, very short
back and Il tail consisting of a great
number of feathers; seldom less than
four and twenty, which it spreads in
very elegant manner, like the tail
of turlley-cock, and throws it up so
much that the head and tail frequently
meet. They are called by some fan
tails, and once saw one that had six and
thirty feathers in its tail; but when they
have SO many feathers, it is apt to make
them lop their tails; and not let it meet
with their head, which is very great
fault. They are most commonly all white,
though have seen both black, blue, red
and yellow Pieds, but the white ones
have generally the best carriage in their
tail and head. There are two sorts of
these broad-tailed shakers, the one hav-
ing neck much longer and more slender
than the other, but the longest neck is
the most beautiful and most esteemed.n
Lyen in his Fancy Pigeons" the lat
est work on this subject, speaks at length
of the Indian fantail, respecting which he
is we'll qualified to speak, he having
spent some years in the great depend
ency. Indian fantails, as found in Call
cutta, are usually entirely white, with
large, Widespread tails, long backs and
without noJah trnnnInr1c In tho
neck. 1t is rare to get them both smooth
headed and free of leg-feather, most of
them having peak-crested, or grouse
| feathered legs, while some of them have
both. Indian fanciers are fond of putting
| small brass bangles on the legs of fan
tails. This is done before the birds leave
the nest, so that when full grown the or
| naments cannot fall off. The bangles are
| hollow and open at the edges, and have
small metal balls put into them; their
edges are then brought close together,
and as the birds walk about tinkling
sound is produced. In India the tail
feathers OF fantalls are sometimes cut off
short and the ends of peacocks' tail feath-
ers introduced into the stunps. Ifwell
done this has a very pretty effect. After
the entirely white tantails, whole blues
and ash-colored, or barless blues are the
| comnlonest. The latter are nearly even
| in color all over. Mr. Lyell knew fancier
green4lustered blacks, with peaked heads
and feathered legs. And he had heard Of
some whole reds and yellows, but did not
seetheIl. They belonged to doctor in
the Government service at Dinapore, and
at his death were advertised for sale, but
they were Immediately bought up by
| native gentleman. 1t was also stated
that fine colored reds and yellows could
be got in the northwest provinces of
India.
Some thirty years ago the fantail began
| to be taken up in Britain, and now it is
popular, especially in Scotland, where
greater attention has been paid to the mo-
ton than in England. The color also is
different. The variety knownas the Eng
lish fantail is pure white, no colored
feathers being under any circumstances
allowed. The variety preferred in Scotland
is known as the saddleback, in which
the markings are the same as in the tar
bit. OF these there have been several coll
ors. In the latter the wings, including
the scapular feathers, are coiored, all the
rest being white. In addition to the pure
white English fantails, blacks, blues, sill
vers, reds and yellows have been bred,
but these are very seldom met with, the
blacks being the least scarce. They must
be entirely whole-colored, and free from
white feathers.
Great anxiety is felt in Switzerland con-
cerning the decadence of the watchmall-
ing industry, which, next to the textile
industry, is the mainstay of the inhabi-
tants of the country. The profits are
.dwindling down, as the United States and
England are every year becoming more
powerful rivals in this field. The de-
mand, too, for Swiss watches is falling off
considerably in certain countries, notably
in this country and in France.
Georgiana-"And, Flora, / forgot to
tell you, last night Harry Davenport said
you had the fatal gift of beauty" Flora
-"Oh, Georgiana, did hep" Georgiana-
"Yes, l told him you were being poisoned
by cosmetics. ."-Munsey's Weekly.
A witness in contested will case at