Beeton's book of poultry and domestic animals - Thurman Lodge ...

PIGEONS.
" JacoUnes," says Willugliby, " are called by the Low
Dutch cappers, because, on the hinder part of the head, or
nape of the neck, certain feathers reflected upwards encompass
the head behind, ahnost after the fashion of a monk's hood,
when he puts it back to uncover his head. These are called
Cyprus pigeons by Aldrovandus, and some of them are rough-
footed. Aldrovandus hath set forth three or four either species
or accidental varieties of this kind. Their bill is short; the
irides of their eyes of a pearl-colour, and the head in all
white." They are variously coloured : white and blue, and white
and black, and mottled. Whatever
colour they may be, however, to
be considered handsome, they
should have a white head, a white
tail, and white flight-feathers.
The head^ should be very small,
and the beak short and spindled.
The feet of some Jacobites are
JACOBIN ,.„„o „„„c PIGEONS.
feathered to the toes, while those
„ ,, , .V- i
of others are bare ; this, however,
is of little consequence.
A good authority says, " The ruff is a pigeon very much
like the Jacobite, and one which is often sold for it; but the
true ruff is altogether a larger bird. It has a larger head and
longer beak ; the chain of feathers does not flow down so near
to its shoulders, but it is longer, and not so thick. The capu-
chin may be considered as merely a variety of the same breed.
The capuchin is larger than the jacobite, and has a longer
beak; it has a ruff, or hood, but the feathers do not come
down in the same maimer, and form a chain, as in the other
varieties."
THE TUEBIT.
The tnrbit in shape much resembles the jacobite ; but it has
not the head-covering that distinguishes the latter bu-d. It is
not, however, without finery, and may boast of a finely -friUed
shirt-front. This is occasioned by the breast-feather leanirig
contraxy ways and standing straight out.
Turbits are classed according to the colour of their shoulders,
much in the same way as nuns are from the colour of their
heads. There is the blue and blue and yellow shouldered
turbit. Besides these, there are birds of this species all of