differently. At first
they throw a single summersault, then it is double, till it becomes a
continuous roll, which puts an end to flying, for if they fly a few
yards over they go, and roll till they reach the ground. Thus I had one
kill herself, and another broke his leg. Many of them turn over only a
few inches from the ground, and will tumble two or three times in
flying across their loft. These are called House-tumblers, from
tumbling in the house. The act of tumbling seems to be one over which
they have no control, an involuntary movement which they seem to try to
prevent. I have seen a bird sometimes in his struggles fly a yard or
two straight upwards, the impulse forcing him backwards while he
struggles to go forwards. If suddenly startled, or in a strange place,
they seem less able to fly than if quiet in their accustomed loft."
These House-tumblers differ from the Lotan or Ground {152} Tumbler of
India, in not requiring to be shaken in order to begin tumbling. The
breed has probably been formed merely by selecting the best common
Tumblers, though it is possible that they may have been crossed at some
former period with Lotans.

[Illustration: Fig. 23.--Short-faced English Tumbler.]

_Sub-race IV. Short-faced Tumblers._--These are marvellous birds, and
are the glory and pride of many fanciers. In their extremely short,
sharp, and conical beaks, with the skin over the nostrils but little
developed, they almost depart from the type of the Columbidae. Their
heads are nearly globular {153} and upright in front, so that some
fanciers say[292] "the head should resemble a cherry with a barley-corn
stuck in it." These are the smallest kind of pigeons. Mr. Esquilant
possessed a blue Baldhead, two years old, which when alive weighed,
before feeding-time, only 6 oz. 5 drs.; two others, each weighed 7 oz.
We have seen that a wild rock-pigeon weighed 14 oz. 2 drs., and a Runt
34 oz. 4 drs. Short-faced Tumblers have a remarkably erect carriage,
with prominent breasts, drooping wings, and very small feet. The length
of the beak from the tip to the feathered base was in one good bird
only .4 of an inch; in a wild rock-pigeon it was exactly double this
length. As these Tumblers have shorter bodies than the wild
rock-pigeon, they ought of course to have shorter beaks; but
proportionally with the