174 PIGEONS AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



The standard allows a bird with only the frontal spot to 

 compete, but the three spots are more to be desired. They 

 come in all the colors of the turbit. The upper beak man- 

 dible is dark and the lower white. 



By reading this description carefully, one can imagine how 

 hard it is to breed such a bird absolutely true to marking, 

 but as I have remarked, there is great pleasure to the fancier 

 when a "true" one is turned out. 



ORIENTAL TURBITS. 



Oriental Turbits come Blue, Black, Red, Yellow, Silver and 

 Dun, and also in (/hecks and Creams. The shoulders must 

 be marked perfectly clean in deep rich colors, and body white. 

 The standard however, allows both the white and the dark 

 tail to count. 



To the fancier who has never bred Orientals, they are a 

 great study, and he finds himself wondering at the skill of 

 the men who breed them. 



Very naturally in breeding these dainty birds, the eggs of 

 which are often worth their weight in gold, the use of feed- 

 ers or nurses is a necessity. It would seem useless to suggest 

 that in this case the mated birds must not be overworked 

 even though the desire to get "one or more good youngsters" 

 is a natural one. For feeders, long-faced birds of small size 

 are to be desired. 



The rage for Orientals seems to be unlimited just now, yet 

 how many of us can remember when they were few and far 

 between in this country. In the old American Standard (1889) 

 they were not even mentioned; but there is no quetsion now. 

 but that they have come to stay. 



