PIGEONS AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 253 



THE CRESCENT. 



I lie Crescent is a creamy white bird with brown wing bars 

 shaped much like a common turtle dove, with the same high 

 forehead and long- beak. The neck is short and body plump, 

 and they are low in the leg. They derive their name from a 

 sort of half-moon on the breast, which is of a rich copper 

 lustre. They have orange eyes and dark beaks. 



THE STARLING. 



This bird is black, with barred wings and a half-moon on 

 the breast. Sometimes the head is dotted with white, and 

 this, far from being wrong, is a mark of purity. The eye is 

 red and the beak and nails black. They may be either plain 

 or crested, and clean or grouse legged. The great point is 

 distinctive marking. The black must be sound and the bars 

 and crescent very pure. 



THE PORCELAIN. 



These birds are a dark brown on the head, upper neck, 

 back and breast. The tail and flights are darker in color. 

 The same exquisite pencilling that marks the Suabian, is the 

 great point with the Porcelain. The eye should be orange 

 (but a pearl is admissible) and the beak and nails black. 

 Sometimes, but rarely, they have the very desirable spot in 

 the flights. A sort of chocolate color is what is wanted. 



THE BURMESE. 



The above is an odd pigeon that can hardly be called beau- 

 tiful. It is a large bird, with a head like a Runt, a very 

 crooked neck, full breast, short back, and an upright tail, 

 which looks as if cut off with a pair of shears, 

 are short and tilt up and meet just behind the tail, 

 legs are stilty, and their walk, when mating, is a sort of tip- 

 toe. They come in all sorts of colors, selfs, mottled and pied. 



About the only use I cap. see for the Burmese, is to put it 



