PIGEONS AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 80 



With Barbs the washing should be done the day of the 

 show. A little oil on the eye wattles is a great help, and I 

 see no wrong in putting it on. If a show is not to show how 

 a bird looks when in the very pink of condition, what is it 

 for? I do not think that anything of this kind comes under 

 the head of "artificial alteration." 



Perhaps it is a good idea to warn the fancier that he must 

 not be too sanguine. I firmly believe that the great majority 

 of judges are honest, but some of them have some very queer 

 ideas. 



There is no question but that some judges attempt too 

 much. They may be thoroughly conversant with say half a 

 dozen breeds, but entirely at sea on others. Again, some 

 are misled by the fact that certain big breeders are showing- 

 certain birds. They give too much weight to the name of 

 the exhibitor, and sometimes pass by a most meritorious 

 bird, that some struggling and almost unknown fancier has 

 turned out. Sometimes it is turned out, I will admit, by the 

 veriest chance, but, no "matter how it was bred, if the bird 

 has real meiit, that merit should be rewarded. I have come 

 across many a bird so good that its breeder had no conception 

 of its actual value, but he generally found it out, by the sud- 

 den interest that the old timers began to take in it. 



