PIGEOXS AXD ALL ABOUT THEM. 115 



for them to grow evenly, and some are set in crooked. A 

 child's mouth, when too many teeth come at once, is on the 

 same principle exactly. 



This tail must be flat, or very slightly saucer shaped and 

 must be carried up and back. A bird with a pot lid tail, i. e. 

 a tail carried over the head, is as bad as a scoop ; though I 

 would rather breed from the first mentioned. 



When the bird stands in position, the ends of the flights. 

 and the lower ends of the tail should just touch the floor. 



Xow add to this the proper motion (up and down,) of the 

 head, and the tip-toe walk, and we have the fantail of the 

 present. 



Of course "station "is a great point; but the bird I have 

 described above would, of necessity, have the right station, 

 and it could not sprawl around, get its head past its cushion, 

 thrust out one leg and push with it, and look miserable. 



Perhaps I ought to speak of the value of an extra stiff tail. 

 It is this; it will nut fray on the ends every time it touches 

 anything, and it will ward off the flights when they strike 

 it, and allow them to drop into place. Flights, provided the 

 bird is built right, will not catch in a good stiff tail, but are 

 prone to lodge and *' pinch " in a soft tail, that gives way to 

 the harder feathers of the flights. A good tai! may be ruined 

 in a few days in this way, and while the average judge will 

 take his stick and push the flights into position in the pen. 

 if he notices that the bird puts them back, he will couni 

 against it every time. 



I consider fautails the equals of almost any of the varieties 

 as breeders. Given fertile eggs, and their average percent- 

 age of birds raised is equal to any, but there is always more 

 or less trouble with young, high-styled cocks, for it is im- 

 possible for them to fertilize. I have seen thousands of 



