April SI, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



297 



the attention of Pigeon fanciers to a description and portrait of 

 a standard Dragoon, The letterpress is from, as v. ill be ob- 

 served, two distinct yet equally reliable sources. Thus by 

 being able, by the courtesy of first-class fanciers of each variety, 

 to give the correct points of such variety, we venture to think 

 we shall he conferring a benefit upon the fancy generally. Of 

 recent years it has given us pleasure to insert at large com- 

 munications upon many Pigeons, and we hope still to do the 

 same. 



Without further preface we will proceed to the description of 

 the standard Dragoon sent us by the Biimingham Colum- 

 barian Society, whose members state that they "are pleased 

 to find that the portrait of the ' standard Antwerp,' which ap- 

 peared in your Journal of February 17tb, seems to have given 

 general satisfaction. It has, unquestionably, supplied a want 

 which had for some time been apparent to most Pigeon fanciers. 

 As inquiries have since been made for a portrait of a ' show 

 Dragoon,' we gladly give our ideas as to what constitutes a 



perfect bird of this variety, and in doing so must add that we 

 have been for a long time past quite conscious that, like the 

 Antwerp, a Btandard has become necessary. 



" The accompanying engraving is a portrait of a Blue 

 Dragoon hen, four years old, of great merit, the winner of 

 many prizes, and a breeder of wonderful stock, which ha3 

 been expressly selected to be portrayed for publication in your 

 Journal. 



" In giving our opinions upon the show Dragoon, we would 

 first say that those opinions have not been hastily arrived at. 

 Several of us have been breeders of this variety almost ex- 

 clusively for many years ; therefore, from our great experience 

 and frequent discussions upon the especial and general charac- 

 teristics of this breed, our views may be deemed of some value 

 to those who seek such information. 



" There are in Dragoons five acknowledged colours — Blue, 

 Silver, Red, Yellow, and White. The first and last named are 

 the most numerous classes ; but ia speaking of all the colours 



we do not with to Bhow a preference for any one kind, but to 

 advocate the claims of all collectively, and to further describe 

 the chief points of difference separately. 



" One chief object, and also the great difficulty, especially to 

 the uninitiated, is in severing them from their allies, the 

 Carriers, whose name must inevitably crop out when describing 

 Dragoons ; but let it be understood there is, and should be, a 

 marked difference between the matured birds of each ; yet not- 

 withstanding this difference, the young Carrier is often very 

 improperly placed in competition with the Dragoon, and too 

 frequently gentlemen who are called upon to adjudicate at 

 some of our shows appear so perplexed by the comparison, 

 that they are occasionally beguiled into the error of placing 

 young Carriers upon the prize list in the Dragoon class, which 

 is rather discouraging to those who have from time to time 

 pointed out in what particulars the great dissimilarity exists. 



" Dragoons should not be large birds, but of moderate size, 

 neat, and compact inform; light in feather; have sharp- 

 pointed wings ; be broad in shoulder, with butts well dis- 

 played, and narrow-rumped. The head should be long and 

 straight ; skull narrow, well developed at the back. The eye 

 shonld be large and prominent ; the lash, cere, or flesh wattle, 

 uniform, equal, white, and circular, with but little of it. The 

 wart upon the beak should be small, and not overhanging. The 



neck should be long, slender, and graceful ; the carriage erect ; 

 the legs long, clean, and angular ; the feet large. The general 

 bearing of these birds is of a timid, tremulous kind, invariably 

 displaying a shaking and nervous temperament. The Blues, 

 Silvers, and Whites, are prolific birds, good nurses, and are 

 swift and good flying Pigeons ; but this cannot be said of their 

 brethren the Reds and Yellows, whose constitution seems to 

 have suffered by close breeding, in order not only to perfect, 

 but to keep pure, their beautiful uniform colour, and in con- 

 sequence they are not to be trusted from home, otherwise they 

 will probably be lost. 



" These are our compressed views of the essential points of 

 show Dragoons collectively. Taking them separately, they may 

 be described thus — 



" Blue Dragoons should be of a good sound colour upon 

 the sides of the wings, head, belly, thighs, back, snd tail. 

 The head is generally of rather a darker hue ; the neck also 

 dark, and gorgeously illuminated with bright iridescent colours, 

 and terminating in a distinct and circular line upon the 

 shoulders, breast, and back, thereby producing a pleasing con- 

 trast with the lighter and less brilliant parts of the body ; the 

 ljwer extremity of the wing coverts have two narrow and jet 

 black bars, running obliquely, and terminating just above the 

 thigh ; the tail, also, has a band of black about an inch wide, 



