97 PIGEONS OF COLOUR. 



Thougli there are plain-headed and shell-crested, or, at least, 

 partially shell- crested, birds among the breed, the correct 

 style of head is the peak-crested ; and so good in the peak 

 are some Archangels, that they leave nothing to be desired 

 in this respect. The feathers at the back of the head 

 should all draw to a point, ending in a finely-pointed 

 crest, and the higher this peak reaches, the better. I con- 

 sider it immaterial whether there is a notch below the peak, 

 dividing it from the back neck feathers, or a kind of hog 

 mane, showing no break, so long as the peak itself is 

 correct. 



The head, neck, breast, belly, thighs, and vent feathers 

 should be of a bronzed copper colour, burnished with metallic 

 lustre, solid and even. But this appearance does not pervade 

 these feathers down to the quills, as underneath they are of a 

 dull black, which should not, however, assert itself to the eye, 

 though it generally does about the thigh and vent feathers. 

 The back, wings, and rump should be as black as possible, 

 (though generally more or less bronzed), accompanied by 

 metallic tints of green, blue, purple, and ruby colour, which 

 show in any light, but which in a strong, or sun-light, when 

 the bird is moving about, sparkle like coloured jewels of 

 price. The flight feathers are bronzed black, or kite-coloured, 

 and the tail is blue black, with a black bar at the end. I 

 have heard of black- tailed Archangels, but have never seen 

 any; nor do I consider that they should be other than dark 

 blue-tailed, both on account of the greater variety in the 

 plumage, and because, though blue-tailed, they show as 

 much lustre on their feathers as any breed we have; at 

 least, in Germany, from where we got them, the standard, 

 according to Neumeister, is the blue-barred tail. The legs 

 and feet should be unfeathered, and of a bright red, the 

 nails dark. 



Besides the above coloured Archangel pigeons, there are 

 others whose whole plumage is more subdued. The copper 



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