98 FANCY PIGEONS. 



is changed to yellow, tlie back and wings to a blue-black, 

 and the tail to light blue, bai'red with black. This variety 

 has but little lustre compared to the other. It is a natural 

 change that occurs in, and that has a value for, breeding. 

 I have bred such from two birds of standard colouring; and 

 they may be matched to the dark variety, when they will 

 breed both colours, and others midway between. 



The Archangel does not assume its full colour till after its 

 second moult, for the four or five centre feathers of the 

 secondary flights are not changed during the first. The 

 breeder has, however, a good idea of what colour a bird will 

 become when it leaves the nest. 



There are so-called Archangels all white and all black, 

 which may have originated frOm standard birds as natural 

 sports, by way of albinism and melanism. The black variety, 

 with its metallic lustre, is very pretty. German authors mention 

 several other varieties, such as blues with black bars, blues 

 without black bars, blues with white wing bars, blues and 

 blacks with white flights, blues and blacks with white flights 

 and heads. Blue Archangels are the yellow-breasted, blue- 

 winged type. 



The JVIiroite Pigeon. 



This is a French variety, described by Boitard and Corbie, 

 and mentioned by Brent. The French writers describe it 

 thus : " It is inconceivable that none of the authors who 

 have written about pigeons have mentioned this race, so re- 

 markable for the beautiful colour of its plumage. Is it 

 because they never heard of it ? This cannot be, for, although 

 not common, all amateurs know it, and some possess several 

 varieties of it. Is it because they have not regarded it as a 

 pure race ? This cannot be the reason, for these pigeons are 

 positively a pure race, since they cannot be crossed with any 

 other variety, however much they resemble it, without being 

 lost. Be this as it may, these birds have the general form 



