92 THE PIGEON-FANCIER. 



This remarkable accomplishment is the result of 

 severe training and constant practice. Inde- 

 pendent of these " champion flys," for which they 

 are famous, Baldheads when at liberty are very 

 pretty hovering about the house, if it be only a 

 London house one in a long sombre row of 

 fifty, and the odd forty-nine houses being mono- 

 tonous repetitions of your own. Even then they 

 are a graceful acquisition to the dwelling, dawd- 

 ling round the chimney-pots, loitering in the back- 

 yard, stealing mustard and cress seed from your 

 irrate neighbour's garden-patch, or scratching 

 among his sickly flowers in search of grit. 

 Their plumage is shabby genteel, soiled and spoiled 

 by the provoking nastiness of London filth and 

 fog. But they are gay and blithesome withal. 

 How much more graceful are they in the country 

 where the atmosphere is of Arcadian purity, and 

 the snowy whiteness of their plumage retains its 

 immaculate delicacy all the year round. The 

 vivid contrast of the white patches and the body 

 colour is entirely picturesque, such as no other 

 bird presents. They become tame and familiar, 

 they will come in the door when open, perch on 

 the window-sill, and be quite at home, and con- 

 sider themselves members of the family as much 

 as the dog or the parrot if you encourage their 



