OUR DOMESTIC BIRDS 



FIG. 235. Saddle Fantail 

 Pigeon l 



the conspicuous characters, but in ordinary judging practice 



they are not often so treated, except in the case of disqualify- 

 ing faults, to be noted presently. The less conspicuous char- 

 acters, including shape of body (in 

 regard to which the average fancier 

 and judge is somewhat careless, not 

 discriminating between closely related 

 types), become important in making 

 decisions between specimens which 

 appear to be equal in the more con- 

 spicuous characters. Because of this 

 there is a tendency to exaggerate some 

 one minor character whenever a high 

 degree of uniformity in characters that 



are of primary importance in judging is reached. 



Disqualifications. The practice of judging the relative merits 



of exhibition birds principally by a few striking characters tends 



to make breeders and exhibitors neglect many little things which 



affect the appearance of a bird. This is especially the case with 



exhibitors competing under 



judges who are partial to some 



conspicuous character. To 



prevent this, and to place the 



heaviest possible penalty upon 



serious faults that are easily 



overlooked, certain faults are 



made disqualifications ; that is, 



a bird having any one of these 



faults is absolutely debarred 



from competition, no matter how good it may be in other respects. 

 There is general agreement as to the wisdom and justice of 



disqualifying for deformities or for mutilations of the feathers 



FIG. 236. White Fantail Pigeons 1 



1 Reproduced, by permission, from " Domesticated Animals and Plants," by 

 E. Davenport. 



