Chapter VI. 



X COLOURS OF FANCY PIGEONS. X> 

 The Wild Blue Rock. 



HE colour of the wild blue rock pigeon is 

 found in nearly all domesticated fancy breeds 

 of pigeons, and this is regarded as one of 

 the proofs of their descent from it. The 

 British blue rock pigeon differs from its 

 congener in Asia in having a white rump, and this difference 

 also exists in fancy pigeons of a blue colour, which are, 

 however, always preferred to the blue rumped for the sake of 

 uniformity. Many shades of the blue colour are found in 

 tame pigeons, the one in most request being a rich even 

 dark blue, neither running too dark and smoky in hue, nor 

 too light and silvery in tone. The neck of a blue pigeon, 

 of the best shade of colour, is dark, and sparkles with a 

 metallic green and purple lustre. Two black bars cross the 

 wings, and they should be deep black; but as the result 

 of crossing of colours in breeding, many blue pigeons are 

 faulty in this respect. The tail and flight feathers are much 

 darker in shade than the shoulders, and the former are 

 marked with black across their ends, forming, when the tail 



