49 COLOURS. 



to be considered as separate varieties, and each will be 

 referred to in turn. The advance in colour from the normal 

 blue may be traced as follows : 



Blue with black bars. 



Blue chequered with black (blue chequer). 



Whole black. 



Silver with dun bars ; a natural change from the blue. 

 Silver chequered with dun (silver chequer or dun chequer). 

 Whole dun. 



Mealy with red bars ; a natural change from the blue. 

 Mealy chequered with red (red chequer). 

 Whole red. 



Buff with yellow bars ; a natural change from the blue or mealy. 

 Buff chequered with yellow (yellow chequer). 

 Whole yellow. 



General Remarks. 



All the barred, chequered, and solid colours are found in 

 some varieties of fancy pigeons, while only some of them exist 

 in others ; but wherever blue, black, red and yellow exist, 

 the other colours may be got if wanted, which they seldom 

 are, being considered "off" colours, and of little value. The 

 black, red, and yellow, when in the most lustrous perfection, 

 have a beauty and richness that is not surpassed in the 

 plumage of any bird; but it is seldom they are seen in 

 perfection, and then only in some varieties of fancy pigeons. 

 It must have taken long ages of careful breeding to bring 

 the black, red, and yellow colours to perfection. 



