198 FANCY PIGEONS. 



been crossed with the black. The black is generally of a dull 

 colour, showing bars of a darker hue, and is never of such 

 intensity, nor accompanied with such lustre, as is seen in other 

 varieties. I should imagine there are blue chequers among 

 these pigeons, but I have not seen any. The colours of the 

 African Owl, as far as known here, are, therefore, the original 

 blue, and albinos and melanoids, as found in most, if not all, 

 domestic animals, and black and blue splashes. But although 

 the artificial colours, the result of extended breeding on the 

 part of fanciers, are unknown in this breed, form is some- 

 times found in such perfection, that, with the exception of 

 more frill, this bird may be said to be as complete a pigeon 

 as we know of. 



Small size being a desideratum in the Tunis Owl, and the 

 hen in all kinds of pigeons being less than the cock, the former 

 generally comes nearer perfection than the latter for this 

 reason; but what gives a better idea than anything else, of the 

 high state of breeding found in this variety is, that the hens 

 are equal to the cocks in all that goes to make a perfect bird, 

 a most rare thing to find in other varieties of frilled and 

 gulleted pigeons. I have an idea that red and yellow 

 African Owls may yet appear, for the interior of Tunis is not 

 as yet much known to Europeans ; and I cannot but believe 

 that if, as Mr. Baily told me, exporters have to employ a man 

 about the mosques to catch such fine birds as we have already 

 received, others, showing still more of the breeder's skill, must 

 be in existence in the hands of fanciers. 



The English Owl Pigeon. 



The English Owl, as it existed at the time the African variety 

 was introduced, could not be found so good in Owl properties as 

 at present, so that the difference between the two varieties was 

 then more marked than it is now. The improvement has been 

 effected by crossing with the Tunis breed. There are not two 

 standards for Owls as regards shape of head and beak, gullet, 



