240 FANCY PIGEONS. 



cock. The wing bars and neck of a silver ought to be of a 

 clear bright golden dun, and not as black as possible, which 

 would be a departure from the correct colour, and too near 

 an approach to blue. The wing coverts should be of a creamy 

 dun, and only dark enough to show up the rose pinion. The 

 tail is of a medium shade of dun, barred with the same colour 

 as that of the wing bars. The yellow-mealy ought to have 

 bright yellow neck and wing bars; but the wing coverts in 

 this colour are never so decided in colour as to show the rose 

 pinion without the closest examination. The tail is so light 

 as to appear white. Yellow-mealies are usually hens. The four 

 solid colours black, dun, red, and yellow have, therefore, their 

 corresponding barred colours, all of which are very beautiful 

 when good; but in the present state of the fancy, I question 

 if there is a sufficiency of breeders to give them the attention 

 they require. In crossing the barred with the solid colours, 

 chequers are produced, which are of service in breeding back 

 to the barred, but detrimental to the solid, colours, which 

 they tend to spoil, as is well known to those who understand 

 breeding for colour. 



To give a Pouter every chance in competition at a show, it 

 must be carefully tamed and rendered familiar by systematic 

 training. The difficulties which beset the Pouter fancier on 

 this account are very graphically described by Eaton, in a 

 note where he compares the ever-merry Norwich Cropper with 

 the frequently-sulky and phlegmatic Pouter. Temper and dis- 

 position are very variable in Pouters, many of the best birds, 

 when penned up, obstinately refusing to show off what good 

 shape they possess. To send the average Pouter direct to a 

 show from his loft or aviary, where he has been so far at 

 liberty, without preliminary training, is to lose half the chance 

 he may have of winning. The greater portion of the lives of 

 some birds, even in the breeding season, is spent closely penned 

 up ; but most fanciers have neither accommodation nor inclina- 

 tion to keep their birds in this way, and only commence to train 



