293 WATTLED PIGEONS. 



Carrier breeders may be fortunate enough to breed a pure 

 white young one from his best black or dun birds, and such 

 would be valuble to a breeder of whites. "When an albino 

 is bred from a pair of coloured pigeons, they ought to be 

 kept breeding together if albinos are desired, as they are 

 likely to do the same again, the cause of lack of colour in 

 their produce remaining with them. Ordinary white pigeons 

 are well-covered with yellow down when hatched, but an 

 albino from coloured parents is hatched devoid of down, 

 like the majority of pigeons which afterwards prove to be 

 of a poor yellow; for richly-coloured yellows have a good 

 covering of down when hatched, though not so much as reds 

 and blacks. 



Pied Carriers are mentioned by Moore, but how they ought 

 to be pied neither he nor any subsequent writer has set 

 forth. I do not think there is any understanding among 

 fanciers on the question. During the late scarcity of whites, 

 and in the attempts to breed them, parti-coloured birds have 

 been produced, and classes have occasionally been made for 

 "whites or pieds." There is enough in the standard of the 

 Carrier, as a self-coloured bird, to require the utmost attention 

 of its breeders, without adding specific white marking, which 

 would have to be done if pieds were to be recognised. There 

 is no doubt the Carrier looks best as a whole-coloured pigeon. 

 Blacks and duns have often white vents, and occasionally 

 white feathers, or white crutches, as they are called, at their 

 hocks, as well. These faults, in the eyes of some judges, 

 preclude their being shown as self-coloured birds, which, with 

 such pigeons as Carriers, is carrying the letter of the law 

 too far. A white-crutched bird should doubtless lose a point 

 or two in competition, but not be disqualified altogether, unless 

 the white about it is extensive. A merely white-vented bird, 

 which does not show it unless when handled, should only 

 lose to an equally good bird free of white. Many good strains 

 of Carriers have these small faults, which have not been 



