351 THE SHORT-FACED TUMBLER. 



one to show how very nmcli better it looks. From the 

 amount of colour in the Mottle there is but little to contend 

 with in the way of broken eyes, as in the Almond. In head 

 and beak they are, though sometimes passable, never so 

 broad nor so lofty as the best Almonds, while in carriage 

 they are sometimes very good indeed, which is a great set- 

 off to their appearance. In breeding black Mottles, the blaze 

 face should be avoided, however good they may otherwise 

 be, and it might be eradicated in time, as in black pied 

 Pouters, which nearly always had it many years ago. 



About the year 1872, I bought two pairs of black Mottles 

 from the late Mr. James Ford, of London, who then had 

 a good strain of them. Two of them were very fairly 

 marked, and the others were Mottle-bred black Whole-feathers 

 of the same strain. As the Mottles were quite free of blaze 

 on the forehead, I managed to keep it out of the great 

 proportion of the produce; but the orange eye, which one 

 of the "Whole-feathers had, was difficult to alter, the best 

 marked young ones generally coming with it. I found that 

 a bird which had any white on it as a nestling became too 

 gay when it moulted off, and that when a bird moulted 

 something like what a Mottle ought to be, it came out of 

 the nest all black. There was, therefore, no distinguishing 

 between what were to become fair Mottles or remain Whole- 

 feathers till after the first moult. Dun Mottles are occa- 

 sionally bred from blacks, and they are useful for breeding 

 back to blacks, but dun being an off-colour, few care for 

 them. 



Red and yellow Mottles would each be more difficult to 

 keep good in colour than blacks, but I am not aware that 

 any long-standing strain of either is in existence. In Almond 

 breeding, both red and yellow Agates are often produced 

 well marked to the Mottle standard. These, however, have 

 generally a weak, washed-out colour in flight and tail feathers, 

 and white rumps as well ; but it is from the judicious 



