366 FANCY PIGEONS. 



in one respect, as the immense classes of these so-called 

 Homers have proved serviceable in providing funds for the 

 encouragement of real fancy pigeons which might not other- 

 wise have been provided with classes. No doubt many really 

 good flying birds are of good colour and style; while others 

 as good, or better, have nothing in their appearance to re- 

 commend them ; so that showing the Homer is a mere lottery 

 as far as being able to pick out the best flying bird is 

 concerned. 



Where prizes for homing pigeons are offered at shows, the 

 following remarks on judging them, by Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier, 

 who is an authority on the subject, will be found of value. 

 He says: 



" The classes for Homing Antwerps which are now common 

 at many shows offer considerable difficulty to those who have 

 to award the prizes, unless, indeed, as not very often happens, 

 they are practically acquainted with the breed. 



" When the judge is not in this position the birds selected 

 are usually of the short-faced Birmingham type ; and I have 

 seen, at Bingley Hall and elsewhere, prizes given to a set of 

 bad show birds, the best of which would have been lost at 

 twenty or thirty miles, even if they could have been trained 

 that distance. It should be borne in mind, that the properties 

 of a homing pigeon lie in the wing more than in the head, 

 and a judge who simply looks at a pen and decides the 

 prizes upon the appearance of the birds proves that he 

 knows nothing whatever about the subject on which he under- 

 takes to decide. 



"At the exhibition of the birds that won in the late (1876) 

 race to Brussels from the Alexandra Palace several distinct 

 types were recognisable. Some of the birds were rather light, 

 and fine in the head, whilst others were heavy, thicker in head, 

 and stouter in body. Although the lighter birds are generally 

 regarded as flying well in fine weather, and for short distances, 

 the stouter are usually regarded as the standard type. 



