DRAGOONS. 85 



Small beaks, of course, will not answer so well, especially when 

 the young ones begin to get rather large. 



Carriers require particular care and watchfulness as regards 

 cold in the eye, and canker in the ear, or in the mouth. They 

 are also, as already observed, peculiarly subject to " spouts," 

 and also to have the eye- wattle torn by fighting, being of a 

 rather quarrelsome disposition. For all these matters see the 

 chapter on diseases and ailments at the end of this work. 



CHAPTER YII. 



DRAGOONS. 



THE Dragoon has long been called Dragon in certain London 

 circles ; but it is spelt by Moore as above, and, as we have 

 already pointed out, the etymological connection with Horse- 

 man and Carrier is very clear. The word Dragon is clearly a 

 vulgarism ; and it is a matter for congratulation that with the 

 spread of pigeon literature it has nearly disappeared amongst 

 the more respectable ranks of pigeon-fanciers, the most success- 

 ful exhibitors of late adhering to the original pronunciation of 

 Dragoon. The pigeon is said by Moore to have been, " without 

 dispute," bred originally by crossing Horsemen with Tumblers ; 

 the Horseman being itself, in his opinion, also a Carrier 

 cross, and simply a bird with hardly good enough properties to 

 show as a Carrier proper. Having nothing definite about it, 

 the Horseman has naturally disappeared ; but the Dragoon has 

 been developed by careful breeding into a bird of singular 

 beauty, which has of late years become as popular as any, and 

 often realises large prices. We have heard people say there is 

 " notMng to breed for " in it, but those who attempt the task 



