October 27, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



339 



alflo well considered, having a five-guinea cup confined to their j 

 classes. For Pigeons there are nine classes, including Carriers 

 and Earbs bred in 1870. Canaries not only have ten classes, 

 but a special plate prize of £3 3s. lor the winner of the greatest 

 number of points. Mr. Hewitt and Mr. Willmore are secured j 



as oensors. The Great Eastern Railway Company have liberally 

 consented to return birds not sold free to any station from 

 whence they received them. With these inducements, the 

 Ipswich Show ought to have more entries than it has hitherto 

 had. 



THE BARB. 



The accompanying engraving is a portrait of a Black Barb 

 cock, four years old, and of great merit, having won many 

 prizes at important public shows. It was specially portraited 

 for this Journal. In giving our opinion upon this beautiful 

 variety of Toy Pigeon, we wish to be as explicit as possible, so 

 that our opinions may be of servioe to the uninitiated. 



We are not assuming too much in saying the Barb requires 

 as much care and judicious selection as does the Almond, 



Carrier, and Pouter, and we call the attention of young fanciers 

 to the following, as being the results of careful study. 



The Barb attains perfection when about four years old. It 

 should have a broad flat skull, gradually receding from the 

 front of the head to the back ; a short, thick, and strong bill, 

 resembling that of the Bullfinch. The bill should not measure 

 more than 1J inch from the point to the centre of the eye ; the 

 upper and lower mandibles to be of equal thickness or strength, 



with a well-spread wattle on the upper, while that of the lower 

 is notched from its point right into the feathers encircling 

 the eyelash. The colour of the eye is white or pear), which 

 terms with fanciers are synonymous. If of any other colour 

 it ought to be a disqualification. The cere, or wattle, of the 

 eye is large, very thick, and of a deep red colour, circular in 

 form, having an equal quantity at the back as at the front, or 

 similar to what is termed a rose eye in a Carrier. 



The form of the Barb is short and strong, causing a rather 

 heavy appearance. The neck slender, gradually thickening to 

 a well-developed breast. The butts of the wings are prominent ; 

 their flight feathers are rather longer than those of most other 



varieties of Toys. AnoticeaMe point in the wings of this bird is, 

 that their unoer or second flight feathers protrude considerably 

 above their back from the upper or flight coverts. 



There are five recognifed colours in this variety — v'z., Black, 

 Yellow, Red, White, and Dun. The last-named is alv-ayB dirty 

 and disagreeable to look at, and is the result of ii judicious 

 crosses of the various colours, therefore has not that metallic 

 lustre which so adorns a Barb in good feather, and without 

 which they oKght not to he admitted into a show pen. 



Purity of colour should be regarded as indispensable. We 

 therefore point to the desirability of breeiliDgfrom hi ids match- 

 ing in coloui — viz., Black to Black, Yellow to Yellow, &c, 



