85 



neas for a pair of Baldheads or Beards ; I have known more money given for a Bald- 

 head, which I have mentioned in another part of the "Work, although Fanciers are 

 asking from 15 to 20 guineas for a single bird. I believe in my conscience if 100 

 guineas were offered at this time, 1858, for an extra pair of very short-faced, good head 

 and beak, good eyes, shape or carriage, well feathered Black-beards, they could 

 not be obtained, simply owing to their not being in existence. Some Fanciers 

 might differ from me by supposing or saying they have good Black-beards. It may be 

 true ; they have good of a bad sort. I have observed in another part of the Work, 

 Pigeon Fancying has its fashions — sometimes one variety, at other times other varie- 

 ties. This is the cause of good Baldheads and Beards being so scarce, especially Black- 

 beards. The London Fanciers are now directing their attention to Baldheads and 

 Beards, owing to their scarcity. With their knowledge and judgment, I think they 

 wOl breed them, up in a very few years as good as ever, although it is a work of time. 

 When I first came into the fancy, about the second pair of birds I bought were a 

 decent pair of Black-beards. One of them had a white feather in the tail ; I bought 

 them of a Fancier called " Curly-head." He said I must breed the white feather out. 

 I went to work to the best of my judgment ; I thought nothing easier after "Curly- 

 head" said I must breed it out. In the first nest I bred two young ones ; but what 

 enlightened my darkness was, that instead of breeding one feather out of the pair, I 

 bred two white feathers in the tail of each. I thought this breeding to feather with a 

 vengeance. I had not by me at that time Mr. Tonge's beautiful and patient advice — 

 *'The only encouragement left is to try again." At times, an Almond Fancier breeds 

 among his Almonds an agate yellow oi*- red, nearly a perfect Baldhead, good head and 

 beak, with a splendid eye ; he now thinks he will astonish the Fanciers as regards 

 Baldheads. He puts the best Baldhead he can obtain to it as a match ; the first sea- 

 son he is more fortunate than be could possibly have expected, and considers, having 

 worked out the innoculation of the Almond, the next season he will have them to per- 

 fection. 'Tis said, " Blessed is the woman that expects nothing ; she shall not be dis- 

 appointed." But here is a Fancier expecting much ; the produce of the second season 

 astonishes him, although as he supposed, he had worked out the innoculation of the 

 Almond, whether by Sarsaparilla or anything else. He fancies his young birds of the 

 second season have got the smaU-pox, or something like as regards the feathers about 

 the head, &c., or filled with feathers about the head where they are not wanted ; the 

 fact is, the Almond feathers broke out like a fire, although it might have smouldered 

 two or three seasons ; this is the cause of our seeing at times good head and beak 

 Baldheads, but slobbered. My advice to Fanciers is, to take Tonge Pills, two at 

 night and one in the morning — to " Try again." Almond Baldheads are very pretty, 

 provided they are near the mark. 



BEAED. 



(Mayor, 196 D., p. 74.) — There are some called blue or black -bearded, that is, 

 either of those colours, having a long white spot from under the jaw and cheek, a little 

 way down the throat, and regularly shaped, which has a very pretty effect as an orna- 

 ment, and if they run clean in the flight and taU, as before mentioned in the Bald- 

 pated Pigeon, they are accounted handsome. 



(Corker, 196 D.) — The Beard Tumbler is also a very pretty class of birds. They 

 are black, blue, red, yellow, &c. The nearer these birds approach the Almond Tum- 

 bler in head, beak, eye, and carriage, the more they are esteemed ; they should have 

 a streak of white under the beak or on the throat, with few feathers close to the under- 

 chop of the same colour as the body, which is termed the beard. The pleasant faced 

 Beard, ranks A 1 for flying. 



(Brent, 196 D.) — Bearded Tumblers are also very interesting Pigeons ; like the 

 Baldheads they are of various colours, and must have clean white flights, tails, rumps, 

 thighs, &c., and pearl eyes. They are dark above ; the upper mandible is dark ; but 

 the lower should be white or flesh-coloured, and under the beak should be a triangular 

 white patch, from which they derive their name. The Blue-bearded Tumblers are con- 

 sidered the best flyers ; but they are not now often seen of accurate markings, more 

 attention being paid to breed them delicate and short-faced than to maintain a clear 

 breast, clean thighs and rump, a fact I much regret. A small delicate bird with a tiny 

 beak looks well in the show-pen, but very few of them are strong enough to take a 



