129 



COEBIE, in the " Cottage Gardener," it appears the varieties of this breed are much 

 more numerous in France, as seven varieties, or rather colours, are there mentioned 

 all distinguished by their breast-plates and barred wings, with the exception of this 

 whole-coloured variety, which has no markings, and is evidently the Pigeon known in 

 Germany as The Stock Dove or Wild Blue Pigeon. Some of the varieties of the Swiss 

 Pigeons are very beautiful coloTired toys. 



THE lOE PIGEON. 



361. The Ice Pigeon is another variety of the German toys, known there by the 

 names of the " Eis-," "Mehl-" or " Silberfarbige-taube." In size they are stouter 

 than a Dovehouse Pigeon ; the beak is dark horn coloured, the eyes a bright gravel ; 

 the head is smooth, and the feet heavily feathered. Their colour is light blue, and when 

 in condition, the feathers have so much bloom on them that they appear powdered, or 

 as if they were frosted or iced, from which they derive their name. The green gloss 

 on the neck is but slightly perceptible ; they have a broad black bar across the end of 

 the tail, and two narrow bars, either black or white, across the wings ; they are rather 

 scarce. 



362. The Stock Dove, or Wild Blue Pigeon, " Die Holtaube" of the German Fan- 

 ciers, derives its name from its colour resembling that of the Wild Stock Dove, the 

 whole plumage being of a slight blue ; and they are entirely without any bars on the 

 wings, a curious deviation from the general rule. A black bar in the tail is their only 

 marking ; the gloss on the neck is more red than green ; and the feet are short and 

 heavily feathered. 



THE STOEK PIGEON. 



363. The Stork, or "DieStorch," or "Swingen Taube" of the Germans is one of 

 the pretty toys occassionally to be met with on the Continent, but I am not aware that 

 any have as yet been brought to this country, though in some parts of Germany they 

 are much cultivated. They derive their name from their plumage bearing considerable 

 resemblance to that of the Stork, being white, the pinions and a spot above the beak 

 being the only coloured parts, which are either black, blue, red, or yellow. They are 

 turned-crowned, and the feet are feathered to the toes. They are the size of a common 

 Dovehouse Pigeon, as light and active in their movements, and field well. 



THE MAGPIE. 



364. This variety of toy Pigeon is evidently derived from the German " Elster" 

 (Magpie), or " Weiszflugliche" (white- winged) , " Burzel-Taube" (Tumbler- Pigeon"), and 

 many Magpie Tumblers bred in this country, both flying and short- faced fancy birds, 

 which I spoke of in my former paper on the Tumblers, the present having reference only 

 to the toy Magpie, which has been bred large and coarse, without regard to any other pro- 

 perty than feather ; a proceeding I regret, as it certainly loses much by contrast with a 

 Magpie Tumbler, 



365. They are of various colours, as black, blue, red, or yellow, and are therefore de- 

 signated black Magpies, &c., as the colour indicates ; their peculiarity consists in the 

 wings being wholly white, as also the lower part of the breast, thighs and vent, the re- 

 mainder of the plumage being coloured, which marking bearing some resemblance to 

 to the pied plumage of a Magpie, is the reason for their name ; and in the accuracy 

 with which the colouring is divided their value consists. Although the wings are 

 wholly white, yet the epaulets, or scapular feathers that overlay the back, are dark, 

 being exactly the reverse in this respect, of the Tarn or Sea-swallow Pigeon. 



366. A closer remblance to the plumage of a Maajpie would be produced if they 

 could be bred with the whole of the quill feathers of the wings, both primary (flight), 

 and secondary (supporters), grizzled, or tipped with the dark colour. 



SHIELD. 



367. The Shield Pigeon, so called from its bearing on its wings a coloured shield on a 

 white ground, is very numerous in some parts of Germany, where they are known as 

 ** Die Schild Taube," and are divided into two classes, the clean-footed and the slippered. 



I 



