54 PIGEON RAISING 



black, white, red, dun, but are more highly 

 prized in silver or blue. It has a noble, ma- 

 jestic dignity combined with perfect proportion 

 in outlines, and with none of the grotesqueness 

 of the later fancies in pigeons; it stands alone 

 with the homer as nearest the parent stock ex- 

 cept in size. 



HEN PIGEONS 



From the Roman runt was bred the Leghorn 

 runt which, while of equal weight with the Ro- 

 man, is peculiar in standing high upon long, 

 bare legs, its neck curved like the letter S, and 

 its tail and wings carried high, these peculiari- 

 ties winning for it the name of "hen pigeon." 

 From this was bred, at Malta, a smaller bird, 

 yet carrying all the other points of the Leg- 

 horn hen, called the Maltese hen. This is the 

 bird so highly prized by epicures throughout 

 the West for crossing with the English runt for 

 table use. They come in all colors and splashes. 



There is another variety of hen that is called 

 Hungarian hen. Their style of carriage is not 

 so exaggerated as that of the Maltese hen. 

 They come always beautifully marked in black 

 and white, red and white, yellow and white, 

 and blue and white, 



