82 PIGEON RAISING 



The tendency of all colors is to pale, and in 

 order to enrich or maintain them, birds of dif- 

 ferent colors must be bred together. As a 

 rule, in birds of the same blood, the young fol- 

 low in color and marking the parent of the 

 same sex, while in matings of different colors 

 and of different strains the young follow the 

 color and marking of the opposite sex. 



Some simple rules for breeding for color are : 

 black and red produce the same colors solid, 

 but intensified; blue and silver produce the 

 same colors solid, but intensified ; black and sil- 

 ver, dun; white is splashed or blotted with 

 whatever it is blended; to obtain rainbow, start 

 with white and blend successively with red, 

 blue, and silver until the proper scintillating ef- 

 fects are obtained. Blotches may be the first 

 results, but persevere, using one of the three 

 colors with each generation until the desired 

 effect is reached. It is well worth the trial. 

 The black bars so highly prized in the mark- 

 ings of modern blues come direct from their 

 wild projenitors. 



In breeding for fancy, or thoroughbred, 

 stock a strict system of banding must be ad- 

 hered to. To entirely control his future work- 

 ings the breeder should band his squabs while 

 in the nest, slipping a closed band over one foot 



