Selection of Stock. 35 



particular variety, he will not be insensible to the beauties of others ; and 

 during an extended career in the fancy, he will most likely have been 

 possessed of specimens of every kind of fancy pigeon he has been able to 

 obtain. There is always a charm to the fancier in the acquisition of some 

 new variety not previously possessed by him, which is taken up as a kind 

 of extra thing, in addition to the variety on which his fancy is more 

 permanently fixed, and as he tires of it some other novelty will take its 

 place ; for, as will be afterwards explained, it is not wise to keep many 

 varieties at a time if it is expected to breed any of them to perfection. 

 Each distinct kind of pigeon is a study in itself, still, in addition to the 

 favoured kind and without detracting from the attention it may require, 

 one or two other breeds may be introduced into the loft, when room can 

 be afforded them, as a sort of bye-play. 



In addition to the breeds that are strictly fancy pigeons, there are those 

 tnown as homing or racing pigeons, in the breeding and training of which 

 many find great enjoyment. The dragoon, long-faced beard, and skinnum 

 were formerly used in England for this purpose, but of late the Antwerp 

 carrier is almost exclusively employed for flying long matches. The 

 flying fancy is a branch of the pigeon fancy by itself, and may be more 

 properly denominated as racing, though in the management of the birds 

 themselves there is little difllerence from that necessary for the generality 

 of fancy pigeons. 



D 'i 



