CHAPTER VI. 



COLOURS OF FANCY PIGEONS. 



The colour of the wild blue rock pigeon ia found in nearly all domesticated 

 fancy breeds of pigeons, and this fact is regarded as one of tlie proofs of 

 their descent from it. The British blue rock pigeon differs from its 

 congener in Asia in having a white rump, and this difference also exists in 

 fancy pigeons of a blue colour, which are, however, always preferred to 

 be blue rumped for the sake of uniformity. Many shades of the blue 

 colour are found in tame pigeons, the one in moat request being a rich 

 even dark blue, neither running too dark nor smoky in hue, nor too light 

 and silvery in tone. The neck of a blue pigeon, of the beat shade of 

 colour, is dark, and sparkles with a metaUio green and purple lustre. 

 Two black bars cross the wings, and they should be qiiite black, though, 

 from crossing of the colours in breeding, many blue pigeons are faulty in 

 this respect. The tail and flight feathers are much darker in shade than 

 the shoulders, and the former are marked with black across their ends, 

 forming, when they are outspread, a band of black. The outer tail 

 feathers are margined with white on their outer edge as far as the black 

 band. 



The blue rock pigeon, when partially domesticated in field dovecotes, 

 begins to alter in colour, and the wing coverts assume a dappled appear- 

 ance, being chequered on each feather with black. The dovehouse pigeon, 

 as it is called, has been considered by some a distinct variety from the blue 

 rook ; but I have always found both the clear blue and blue-chequered 

 varieties living together in all the field dovecotes where I have observed 

 these semi- wild pigeons. And not only in this country, but in India, 

 where semi-wild pigeons inhabit temples, mosques, and ruined buildings. 



