CHAPTER IX. 



VARIETIES OF DOMESTIC PIGEONS. 



In describing' the numerous varieties of domestic pigeons with which I 

 am acquainted, I shall commence with those least removed from the 

 origfinal type, from which, as I believe, all varieties descend. In this 

 country such are named feather varieties ; and in Germany they are 

 called Farhentanhen, or colour pigeons. Many of them have an identical 

 conformation with the wild blue rock pigeon, and others have the addition 

 of turned crowns or feathered legs and feet. From them I shall proceed 

 to the intermediate class that show abnormal conformation, and which 

 will include varieties, auch as the runts, with their extraordinary size ; 

 the frizzled, frillback, and lace pigeons, with their altered formation 

 of plumage ; and the ringbeater, lowtan, and tumbler, with their 

 peculiar flight or movements. I shall then conclude with the descrip- 

 tion of what are called high class pigeons ; the favourites of the most 

 exacting pigeon fanciers, the birds that come up but seldom to the 

 standard of excellance laid down for them, because they havo not only 

 abnormal conformation, hut carriage of body or style of movement and 

 beauty of feather as well, and so combine in themselves such a sum 

 of excellence, when anything like perfect, that the successful breed- 

 ing of them is not only the work of men, but of clever thinking men. 

 These last— that we call high-class pigeons — have been named by 

 the Germans, '* race " or "original" pigeons; and while many have 

 been able to assent to the blue rock theory of descent of the feather 

 varieties, the high-class birds are so removed from them, that some 

 writers have considered them as separate crd^tions. On this question, 

 since writing the chapter on the ''Origin of Fancy Pigeons," I have 



