The Spot — The Bavette. 73 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE SPOT PIGEON. 



The apot has been described by every English writer, including 

 Willoughby, and is common on the Continent. The Germans call it the 

 Maskentauhe, or masked pigeon ; and the French pigeon JieurtS, or spot 

 pigeon. It is of the size and make of the common field pigeon, generally 

 smooth headed and clean legged, all white, except a spot of colour on the 

 forehead, extending from the beak wattle to the middle of the head, 

 either blue, black, red, or yellow, and with a coloured tail and tail 

 coverts to correspond. The yellow variety goes by the name of heurii 

 Siain in France, according to Boitard and Corbie. Some are peak headed, 

 and a few shell hooded, in which case the feet and legs are generally 

 feathered as well. Boitard and Corbie speak of a variety with white 

 tails, the spot being the only coloured portion of their feathers. These 

 are classed with the mondains, or common pigeons. The upper mandible 

 of the spot is coloured in accordance with its markings, the lower white. 



CHAPTER XV. 



THE BAVETTE PIGEON. 



The bavette pigeon, which I have so named from its white bib, has been 

 quite lately introduced into this country by Messrs. John Baily and Son, 

 of Mount-street, Grosvenor-square, in whose aviaries I first saw it. As 

 will be seen from the illustration, it is nearly the reverse of the nun, 

 having a black sheD crest, on which the white feathers of the head should 

 not encroach. The bib should come well down on the breast, and be 

 sharply cut. The beak is white and the iris dark hazel, though I should 

 consider a pearl or yellow iris as a great improvement. The tail, with its 

 coverts, is white. The legs and feet are stockinged, and white from the 



