74 Fancy Pigeons. 



hocks down. The position, size, and shape of tho shell crest should be 

 as in the nnn. The only body colour I have seen in this variety is black, 

 but there are probably blues, reds, and yellows also, all of which would 

 look well. 



It is true that Dison, in the "Dovecote and Aviary," quoting from 

 Temminck, the ornitholog-ist, mentions black bodied nuns with white 

 heads under the name of Nonnains Maiirms ; but this is not the variety 

 I am describing'. The jacobin is called Nonnain or nun in France, and 

 tho Nonnain Maiirin is a variety of the jacobin fully described by Boitard 

 and Corbie. 



The bavette is an exceedingly pretty pigeon, and entitled to rank high 

 among the feather varieties. From the formation of its head and beak, 

 which are similar to those of the spot, and not so like those of the 

 tumbler as the nun, it must be placed among what the Germans call tho 

 field pigeons. 



Since writing the above I have seen a bavette pigeon with black beak 

 and orange irides. This, I believe, is the correct type. This variety has 

 been shown under the absurd name of " Lightning Conductors," a name 

 given them on account of their rapid flight. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



THE BREAST PIGEON. 



Die Bnisttauhe, Farhenhrusti'gc Tauhc, der Bruster. — The breast, 

 coloured breasted, or breaater pigeon, is a German toy of peculiar mark- 

 ing-, belonging to tbe field type of pigeons, but more slenderly built, a 

 good flyer and breeder. It is marked on the head, neck, and breast, 

 black, bine, red, or yellow, tho colour being out across, or evenly belted 

 before reaching the thighs. The back, wings, tail, and under part are 

 pure white, but only after the first moult, the nest feathers being tinged 

 with colour. A variety of tho yellow ones retain yellow wing bars, but 

 these are rare. The beak is light and the iris yellow. There are smooth 

 headed, peak crested, and shell hooded, also smooth and feathered 



