The Monk — The Whitehead or Moulting. 93 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



THE MONK PIGEON. 



The monk pigeon (Die Monchtauhe of Germany) is admitted to be a 

 relative of the priest, compared with which, however, it is larger, and 

 broader across the chest and back. It has no hood, but it retains the 

 leg and feet feathering of the priest. It is found in all the oMef colours, 

 marked as follows : both mandibles are white, the whole head is white, 

 the line of demarcation rtmning below the eyes, which shotdd be hazel in 

 all varieties, though this is not absolutely necessary except in the blue 

 and black. The flight feathers and the tail, with its coverts, are white, 

 and the legs and feet from the knee downwards. The thighs and belly 

 should be dark, but are often partly white, which is a fault in this breed. 

 AH colours are said to be found both with and without white wing bars. 



CHAPTER XXX. 



THE WHITEHEAD OR MOULTING PIGEON. 



This pigeon, which is referred to by Brent by the name of the pilferer, 

 as a sub-variety of the priest, is known in Germany as Die Weiszkopf oder 

 die Mdusertamhe. Maxiser, besides meaning to filch or pilfer, also means 

 to change feathers or cast the skin. The German gentleman who trans- 

 lated NeiTmeiater's work for me renders the above title the whitehead or 

 moulting pigeon, and the description of the breed is as follows : " The 

 whitehead is one of the rarest coloured pigeons, and is found only in a 

 few places in Thuringia. Its head has a beautiful broad shell hood ; the 

 upper bill is white, the iris yellow, corresponding with the ground colour 

 of the plumage. The legs and toes are feathered. The plumage has a 

 metallic black, red, yellow, or dark bronze lustre, which forms the 



