CHAPTER XXXII. 



THE HYACINTH PIGEON. 



The hyacinth pigeon stands at the head of a French breed which is 

 found in various colourings, and which are all included under the name 

 of Pir/eons Mailh^s, mailed, armoured, or speckled pigeons. They are 

 large, smooth headed and clean legged pigeons, and have been classed by 



French naturalists with the pouters, as they have the power of slightly 

 inflating their crops. I knew a fancier who bred them extensively, and 

 his would have been correctly described as middle sized runts with ii 

 slight dash of the pouter. They are classed as follows : 



Pigeon Maillc Jacinthe. — Speckled hyacinth pigeon. The shoulders 

 as in a turbit, or the manteau in French, of clear blue, chequered or 

 spangled in a particular pattern with white and black, or a black and blue 

 bar on all the feathers, the outer side of the blue bar having a white 

 spot or spangle. The ten flight feathers of each wing pure white. The 

 head, neck, breast, belly, and tail dark purple blue, the tail barred with 

 black. 



Pigeon MaiU6 Jacinthe Plein, is a little less in size than the preceding, 

 but similar in colouring, except that it has dark blue instead of white 

 flights. 



The following varieties are found both with white flights, and jylein, 

 or with dark flights. 



ri;/eon MailU Coxdeiir de Feu, red or flame coloiired, similar to the 

 hyacinth, but with red instead of white spangles. 



Pigeon Maillc Noi/er, coloured like walnut wood, or inclining to yellow 

 in the spangles. 



Fir/eon Mailld Peclter, or iDcach coloured in the si^angles. 



