The Starling. 97 



The ^oyer is considered as a cross between the Jacinthe and Couleur 

 de Feu ; and the Picher, as a cross between the Jacinthe and Noi/er. Each 

 variety is, however, established, and breeds true, according to Boitard 

 and Corbie. 



All I have seen of these varieties were of the dark flighted kinds. 

 They have been promisonously named Hyacinths, Victorias and Porcelains 

 in our pigeon literature ; but the above description is that of undoubted 

 authorities, the white spangled ones alone being entitled to the name of 

 Hyacinths. The white flighted varieties appear to be larger than the 

 plein, and to have somewhat more of the pouter in them, and I think I 

 can recognize them in Moore's " Columbarium " as follows : 



' ' The Parisian Powter. This pigeon was originally bred at Paris and 

 from thence brought to Brussels, whence it was transmitted to us ; it 

 has ail the Nature of a Powter, but is generally long crop'd and not very 

 large, it is short bodied, short leg'd, and thick in the girt ; what is 

 chiefly admir'd in this Bird is its Feather, which is indeed very beautiful 

 and peculiar only to it self, resembling a fine piece of Irish stitch, being 

 chequer' d with various Colours in every Feather, except the flight which 

 is white ; the more red it has intermis'd with the other Colours the 

 more valuable it is. Some are Gravel ey'd, and some bull ey'd, but 

 it is equally indifferent which eye it has." If for "every feather" 

 we read the wing coverts — which are the only feathers, except the flights 

 and tail, that can possibly be spangled in pigeons in the above way — 

 Moore's description of the Parisian Pouter, the Parazence Pouter of the 

 treatise of 1765, agrees with that of the sub-varieties of the Pigeon MaiUe 

 Jacinthe, or Hyacinth. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



THE STARLING PIGEON. 



The starling pigeon is a Continental variety, and in Germany it goes by 

 the name of Tier Staarenhals, or the starling neck. It is in size, shape, 

 and in style of head and beak, similar to the common field or dovecote 

 pigeon. The legs and feet are sometimes feathered, but generally smooth ; 



H 



