gS Fancy Pigeons. 



and the head, though usually uncrested, haa sometimes a turu crown. 

 The irides are red and the beak and nails black. Although the starling 

 pigeon is found in several colours, the black variety is that most esteemed, 

 and it should be of a deep satin black, with a purple metallic lustre, 

 and strongly pigeon necked. On the breast there should be a crescent of 

 white, which, the evener it is cut, the more the bird is valued. This 

 crescent is produced by the feathers forming it being tipped with white, 

 which accordingly comes only to perfection on completion of the first 

 moult. Two white bars cross the wings, which, with the crescent, are in 

 the nest feathers usually of a rusty red or kite colour. With age the star- 

 ling often loses its marking to a great extent, the crescent becoming large 

 and shapeless, the ends of its flights becoming grizzled with white, and its 

 head grey or spotted with white. The white crescent and wing bars on the 

 lustrous black ground, being all the marking desired, such a standard 

 ia not easy to maintain in all the progeny, which often result in birds 

 either too dark or too light. Blue and red starling necks, though also 

 obtainable in Germany, are not considered so beautiful. The crescent on 

 the breast, not being, as in the English pouter, composed of white, but 

 only of white tipped dark feathers, I believe this kind of marking on a 

 really sound red is hardly attainable, any more than white wing bars on 

 sound reds and yellows, and that such a red as can be got with these marks 

 combined, fails to look well. 



Neumeister says of the starling, " By reason of its particularly recom- 

 mendable qualities for fielding, it is absolutely to be preferred to all other 

 fancy pigeons that have to find most of their food. It has almost always 

 at the same time young ones and eggs side by side, and seeks its food in 

 any weather, summer or winter, so long as the ground is not covered with 

 snow. For breeders of the finer species of pigeons it is highly valuable, 

 inasmuch as it feeds almost all the young ones of other pairs running 

 after it for food. It is the only kind that during the so called famine 

 months, knows how to provide its young ones with the necessary food and 

 bring them up. It is particularly distinguished by its diligent roaming, 

 possesses aU the qualities of an excellent field pigeon, and generally 

 serves as a guide to the others in the field." 



The Btarling neck is also known in Germany as the TroMertauhe or 

 mourning pigeon, a very appropriate name for the little fellow in his 

 black coat and white bands. 



