The Siiabian. 99 



The French starlmg pigeon described by Boitard and Corbie, is stocking 

 legged and turn crowned, and marked as the German. They only 

 mention the black variety, and on account of its crest, place it among the 

 pigeons coqiiilles, hence its name, pigeon coquiUe etourneau. 



Brent speaks of a created variety of the starling that has, in addition 

 to the ordinary marks of the breed, the upper mandible and head white, 

 as in the priest pigeon. This may probably be the starhng barred 

 priest I have already referred to, but Brent makes no mention of the 

 "white flights and tail. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



THE SUAE I AN PIGEON. 



The Suabian pigeon, which is a German breed, is known also in France. 

 Nenmeister has classed it, not very correctly I think, among the priest 

 pigeons, under the name of Die (/estaarte Silherschuj?pige FfaffenioMhe, 

 the starling silver scaled priest pigeon, and says that it comes from 

 Snabia. Boitard and Corbie class it among the Pigeons CoquiUes, and 

 call it the Pigeon CoquiUe Souabe. I think there can be little donbt that 

 the Suabian was produced from the starling pigeon, by breeding together 

 such as came too Ught in colour, till at length the desired marking was 

 fixed. "When in perfection, the Suabian is certainly one of the most 

 beautifully feathered toys in creation, and a striking example of the 

 ingenuity displayed by careful breeders of that most universally cherished 

 bird, the domestic pigeon. In make of head and beak, and in shape of 

 body, the Suabian, like the starling, is of the common type, but it is not 

 considered such a good breeder or so hardy. It is found both smooth 

 and feather legged, and both smooth-headed and tum-crowned ; but the 

 smooth-legged ones, with a good peak crest, are considered the originals, 

 and look smartest. The ground colour of the Suabian should be of a 

 good metallic black ; but it is generally of a dull dim black. On the 

 head and neck the feathers should be all tipped with a croamy white, 

 interspersed with lustrous apple green and red tints, and on the breast 



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