196 Fancy Pigeons. 



have seen them with the tail coloured as well. The German and French 

 names for the fantail, are P/au(au!)e, and Pigeon tremhlevr paon, both 

 signifying peacock pigeon. 



CHAPTER LXII. 



THE LACE FANTAIL. 



The lace fantail, so called from its feathering being similar to that of 

 the lace pigeon already referred to, is known in Germany as the Seidcii 

 Pfantaitbe, and in France as the pir/eon tremhlei(r paon de Soie, names 

 signifying silken fantail. I believe it is generally white. It was pro- 

 bably produced from the fantail and lace pigeon. Mr. Ure, of Dundee, 

 who bred them for many years, began with what might be called a 

 narrow tailed or half-bred looking white one. From it — I believe he 

 had only the one bird — and his Dundee shaking fantails, ho raised a 

 strain of lace fantails, which are now well estabUshcd and widely dis- 

 tributed. The late Mr. James Wallace, of Glasgow, had some of this 

 strain, and although in general they were only ordinary birds as fantails, 

 he had one, about three years ago, which was a first class bird, both in 

 carriage and tail, in fact by far the best I ever saw. He told me that 

 he had not always bred lace-feathered birds together since he began with 

 them, but had occasionally crossed with an ordinarily feathered white 

 fantail, for style. The lace feather is therefore not only easy to maintain, 

 but is easily transmitted to another variety. The lace fantail is unable 

 to fly, and must therefore be kept in confinement. 



After describing this pigeon, Boitard and Corbie have the following : 

 " Pigeon tremhleur de la Guyane. — This superb variety has the tail large 

 and displayed like the peacock, and has been brought from Guiana, from 

 which it takes its name. The ground of its plumage is of a dull white ; 

 the wings are blue, shaded with a sort of bright eyes and rays of black 

 bars. All the races of small pigeons crossed with the lace fantail pro- 

 duce laced pigeons of all forms and colours, but especially if the latter 



