2i6 Fancy Pi^co). 



oftener from a pure white and whole blue or black than such marking. 

 From the fact of my having bred pure white, whole blue, and black and 

 blue splashes, from a black tailed white cock and blue tailed white hen, I 

 think that if Mr. Baily was not well informed when he told me how 

 these pigeons are bred in Tunis, very little regard to colour must 

 be given in matching them. No reds nor yellows have been brought 

 here, so far as I know, nor even mealies, the origin of those colours ; 

 but I would expect to find an occasional mealy were I to visit the 

 native place of these pigeons, as such a natural variation is very likely 

 to have been produced. I once had a blue hen, an imported bird, from 

 Messrs. Baily, with most of the frill white. I consider this marking 

 a very suitable one for the coloured owl, and I am inclined to think 

 that the bird I had was not a mere chance production, for I find notice 

 of the same marking in Nenmeister's book among the frilled pigeons, 

 all of which, whether self coloured or turbit marked, go by the name 

 of Movchen (seagulls) in Germany, so that the blue shouldered variety 

 seems to have given the name to the entire family. The blue Tunis owl 

 is often of a good deep sound colour, with jet black bars, and is also 

 frequently of a smoky tint, the evident result of having been crossed with 

 the black. The black is generally of a dull colour, showing bars of a 

 darker hue, and is never of such intensity and accompanied with such 

 lustre as is seen in other varieties. I should imagine there are blue 

 chequers among these pigeons, but I have not seen any. The colours 

 of the African owl, as far as known here, are, therefore, the original blue, 

 and albinos, and melanoids, as found in most, if not all domestic animals, 

 and black and blue splashes. But i 'though the artificial colours, the 

 result of extended breeding on the part of fanciers, are unknown in this 

 breed, its form is sometimes found in such perfection that, with the excep- 

 tion of more frill, it may be said to be as complete a pigeon as we know of. 

 Small size being a desideratum in the Tunis owl, and the hen in all 

 kinds of pigeons being less than the cock, the former generally comes 

 nearer perfection than the latter for this reason ; but what gives a better 

 idea than anything else of the high state of breeding found in this 

 variety, is, that the hens are equal to the cocks in all that goes to 

 make a perfect bird — a most rare thing to find in other varieties of 

 frilled and gulleted pigeons. I have an idea that red and yellow African 

 owla may yet appear, for the interior of Tunis is not as yet much known 



