226 Fancy Pigeons. 



held, that great attention has beau paid to proper marking. Not only 

 in this country, but in otbora whore turbit-marked frilled pigeona are 

 fancied, foul thighs and Tents have been very prevalent, simply because 

 these natural faults have not been considered of grave account. It is 

 no easy matter to eradicate such mismarking when breeding from the 

 strains that have it ; but once this is got rid of, it is comparatively easy 

 to maintain clean thighs and vents in many of the produce. 



The Triganica pigeon, in addition to coloured wings, has the head, tail, 

 and flights coloured, and although it is common enough to find this 

 variety foul below, like the majority of turbita, I found it easy enough 

 to breed many quite clean thighed and vented birds of this breed, by 

 commencing with such as were free from these faults. 



I have stated that I have crossed the African owl and turbit, and have 

 mentioned my reasons for doing so. I commenced by matching a very 

 fine green-gloased black turbiteon cock to a pure white African owl hen, 

 and from their young ones I selected a very round headed white cock, 

 with about half of one shoulder black, which was as much colour as any 

 of the produce possessed, some being pure white. I mated this bird, 

 which was smooth headed, like both his parents, to a good peak headed 

 black turbit hen of Mr. Roper's breed. She was not quite clean below, 

 being foul vented. The best of the young ones from this pair was a 

 smooth headed, almost completely turbit-marked cock of small size and 

 good properties all over. I matched him to his mother, and they have 

 bred several very small peak headed birds of first-rate quality, so weU 

 marked, that when lifted up by the wings, some of them did not show 

 one foul feather below. I lost some of the best from inflammation of the 

 bowels ; but, on the whole, considered my progress encouraging. I have 

 not seen any owl-headed turbits so full of good points as the beat of 

 those from the last-mentioned cross. The black turbit hen mentioned 

 above was purchased by me at the celebrated sale of turbits belonging 

 to Mr. George Eoper, at Stevens's sale rooms, in September, 1878. She 

 is a sister of the cock sold on that ocacsion for 2'ii guineas, and after- 

 wards re-sold for .£40 ; and she is, like most of the other blacks sold 

 at the same time, descended from the hen of the first pair of black tur- 

 biteena which were imported eight or nine years ago, and which were pro- 

 bably superior to any since brought to this country. It was Mr. Fulton 

 who bred the bird which gave all the quality to Mr. Eoper'a black 



