234 Fancy Pigeons. 



clear flesh tint, evenly laced witli black, or, iu addition, an inner lacing of 

 red or brown, making three colours iu each feather, would come to 

 be regarded as the only standard colour. Besides the foregoing varieties, 

 there are also black laced satinottes whose shoulders are white, each 

 feather being laced with black. Towards the wing butts they appear 

 more black than white. The principal tail feathers and their coverts 

 should also be white, laced round with black. 



The Blondinette. 



The blondinette has been produced in recent years, according to Mr. 

 Caridia, who has recorded its history. Tlie blondinettes bear the same 

 relation to the satinettcs, in their several varieties, as the schietti or 

 whole-coloured Triganicas do to the gazzi or pied ones. I am not aware if 

 every variety of colour in the blondinette is represented in the satinette, 

 not having seen so many ; but the same natural laws of variation of 

 colour must affect both in course of time. 



The satin blondinette ia marked on the shoulders and tail exactly the 

 same as the satinette ; and where the latter ia white the former is of 

 a dark blue, but its primary flights should have largo oval spots on their 

 extremities, making them when closed to appear laced. The colour 

 which has gained most acceptance in this country is the clear pinky flesh 

 ground, evenly laced with black, the flight feathers of which, when opened 

 out, are also generally laced all round their edges ; but with, usually, a 

 strong brownish cast on their inner webs. There is, however, an immense 

 variety of colour among satin blondinettes, many being heavily marked 

 on the wing coverts with arrow-pointed blue chequers ; but the inferiority 

 of these in appearance is at once seen when they are placed alongside the 

 laced kind. The nest plumage of the different kinds of blondinettes ia 

 dull and heavy, the intricate markings and clear ground colour only 

 appearing after the first autumnal moult. The bronzy flesh colour of 

 the wing coverts often reaches up the back of the neck, which ought 

 to be dark blue. The blondinettes are grouse-legged and generally peak 

 crested. 



Very pretty varieties are the red and yellow laced or spangled ones. 

 The former ia reddish brown, and the latter sulphur yellow, where the 

 satin variety is dark blue, and their shoulders are of the same colours, 

 merging into white, each feather being laced, spangled, or chequered at 



