254 Fancy Pi^^eons. 



constantly breeding blacka together. The dun, which is generally con- 

 sidered an off-colour in most fancy pigeons, thongh not in carriers, is 

 mostly of a soft tint, inclined to fade near the end of the season, and pre- 

 senting a very dappled appearance during the moult, till all the feathers 

 are renewed. Neither the bright lavender dun seen in some foreign 

 pigeons, nor the deep glossy dun, of the barb, are common in carriers. 



Blue carriers are stiU inferior in average quality of head points to tho 

 blacks and duns, but in size and shape they are sometimes excellent. 

 They fail, however, for the most part, in colour, being often of a dull or 

 dusky blue on tho wing coverts, with indistinct or half obliterated wing- 

 bars. Blues have of late years risen in favour among fanciers, and some 

 superior ones are occasionally to be seen. Considerable attention is being 

 paid to them, and they will, no doubt, continue to improve. 



Silvers are sometimes produced from blues, and have usually the 

 same failing in colour. They are generally hens. The bad colour in 

 blue carriers is often attributed to crossing with blacks, which is some- 

 times done to obtain stoutness in head points ; but I am of opinion that 

 their bad colour is inherent in the breed, and has always existed since it 

 was introduced, as I have observed the same bad blue colour among the 

 carriers of Bagdad, the undoubted originals of our carriers. Black being 

 occasionally bred with blue, and all blacks being full of dun blood, the 

 silver colour, which is the original of the dun, is bred from the black- 

 crossed blue, as a natural consequence. 



As the blue and black, and the silver and dun colours exist in the 

 breed, their intermediate or connecting colours, the blue and silver 

 chequers (dun chequers in fanciers' language) are sometimes produced. 

 These colours are not cultivated, however, though they might, if other- 

 wise good, be valuable enough as stock birds. Such blue and dun 

 chequers as are produced in crossing the solid with the barred colours, do 

 not illustrate what might be accomplished were they to be bred for as 

 varieties. A correctly marked chequer must not only be properly dappled 

 on the wing coverts, but show the marking down the rump and on its 

 underbody. To get such marking distinct is a very difficult matter 

 indeed. Eed and yellow, the choicest colours in domestic pigeons, do not 

 exist in carriers. I have been told that Mr. Corker, the well known 

 fancier, made considerable progress at one time in breeding yellow 

 carriers, but that he did not persevere in his attempt. There is no doubt 



