272 Fancy Pigeons. 



and yellow, rather short in beak, and looking Tery like English dragoon 

 pigeons. 



Die Deutsche Krummschnilhelige Bagdette, or Niirnherger Bagdette (the 

 German crooked-beaked or Nuremberg Bagdad). This pigeon is already 

 well known in England as the Scanderoon, and it is well portrayed, by 

 Mr. Lndlow, in Mr. Fulton's book. The German fancier, Eilhrer, has 

 described in Neumeister's work, the history and standard of excellence 

 of this bird, as follows: "This exceedingly interesting pigeon, resembling 

 more a fierce bird of prey than a peaceful graniverous bird, had its home 

 in the Orient, and was probably first brought into commerce from Bagdad. 

 In Germany, it is chiefly at Nuremberg that it is beautifully bred, a town 

 which, hundreds of years ago, was in a lively commercial intercourse with 

 the Levant, and has the merit of having introduced and first bred this 

 stately bird, where it is said to be still the favourite pigeon. The beak 

 must be beautifully bent, long, thick, blunt, and light coloured ; the 

 beak-wattle must sit deeply below on the brow, rather flat than high, 

 heart-shaped, and not too broad ; the head must be long and uarrow, and, 

 seen from the side, must form a semicircle from the nape to the point of 

 the beak ; the eye wattle or rose must be large, flat, and regular, bright 

 red in early age, later in life rather white ; the neck long and thin, and 

 the chin adorned with a beard ; the body must show a broad back and 

 breast ; the ridge of the breast bone must spring forth sharply, the 

 pinions must be narrow and short, the tail short, and legs high." 



"If the brow and beak form an angle, if the crown has a depression, 

 if the upper mandible is longer than the under, or if they do not fit close, 

 these are faults which are opposed to the beauty of the race." 



The only thing obscuro in the above is, the chin being adorned with 

 a beard, which word is used in Germany to designate various properties 

 in pigeons. If, in this instance, it means the slight jew-wattle inseparable 

 from all abnormally wattled pigeons, the less of it the better. I should 

 say that a clean cut hollow curve, from the point of the lower 

 mandible down the throat, would look best. The thickenings at the 

 corners of the mouth, connecting beak and eye-wattles, are called the 

 "bridles" or "flies," and are mentioned as points of beauty. It is 

 said that in whole colours this pigeon is only found of the highest type, 

 all white. The pied ones are the most valued, and on the regularity of 

 their markings fanciers set a high value. The chief marking is that 



