124 THE PRACTICAL PIOEON KEBPEK. 



(personally) of any other colour. Blues and silvers are matched 

 together, as, the tail being •white, there is not the evil of white 

 rump to be dreaded that follows this match in whole-coloured 

 birds like Dragoons. Blacks are very scarce, and we think might 

 be improved by matching to both Kites and black Mottles. 

 Mr. Fulton strongly recommends the fii'st cross, but says nothing 

 of the second ; whilst we are convinced that the gi-eat tendency 

 to blaze on the face in the Mottle shows some past connection 

 between the breeds, which would make this cross the easiest 

 and most effective of any. Reds or yellows might also be paired 

 to black, if they could be got rich enough in colour, but any 

 poor red or yellow spoils black completely in all pigeons. Reds 

 and yellows may be matched as usual : some have crossed 

 yellows with Almonds with good result. Yellows are far inferior 

 in effect to either reds, blacks, or blues. We may remark in 

 conclusion, that it is generally necessary to match a good-headed 

 Bald to one lower cut, in order to avoid foul thighs and too 

 small a number of white flights. 



Beards have the head all coloured, with the exception of 

 a crescent-shaped white bib under the beak. Some few people 

 say that there should be a coloured line down the middle of 

 this, but we never saw it, and do not belies e any one now alive 

 ever did either. The taU also should be white, like the Bald- 

 head, and the flights are desired white also, but owing to the 

 less quantity of white about the head it is particularly difficult 

 to get them all, few birds having more than seven a side. 

 Eight and eight is good enough to win almost anywhere if the 

 other points are good enough. The Beard is usually only 

 white at the ends of the thighs, or the " stockings,'' the belly 

 being coloured ; this difference is also evidently connected 

 with the less quantity of white about the head, and few 

 judges would regard whole white thighs as a fault if they 

 could be got. Head, eye, and beak should resemble those 



