158 THE PRACTICAL PIGEON KEEPER. 



thus, a regular oM-fasliioned Scotch bird with little tail may be 

 mated with advantage to a smallish specimen of the old English 

 type. Peaks sometimes occur, many of the original Indian 

 birds having been peak-crested ; but the feature is not at all 

 liked, and is nearly bred out. If not too small, Fantails are 

 fairly hardy, and give little trouble in rearing. Birds remarkable 

 for " motion " are, however, sometimes incapable of breeding 

 for the first two or three years, though this extreme nervous- 

 ness usually wears oiF in time. 



Fantails are difficult birds to show, especially in the small 

 wire pens usually allotted them. Some tails are much firmer 

 than others, and will stand more knocking about ; but few come 

 back from a show without woeful signs of their imprisonment. 

 They should be sent in baskets or boxes carefully planned and 

 fitted, and if baskets, very smoothly lined ; using in fact every 

 expedient that thought can suggest or contrivance execute to 

 avoid damage to the tails. 



CHAPTER XIIL 



JACOBINS. 



MooEE describes this pigeon as the smallest of all, and says the 

 smaller the better. There is no doiibt it was formerly, at least, 

 very much smaller than it is bred now, and that it has degene- 

 rated in some other points as well. This fact has occasioned 

 much controversy as to the true type of the pigeon ; one school 

 (of whom Mr, George Ure in Scotland and Mr. Harrison Weir 

 in England may be cited as exponents) considering that the loss 

 of old properties has arisen from the modem stress upon two 

 new ones, known as " mane " and " rose," and that the only 

 remedy is in a return to the old style in all points ; while the 

 other as stoutly maintains that the necessity does not follow, 

 and that if it did the beauty of a good " mane " is cheaply 

 purchased by merely some increase in size. 



