132 THE PIGEON BOOK 



appearance, and the back of the wing coverts or shoulders 

 are of a burnished copper colour, from which the bird 

 takes its name. 



FantaiU. 



At one time the Fantail was known as the Broad-tailed 

 Shaker, and its history can be traced back for many- 

 years. The Fantail is a very popular variety, but it 

 requires a considerable amount of time to attend to its 

 breeding and preparation for the show pen. I am well 

 aware that most Fantail breeders contend that the tails 

 of their birds are not made, but when occasionally I have 

 paid a surprise visit to fanciers' lofts I have found the 

 tails of the birds nicely attached to cardboard " shapes," 

 so as to keep them erect and obtain carriage. During 

 the breeding season it is necessary to cut off the tails of 

 the birds so that they can breed more freely. The 

 Fantail is not a good rearer of its young, and it is best 

 to place the eggs under foster parents. Many Fantails 

 that I have seen penned in recent years have been coarse 

 in the head, and have not possessed that elegant carriage 

 and motion which is so characteristic of the breed. 



At one time white was the predominant colour, but in 

 latter years blacks, reds, and other colours have been 

 introduced with very considerable success. 



I am aware that it is contended that Fantails are a very 

 healthy, hardy breed of pigeons, but the very nature of 

 their plumage and the fact that they have been inbred 

 to a marked extent, and that there are few other breeds 

 that can be used to obtain a strengthening cross, have 

 had their effect. 



The tail is, of course, one of the chief characteristics 

 of the breed, and a considerable number of points are 

 given to it in the Standard, likewise to the shape of the 



