I40 THE PIGEON BOOK 



which the birds seemed to follow in the air. Lyall speaks 

 of this ; but in my opinion this method of flagging was 

 not merely adopted in order to make the birds work in 

 particular circuits in the air, but to force the birds to take 

 exercise and condition them for racing. In all English 

 books on pigeons the Modena is spoken of as a show bird. 

 I obtained several of these birds on purpose to try their 

 flying properties at home, and found that they were very 

 good workers on the wing, but I did not have an oppor- 

 tunity of either trying their racing properties or as a 

 cross. 



The Modena is a peculiarly marked bird, with a 

 coloured head and dark shoulders, and flights to match a 

 white body. The Modenese used their birds, no doubt, 

 for stray-catching to a very considerable extent, and Lyall 

 describes the different terms used. There are numerous 

 colours, but black is the most popular variety, although 

 there are grizzles, blue and white grizzles, and birds with 

 odd-coloured wings have been found to exist. 



The true Modena is the shape of a flyer, and if ever 

 it should become popular, alertness and sprightliness 

 should be amongst its characteristics. 



The Nun.— By James Y. Baldwin. 



The Nun is one of the prettiest of all the varieties of 

 pigeons, the beautiful contrast in the markings partly 

 accounting for this. Unlike some of the other pretty 

 varieties, they require very little attention, being very 

 hardy, and rearing their young without any assistance. It 

 is one of the oldest varieties known. Moore mentions it 

 in his book, one hundred years ago, when the markings 

 were the same as they are to-day. They are found in the 

 following colours : black, red, yellow, dun, and blue. 

 The blacks are very good, some of the duns also being 



