102 THE PRACTICAL PIGEON KEEPEB, 



this is generally regarded as a fault, though opinion varies a 

 great deal on this points— more so than on any other point in 

 a Barb. Our impression is, however, that the majority prefer 

 a bird without very much jewing. 



The neck of a Barb should be rather shortish, widening 

 rapidly to the shoulders. It adds to the apparent shortness 

 of face, if there be a full gullet ; but some fanciers prefer the 

 gullet clean. The chest or breast . should be very broad — more 

 decidedly so than in any other pigeon ; and the flights and tail 

 of moderate length, giving the whole bird rather a plump appear- 

 ance. Of course early hatching will often cause comparatively 

 long feather ; and we once had a very fine-headed black cock as 

 long in feather as a Carrier; but we always felt that this 

 unusual length was not " in character " with the bird. We 

 also like to see the flights so " set " inside the outer quills or 

 secondaries, as to show a kind of " comer " in the wing above 

 the line of the body, and some of Mr. Hedley's strain used 

 to show this point remarkably. The legs ought to be very 

 short, giving quite a waddling gait to the bird when walking ; 

 and the shanks should be clean. Many otherwise good birds 

 are sHghtly feathered down the outside of the shank, and it 

 is a venial fault, but a fault stiU. Some people pluck these 

 feathers; but we do not consider this fair, and as it can be 

 easily detected, such treatment should be followed (like every 

 other detected act of deceit) with disqualification. 



Barbs are shown black, dun, red, yellow, and white. The 

 whites are almost always black-eyed (termed " bull "-eyed by 

 fanciers) but if white like the others, are more valuable. Whites 

 are a distinct strain, and are of great beauty when the head- 

 points are fairly good, as some are ; the wattles being in this 

 colour really a bright coral-red. There are but few breeders of 

 whites, so that this colour sadly needs improvement ; but if 

 bred up to the same head-properties as blacks, a white Barb 

 would be in our opinion one of the most beautiful pigeons in 



