% THE PIGEON STAKliARi). 



THE CRESCENT OR SWISS. 



Closely resembles the Starling in shape and marking, with 

 tlie exception that the body ground is of a very pale ashy- 

 grey color ; on the chest it has a rich brown-red crescent, the 

 wing bars being of the same rich color, standing out very 

 distinctly from the ground color. Crescents are either plain 

 k'g or booted. The beak is slender and of a pale brown color. 



THE BLAZEFACE. 



Of all colors, rich in lustre and generally clean legged; the 

 tail feathers from the rump downwards to the tips are snow 

 white, as are also the two wing bars; the rump and the 

 whole of the rest of the body are dark in color. 

 The blaze mark from v/hich they derive their name consists 

 of a well defined white oblong spot of feathers just over the 

 wattle, extending about a quarter of an inch in length, and 

 about one-eighth of an inch in width, exactly in the centre 

 of the forehead ; the beak is slender and dark in color. 



THE FIRE PIGEON. 



The Fire Pigeon much resembles the Blazeface in that it 

 has a similar white tail, and occasionally has also a like 

 white spot over the wattle. The whole of the body plumage 

 is a spangled mixture of grizzled and laced dazzling rich red 

 spangling on a lustrous black underground ; either grouse 

 muffed or feather legged. 



THE HELMET. 



The whole of the body coloring is white, \?ith the exception 

 o£ the lower part of the rump and tail, and particularly the 

 crown of the bead, which, at a direct line from the juncture 

 of the mandibles to the back of the skull drawn just across 

 the lower eyelid, should be dark in color, forming a helmet- 

 like covering to the head. These helmet and tail markings 

 are of all colors and shades. The Helmet is a clean-legged 

 pigeon. The under mandible'of the beak should be white 

 like the body color, the upper mandible should be dark in 

 shade according to the color of the helmet marking; eyes 

 should be silvery white. 



THE SPOT. 



The Spot resembles the Helmet in all points but two — the 

 eyes of Spots are generally bull or black; the head, or rather 

 face marking, should not in size, extending from the wattle, 

 be much larger thiin a large pea; it should also be as round 

 as possible. Spots are generally clean legged, but, if foot 

 feathered, the latter should be of the same color as the tail 

 and spot marking. 



