PIGEONS AXD ALL ABOUT TJIK.\[. 



CHOICE OF BIRDS. 



HAVING now uriungod tlic loft ready for occuiJinioy, if 

 leinains fur l!ie embroya fancier to select liis variety 

 of liiril. I say "embryo " because the old fancier who 

 is returning- to his first love, knew lonjr ago, in fact long be- 

 fore the selection of a i:)lace for his birds, just what kind he 

 was going to take up. 



It is hard for me to say what is best for any other num. It 

 would be quite an assumjition for me to say just what is the 

 liest breed, for all good birds are good. 



However I can give my views on the matter altera fashion. 

 Unquestionably the most showy biixls are the Fantails and 

 Pouters, for the Fan is in con.stant action, while the Pouter 

 is a gi eat l)ird to show off when noticed. There are some who 

 fancy the Jacobin witli his great ruff, the demure little Tur- 

 bit, the tiny Owl, while others claim that the master breeder 

 is he who can produce the Oriental Frill with itsquaint marli- 

 ing. Again we lind good fanciers who will liave no bird but 

 tile Tumlder, olliers tlie Swallow, Magjiic, Archangel, Nun 

 the Priest and Barb. The great list of breeders of that 

 wonderful bird, the Homer, shows how many admire him, so 

 that it will l)e seen that I have quite a task. 



In general terms all long-faced birds are good breeders, yet 

 when we compaie the iireeding of our high bred "artificial'" 

 birds to that of their hunilile brother the common jjigeon, none 

 can lie called lirst-class Ijreeders. 



What are known as short-faced birds are not good Ijreedeis, 

 from their inability to feed their young. Most breeders of 

 high class short-face specimens keep feeders or "nurses" as 

 they are called, l^ut it is a fact that these latter are not always 

 successful, for they are so large that in feeding, they twi,-.t 

 the beaks of the little fellows and make them practically 

 worthless. 



