DOMESTIC PIGEONS 243 



white Fan-tails. White .birds generally have dark or 

 " bull " eyes, except in breeds in which a white or " pearl " 

 iris is demanded, such as the Tumblers, Cumulets and 

 Jacobins. 



Black is a beautiful color when seen at its best, the iri- 

 descence extending from the neck well down over the back. 

 There should be no tendency to bluishness or bars on wing 

 or tail. 



Birds with bronze on wings and tail are known as kites, 

 and are frequently crossed with blacks to improve the color 

 of the latter. Blacks are commonly bred with duns and 

 reds, which intensifies the black. Young birds of this color 

 generally may be known as soon as hatched by a black ring 

 around the beak and very heavy down. 



Dun is a wood-brown color, although the variation in 

 shades is great, the flights generally being lighter. Light 

 duns frequently have dun bars on wings and tail, but the 

 darker birds are usually free from this. Duns should be 

 clear in color, with no tendency to yellowness, particularly 

 on the breast. Duns generally are hatched with a brown ring 

 on the beak and with little down, although the latter is not 

 always the case. 



Red is a bright chestnut color, not easily described; 

 There are many shades and as many opinions as to which is 

 most desirable. At any rate it should be sound throughout, 

 with no tendency to grizzling in flights and tail, or pluminess 

 on abdomen and rump. The neck should be free from green 

 iridescence. While reds and blacks are often mated, with 

 advantage to the blacks, such birds must be used with care 

 in red breeding, because of the tendency to produce a dark 

 shade in the tail. Yellows are the safest cross with reds, but 

 there is always a tendency to weaken the color. Reds gen- 

 erally are hatched with a red beak-ring. 



Yellow is a soft cinnamon color, with the usual brilliant 



