THE BALDHEAD. 95 



one who is sufficiently enthusiastic and per- 

 severing to bring the shortfaced Balds and 

 Beards up to the standard of the Almond. The 

 work once commenced, every season will record 

 its perceptible improvement. Nearer the Ideal 

 the bird will approach in colour, form, and 

 marking, until at last the one comes forth that 

 is to astonish the Fancy — but who is going to 

 breed it? Napoleon said, the word "impos^ 

 sibility" had no place in his vocabulary; the 

 Pigeon-Fancier must expunge the same odious 

 noun from his word-book. 



The four points of the Baldhead are pearl eye, 

 clean thigh, clean cut, and ten a side. 



The important point, and the most difficult to 

 obtain, is the 



Clean Cut. 

 That is, the line on the head which separates 

 the white feathers from the coloured must be 

 sharp and clean. If the white feathers dip 

 down into the coloured, or the coloured feathers 

 ascend into the white ones, the cut is irregular, 

 and the charm of the bird's appearance is irre- 

 deemably undone. 



The position of the line of demarcation on the 

 head is a question of taste, some preferring a 

 " high cut," others a " low cut," I prefer the 



