The Breeds uk Pigeons. 155 



Pigeon Fancy to that of the game cock in the poultry 

 world, or the fox terrier in dogdom. 



Dealing with the Dragoon in the same manner 

 as I ha\'e the Carrier and Barb, I commence with the 

 beak. This should be stout, of moderate length, 

 straight, with the mandibles fitting closeh' and evenh' 

 without any openness. Blues, chequers, and grizzles 

 should have dark beaks ; silvers, dark horn colour ; 

 reds, vellows and whites, flesh colour. 'I~he beak 

 wattle should be shaped something like a peg-top 

 split in hahes, hence the term " peg-shaped wattle "; 

 that is, broader and higher at the back than the 

 front. It should be e\enly distributed, without lumps 

 or corruscations, and be fine in texture. The skull, 

 like the wattle, should be wedge-shaped, wider behind 

 than in front, and slighth' o\'al on top, vie\\ed either 

 from behind or in front, a flat or shallow skulled bird 

 being of little worth. 



The eye should be a rich, rubv red in all colours 

 except whites, full and bold, and present an alert, 

 watchful appearance. Blues, chequers, and grizzles 

 are the best in eye colour at the present time, the 

 sih'ers, vellows, and reds not coming up to the ideal, 

 being mostly red or gravel-eyed. Whites should 

 have a " bull," or dark hazel e\e. The e^•e cere 

 should be fine in texture, thin in substance, nearlv 

 circular in shape, and somewhat pinched at the back 

 edging'. Blues, checjuers, grizzles and silvers should 

 have a dark, or damson coloured cere, with a nice 

 powder^• bloom like unto that of the Hamburgh grape. 

 In reds, yellows, and whites, the ceres are flesh 

 coloured, and should possess the same bloom. 



The neck should be short and thick, the breast 

 broad and prominent, the back flat, shoulders broad 

 and well defined, the wings strong, stout quilled, 

 closely braced and carried well abo^'e the tail ; the 

 tail should, like the flights, be short, compactly 

 made, and ^\■ell carried ; a long feathered Dragoon 

 lacks that grace which is so much desired. The legs 

 should be short, set well apart, with stout, muscular 

 thighs. The shape generallv should be cobbv and 

 compact, and the carriage alert, smart, commanding 

 and graceful. 



