The Breeds of Pigeons. 161 



and one not easily bred out of a strain. Purity of 

 eye is the hall-mark of a high-class Show Homer. The 

 cere should be very fine and hard in texture, small 

 and close fitting, and of dark a colour as possible. A 

 milk-white eye in a rich dark cere gives a bird a 

 most distinguished and handsome appearance. 



The head, when viev/ed in profile, should shbw 

 an unbroken curve from the tip of the beak to the 

 back of the skull. The face should be well filled in, 

 without bumps or angles of any kind. 



The throat must be clean and neat, without 

 suspicion of gullet. 



The neck should be of such proportionate length 

 as not to destroy that graceful poise of head which 

 is such a great feature in the Show Homer. At the 

 shoulders it shoult be stout, and taper away grace- 

 fully as it approaches the head. 



The body should be short and wedge-shaped, broad 

 in the chest, and tapering well away at the vent. 

 The shoulders sihould be strong and stand out some- 

 what from the chest. The beak should be broad, 

 flat and straight. 



The fli.ghts should be short, stout in web and 

 quill, close fitting, and carried well over the tail. 



The body feather must be short, hard, and close 

 fitting. Softness or slackness of feather is out of 

 keeping v.-ith the characteristics of the Show Homer. 



The tail should be short, compact, and carried 

 clear of the pen floor. 



The legs should be stout and of medium length, 

 with strong, vrell set thighs, and nicely proportioned 

 in length from body to hock, and hock to feet, which 

 also should be strong and cleanly made. 



Much has been said and written about the size 

 of Show Homers. A big, coarse Runtish body is as 

 wrong as a small weedy one. The Show Homer is 

 a bold, comm.anding bird, and therefore should pos- 

 sess a medium-sized body. One showing strength 

 with grace, and no clumsiness. When in show 

 position the bird should possess an alert yet dignified 

 appearance, and this it cannot do with an ungainly 

 sized bodv. 



