The Breeds of Pigeons. 173 



The- legs should be long, stout, and muscular, 

 with plenty of thigh, so as to hold the body well up 

 when the bird is in position, as although a somewhat 

 large bird, the Scandaroon is not a slovenly one. 



The colours mostly seen are Reds, Blacks, Yel- 

 lows, Whites, and Blues. The markings are similar 

 to those of the Magpie, except that they run up into 

 the neck, and that there are two almond-shaped spots 

 below the e^^es extending from the back of the beak 

 to tile ears. 



THE RUNT, 



The Runt is the largest Pigeon known to the 

 English Fancy, and it is of the common or Dove- 

 house type. Its great features are size and length of 

 feather. It is indeed a huge creature, measuring 

 from the tip of its beak to the end of its tail some 

 twenty-one or twenty-two inches, whilst in girth the 

 bodj' is often fourteen, fifteen, or even sixteen in- 

 ches, whilst the length of feather is prodigious, the 

 wings, when outstretched, measuring from a yard to 

 forty inches. In carriage the Runt should be up- 

 right, but it has no chance of showing its style in 

 the ordinary pens provided at English Pigeon shows. 

 The colours most usually seen in England are Whites, 

 Blues, and Silvers, but on the Continent I have seen 

 some very beautiful Reds, and Yellows. Tightness 

 and hardness of body feather is a valuable property 

 in the show pen. 



By no stretch of the imagination can the Runt 

 be styled a handsome or attractive Pigeon as a show 

 bird, neither is it elegant or graceful when on the 

 wing. Runts have the quality of tameness, how- 

 ever, and will walk and strut about their home like 

 unto the ordinary fowl. During the breeding season 

 Runts must be liberally suppUed with shell grit, so 

 that they may be able to shell their eggs well, as 

 owing to their enormous size they are apt to smash 

 their eggs ; and for this reason they must also be given 

 an abundance of material with which to line their 

 nests. Apart from show purposes, and taking it as a 



