The Brkeps of Pige'jxs. 19i 



These are great favourites in and around Birmnig- 

 haniiin fact, in the great Midland city there are more 

 breeders of these handsome birds than in all the rest 

 of the kingdom besides, and they yearly make a good 

 display at the Bingle>' Hall Show in their own cit>-, Imt 

 b'eyond that very few are seen. 



vSaddlES are marked on the body in a manner 

 similar to ^Magpies, with the addition of the Ijeard and 

 whiskers. The beard is a white marking which 

 should extend from the e\'e to the beak on each side, 

 and a short way down the throat. A string of white 

 also runs from the throat marking, commencing at the 

 1iack of the eye and running up the neck to the back of 

 the head. There is also a white spot just above each 

 eye, and a blaze mark on the forehead. The whiskers 

 are a patch of colour on each side of the mouth, between 

 the forehead spot and the throat or beard marking. 

 Such marking, I need hardly say, is seldom seen ap- 

 jiroaching perfection. 



B.\DGES are practically whole-coloured Ijirds, ex- 

 cept that they have white outer fli.ghts, and face 

 markin.gs similar to the Saddles. 



Saddles and Badges are found in great \ariety of 

 colouring, blues being the most common, followed by 

 blacks, reds, yellows, silvers, and chequers. They 

 are, of course, heavily muffed. 



THE TIPPLER. 

 The Tippler belongs to the Tumbler family, and 

 has of recent j-ears been brought to a high .state of 

 perfection as a show bird. Show specimens being far 

 removed in shape, colour, and marking from the old- 

 fashioned flying or ^Macclesfield Tippler, from which 

 it sprung. They are divided into Dark ^Mottles, Light 

 ^Mottles, Chucks, Browns, and Bronzes. The two 

 latter are self-coloured birds, as their names denote. 

 The Chuck has a coloured chuck, and the ]irimary 

 flights are also coloured. Dark Mottles should be of 

 a rich bronze ground colour throughout, with mark- 

 ings on the back and shoulders. The Light INIottles 

 have a li.ght ground colour, and should be evenly 

 marked or mottled all over with rich bro^vn marking 



