202 Pigeons and All About TnEii. 



bod.v, the increased size and substance having been 

 obtained by the introduction of the Barb and Short- 

 faced Antwerp. 



Some say it is not so, others of the progressive 

 family say they have done it. One thing is certain, 

 and that is that in the Antwerp breeding district of 

 Yorkshire many frill-less Owds have been produced. 

 As a policeman would say if it is not pro\-en, there 

 is ground for great suspicion. 



As it is now bred, the English Owl is a bird of 

 noble and commanding presen.ce, and gi^'es one the 

 idea of strength ^^■ithout clumsiness. It is a hardy 

 bird, and it is not at all unusual for a good sho'i\- 

 specimen to stand the wear and tear of exhibition life 

 for seven or eight _\-ears, and some have stood it even 

 for ten or ele\'en 3-ears. The English Owl should be 

 a fairl_\- large bird, yet not an awkward one. It should 

 ha\-e a stout, plump, yet fairly short body, with great 

 width and fulness of chest; the wings should be strong 

 and nuiscular, and carried above the tail; the carriage 

 Viold, aoti\'e, and jaunty, the head being held well up 

 in a smart, alert manner. 



In the head of the Owl lies almost three-fourths 

 of its jiroperties. Let standards say what they will, 

 head and heail alone dominates the Owl. Included 

 in head is the licak; this latter property should be stout 

 and short, and of parrot-like shape, not too pronounced 

 in its hook, but if it errs at all it should be in this 

 direction rather than in the opposite of straightness. 

 A straight beaked Owl is an abomination. The curve 

 in the beak should be just sufficient to keep the outline 

 of rotunditv from tip of the beak over the skull; with 

 a straight beak the beautiful and much-desired round- 

 ness of Drofilc is broken. The beak wattle should 

 be small, neat, and of tine texture. In Blties, 

 Powdered Blues, Blue-chequers, and Blacks, the beak 

 should be dark- in Silvers, Silver-chetpiers, Powdered 

 Silvers, Duns, Reds, and Yellows, it should be of a 

 light horn or flesh colour. 



The head should be \-ery round, full, and massive. 

 \'iewed from the front, back, or in profile, the idea 

 conveved to the observer should be of roundness in- 



