The Breeds of Pigeons. 229 



THE ice. 



']"his is a bird ut whicli I am \eiy fond, and ha\e 

 often wondered wliy more of our Engiish fanciers 

 fiave not taken it up in earnest. It is a small Pigeon, 

 about the size of a Tumbler, is of beautiful, delicate 

 lavender blue ground colour. Some are whole- 

 coloured, excepting the bars; others are laced, others 

 chequered. The wings are darker in colour, and 

 have most lonely bars of a snow-white colour, neatly 

 edged with black or dark blue. The eyes are a rich, 

 fiery red, with most beautifully fine ceres ; the beak 

 is fine and dark in colour. Most of the birds seen in 

 England are grouse-legged. Its peculiar name comes 

 from the wonderful and unique frosllike bloom which 

 pervades its plumage, particularly on the neck and 

 shoulders. In my \-isits to Continental shows I ha\e 

 often seen very pale siher Ices, self coloured except 

 that they have a ver}- fine, narrow, dark coloured liar. 

 They are a very beautiful varietv. 



THE SHIELD. 

 The Shield is a Pigeon marked on the shoulders 

 like the Turbit, but with white bars, the rest of the 

 bod\' being white. It is met \\ith in a varietv of 

 colours, all of which are \ery rich and clear. The 

 Shield is plain-headed and shell-crested, and grouse- 

 legged, the foot feathering being a great feature ; the 

 longer it is the more \ aluable the bird. Blacks and 

 reds are the most common. 



THE PRIEST, 

 This is one of those peculiar instances of nomen- 

 clature which it seems impossible to fathom, the hood 

 or cowl, which mav be likened unto the Shell-crest, 

 being the only point that could possibly lead one to 

 see anv connection between the Priest and its human 

 namesake. In colour it is whole or self, with the 

 exception of the head, which is «-hite, and the wing- 

 bars, which are also ^vhite. The forehead is orna- 

 mental, with a tuft of feathers growing the reverse 

 wav. The legs are grouse-feathered. The upper 



