THE SATINETTE PIGEONS. 173 



it with a red or yellow bred from a red and yello-w. Pair also 

 two reds bred from black and red, and two yellows bred from 

 red a,nd yellow, and continue to observe which, colour re- 

 quires strengthening, and by following the above plan your 

 success is certain." 



Turbiteens with la/rge head-marks generally have red or 

 orange eyes, as in coloured Owls, and dark beaks. With small 

 marks the eye is uncertain, being often dark, as iuTurbits,from 

 the Owl blood ; the beak also is lighter. They are as a rule 

 good feeders, as -well as very hardy, being flown freely in their 

 native land ; but after generations of aviary-rearing it is to be 

 feared the same difficulty -will be found as in Turbits and Owls. 

 Eastern fanciers always prefer the larger birds ; and if this 

 preference should be happily maintained in England the dif- 

 ficulty may not be found, as -we have already seen that the 

 large English Owl generally feeds well, though the smaller 

 Owl, like the small Turbit, requires more or less assistance. 



Satinettes and their sub-varieties are' the most artificial 

 development of the Owl or Turbit family, and come from Asia 

 Minor, like the Turbiteens. They share with the latter birds 

 the grouse legs so admired by Eastern fanciers; and, like them, 

 are bred more to the Owl type of head than the Turbit. They 

 are both peaked and plain-headedi The frill should be as ample 

 as can be got, and all the general points resemble those of the 

 preceding varieties ; but they have added and striking beauties 

 of colour and marking. 



These points were for a good while not understood j and 

 hence, because a pair of birds did not as a rule breed their like, 

 there was said by many to be " nothing in the variety," one 

 well-known authority going so far as to say the whole Satinette 

 tribe were mere "sports" from Turbits. In saying this it 

 must have been forgotten that all the colours in pigeons are 

 more or less interchangeable; black, for instance, being bred 



