120 PIGEONS. 



mottled to a yellow, being of opinion that a red generally throws a brighter feather 

 than a yellow ; however, this may be matter of opinion more than actual convic- 

 tion, and the young fancier will in due time be able to determine this point for 

 himself. In choosing Kites, I recommend particular attention to be paid to the 

 quality of the black ; it should be of a glossy jet, richly stained with yellow 

 through the flight and tail, without the least shade of bloom or slate-colour 

 pervading any part of the bird, particularly the rump. The same rule should 

 he observed in the choice of reds and yellows, as to the ashy rump, &c. 



" Some fanciers are very partial to duns, but I confess I am no great advocate 

 for them in general. If the young fancier makes use of one, I advise him to be 

 satisfied that it is clear bred, that is, bred from two Almonds, and that they have 

 no ash or dun about their rumps, and no shade of bloom running over them ; but 

 a well-bred dun is sometimes necessary to soften down a hard-feathered Almond, 

 and is frequently of great service in this particular. 



" Splashes, if well bred, are very useful, particularly if they are hens, as they 

 are easily matched and very likely to break or spangle the feather, which is a 

 great perfection. It is no easy matter to lay down certain rules for matching 

 Splashes, or, indeed, any other coloured birds, for much must depend upon the 

 way in which they are bred ; or else, generally speaking, a splashed cock may 

 he matched to a Kite, a red, a yellow, or a full-grounded Almond hen, and a 

 splashed hen to the like sort of cock birds, having an eye at the same time to 

 the points necessary to produce a good bird in other respects." 



" The birds being paired, the next care must be to make them well acquainted 

 with their respective pens, and for this purpose they should be penned up for a 

 few days, or longer if necessary, in the pens designed for them, during which 

 time they will match strong, and become well acquainted with their habitations. 

 The fancier should then begin by opening two of the pens, that are most remote 

 from each other, and the birds, finding no entrance to any other, will readily learn 

 to know the places they came out of. When these two pair are well acquainted 

 with their pens, they should be fastened up again, and two other pair let out, 

 remembering to let out such as are most distant from each other, by which means 

 they will be less liable to mistake each other's home ; and so he must proceed, till 

 the whole are well acquainted with their respective abodes. Great care should be 

 taken to prevent a cock getting master of two pens, for if once he gets a habit 

 of going into another bird's pen, be assured he will never rest till he has driven 

 that cock and hen from their house, and spoilt their eggs or killed their young 

 ones. When this is become very troublesome, the only remedy is to put him and 

 his hen into another room, for it is almost impossible to break him of this trick, 

 if once he gets master. Thus the advantage of dividing the loft is clearly shown, 

 for without this convenience he must be under the necessity of keeping that pair 

 of birds constantly penned up, which would be very prejudicial to their health, 

 and fill them with vermin. During this period, the young fancier must bestow a 

 little time in watching them, and putting them a few times into their own pens, 



