NUNS, HELMETS, AND SPOTS. 165 



As show birds, Helmets must be very correctly marked. Their only properties 

 are those of colour and accuracy of marking : wanting these, they are no better 

 than mere dove-house pigeons. 



The Spot is a very old though now rather scarce variety. Willughby mentions 

 it in the following terms : — " Spots, because they have each in their forehead, 

 above their bill, a spot. Their tail is of the same colour with the spot, the rest of 

 the body being white." 



Moore writes : — 



" This pigeon is about the size of a small Runt, and was first transmitted to 

 us from Holland, but from whence the original of this breed came I cannot as yet 

 learn ; they have a spot upon their heads, just above their beak, and from thence 

 take their name; the feathers of the tail are of the same colour with the spot, and 

 the rest of their body is all white. The spot and tail in some of these pigeons is 

 black, in others red, in others yellow ; and I have been informed that there are 

 some blue ; they look pretty when they spread their tail and fly, and always breed 

 their young ones of the same colour." 



Mr. Brent writes : — 



" They were frequently to be met with a few years back, but now seem to be 

 getting scarce. They have a coloured spot on the head, over the beak, and the tail 

 is also of the same colour, either black, blue, red, or yellow ; the whole of the 

 rest of the plumage is white. They are clean-footed, and occasionally turned- 

 crowned ; the upper mandible should be dark and the lower light ; they are the 

 size. of the common dove-house pigeons. They are active and field well, and are 

 reported always to breed their young ones of the same colour. Their German 

 name is 'Bless' (Spot), or ' Masken-Tauben ' (masked pigeons)." 



Both Spots and Helmets, though very pretty birds, have so few properties that 

 they are not as highly esteemed as the other more artificial varieties, and but few 

 fanciers breed them to any great extent. 



In Germany there is a variety which is unknown in England. It may be 

 described as a Spot with the colours reversed, viz., the body is dark, the spot on 

 the forehead white. Mr. Brent has described this variety as follows : — 



" This variety is very scarce in England, but common in Germany, where they 

 are known as ' Die Weiszblessige Taube,' "White Spotted Pigeon, or ' Weisz- 

 masken Taube,' White Masked Pigeon. They are rather smaller and lighter made 

 than the common dove-house pigeons, also quicker and more active, and take 

 willingly to the fields to cater for themselves ; they are smooth-headed, and gene- 

 rally slightly feathered on the feet ; the upper mandible is white, the lower dark ; 

 on the head, directly over the beak, is an oval white spot ; the tail also is white, 

 the rest of the body being coloured, so that they are exactly opposite to the Spot 

 pigeons last described ; some few, however, have white wing bars. 



"Herr Gottlob Neumeister enumerates five sub- varieties as follows : — 



" 1. The Black — white spot, with and without white wing bars, and occasionally 

 with white spangled shoulders. 



