82 
The Illustrated Book: of Pigeons. 
at some time crossed with the Blue; and there is also what is called a “hard” Dun, which has 
an almost bluish shade, and which has the peculiarity of never altering by exposure to the sun, on 
which account some fanciers rather like it. Unless for some extraordinary points in other respects, 
which cannot otherwise be obtained, it is not well to breed with such colours as these ; but the 
deep metallic black, and what is known as the rich, “ soft” dun, will always produce good colours. 
Still, we would never advise any one to lose such points as good beak or beak-wattle, eye-wattle, 
neck, or legs, for such a point as colour ; for while it takes a lifetime to get some of these near 
perfection, the worst colour can be bred up to a good one within three years. Nothing so quickly 
improves the shade of black in a strain as a good, dull, soft-coloured Dun. Such often becomes 
mottled all over the body if exposed to the sun, especially before moult ; but if paired with a bad 
Black will produce birds of raven depth of colour. 
It is better in most cases, if it can be done, to breed a Dun cock with a Black hen, colour as 
well as shape seeming to be most derived from the male bird, and constitution from the female. 
This is, however, often very difficult; for as most fanciers breed Black cocks to Dun hens, the 
progeny is, in nine cases out of ten, also a Black cock and Dun hen, which is the reason why there 
are so very few good Black hens, and so many Duns. It is very desirable this state of things 
should be altered ; and if the breeder can pair a Black hen with a Dun cock, both mature and 
about equal age, he will probably get Dun cocks and Black hens. Another way to get Black hens 
is to pair a young Black hen, say fifteen months to two years old, with either a Black or Dun cock 
five or six years old, if strong and vigorous ; by which means it is often found the majority of birds 
are hens. But in all these cases, as will be seen, the first thing is to get a Black hen, the larger and 
stronger the better. Unfortunately, very few seem to know, or at least to follow, the plan we have 
pointed out, of withdrawing the first egg and substituting a nest-egg till the second is laid, but 
leave the first in the nest ; whence the first bird hatched, being so many hours older, gets most 
food, and the second is more or less stunted. This being generally the hen, accounts for so many 
small hens, which again tends to spoil the constitution of a strain. By hatching together this is 
avoided, and still more if, by providing two pairs of feeders, the young hen can have the full 
nutriment from a pair of birds. In this way, and by a little forethought, it is generally possible to 
obtain one or two fine Black hens, when all the rest is plain sailing. 
It is curious that most of the largest and heaviest-wattled Black Carriers are bad in colour, 
not only of the plumage, but also of the beak. This adds to their coarseness of appearance, 
which often causes them to be condemned ; but to the breeder they are almost invaluable. Their 
colour is soon improved by the soft Dun, as already stated, and they are so large and generally so 
strong in constitution as well, that they furnish the very best of material for a loft. 
These birds bring us naturally to Blues. It is often found that when one of these blue-shaded 
Blacks is crossed with a good Black, the produce is one bird cither black or dun, and the other 
blue. When this is the case, such a Blue is sure to be what is rather rarely seen in that colour, 
well barred with distinct black, and is most valuable to a breeder of Blue Carriers. These black- 
bred Blues are also more likely to develop plenty of wattle, being from birds which, as a rule, arc 
far more developed in these points than the Blues themselves. The usual plan, with at least many 
breeders of Blue Carriers, is to cross with the Silver; but we would far rather advise a breeder, if 
his Blues are of a good sound colour, to cross a fine large hen of this bad, or bluish-black colour, 
with cither a Blue or Silver cock. This will always be found to answer ; for even if the desired 
shade of colour is not produced at once, a second cross back to the Blue will do it ; and, meantime, 
the Black hen will have thrown more wattle into the strain than could be got by three years’ 
breeding of the Blues alone. Both the best-coloured and the best-wattled Blues we have ever 
