Effects of Relative Ages. 
35 
should further look out for Dun-pied or Black-picd birds. If the tail and flights of these arc white, 
so much the better ; but it matters little, and there are lots of Blacks and Duns to be found, really 
good birds, with a deal of white on both the belly and round the vent. These birds arc generally 
well-bred, being as a rule the produce of good soft-eyed Duns or white-beaked Blacks ; and by 
matching them with the Whites the stoutness of breed may be kept up, and by these means we 
feel assured that in a few years a fine strain of White Carriers might be produced. We tried the 
White and Blue cross ourselves, and in the first year obtained one pure white bird ; but having no 
opportunity or space for systematic breeding, we could not keep it up. We believe, however, 
that one of the old Carrier fanciers is turning his attention to Whites, and has already produced 
some very fair birds. 
In all breeding for rare colours, it is best to select the cock of the colour desired, and to let 
him be a young and vigorous bird, in order that the produce may tend to “ take after” him rather 
than the lien. There are other crosses that might be tried for Whites, but we think the Blue far the 
most promising : first, because we know it to produce White easier than other colours ; and, 
secondly, because, as a rule, Blue hens are larger in body, longer in face, flights, and tail, and of a 
stronger constitution than Blacks and Duns. Some would put the White Dragoon first to the 
Black or Dun-pied birds ; but for these reasons w r e would far prefer the Blue cross first, and then 
putting the nearly white birds thus produced to the pied birds. 
A fault not nearly so much looked to as it should be in breeding, is want of leg. A bird 
standing low can never look well, however good ; and we would advise any one to get rid of such a 
bird, unless really extraordinary in some other points which he needs. If this be the case, by 
mating the short-legged cock with a strong young hen, straight and tall “ on her pins,” the fault 
may be greatly improved ; but care must be taken to select the ages, so that the hen be the most 
vigorous of the two. 
In fact the ages of the breeding pair, both absolute and relative, have much more to do with 
the character of the produce than is generally supposed. The same birds will not produce the same 
young at different ages. We have often noticed that the progeny of two young birds bred together 
never attain a proper development of wattle, however good the parents may ultimately become. 
Many fanciers breed two handsome young birds together for the sake of getting the fine shape, and 
they get their wish ; but the produce preserve their “ fine ” looks to the end, and always look 
young, never fully developing, and often showing no more wattle all their lives than they attained 
at nine months old. To keep a proper balance of points, therefore, it is best to breed from a 
matured bird on one side at least ; on the other hand, except for some particular object, it is 
equally undesirable to breed from two Carriers that are more than three years old ; for after that 
age the very weight of the wattle causes them to lose their free upright carriage, and often become 
more or less down-faced ; and these faults tend to appear in the progeny, though these latter 
certainly do develop more weight of wattle in a given time. Again, while in case of equal age it 
is generally found that the cock has most influence upon both the colour and form of the produce, 
yet if the cock be much older than the hen, this rule will be reversed. This must be carefully con- 
sidered in breeding, for colour especially, since it will be seen that the same bird will breed a 
different colour when put young to an older mate, to what it will do in later life with a younger 
mate. So much is this the case, in fact, and so strongly docs the progeny of pigeons tend to 
follow the more vigorous bird, that we have known many cases where a cock of five or six years 
old, mated to a fine young hen, has produced a pair of hens, while a young cock with a hen almost 
on her last legs as regards breeding, has produced a pair of cocks. 
Another point necessary to keep in mind is that excessive development of wattle (and 
