The Illustrated Book or Pigeons . 
1 1 S 
wondered at, since even parents nearly correct will often produce horrible colours, though this too 
is often owing to the very fact that there is such mis-marked blood as we speak of in the ancestry. 
Still, by patience, if the birds are of really good stock, there is a great probability of such birds 
throwing some young of good quality, which puts the pleasure of breeding within the reach of 
many who could not otherwise afford it, if they will only have patience to wait for a few seasons. 
Thus, if the breeder has a bird with too much marking on the crop and too little on the shoulders, 
he must try to procure another with as little marking as possible on the crop and as much as 
possible on the pinion, which will, at least, tend to correct it. Again, and coming more nearly to 
strictly “mis-marked” birds, some Pouters are nearly all white, showing little of the ground- 
colour. To match these a bird should be selected, if no better choice can be afforded, with little 
or no white on the crop and pinions. Such birds are often, if not always, foul-marked on the legs 
and thighs; but this the other bird, being so “gay” as it is called, tends to correct, and will 
generally make the progeny much more clean-thighed, and not unfrequently quite so. So again, 
a bird will be seen with far too much marking on the pinion, so as to come out in a patch to the 
edge, or what is called “ lawn-sleeved ” or “ bishopped.” Such a one, crossed with another having 
as little marking as possible, or even none, will often breed something very nearly right. Of 
course we cannot say this is always so ; were such the case, mis-marked birds would be almost as 
valuable as standard ones. There is a vast difference and a great element of doubt in all such 
experiments ; but still, by care and patience, much may be done in time to build up a stud in this 
way from very unpromising materials. 
Some foul marks, however, give unusual trouble. Such is the ring-neck (the half-moon 
meeting round the back of the neck), or the snip-mark over the beak. These will often appear 
to baffle all attempts to breed out, though we have known birds with each fault most unaccountably 
breed progeny all free from the foul mark during the whole of one season, and then the following 
season, paired precisely the same, breed all with the detested fault again. The only way to get 
rid of them is continual crossing back to birds which, whatever other faults they may have, are free 
from either of these ; and it is a curious thing that birds with these two particular faults are often 
so remarkably handsome in other points that their owners cannot help trying all in their power to 
get progeny from them free from the foul marks. It is also curious that they are oftenest found in 
the variety which is hardest to breed in other respects — the Black-pied — from which we believe it 
has been attached to that variety since its manufacture, and longer than most of us would believe. 
As will be remembered, it was chiefly to get rid of foul-markings we advised crossing with the Red, 
which is seldom much troubled with either snips, ring-necks, or foul thighs ; and we feel well 
assured that judicious crossing with good Reds will be found the best way to get rid of these 
troublesome markings. 
We do not know that we can add more upon breeding for colour ; but since the greater part 
of the foregoing has been put in type we have received the following paper from Mr. James 
Montgomery, of Belfast, whom we have before alluded to. In one or two points he differs from 
us ; but as regards the main part of this subject it will be seen he agrees, and his remarks are 
valuable as condensing into a few sentences the main principles we have tried to lay down. His 
success in breeding for colour particularly, combined with unusually fine development, was so 
remarkably brilliant for the short time he remained in the Pouter fancy, that such a summary of 
the principles on which he acted is particularly valuable. 
“ The Pouter I consider the grandest of all fancy pigeons. The Carrier has been termed the 
‘King of Pigeons;’ but I would say the cock and hen Pouter are the gentleman and lady 01 
