CHAPTER X. 
MOTTLED AND WIIOLE-FEATIiERED TUMBLERS. 
The genuine Mottle has always been a favourite variety with us ; and we have often wondered at 
the carelessness of fanciers in allowing materials which might so easily be employed in producing 
it to pass unnoticed, or, at least, without employing them to restore birds which so many old 
fanciers have spoken of — the Red and Yellow Mottle. We will speak of these first, as coming most 
naturally after the Almond, and in fact, as we might say, lying dormant in that variety, which 
increases our surprise at such beautiful birds being nearly extinct. We have, before we knew 
better, travelled long distances to see birds which were called Mottles ; but in nearly every case, as 
we have explained in the last chapter, we found on inspection that they were simply Agate 
Mottles; and in all our long experience we are sure we have not had, or seen in the possession oi 
others, as many as six pairs of true Mottled Tumblers : that is, of the Short-faced, of which only 
we here speak ; for we know several successful breeders of the long-faced Red and Yellow Mottle 
who have attained a perfection in feather any Short-faced breeder would be quite satisfied to reach. 
This is the more noteworthy because there are every day produced, in the course of Almond- 
breeding, so many birds, such as Red and Yellow Agates and Whole-feathers, which might very 
easily be employed in breeding Mottles, far more than in the case of the Black Mottle, which 
seems almost the only variety attempted to be bred. Some of these Almond-bred birds are so 
very near the required thing as even to be mistaken for true Mottles, and shown as such 
(whence the many wild goose errands we have spoken of) ; but as we explained before, on 
examining the quill-feathers there is found somewhere or other the white - — either in web or quill 
of the feather — which denotes the Agate taint, and to get entirely rid of which is just the very task, 
the difficulty of which gives the zest to the breeding of this pigeon. Did no one seem to care for 
the pigeon itself, the scarcity we speak of would not astonish us ; but we know scarcely a fancier 
of Short-faced Tumblers who does not repeatedly express his admiration of a good Mottle, and an 
earnest wish to see more of them. And hence, knowing from experience how very easily they 
could be bred from existing stocks, we will state clearly how it should be done. 
The birds available are Red and Red Agate Whole-feathered, and Yellow Agate Whole- 
feathered birds — we cannot add Yellow Whole-feathers, for the simple reason that they are as rare, 
we may say, as extinct, as the true Mottle itself — and the Red and Yellow Agate Mottles. The 
first thing to bear in mind, in selecting birds of either colour for breeding, is to use none but such 
as are of a good sound colour. This is the chief point of all ; and there are lots of Agate Mottles 
which it would be folly to meddle with, on account of being pale or washed out in colour, if Red, 
or a mealy-coloured Yellow. To breed such birds for Mottles will be time and trouble thrown 
away; but if the birds are a deep sound Red, or a good solid Yellow ground-colour, the chances 
are very good. Supposing, then, the breeder has obtained a Red Agate Mottled cock of this good 
colour, which has, say his head, breast, flights, tail, and rump red, and the rest, or say his shoulders 
and back, white, or a mixture of white and red — if mottled like what is desired in the proper 
