1 66 The Illustrated Book of Plgeons. 
great ; for any one who should breed a few even so good as to be capable of being trimmed so as 
to look perfect, without showing the trimming so as to be detected, would do a great deal more 
than we have seen except in a stray case or two, for we have only seen as yet three pairs of Black 
Mottles, and not one pair of Reds or Yellows, which could even be trimmed into well-marked 
Mottled Tumblers. The nearest we ever saw to a perfect Mottle was bred by old Miles Hall, of 
Spitalfields. This bird, however, was coarse in beak and wattle, and though free from the foul 
marking on the face, it had to be weeded a deal on each shoulder and breast before it appeared 
with the regular marking. 
The best method of breeding for Yellow Mottles is similar to that we have described for 
producing Reds. Birds are always to be selected as free as possible from foul marking on the 
face, and the male bird as near the desired marking and colour as can possibly be procured ; and let 
the yellow ground be as deep in colour as possible, for if of a soft or mealy tinge it will be of little 
use. No doubt some will wonder we do not advocate the mating together of the Red and Yellow 
Agate Mottles ; but our reason is that, both being Almond-bred, the mixing at this stage of the 
two colours is far more likely to produce Almonds. Later on such would not be the case ; but 
the first thing is to produce a pure and true strain of Reds and Yellows which breed Reds and 
Yellows, and till that is done crossing them is of little use. There should, in our opinion, be at 
least two seasons’ breeding of each colour separately, before they are crossed, in order to get rid of 
at least some of the tendency to throw Almond feather. Were this done, then we believe the 
crossing of a true-bred Black or Black Mottle with the Red Agate or Mottle would almost 
completely obliterate the Almond feather, and that the offspring of such, mated to the true-bred 
Yellow or Yellow Agates, would create a true breed of Mottled pigeons, and be the best means of 
getting a strain free from the blaze-mark on the face. \Y r e have seen so much progress made in 
even one cross towards the desired end as fully to satisfy us of the success of such a system, 
and do not think it would take more than three seasons to establish a tolerably true strain of 
really Whole-feathered Red and Yellow Mottles. When once a sound and true ground-colour is 
secured the greatest difficulty is mastered ; as there will be far less difficulty, by crossing with 
Agate Mottles, to get the marking desired, without getting the progeny splashed all over, as is 
the case when crossed with the Agate too soon. • 
If means allow, it will be well to keep some birds breeding together for Whole-feathered Reds 
and Yellows, as well as crossing the Agates and Agate Whole-feathers to get Mottles. Then, if 
from the one strain a bird was produced near the desired marking, a cross from the Whole- 
feathered strain may save considerable time. We would, in fact, in such a case, cross both ways, 
when the breeder will soon see if he is making progress ; and even if the produce be not the desired 
thing, he is almost sure to get a bird or two which are just what he wants for crossing back to one 
or other of the parents. 
When strains are got true in ground-colour, or, as it may be called, thoroughly away from the 
Almond feather, we should advise crossing Red and Yellow, putting a good sound-coloured Red 
(not Red Agate, but true Red) cock to a Yellow Agate Mottle hen. We would then select the 
best-coloured yellow progeny, and if a hen, re-cross with the father, and if any of the cocks were 
either Mottles, Red, or Yellow, crossing one of these with the mother. If the progeny were 
several, and there were likely birds left, we would also pair a brother and sister; and from these 
Crosses something good is nearly sure to result. By thus continually crossing the best coloured 
Yellow with a Red, the yellow produced will be kept of a fine deep shade. 
We cannot recommend pairing two Yellow Agate Mottles together with a view of producing 
Mottles, as we have often known done. Not only is the match too light in colour, but, both being 
