Breeding Yellow Mottles. 
167 
Almond-brcd, the produce is most uncertain. The first thing is to get even a ground-colour which 
breeds fairly true without going back to Almond, and then to cross the Yellow with Red. A 
Yellow Agate Mottle cock with a true-bred, sound Red hen, for instance, wouid then be 
another very promising cross to produce Yellow Mottles, and also to produce what are so 
very rare — good Yellow cocks, provided the Mottle cock be not too gay in marking. Such 
a result cannot, however, be in the least expected unless the hen be a true and solid Red, 
not merely a Red Agate Whole-feather ; but in this way, in two or three seasons, Yellow cocks 
might easily be bred ; and when they are obtained the work is almost done, since Red hens can 
always be had. It is indeed curious that there arc about ten Red or Red Agate hens to every 
cock ; and the same rule holds good as regards Yellow Agates, but not as to true Yellows, which 
are almost unknown in either sex. Indeed, the only good Yellows we have ever seen were two 
(we speak of Short-faced birds): one of these was a hen bred by Mr. Esquilant, of London, but how 
we never knew ; and the other was a cock we bred ourselves in the manner here given, thus : — We 
mated a deep Whole-feathered Yellow Agate cock to a good-coloured Red hen, from which resulted 
three Yellows and two Reds, all hens excepting one Yellow cock. All five were grand colours, 
but the two Yellow hens died ; the cock was so good as to win many prizes against all colours, 
both in our own possession and that of Mr. Taylor, of Huddersfield, who ultimately purchased him. 
This was the only time we ever attempted to breed Yellows, and our success was much greater 
than we expected ; indeed, had we kept the birds for breeding, they were sufficient to breed a fine 
collection ; but the head and beak of the Agate cock were so good as to induce the offer of a high 
price, and so our experiment terminated. That was, however, a proof to us that good Yellow 
Tumblers could be bred ; and though many trials might be made without quite such a sudden 
success, we are quite certain success would follow upon a little perseverance and judgment. 
When a strain was once formed, only good colours should ever be bred together ; and at no 
time would we breed two Yellows unless both were of a deep colour, as there is no colour so soon 
loses its richness as this. If one bird must be a little faulty, let the sound-coloured one be 
the cock. 
The shape and carriage of the Mottle should be the same as in the Almond, as, indeed, should 
it be in all Short-faced Tumblers. Indeed, we believe at one time the Mottle was superior to 
the Almond in this quality. This will, however, give the fancier very little difficulty, because 
all the birds which we have mentioned as materials for Mottle-breeding are, as a rule, extra good 
in carriage. Inspection of any large class almost will show how superior many of the Agates are 
in these points, which we have seen in the last chapter to be very easily kept up by a little care. 
It is also to be remembered that, even should the fancier’s efforts so far fail that he cannot produce 
Mottles to satisfy him, he will almost certainly succeed, if he perseveres, in breeding good Yellow 
Whole-feathers ; and as this pigeon is as scarce even as the other, and as valuable, he has at least 
one certain reward before him, even if he fails in the other. It is true none of the matches we 
have suggested are certain to produce what we have given as their object, or in fact anything. A 
large element of chance enters into the whole breeding of all Almond-bred birds; and not until one 
or two generations of breeding have removed the Almond taint can any certainty be attained. It 
is true also that meantime many disappointments must be encountered ; but in the end success as 
regards Yellow and Red Whole-feathered birds at least is certain, and even this will be something 
which, at the date we write, will enable any one to say he has produced something as yet almost 
unknown in the pigeon fancy. There are, of course, lots of what are termed Yellows, but not of 
the true colours. In Reds there are a few of the proper colour, and these few, if well used, would 
produce the true Yellows. 
