Breeding Baldheads. 
175 
Of course if, besides a fair Black Bald cock, we could procure a really good-coloured Red or 
Yellow Bald hen, we would prefer this cross to either we have mentioned ; and indeed in that case 
would have very little fear of producing some good Blacks, and getting really brilliant colour. 
The Blacks from such a cross we would, if possible, breed to other Blacks, so as to improve that 
colour before crossing again with Red or Yellow. As to the Red offspring, if we had both sexes, 
we would breed the best together for Reds ; and if only one sex, we would match a bird with a 
Yellow if we could get one. If there is no Black cock to cross with Red or Yellow hens, and we 
could manage the reverse, we would certainly mate a Black hen with a Red or sound Yellow cock 
until there came a Black cock in the produce, when we would cross this bird with his mother, so 
as to keep the strain of Blacks. Reds and Yellows we would of course cross together, choosing the 
cock of the colour we desired the progeny to be, and, of course, as soon as our stock would allow 
of it, guarding most carefully against any deterioration of the colour by only breeding from the 
deepest and soundest-coloured birds. 
As we have already observed, the high cut birds are peculiarly apt to be foul-thighed and 
short or foul in flights, whereas the low cut birds are very often unusually good in those very 
qualities. The low cut birds are also, on the average, better than the high cut in head and beak- 
properties ; hence birds low cut are often the best cross for high cut birds possessing the faults 
referred to. Some have crossed with the Almond for the sake of getting better head and carriage 
properties, and we have known good Yellows produced in this way, but of course many birds come 
thus which are quite away from the mark, being what are known as Almond-splashed or Mottled 
Baldheads. The proper cross is a Yellow Bald cock with an Almond hen of really good yellow 
ground ; but we should far prefer a Whole-feathered Yellow Agate hen ; or, if one could be got, a 
good true Whole-feathered Yellow hen would be best of all. The first Yellow Bald hen which 
came should be bred back to the father, unless the old pair — as might be — were producing such 
good specimens that it was a pity to separate them. Many breeders fail here ; for in all high-class 
Pigeon-breeding it may be taken as a safe and wise axiom, that when any pair are breeding really 
grand birds, it is best to let well alone, and get all you can from a match you have proved to hit so 
well. In that case we would try to get other Yellow or Red Balds to cross with the offspring. 
Such are all the hints we can give for producing or improving the Baldhead pigeon ; and as it 
is a variety at present far behind, we hope these remarks may be the means of inducing some to 
take up such a beautiful bird. We are quite sure that if this is the case, and any one produces 
really good specimens, there will be no difficulty in disposing of them at very remunerative prices ; 
as those which even now exist find many eager admirers, amongst which are plenty of those who 
are willing to pay for the birds they fancy, but are too much engaged to breed for themselves. 
We come next to another much-neglected pigeon. If we could believe all we hear from old 
fanciers, there used to be many really good specimens of the Beard, in all colours ; but this has 
certainly not been the case so far as we can remember, and as to Reds and Yellows particularly, 
we do not think we ever saw a good pair — that is, good both in Beard points and as to the general 
properties of Short-faced birds. 
The marking or “ beard ” which gives the variety its name has been the subject of many 
disputes, as to what is the really perfect type. The majority of fanciers consider the marking we 
have represented in our coloured plate the proper thing, and which consists in an unbroken crescent- 
shaped patch of white at the throat, below the beak. But a few of the oldest fanciers — and we must 
in justice add some of the best ones, and whose opinion well deserves to be respected — insist that 
this white patch should not be unbroken, but show a small streak of the body-colour down 
