176 
The Illustrated Book of Pigeons. 
the median line of the throat, thus dividing the white into two portions, right and left of this 
mark or streak. They further affirm that this streak of colour upon the white is what was 
called and meant by the “ beard,” and that birds showing the patch all white used to be called by 
Beard fanciers “ swallow-throated.” Be this as it may, our opinion is, and we have found few to 
deny, that the birds with the white or swallow-throats are most attractive and look best, while, 
on the other hand, we must admit that the style these old fanciers prefer is far more difficult to get 
true to marking. The difficulty of it, in fact, is really stupendous, and we have scarcely ever seen 
such a bird which, in its natural state, was even nearly true to this marking, most of those said to 
be so being really what are known as “pepper-faced” birds ; which means that the colour showing 
over the white, instead of being a sharp and clean streak, is distributed in specks mixed with white, 
or “ peppered ” over a patch, and often much on one side ; while in other cases it is so little as to 
be scarcely discernible. Some again are so heavily marked that hardly any of the white can be 
seen at all, and but for the white flights and tail, and the coloured body, the birds could not even be 
recognised as Beards. Such as these last are termed by fanciers “ dark-faced” birds. 
Next come the flight feathers, which should be white, as in the Baldhead. The really 
Short-faced birds, however, very rarely have the full number, being more inclined even than 
Balds to be “short” in flights, and also more seldom alike on both sides. The dark-faced birds 
more especially, as might be supposed, are liable to this, and it is common for them to have about 
five on one side and perhaps six or seven on the other, sometimes even less ; whereas, birds having 
a well-marked white face are nearly always better in flights ; indeed, such as have too much white 
on the face are mostly all that can be desired in flights. The number of flights, however, is 
another point upon which fanciers differ, some few contending that a Beard should only have seven 
each side, while others insist that no bird is correct unless it has eight and eight. The last, 
of course, comes nearest to our views, but we cannot consider a Beard gey feet in this property 
unless it shows the full number of ten and ten, the same as a Bald. The only difficulty is to get 
this number, which is no sufficient reason against trying to get it, since specimens with the full 
number have been bred, and therefore can be bred again. Moreover, we cannot admit an 
altogether different standard for the two birds, since it is beyond question that they are at least 
very closely related, and it is well known by fanciers of experience and standing that good Bald- 
heads and Beards bred together often produce birds of even better quality than if matched 
separately ; in fact, the best Beards we have ever seen were thus bred. We would, however, be 
well satisfied with nine and nine, since this number would entirely hide the tenth in a young bird ; 
and even eight and eight is very good ; but when it comes to laying down a standard for a perfect 
bird, there is no reason whatever for saying ten a side, except the great difficulty of getting 
it, which to a true fancier is a strong reason the other way. 
The next property is the marking on the legs ; and here the Beard differs from the Baldhead ; 
for while the latter is or should be clean-thighed, the Beard has, or is supposed to have, the 
“stockings” only white, as seen in our coloured plate — that is, the lower portion of the thigh 
white, but all the rest, and the whole under part of the body, the same colour as the upper. 
The next property is the tail, which should be white ; in this point corresponding with the 
Baldhead. 
The eye should be pearly white, and the skull as high in the front as possible, like that of an 
Almond, though such (in an honest bird) are seldom seen. The beak and beak-wattle of course 
fine. The colour of the beak of a Beard depends upon that of its body ; the beak of Reds, 
Yellows, and Silvers being flesh-coloured, while Blacks and Blues have the upper mandibles black, 
or at least dark, though the under mandibles remain a flesh-colour, unless the birds are dark-faced, 
