i 7 8 
The Illustrated Book of Pigeons. 
slightly upwards, is a little inclined to be “down-faced.” We do not apply this rule to all, as we 
have seen some birds we knew to be honest whose beaks were thus, especially when the 
beak is fine in both mandibles ; but we never saw an honest bird with a coarse beak and wattle 
having its beak extra straight or inclining upwards ; and usually, this pointing up too much 
is the most general and certain sign of a “ made ” head, and a beak a little down is nearly 
always honest. Still, honest or not, such a Red, with really good head and carriage as well as 
colour, including, of course, fine beak and wattle, is a good cross. If a Red Beard cock cannot be 
got, we would match a Red or Red Agate cock to a Red Beard hen ; in either case “breeding back” 
as usual. For Yellows we would proceed as for Reds, or, if proper matches could not be got in 
Yellows, would cross with Reds. Whenever any really good Red Beards were in this way bred 
they should be crossed with Blacks, which would improve the colour of each ; and it the Blacks 
were the ordinary stamp, this cross would also tend to improve the heads of the Blacks. 
There is another variety of the Short-faced Tumbler which we believe to be as ancient as any, 
viz., the old-fashioned Blue Tumbler. It is seldom, as generally found, very good in head; but 
deserves to be called Short-faced at least as well as the Beard, if not more; and especially surpasses 
it in the grand points of shape and carriage. In fact, we believe the better quality of Blue Beards 
is derived from crossing with the Blue Tumbler. The great beauty of this bird is the splendid 
colour of the body, with rich black bars, often combined with as fine shape and carriage as can be 
seen in most Almonds. Some are to be seen with very good head and beak properties, and really 
fine large skulls ; but as a rule the head is badly shaped, being too square. The colour is, 
however, the grand point, especially on the rump, which is of the sound deep colour of a blue show 
Dragoon ; and no pigeon we know has a sounder or more vigourous constitution, the very best 
requiring no assistance in rearing their young, which is more than can be said of either Almonds, 
Mottles, Baldheads, or Beards, when really good ones, though of course the pleasant-faced birds 
are strong enough. This Tumbler breeds true to colour with little care, and therefore needs only 
fair judgment to improve to any standard desired. 
POINTS IN JUDGING BALDHEADS AND BEARDS. 
Accuracy of marking 6 
Colour 4 
Shape and carriage 4 
Head ................3 
' Beak and wattle 3 
Eye 1 
Size (i.e., smallness) 1 
22 
We may add that we would judge Blacks by the same scale as the above, of course omitting 
the points for marking, since there are none. But in Yellow and Red Whole-feathers and Kites six 
points should be allowed for colour instead of four, as the colour is so much more difficult to produce. 
Blue Tumblers should be judged the same as Black. Agate Whole-feathers should have the same 
points for colour as Blacks, viz., four; and Agate Mottles or Splashes, two points. Some of these 
off-colours, however, vary so much that it is by no means easy to judge them by scale. 
We must now say a few words upon the successful exhibition of Short-faced Tumblers, and the 
various “improvements” which are more or less commonly practised before the birds appear in the 
show-pen. The first point attended to is the beak, and if this appears too long, and especially if 
the upper mandible at all hangs over the lower,- or appears on one side, it is cut off with sharp 
