i8o 
The Illustrated Book of Pigeons. 
its presence instantly. Sometimes, also, even good-coloured birds will be rather grizzled towards 
the roots of some of the flights or tail feathers, and these we have known blackened or dyed to hide 
the fault, as also the blaze on the face, from which very few Mottles are free ; but this, the last 
especially, is a dangerous experiment, and we have often seen the perpetrator come to grief. Red 
and Yellow Mottles admit of the same weeding as the Blacks ; but we know no means of 
improving the plumage, beyond the thorough removal of the “ bloom ” from the feather, which 
is easily accomplished by continual stroking with a warm, moist hand. Ignorant writers, we 
know, have said otherwise ; and we admit we have seen many birds “ oiled ” to deepen the colour ; 
but never one which did not show the operation so plainly that it would be a disgrace to any judge 
not to detect it. 
The trimming of Beards and Baldheads is what might be naturally expected. The object is 
to have sharp, clean-cut marking; and as few birds naturally have not a few foul feathers just on 
the border-line, these are cautiously removed till that line is as smooth and sharp as possible. 
Scarcely any birds shown do not owe at least a little to this operation, which is done both by 
pulling out the offending feather, or — what is better, since it lasts the season — cutting them off 
close to the skin ; but this is troublesome and takes more time, since each minute feather, as its 
extraction is determined on, has to be carefully traced down to the root to be clipped off. The 
breast or the thighs, which respectively are also desired to be clean-cut, are adjusted in the same 
manner ; and there are at present but few birds which do not need the removal of at least one or two 
foul feathers from the thighs. The only colour of these birds which can be improved is the black. 
Blue Tumblers need, and admit of (except the trimming of the beak, common to all this class 
of pigeons) no improvement, except that sometimes there are a few foul feathers on the rump, 
which admit of being extracted without detection. Without defending any of these proceedings, 
with the exception of beak-trimming, we must say that we have rarely known a man who refused 
or neglected to remove a foul feather or two if he found his bird looked any the better for it. 
The diseases to which the Short-faced Tumbler is specially subject, though serious, are few 
when compared with the Carrier and Pouter. First, and worst of all, is canker, which we have 
already treated of, but which in these pigeons is almost entirely confined to the mouth, and 
assumes so virulent a form when neglected, that we are not sure cancer would not more correctly 
describe it. We could never satisfy ourselves as to the cause of this disease. Some have said it is 
foul water; but while it may be so in some cases, and we certainly would use every effort, as before 
stated in this work, to keep the water-supply clear and pure, we must still state that where this 
was most thoroughly attended to we have seen the disease terribly prevalent, while in others where 
the water was most foul there was no trace of it. We have, however, every reason to believe that 
it is hereditary ; and since very few indeed of the larger, stronger, and early-bred birds are troubled 
with it compared with the smaller ones, we think it is perhaps most likely to be owing to a deep- 
seated scrofulous tendency in the blood owing to the notorious in-breeding of these birds, and which 
naturally developes itself most in the weakest specimens. 
As we have said, the disease almost always shows itself in the mouth, and usually at the 
corners, or where the beak opens. Some fanciers say that lunar caustic will cure it ; but we never 
could cure a case in this way, while by more severe treatment we have met with general success, as 
follows : — Tie the bird’s legs and pass the body through a stocking, or wrap it round in a cloth so 
that only the head is exposed, to prevent struggling, for with acid a sure touch and steady hand 
are required. Next get a very small india-rubber ring, half an inch thick, so small in aperture that 
When placed as a gag on the lower mandible it will remain until removed ; and have ready a small 
