200 
The Illustrated Book of Plgeons. 
“ The skull should be flat, and should be raised above the eyes, sloping down to base of the 
beak : a straight head — that is when the skull is level with the beak — should be avoided. In 
looking down the skull from the beak it should gradually widen to the back. This is a great point 
in a Dragoon, as if it is all one width it stamps its Carrier relationship ; the back portion 
of the skull should measure nearly twice as much as the front. The neck should be three-fourths 
the length of a Carrier’s, with the gullet full, and coming down to good broad shoulders ; the breast 
should be full, with the butts of the wings projecting in front, which should give you the idea of 
great muscular power. They should not be carried close to the body, but stand well out. The 
flights should be carried above, and should come within half an inch of, the end of the tail. The 
legs should be set well back toward the vent, with good stout thighs, well feathered ; and from the 
hock to sole of foot should measure an inch and a quarter. The entire feathering should have the 
appearance of fitting like a skin. The back of the bird should be slightly hollow. The foregoing 
is a general description of a Dragoon, and answers for all colours. More particulars of each colour 
will be found in the following classification. Good carriage in a Dragoon must be insisted on. 
“ Yellow Dragoons I shall commence with, as I consider these should head the prize list, being 
more difficult to breed to perfection. Colour should be the first thing to obtain, and then set to 
work to breed out any imperfection you may have introduced to get the desired colour. Of course, 
if possible, start with perfect yellow, but this is not always to be done ; and in my case, when I 
first started many years ago, money would not get me what I wanted. I purchased the best I 
could, and made it my task to improve them. My first attempt was with a Scandaroon cock, very 
deep in colour, and I was startled at the results. Some of the young were black, some black with 
bars, and one strawberry-coloured bird, which I kept and crossed with a Yellow. The result was 
splendid coloured Yellows, very hard in feather, with very little cere round the eye ; but what 
spoilt all was the horrible down-face of the Scandaroon, which appeared more or less in all this 
generation. It took me three years to breed this out ; and I should not advise another such a 
cross, as there is better material to work upon now than then ; but it shows what can be done. 
However, I am happy to say I succeeded, as not a bird in my possession now possesses that 
defect. This, however, is only one of my attempts to get colour : I also obtained birds of a foreign 
variety, which, although they had very little the appearance of a Dragoon, still they had colour, 
for which I have worked so hard. These I crossed with my light-coloured Yellows, and first 
obtained the desired colour, and then again crossed with some large-bodied Reds which I had, the 
result being perfect Yellow Dragoons, with an occasional Red ; birds of good substance, and, what 
is of still greater importance, hard feathered. Yellow Dragoon fanciers should always be on the 
look-out for deep-coloured birds of a distinct strain, as to breed Yellows without a cross for more 
than three generations means light thighs and rump, and a slaty tail. I have found from ex- 
perience that the cock bird influences the progeny in colour more than the hen bird, and that, 
therefore, in pairing up Yellows care should be taken that the cock is of the desired colour, or 
darker, and that the hen is big and of sound constitution, as to breed from a small or weedy hen 
is loss of time. By following out this plan you are certain to breed good hens ; and it has been 
the exception and not the rule lately to find a good hen at any show. Yellows should have red 
or orange eyes, light-coloured wattles, and a flesh-coloured beak, and the feathering should be of 
one uniform deep-coloured rich tint. 
“ Reds are only to be strengthened in colour by introduction of Blacks ; and this should be 
done very sparingly, as you are apt to get the dull shade of red, instead of a rich glossy blood red. 
Once in three or four generations should suffice. Another pitfall to be avoided is the crossing of 
Reds bred from Yellows , or a cross with Yellows, with Reds ; this will most certainly spoil the 
