Breeding Dragoons for Colour. 
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still. Even if any birds come from the cross with white rumps they will be most valuable for 
breeding Grizzles, if the amateur’s fancy at all inclines that way ; but if not, they must on no 
account be bred back to Blues ; for it may be taken as a leading principle in breeding this 
colour, that if the white rump be once really introduced into the Blues it will be a long and 
wearisome task indeed to get rid of it again ; whereas, if a few birds be once procured or produced 
of a good sound colour on the rump, there will be little trouble, with care, in preserving it. 
It is worth noting, also, that Blue-chequers are comparatively rarely found with much of the 
Horseman type about them, whereas, the light-rumped birds, unless of the Skinnum type, are far 
more likely to be loose-textured and too coarse in the wattles. Sometimes, after crossing with the 
Chequer, a sooty blue is produced. Then is the time, and this alone is the colour, properly to 
cross with Silvers ; but we would strongly urge that the cross in such a case be with the brown- 
barred variety, all our experience proving that this is far less likely than the dark-barred to 
produce light rumps, the dark-barred Silvers being too often the offspring of much too light- 
coloured Blues. Many will doubt this, and being guided by first appearances may consider the 
dark-barred Silver the proper bird. All we can say is let them try, and they will find that we speak 
from facts. But, as a rule, we would advise earnestly to keep from all Silvers until a sooty tinge 
in the Blues showed it was really necessary to use them. They come often enough, as with Mealy 
Pouters, without breeding for them, so that they can always be had when wanted. 
This leads us to brown-barred Silvers. They are the offspring of Blues, as the Silver-mealy 
Pouter is ; and when once produced there is little trouble in keeping them up, as they breed true 
to colour. Hence one or two pairs will readily produce what is wanted, or if not, all the crosses 
required can always be obtained without difficulty. Now and then they may breed a fair Blue, 
reverting to the colour whence they sprang, and these Blues may be used, but of course with 
caution. 
As to dark-barred Silvers, we can add but little to the remarks of Mr. Graham. We call them 
dark-barred purposely, though they are often called black-barred by people who ought to know 
better; but a real black bar on a Silver was never yet seen, the colour at best being but a very 
dark and deep brown. Should such ever be bred, we feel certain the birds will be found to 
possess black beaks, and that the colour will be somewhat like that of a Powdered Blue Owl. 
Fanciers who breed these must not expect, as some seem to do, to get Blues of the proper 
colour and Silvers from the same stock. The colour for breeding Blues we have already 
described, but the Blues for breeding dark-barred Silvers are the lighter shades, with often light 
rumps and thighs, and not unfrequently even faulty-coloured beaks and eyes. Now and then a 
deeper-coloured Blue may breed a good Silver, but as a rule it is these light birds which breed 
the best Silvers and the darkest bars, whereas they are what the Blue breeder should shun as he 
would the Plague. We wished to lay special emphasis on this point ; but for the rest can add 
nothing to the remarks of Mr. Graham. 
In our comparative estimate of the Yellow Dragoon we must say we differ from Mr. Graham, 
not considering it equal to the Blue in rank for several reasons. First of all, the original Dragoon 
was a flying bird, and was till lately considered the best of the flying pigeons. Though not much 
employed in this way now, we believe that if carefully trained it would be little inferior to the 
Antwerp ; but owing to the many crosses employed to get colour we could never hear of any 
Yellows that were the least use for flying purposes. Owing to the crosses employed, it is generally 
longer in flights and tail, and shows much less of upright and graceful carriage, and is also apt to 
show more beak-wattle than is desirable ; and by all these defects it is by so much the less a true 
Dragoon. Moreover, it has less properties, since, if the beak be of good shape, the wattle and 
