Breeding Yellow Dragoons. 
11 1 
Runt, the Yellow and Red Tumbler, the Black and Dun Carrier — cum inultis aliis — have all 
possibly been pressed into the service to convert the Blue into a Yellow, and may be useful in 
the future to sustain its deeper tint. Now, until we can eliminate all traces of this admixture from 
the Standard Yellow Dragoon, as we would separate the gold from its ore, we shall at our shows 
continue to see specimens exhibited as Yellow Dragoons which more appropriately should have 
been penned in the * Any Other Variety Class.’ 
“ It has been truly stated that not one perfect Carrier has yet appeared in the flesh. Even of 
Blue Dragoons how many really perfect specimens exist? Of Yellows and Reds I have not seen 
half a dozen that could challenge criticism. Too prevalent is the hard-coloured eye, the skull, the 
unmistakable countenance and gait of the Runt, the beak of the Skinnum, the neck, the length of 
face, of feather, and of leg, and other properties of the Carrier. How many are really self-coloured 
birds, and display not the rudiments of the black bar on the wing covert feathers ? 
“Time will produce more perfect birds, for the culture of the Yellow Dragoon, though it has 
emerged from its infancy, is far from having attained to maturity. Some good colour has been 
attained, but from varied crosses, which intrude their incongruities under the Red and Yellow 
feather. 
“I have succeeded in producing Yellows and Reds of average quality, from birds purchased 
at auctions, with others claimed at exhibitions, or kindly placed at my disposal by my friend 
Mr. South, and with others purchased from dealers ; also by the aid of the foreign Runt and the 
Carrier. Starting on the assumption that the Dragoon is a composite bird, I dealt with him in 
detail. The first consideration was colour ; and I was fortunate in securing some birds of a soft 
yellow tint, though small. These mated to stoutish Reds, imperfect in colour, produced Reds with 
dirty rumps, Mealy Yellows, &c., which in their turn, matched with Yellows, produced sound, light 
Yellows, and an occasional good Red. The long-faced Yellow Runt was now introduced ; the 
first crop gave birds of a rich tint but most ugly. This drawback was mitigated by another cross 
with my original Yellows and others as good as I could purchase. Thus was formed the material 
of a strain, good in colour but with the faults of their forefathers apparent in them. I found the 
Runt was most effectually obliterated by a Carrier cross. The produce of the Scandaroon cross 
and my original strain of Red cocks were matched to two Dun hens ; these bred Blacks and Duns, 
one of which, matched to a Red cock, reared a sound Yellow, giving me a good step towards a 
Yellow Carrier, at all events a bird valuable to control the Scandaroon element. From another 
Dun hen, matched to a Yellow cock, I bred a Yellow Mealy hen of great substance. She has been 
breeding with a Yellow cock, producing broken-feathered birds. With a Red cock I shall do better. 
“ I would observe that I have always tried to intermingle the Carrier blood with that of the 
Yellow, through the medium of the Reds. In all cases it is essential to have a deep sound Yellow 
as a basis, i.e., Reds bred from Yellows, and having secured one dip of the stronger feather and 
bred it out again, to have done with such an admixture, breeding Yellow with Yellow for two or 
three generations. 
“The Yellow feather is of great delicacy, and, like many things beautiful which art engrafts on 
nature, it is evanescent ; so that you cannot perpetuate beyond three generations a sound Y ellow 
tint, unless by the introduction of a distinct strain, the foreign Yellow, the Red, or the Black feather. 
Constant Yellow breeding produces the whitey-brown thigh, the light rump, and the suspicion of 
the black bar on the wing, characteristic of the Blue from which it sprang. Above all, it behoves 
the fancier to be ever on the alert to secure any good Yellows of a distinct strain. Thanks to the 
labours of our Yellow Dragoon breeders, there are arising various strains which may suffice to 
sustain colour in our stock by Dragoon crossing only. 
