222 
The Illustrated Book of Pigeons. 
“A problem connected with the Yellow Dragoon and its crosses remains to be solved. Shall 
we ever behold a Yellow Carrier ? I am well aware that certain fanciers in the National 
Peristeronic Society are at work on the task of producing them. I trust their energy, perseverance, 
and skill will result in the attainment of the greatest triumphs in modern pigeon culture ; that the 
Yellow Carrier will be witnessed in my time, and afford additional matter for a future and not 
distant edition of ‘ Fulton’s Book of Pigeons.’ ” 
We have little to say about Grizzles, also, beyond what Mr. Graham has said. The Grizzle is 
not a bird we particularly admire for the show pen, and there is, and always must be, so much 
variation in their exact colour as to make judging them at best a matter of opinion, some liking a 
dark grizzle, others a light, and others a medium tint. The best mode of starting to breed Grizzles, 
if no Grizzles can be had, is to mate a Chequer (either light or dark in the rump will do) to a 
White ; and if the progeny comes too light to pass as a Grizzle, as it often will, to match it again 
to another Chequer, or to the parent Chequer if another could not be obtained. If the sex of the 
young bird did not allow of this, we would try the too light one with a sooty Blue, but this last we 
would only try when better could not be done. Grizzles have been known to come from a pair ol 
Blues, and also now and then to produce a Blue, whence their connection naturally with Blues is 
manifest. It is singular that all properly-coloured Grizzles we ever saw had fine dark beaks and 
dark red eyes. The cocks are generally most perfect in colour and markings. Some advise 
crossing with Blacks, but we never knew this cross produce any good result, the Black being 
only adapted for crossing with the Reds. 
And here we may add a word or two to Messrs. Betty and Graham’s notes on this cross of 
Black with Red. It is a proper cross ; but many fail in it simply because they do not get the right 
and proper Black. No one must expect to improve a Red by this cross, unless the colour be a pure 
and raven black ; and if it can be found, a bird combining this with a light beak. Most of those 
we have seen trying the cross have used birds of poor colour, and in such cases little benefit arises, 
most of the Reds bred having dun rumps and tails, and spots of dun through the body feathers. 
The same mischief will sometimes come from the cross of red with yellow, and in this case, too, 
the reason is the same — not using a pure and clear red. If the red bird should have even a few 
white feathers — and it is singular that very beautiful red birds often have — we would far rather 
chance this than breed from a red free from white with a dun rump, tail, or flights. In fact, as is 
the case with Tumblers, the colour of the rump is the great point in Yellow and Red Dragoons, 
and if that be right there is little fear of faulty colour elsewhere, except that very beautiful Yellows 
with good rumps will sometimes show a tinge of dun on the edge of the short or inner flights. 
Any faults of this kind, or white feathers, usually increase with age, so that any faulty bird 
should, if possible, be crossed with an old bird of sound colour, the age being a guarantee of 
thorough soundness in tint. 
One good pair of Whites will start a strain, as they breed true. The want of contrast, the 
fewer properties to breed for, and the comparative ease of maintaining a good type when once got, 
make this colour far less esteemed by most fanciers. 
A few remarks must be added on breeding for wattle properties, which will be found nearly 
as difficult as in the Carrier. The fancier who desires to succeed in this point should let no chance 
pass him of securing any bird with a well-shaped wattle ; for if not needed just then it soon 
will be, and it is better to pay for the bird’s keep than be unable to find it when it is wanted. No 
one must expect that all the progeny will be like the most perfect parent ; still it is generally the 
case that an extraordinarily good specimen of a Dragoon is bred from an extra good wattle mated 
with a fairish one, the fine young one being like one parent and not resembling the other. 
