Tiie Illustrated Book of P /geo, vs. 
2 36 
brighter colour than is generally seen. Some exhibitors it is to be feared go beyond this, and apply 
a little magenta, or some other dye, which— bar the danger of detection — greatly freshens the 
appearance of an old stager ; and while not always easy to detect, we fancy a professional dyer 
(who would be the most likely expert to call in) could throw an interesting light on some birds we 
have seen exhibited. Washing is, however, not only quite fair, but should be performed at least 
every fortnight on a good bird, whether shown or not, the wrinkles in the eye-wattle being very 
liable to get filled up with the dust of the loft, which, if left too long, may corrode or fester the 
skin, and cause canker and other diseases, which a regular washing to a great extent prevents. 
Some have thought that the rich colour of the foreign birds is owing to some difference in climate, 
and have considered this proved by the fact that some of the richest-coloured wattles have bred in 
this country very pale progeny ; but in our opinion the cause lies in the use, by English fanciers, 
of the Dun colour for breeding. We have constantly observed, that the oftener the Dun feather is 
used in matching the paler will the wattle become, and also softer and sooner developed ; it is, in 
fact, by this matching chiefly that the great improvement has been made in head-points, over the 
standard shown by imported Barbs ; and knowing the preference of nearly all foreign fanciers for 
colour, it is probable they breed for colour both of feather and wattle, and neglect the Dun. 
This is borne out by the fact that while, as we have said, the Dun cross certainly does produce 
pale wattles, Blacks, Reds, and Yellows, bred together, generally produce good colour, as does also 
the White ; hence we believe that our fanciers, while improving the quantity and shape of wattle 
by the Dun, have lost colour ; and as this is of less consequence than good size and shape of 
wattle, we must, if so, be content. 
The next point is the colour of the eye itself, or rather of the iris, which should, in a perfect 
bird, be white or pearl. But here we are perhaps most likely, if at all in this chapter, to displease 
many by saying that some judges lay far too much stress upon this property, and that a change in 
their view of it deserves at least the most serious consideration. Many times we have seen some 
of the finest specimens in all other points passed over unnoticed as worthless, on account of an 
orange-coloured eye, and this we consider one of the most unjust mistakes ever commonly made 
in judging pigeons. No one can say that the colour of the eye constitutes the Barb, as in no 
pigeon perhaps are what may be called “structural” head-points so largely what is breed for. Not 
that we would on that account have the colour of the eye indifferent, or wish an orange-eye to 
compete on equal terms with a pearl eye. No one we ever met with would pretend to such 
a thing ; but for a bird possessing every other good point to be passed over, as we have seen done, 
for a bird which possessed no other really fine point except colour of eye, is what we protest 
against as simply destructive to all true breeding. It is within our knowledge that the best 
pearl-eyed specimens have occasionally produced orange-eyed progeny ; while, on the contrary, by 
judicious matching with a pearl-eyed Red or Dun (for it is generally Blacks and Yellows which fail 
in this point) the fault is very easily corrected. On the other hand, a black beak is not only far 
more conspicuous and offensive to the eye, but far more difficult to eradicate ; yet we never once 
knew a Barb good in all other points passed over for this fault, and indeed some of the talented 
judges, who have signalised themselves in the way we complain of, did not even knozv a black 
beak was a fault at all. Not that an orange-eye is not a great fault. Such we would consider 
it, and allow a fair number of points for it ; but we protest against its being considered a 
disqualification, and a bird good in all other points thrown out of competition, when shown against 
birds really fine in no other. If a bird happened to be faulty both in colour of eye and beak, we 
would not complain, as such a bird could hardly win against decent quality, and it would be 
very foolish to even breed from it ; but we do consider no bird should be disqualified for either 
