The Illustrated Book of Pigeons. 
238 
stress ought not to be laid on this point, the leg of a Barb being a very subordinate member 
after all. 
We next come to the breeding of Barbs ; and would say, first of all, that the fancier must not 
expect to rear many really good specimens unless he pays attention to providing a staff of good 
nurses or feeders, or can give the care required to feed by hand. Not that they are by any means 
delicate ; on the contrary, Barbs are hardy, and good breeders, and the commoner ones will rear 
their own offspring well. But if the parents possess the much-coveted short and bullfinch beak, 
and their offspring inherit the same, then, while they will feed very well from six to eight days, 
after that time the shortness of the parents’ beaks, and the fast-increasing thickness of the 
youngsters’, will not allow of the latter inserting their beaks into the side of the parents’ mouth, 
and feeding fails. The throat or gullet also becomes closer or smaller with age, especially in 
short-faced birds, which often become as small in the aperture as a Foreign Owl, and thus unable, 
when the time comes for feeding with grain, to allow of its free passage. Some even of the best 
specimens will rear their young well up to about two years of age, but after that time the 
shortening and hardening of the beak, and shrinking of the gullet, will almost always prevent it, 
the latter being seldom suspected, perhaps, and the fancier wondering, since most pigeons feed 
better as they get older, why his will no longer their young. We have known fanciers even give 
up the breed from this cause, Barbs being generally classed as good feeders ; but this, as we have 
explained, is only so with medium-quality specimens when at mature age. The best class of birds 
for nurses are, first Dragoons, from three to five years old (when they have more space at the 
opening of the mouth, where the young beaks are inserted), which fill the crops of the young birds 
in less time than any other pigeon, but are rather wild. Secondly, we advise Barbs themselves ; 
that is, the longest and largest-beaked ones the fancier can find. These can always be found in 
plenty, and when long in beak, no bird can be better adapted for the purpose. Beside these, 
many good young birds will make capital feeders, especially those which do not win as young 
ones, but are kept on hand to grow into good old ones. Such often look far too long in beak the 
first two seasons, waiting for more wattle and greater width of skull to take off the apparent 
length ; and while in this state they generally make good feeders. And large-headed coarse 
Antwerps, short-faced or medium-faced, will also feed well. But we mention the common Barbs 
in order that those who prefer to keep only one breed, and have their stock look uniform, may 
know what is to be done ; but no very short-faced old birds must be relied on longer than from a 
week to ten days. They will generally feed for that time ; and of course the young can, if 
preferred, be fed by hand when they fail, as directed in Chapter IV. 
The next point to be considered is of course the matching ; and first as regards the colours. 
Though some other colours are more difficult to breed, the black is always, and probably always 
will be, the most liked, as no other colour shows off the wattle to such advantage. If it be 
desired to breed such birds as we have described, then, in Black Barbs, let first of all the cock be 
the black, yet, if possible , his beak all white, or rather pale flesh-colour. We say if possible, for 
such are not common ; and if the lower mandible be pale, and the upper one only stained on the 
top, this will do nearly as well. Put him to a hen, if such can be obtained, with a good beak ; 
this last being as we have seen a leading property, and to be much studied in both cock and hen, 
but more especially in the cock. The next quality will, of course, be width and shape of skull ; 
and this in perfection is so rare, that at all times, when a bird of either sex offers at a fair price 
possessed of the square, parallel, well-chiselled formation already described, and illustrated in 
Figs. 49 to 52, we would strongly advise its being secured, if the purse allows, to strengthen the 
