Thighs and other Points. 
253 
less beauty. Being also of much less difficulty to breed, we do not consider that whole-coloured 
or white birds should be allowed to compete on equal terms. 
Low-cut birds are more or less white or clean-thighed, sometimes quite so ; and some fanciers 
like this marking, while others consider it so great a fault, that no matter how good a bird may be 
possessing it, nor how bad one dark-thighed, they would throw out the clean-thighed bird. We 
need not repeat reasons already given why we cannot agree to this ; but we may note the strong 
probability it adds to the belief of the Jacobin having been first produced by crossing the Bald- 
head with the Capuchin or some similar breed, and then developing hood and chain, some of the 
progeny taking after the clean thigh as well as head marking of the Baldhead, and others the dark 
thigh of the Capuchin. However this may be, and though we much prefer the dark thigh as so 
much removed from the Baldhead, and even prefer a bird high-cut, we can never, as some have 
done, rank a high-cut bird with dark thighs, but with foul flights and bad in hood, mane, and 
chain, over one fine in these points, but just low-cut and clean-thighed. Indeed, at ope time the 
clean-thighed birds were fashionable, and as we have said, some admire them now. To find one 
perfectly clean-thighed is as difficult as to find one perfectly dark, but it would certainly be easily 
bred if wished. Were it not so we would as soon have it as the dark thigh, and almost even prefer 
it as far as looks go ; but something is always to be allowed in a fancy pigeon for difficulty of pro- 
duction, which is on the side of the dark thigh. But either way, we would always wish for one or 
the other, and the greater part of the Jacobins to be seen at present are neither, but a mixture of 
both, which pleases neither party and is to be avoided. On the average, we certainly think the 
best birds we have seen in hood, mane, and chain have been clean-thighed and low-cut. 
The eye of the Jacobin shows a black pupil surrounded by white or pearl. This colour, as 
in all short-faced pigeons, greatly improves the appearance of the head ; but many birds, good in 
other points, have bull or broken eyes. These, or orange-eyes, would be with some judges a 
disqualification, and certainly we much dislike either. Still, we cannot agree with such extreme 
measures, having often noticed that birds so disfigured were apt to be the best in colour. We 
would simply allow it to tell fairly in competition, and judge the bird as a Jacobin, as with the other 
blemishes already mentioned. Moreover, a bull or gravel-eye can be got rid of in one judicious 
cross, and even the orange-eye in two. 
The colour of the beak should be pale or flesh-colour, except in whole-coloured Black birds. 
Some otherwise good birds have beaks rather stained, which, if not really black, is in our opinion 
of no great consequence. 
The flights and tail should be long in comparison to the size of the body. This is, in fact, a 
necessity for a good Jacobin ; for it will be readily seen that as a good length of feather is indis- 
pensable to form a good hood, mane, and chain, these points can hardly exist without the long 
feather also in flights and tail. Hence birds hatched early are apt to be the best in all these 
points, while, on the other hand, generally too large. 
We like a bird to be rather tall on the legs, such birds being generally tight in feather ; and 
a Jacobin at all loose in feather can never look well. Birds never look so well, in fact, as just 
after the first moult, when all the plumage is at its best ; though, as regards colour and beak, the 
old bird looks better. Longish legs also allow of a nice upright carriage, which sets off the 
peculiar points to better advantage. 
So much for what a Jacobin is or should be. Much of what We have said will give some 
assistance in matching for the breeding-pen ; but we must now add a little particularly on that 
subject ; and we will begin with the Blacks, as generally most deficient in the essential properties, 
except perhaps the Blue, which is still worse, both being as a rule inferior in hood, mane, chain, and 
