Breeding Owls. 
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The size of the English Owl should be at least equal to that of the common Tumbler, and if 
larger, so much the better. In Foreign classes, as we have already said, the smaller the better. 
The general shape resembles that of the Turbit. The chest is broad ; the neck rather short 
and thick, but symmetrically shaped and put on. The wing-butts, or shoulders, should be well 
tucked in, giving rather a rounded appearance, and avoiding the sharp corners of the Carrier or 
Dragoon. The flights and tail, as in the Turbit, are rather short, and the plumage very tight and 
close. The body stands rather low on the legs, showing little or no thigh ; and in general com- 
pactness and neatness of shape no variety surpasses this pigeon. The carriage is upright, with the 
head rather back, somewhat resembling that of the Short-faced Tumbler. We think the small 
variety has a superiority over the larger in fulness of eye, in which quality perhaps no pigeon can 
equal the best African Owls. 
As to the colours in the large variety, Blues and Silvers are generally of the best quality ; 
other colours, such as Yellows, Powdered Blues and Silvers (i.e., Powdered class), and Silvers, are 
generally deficient in head-points. Of the small birds, the best of all are generally Whites, and 
next the Blues ; the rest, and those with coloured markings, such as the body one colour and tail 
another, being seldom equal. Mr. Peter Eden produced nearly all colours, some of his Blues 
having red bars on the wings ; and some of his Blacks, as well as Blues and Whites, were grand 
specimens ; but he had such a collection as has probably never been got together since. 
The plate of Foreign Owls represents three birds we had in our own possession, only the Blue 
and Black being a little flattered, while the White bird fairly deserved to be called perfect. The 
Powdered Blue in the plate of English was drawn from a bird lent us by Mr. Esquilant, who has 
fancied this colour many years, the bird being, we believe, one of Mr. Wicking’s old strain ; and 
the Silver was from the grand collection of Mr. Robert Clay, of Manchester, the Blue being 
supplied by ourselves. All these latter birds, however, have been idealised as regards head- 
properties in order to serve as models. 
In breeding the large or English Owl, the colour is a great point, and we must say very few 
Blues are a good colour, nearly all being white-rumped, and so soft in colour as to be almost like 
Silvers. The oftener these are bred together the worse they get, and as the colour desired is as 
sound as in the Blue Dragoon, the only way to procure it is to breed the darkest Blues together, in- 
stead of that matching of Blue with Silver which has been the rule, and has so destroyed the colour. 
If only one pair of dark Blues could be got, we would breed the progeny back to the parents in the 
way so often described in this work, Even the Silver suffers from the continual crossing of itself 
into the Blue, since the softer colour produces very often the objectionable brown or kite bar, 
which at last gets so into the strain as even to affect the Blue itself, for we have seen really fine 
Blues disfigured by brown bars. We believe the same system of matching is the reason of our now 
so seldom seeing Powdered Blues of good colour, since at one time the Powdered Silver was really 
much scarcer than Blue, and some of the latter shade were really almost too dark, and actually 
needed the Silver to improve the colour. How different it is now every one knows. Any breeder 
who happens to have a good Blue-chequered Owl, or even a dark Blue slightly chequered on the 
body-feathers, has a fine chance to improve the colour, since such birds are generally dark in the 
rump, and a cross with the Blue, as described in treating of Dragoons, will often produce 
beautifully-coloured specimens. A Dark Blue thus bred from a Blue-chequer may also be bred 
with a Blue not so dark with fine effect, provided the latter have a black beak and black bars ; 
otherwise, if a Powdered Bird should be produced, it will probably be a Silver, which has a flesh- 
coloured beak like the ordinary Silver, while the Powdered Blue, like the Blue, has a black beak 
and dark eye-wattle like a Blue Dragoon. Not that the Silver is not an attractive colour ; if 
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