The Illustrated Book of Pigeoxs. 
310 
“ The varieties chosen for illustration and description are as follows : — ‘ Satinettes,’ 
‘ Brunettes,’ ‘ Bluettes,’ ‘ Silverettes,’ ‘ Blondinettes ’ — Satin, Browns, Sulphur, Blacks, Laced, 
Spangled, and Tipped, also ‘ Trhcoloured Barred,’ Blues, and Silvers. Now all these sorts 
(excepting the Blues and Silvers) are of tri~colonred or variegated plumage, and have been produced 
by a skilful admixture of various coloured birds ; in consequence of which they occasionally revert 
to, and display the characteristics of, their ancestors. This is seen to some extent in the Silvers 
and Blues, which only reveal the colour properties in the bar across the wing, which is generally 
composed of the three colours upon the web of each feather, otherwise they breed perfectly true to 
the tribe, yet not always exact to ground tint. Still, no matter what the colour may be, there will 
be found the feather markings thereon, and such markings or pencillings are indelibly fixed and 
made permanent features of the breed, and breed equally true to feather and far more reliable in 
form than any of the recognised established kinds of British pigeons. I have mentioned this at the 
outset in order to dispel the very erroneous idea prevailing in the minds of a few fanciers and at 
least one eminent authority, who as a professed ornithologist should certainly be better qualified to 
discriminate between unaided nature and art, as seen in the working out and full accomplished 
perfection of these admirable specimens. The authority to whom I allude has thought fit in his 
wisdom to refer to some of these foreign varieties of pigeons in terms of disparagement. Fortunately 
for himself he has not said much directly against them, since having so little knowledge of them 
brevity was absolutely necessary ■: he has, however, sneeringly characterised them as neither more 
nor less than odd sports or freaks of the Owl species, and thus beneath the recognition of those 
skilled in the knowledge of refined British pigeons 1 
“ But the time has come when these variegated feathered gems of pigeons have received a 
more cordial welcome and a more favourable reception, and when in these birds, upon the very 
surface of a most elegant form, there is clearly recognised a perfectly tri-coloured or variegated 
tracery of rich feathering, graduating in perfect order throughout the entire plumage. The names 
* Satinette,’ ‘ Bluette,’ &c. &c., were given to them on their introduction into this country, by 
British fanciers. I have taken no part in the christening ; therefore, whether appropriate or not, I am 
not at all responsible ; but as they are now pretty well known by those names, I purpose accepting 
the terms by which they are here known, and shall speak of them accordingly, so that readers may 
not become confounded in their ideas of the different sorts under notice. 
“ First, then, come ‘ Satinettes,’ as being the oldest pencilled variety which I have been enabled 
to trace ; and although in my researches I have succeeded in tracing their history back to some- 
where about 120 years as a special inhabitant of Asia Minor, still even then their origin is perfectly 
obscure ; for, although I have sought in various directions to obtain a direct clue to their original 
birthplace, or origin, I cannot get beyond the information of an aged Presbyter in Smyrna, who is 
now upwards of eighty years old. He tells me that he has had the breed all his life, and that the 
identical variety were also bred and propagated by his father in a like manner, and by his grand- 
father too before them ; that they were regarded as the highest type of pigeon beauty, and were 
described in native terms which, interpreted, would mean Royal or Imperial pigeon, as possessing 
the highest order of excellence, and thus worthy of the highest title which their owners could confer 
upon them. Now, there are not many varieties of pigeons of which fanciers of experience may 
have some knowledge, that one cannot trace pretty accurately their direct line of descent, and 
method and course by which they have been propagated. One generally has at least either history 
or experience as a guide in determining this, but not so with the Satinette ; that they were pro- 
duced and fully and fairly established as a variety, permanent and unmistakable, is a clear and 
certain fact ; for they breed perfectly true to both form and feather properties, and whenever crossed 
