Ice Pigeons. 
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OJJ 
be black, though the upper mandible is ofttimes white. I incline to the black beak, because the 
best specimens I have had or seen have been so. Moreover, in appearance, it partially destroys the 
only objectionable peculiarity, viz., the length of head. In this variety the male and female are not 
quite alike, the cock birds having almost plain rich chestnut sides, shoulders, and back, whereas 
the hens are distinctly tipped with black at the outer extremity of all the feathers upon those parts; 
and further, the head-spot is much smaller and less perfect upon the males than females, therefore 
(in this case, at least) the plumage of the hen is, in my opinion, superior and more attractive than 
that of her lord and master. When under the influence of high light, basking in the sun with out- 
stretched wings, the colouring of their sides — deep chestnut beneath, as it were, a coat of varnish — 
is uncommonly striking and effective; indeed, upon the whole, they are very attractive birds — black, 
white, and brown together on one object, but nicely separated. The neck being black throws up 
a lot of colour of the highest tinsel quality ; the black flights on each side or crossing the white tail 
tell up with capital effect ; and the brilliant ruby eye, as it seems, set in black velvet, altogether is 
enough to command for this breed a high place in the category of the long-faced German Pigeons. 
The progeny of these ‘Fire’ Pigeons, unlike their maternal parent, are of a very unprepossessing 
appearance ; they are at first of a dingy mahogany colour, dull and ugly creatures, but time only is 
necessary, and their beauties will crop out. They breed fairly true, but often without the frontal spot, 
and now and then with dark feathers in their tails. The muffs upon legs and feet should be long — 
cannot be too much so — and the hocks vultured to a great extent. I have crossed these birds 
with the Eastern Capuchin (as illustrated in this volume), the result being pretty, medium-faced, 
almost black progeny, with a remarkable coloured lustre all over, the tail being correct white as 
in both parents. 
ICE PIGEONS. 
“Of these birds I may say there are four actual varieties : — First, the pale Lavender, uniformly- 
tinted (barless) bird, in which scarcely the slightest variation of shade is observable in any point, 
even upon head, neck, flights, muffs, or tail ; these are of an exquisite, delicate, and powdery nature 
in feathering, which is their chief property ; they are either ‘ clear-legged,’ ‘ slippered,’ or ‘ heavily- 
feathered,’ and have dark eyes and black beak ; the latter sort are in greatest esteem. Secondly, 
there are similarly pale lavender-tinted ones, with white bars finely edged with black ; but it is 
invariably the case that where a black edging shows upon the bar, such birds are a little deeper in 
colour of head, neck, flights, and tail, which has a dark band thereon ; still, a sort of lavender 
powder pervades the whole plumage. In these the eyes vary — some are dark, others bright orange, 
the paler coloured the bird the more likely to have a dark eye. Thirdly, there are ordinary coloured 
Blues, with white bars with fine black edging, brilliant necks, blue-black flights, tail, and muffs. 
And fourthly, there are the spangled or laced sorts, varying from the most delicately grey-tinted 
ones to others of a much deeper tone. All these spangled varieties are singularly refined and beau- 
tiful, the lacings thereon being very uncommon, and differing materially from that of other kinds of 
chequered or spangled pigeons. The ground tint, as I have said, varies from light to dark, and 
in proportion to its depth, the markings, too, increase in force of colour, even to deepest black, and 
run in zigzag transverse figures — white with fine black edging — from the longest of primary coverts 
right up to and around the shoulder and across the back, forming, upon the whole, a peculiar, 
undefinable, but regular and handsome laced variegation. The eyes vary, the darker ones 
having orange, and the fainter marked ones dark eyes. The formation of the whole family group 
is of a plump but flat or squat character ; the figure of a horizontal creeping pose ; the legs short ; 
and the disposition extremely shy and wild. In each variety there are clean-legged, grouse- 
muffed, slippered, and long-muffed, each being attractive ; but personally, I prefer the wing-footed 
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