PIGEON NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 14529, 31 March 1911, Page 2

PIGEON NOTES.

(By Thb Antw-RP.] ,(J*e*rion» re2atsi«9 to pigeon-breeding, etc., requiring answer must be sent to "Antwerp," care of thia office, r.ot later than noon of Thursday, in order to secure at* tention the tame week. The first show of the Dunedin Pigeon dub is now a thing of tho past, and we may. at once say that it came fully up to expectations, both as far as numbers and quality were concerned. On the evening of the show I had a talk with one who is well up in " shows" in this Dominion, and his verdict that it was "all right" seems to be the general verdict of all who were present. S Bob" Bankshaw handled tho iudgingstick, and it may be said at once that he made a real good job of it. Uf course, "Antwerp" camo across things tie would have remedied had he been judging; but, then, that is one of Antwerp's" failings—to always have opinions differing from the judge. Now, to start the classes in their order. Carriers came first, two entries, both from Christchurch, black, with grand bodies, great length and strength of leg, and finely-built necks. Their one weak point waa their heads. They seemed to me to be the least bit " bumpy," and inclined to look down. The next class, for chequer, dragoons,' was ono of the hottest classes ?n the show; eight entries, and not a duffer in the lot. The winner was a magnificently-built bird, beautiful in type, standing on nice short legs; had boautiful eye ceres, and nicely laid-on wattle; his only fault being a slight tendency to be down-faced. The second bird in this class did not have the thickness through of the winner, but seemed to me to be better in beak; while pen 8 had the best-boxed beak of the whole lot, only he had not the body to take him farther up. His beak, however, seemed to almost turn up at the point. The next class contained nothing approaching the chequers in substance or qualitv, but three verv nice grizzles were shown". The first prize bird had, I reckon, the bost-boxed beak in the show, but failed to the winning chequers m shape and texture of wattle. Very little divided the second and third birds. The two blues in this class were verv nice in color, but could not come up to the grizzles in dragoon characteristics. A very nice yellow was also shown, but it had too many corners about its skull to be considered alongside such "topnotchers" as tho blues and grizzles. One old fancier informed us that hereckoned there were a better show of dragoons that he had ever seen in >.ew Zealand before ; but when he was informed that such well-known lofts as lattersalU Wood's, and Fletcher's had helped to build np our strains here he could unders and at once the rapid strides that had been made. The dragoons as a whole showed a very marked improvement on what we have been in the habit of seeing here, and we shall quite expect to see some good classes in the near future. Show Homers-Three of these *ere shovm-first, a wonder fully big «»(i taf headed bke chequer, with a nice .weep of skull; second, a thumping big yellow chequer, more massive hi bodj'than L. first p£ze bird, but did not have that unbroken sweep so necessary to date show homer. But, although beaten on the day, ho should yet be the best of the three. The third prize bird was also good in size, but failed in sweep, and was not so good in chequering. English Owls.—Two birds m this class—a representative of the old and new types. First, a big blue, with a nice round head, and showing plenty of gullet; but, being a hen, it did not have the fullness of front and strength of beak now carried by the majority of cocks of this breed. The second prize bird was about half the eize of its classmate, and will not bear comparison. African owls had the honor of having the biggest class in the show—eleven entries, and every one of them fit for exhibition anywhere. First, a black with a beautiful head and beak. This bird excelled in top skull and beak-setting, his head having that beautiful roundness so essential to the dwl. He was also beautiful in shape ot body, nice and cobby, and carried himsfli perfectly. Second, a nice pied pigeon, failing to previous bird in top skull ana strength of beak; otherwise he held his OAvn, being if anything shorter in feather and fuller in gullet. Third, another rued, possibly the biggest-headed bird in the class, but penalised through being rathei long in feather, and was also a bit bumpy about the head.

A very nice blue was also shown in thi.--class, only he was too big to win in such company. Several birds went tkketlees in this class which a few years ago would have been in the money at any of the shows in the Australasian colonies.

Oriental frills had only one entry, a rca turbiteen, beautiful in color but rather big in size and very poor in head points. Jacobins had" two entries, both yellows, both nice in color, the first prize bird excelling in length of feather, although tho second was possibly better in chain, and it certainly showed more mane. Fantails.—This claes was the disappointment of tho show, only ono entry, and it from Invercargili. Methinks I remember when several fanciers kept thi3 variety in Dunedin. It is one of file- most picturesque of all Taney pigeons, and one which always appeals to the gentler sex at all shows. Talking about fantails reminds me that Mr Adam Menzies, who at one time was tho leading breeder and exhibitor of this variety in New Zealand, died a few weeks prior to our show. The bird that wits shown was a fairly good one, and,_ 1 believe, was bought by a local breeder to strengthen his stud. (To be continued.)