PIGEON FANCYING.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2517, 22 May 1895, Page 4

PIGEON FANCYING.

“Scout” in the Sydney Mail gives the following interesting description of a pigeon fancier’s establishment; — Mr ifiUna’s house and grounds are to the east of Molong, on the side of a hill. A little back and north of his pretty home —which, by the way, is known as Dareenda —is the considerable enclosure containing over 300 highly-bred, various and very beautiful birds, as well as numerous pens of game fowls. Probably, to 90 per cent, of my readers a visit to a pigeon fancier’s would be a revelation. To such, then, it will come as a surprise when I say that out of the 300 and odd highly-bred pigeons (embracing 51 distinct varieties) to be seen iu Mr Kinna’s 61 lofty and admirable pens, you will not find one similar to those you are accustomed to see flying in flocks in every town-suburb and throughout the country. They are all, without exception, purebred, typical birds; each one is dis* tinct of its kind, in shape and plumage, as is a magpie from a crow. Before referring more particularly to the varieties to bo found in this fine collection, lot mo state that, within a high, stronglybuilt wall constructed to keep out the keen winter winds are two separate quadrangles, each about 100 ft x 50ft. The first you pass through is devoted mainly to prize game fowls, save ono end, where are tho seven extra largo pens —or cages or, technically, “lofts,” 18ft deep, by 9ft wide, by 9ft in height, assigned to the young pigeons before they pair, of which there are somewhere about 200 at the present time. Leaving this enclosure and passing through another door into the inner quadrangle, you come upon a scone which, whether you bo fancier or layman, expert or novice, cannot fail to delight, you. This quadrangle, also, is, as X say, about 100 ft x 50ft. In the centre is a grassy lawn, with one or two small circular flower-beds. Around the lawn is a neatly-tiled course, to run off the rain-water, bordering a compact gravel path, and tho entire area of the sides is taken up with 54largopens orcagos. These are breeding pens containing two birds each. Each is 6ft 6inx 6ft 6in x 7ft high. Each has its separate door opening to the path and lawn, its roof, its perch, its nest, and its airy wire sides, and white-washed woodwork, and all are scrupulously clean. Over all —over cages and lawn covering tho entire quadrangle —stayed and stretched over a' light framework is a roof, if ono may call it so, of wire netting, which, of course, obstructs neither sunlight nor air. It ouly ensures the safety of the beautiful prisoners, who, however, would not thank you to be anywhere else. So much for the habitations, save to add that here and there are shallow tin baths of water, which are changed twice daily. The place, as its owner said, is even cat-proof. It I have succeeded iu enabling you to see this quadrangle of lawn, &0., surrounded by white wired cage houses, you will bo able, too, to picl ure it, with its scores of birds of most vi ried colours and shapes—yet all pigeons and each carrying the unmistakable eriienco of pure, high, distinctive breeding in shape and ordered colouring. Most of them are in their pens, but tho doors of not a few of the houses are open, and numbers of the handsome tenants are promenading, or flitting and flying about the lawn. Perhaps, it suddenly asked which of the 51 distinct varieties you thought most striking, you would be inclined to name the Pouters, from their extraordinarily long—so to say—trousered legs, their seemingly long-tailed coats, and wonderfully, puffed-out chests, and air of insufferable self-importance. They remind me of !old Anglo-Indian beaux of the old school •fooling around at an English wateringplace. As remarkable, indeed, to the novice, and infinitely more successful and coyly charming, are the Jacobins, with their high ruffs around their necks, and indeed half hiding their, coquettish little heads. Over the tops of the ruffs their brilliant eyes twinkle incessantly, and ogle you, as do those of a Spanish dona over her fan. Another type I fell in love with is tho Nun. Perhaps no pigeon has a purer, more virginal look than this exquisitelyformed bird, with its delicate, clear-cut head, set in a rich, black hood, and its faultlessly - graceful form of the purest white, with black wings. I am not going through the 51 varieties, though they one and all invito admiring comment. I willcontent’myself with naming the types. Yet I cannot pass those pirouetting, exquisitely feminine White Fantails. Surely that lovely little lady bird, ns she bows and ducks and becks and nods her charming head, and curves and arohps her chest and neck, and displays in its perfection the lace-edged, fan-like tail, surely she must, I say, overbalance backwards—and I wait 'to'see her do it. But she does it not. She knows better; she is feminine. She knows just how far she may go; , and I pass on. In brilliant contrast to the Fantails are the handsome Black Barbs, with their compact figures and neat heads and tiny beaks, and tho extraordinary pink corrugations—technically known as wattle —around tho eyes and beak., They have a look indicative of their sultry, North African origin. Utterly diverse from those are tho White Dragoons, with their bred-to-a-fine-point look and trim, military carriage. Long in tho head and beak and very taper in the nook and body are these birds, with their white uniforms —white wattle—and very high-bred air. I pick out the White Dragoons, but there are also the Blue . Dragoons (Birmingham fancy) and Blue Dragoons (London fancy), as, indeed, of every kind there are distinctive varieties. Take the Jacobin, to wit, of which there are five varieties here—Bed, Black. Yellow, Dun and Strawberry; ortho Owls—a very fine class of these ace tho White Whiskered, tho Blue English, the Silver English and the Blue African ; and so on throughout all the types. Yes, I know I said I was not going to describe them all, and I am not, I will only give that distinction to one other class—tho Archangels, with their rich plumage of dark, handsome wings and rod, irridescent bodies, which shimmer all tho colours of tho rainbow in the bright sunlight. The Turbits, with their numerous varieties, the Antwerps and Magpies, of many kinds, tho Helmets, the Homers, the Trumpeters, the Birmingham Rollers, tho Satinettes, and Bluettes—well, they would all detain us, but must not.

“ Yes, that’s my hobby—my wife’s and mine,” said Mr Kinna, “and a very healthy one it is, too. It gives us plenty of change of occupation and pleasure, and, as a matter, of fact, I never want to go away from home.”'

Well, that ought to put the wives-on the side of a hobby, if they aro not there already. A collection like this, it goes without saying, takes several: years to form, and the high standard attained, and maintained, is the result of no little thought, study, and industry in breeding, crossing and occasional importing. This should be an incentive to young fanciers, as showing the hobby is worth tackling; that there is something to do in it. You are always learning, in fact. “And does it pay?” I asked. “Yea, certainly,” was the prompt answer. “We are frequently ‘showing- at such shows as Bathurst and Orange, and elsewhere, and the numerous prizes and the sale of young birds put us well on the right side of the ledger with our hobby.” In this connection, Mr Kinna incidentally mentioned that he had received from the sources mentioned, in one year, as much as .£l3O. Pigeon fancying is unquestionably -a very charming and enjoyable hobby, and there are not a few amateur fanciers with promising collections in the colonies. There is room for more. But if not that hobby, and you have not got one, my advice is get one—and a good one. And when you have got it, ride to win, like the -owner of the one at Molong.