1'IGEONS AM) ALL ABOUT THEM. 



THE RUNT. 



THE Hunt is a large bird that has come into notoriety of 

 late years, through its size and nothing else. 



It has no markings by which the judge can use com- 

 parison, but it is simply a large pigeon, bred large by those 

 who feel that a pigeon represents so much meat. However 

 the Runt has been found a good bird for a cross, to make 

 good eating squabs. Crossed with the Homer, or with birds 

 of that class, the young have been found to show up in good 

 shape, and.they are certainly as good eating as can be found, 

 that is if one can imagine that the pigeon is a bird Jit only 

 to eat. To the fanciers who look on the pigeon as being- 

 something more than "a piece of liver 1 '/, e. something to 

 use as so much marketing, the cultivation of the Runt does 

 not offer many inducements, though it must be admitted 

 that by its size, it is an impressive sort of bird. 



Still, there is nothing in the way of grace or style, that 

 will ever make it a show bird. As to the breeding qualities 

 of the Runt, the Runt proper is not so good a breeder as the 

 cross bred bird. Just as in any bird that is bred to excess in 

 certain points, the Runt seems to develope a tendency to 

 grow either into infertility or into pour feeding qualities. 



In shape, the Runt is much like the common pigeon, but 

 its tendency is to carry the tail "up" instead of out, with the 

 flights resting below it. The neck is coarse, and the shoul- 

 ders wide; breast plump, and body rather short built. 



Still, no regular body lines can be laid down. The judge 

 must simply judge by comparison, taking for his ideal a 

 large sized common pigeon, "built for meat," and nothing 

 else. It may be that in years to come we may build the 

 Runt on certain lines, and it will then be a show bird, but. 

 prior to that time we must simply assume that it is a large 

 common pigeon. 



