10S PI<;K<)\> AM) ALL AIJOIT TIIKM. 



THE PIGMY POUTER. 



THESE neat and pretty little pets seem to have had quite 

 a struggle in achieving popularity, for as late as 1896? 

 there were only about three lofts in this country, where 

 they were bred to any degree of excellence. Of late, however 

 they are becoming quite the thing, and are being rapidly 

 taken up by fanciers. 



It seems useless to devote a chapter to them, as they are 

 simply Pouters proper, on a small scale. 



The same slender body, good legs, full, but even globe, and 

 upright station that governs the large Pouter, holds good in 

 Pigmies, and the great point is to get the proper proportions. 



Any tendency to coarseness will not do at all ; in fact the 

 very smal In ess of the bird makes fine and delicate lines of 

 symmetry the great desideratum. They come in all colors 

 and are rapidly becoming nearly as good in contour as the 

 large birds. The cousequental airs put on by the little fel- 

 lows, seem to endear them to all lovers of pigeons. 



There is one point that is bound to make the Pigmy Pouter 

 popular, and that is, the very evident tendency to breed all 

 pigeons down in size. Outside of Runts, Duchesse and birds 

 of that type, the lines are drawn more closely year by year 

 and the small, gracefully built bird is driving his coarser 

 brother out of the field. 



As the greatest point in the Pigmy is his dimiuutiveness, 

 we may look to see a great rivalry as to who can produce the 

 smallest specimens. 



AMY >nc \vlio has ever seen a lot of Pigmies being judged 

 in the walking ](C .,i will admit that they are peculiarly 

 ''taking' little fellows, and their assumption of such exao-- 



