218 DOMESTIC PIGEONS : Chap. VI. 



successful breeder of Pouters in the world, informs me that at 

 present (1858) the standard length of the body is not less than 18 

 inches; but he has measured one bird 19 inches in length, and has 

 heard of 20 and 22 inches, but doubts the truth of these latter 

 statements. The standard length of the leg is now 7 inches, but 

 Mr. Bult has recently measured two of his own birds with legs 7h 

 long. So that in the 123 years which have elapsed since 1735 there 

 has been hardly any increase in the standard length of the body ; 

 17 or 18 inches was formerly reckoned a very good length, and 

 now 18 inches is the minimum standard ; but the length of leg 

 seems to have increased, as Moore never saw one quite 7 inches 

 long ; now the standard is 7, and two of Mr Bult's birds measured 

 7 k inches in length. The extremely slight improvement in Pouters, 

 except in the length of the leg, during the last 123 years, may be 

 partly accounted for by the neglect which they suffered, as I am 

 informed by Mr. Bult, until within the last 20 or 30 years. About 

 1765 38 there was a change of fashion, stouter and more feathered 

 legs being preferred to thin and nearly naked legs. 



Fantails. — The first notice of the existence of this breed is in 

 India, before the year 1600, as given in the 'Ayeen Akbery;' 39 at this 

 date, judging from Aldrovandi, the breed was unknown in Europe. 

 In 1677 Willughby speaks of a Fantail with 26 tail-feathers ; in 1735 

 Moore saw one with 36 feathers ; and in 1824 MM. Boitard and 

 Corbie assert that in France birds can easily be found with 42 tail- 

 feathers. In England, the number of the tail-feathers is not at 

 present so much regarded as their upward direction and expansion. 

 The general carriage of the bird is likewise now much valued. The 

 old descriptions do not suffice to show whether in these latter 

 respects there has been much improvement : but if Fantails with 

 their heads and tails touching had formerly existed, as at the present 

 time, the fact would almost certainly have been noticed. The 

 Fantails which are now found in India probably show the state of 

 the race, as far as carriage is concerned, at the date of their intro- 

 duction into Europe ; and some, said to have been brought from 

 Calcutta, which I kept alive, were in a marked manner inferior to 

 our exhibition birds. The Java Fantail shows the same difference 

 in carriage ; and although Mr. Swinhoe has counted 18 and 24 tail- 

 feathers in his birds, a first-rate specimen sent to me had only 

 14 tail-feathers. 



Jacobins. — This breed existed before 1600, but the hood, judging 

 from the figure given by Aldrovandi, did not enclose the head 

 nearly so perfectly as at present : nor was the head then white ; 

 nor were the wings and tail so long, but this last character might 

 have been overlooked by the rude artist. In Moore's time, in 1735, the 

 Jacobin was considered the smallest kind of pigeon, and the bill is 



38 ' A Treatise on Domestic of part of the ' Ayeen Akbery ' ic 

 Pigeons,' dedicated to Mr. Mayor, * Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist.,' vol. 

 17H5. Preface, p. xiv. xix. 1847, p. 104. 



39 Mr. Blyth has given a translation 



