470 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jane 30, 1870. 



letter from a gentleman at Bristol, who has some of my re- 

 lations, and it was to this effect — " I consider the name of this 

 breed should be changed to Black Brazilian Ducks, because 

 it is well known their origin was in Brazil, and not the East 

 Indies. Such a misnomer seems very ignorant and absnrd. 

 The breeders of this variety, of which you are one of chief, 

 should agree to rectify the error." Now, when Mr. Hewitt 

 writes of us he always calls us " Baenos-Ayrean," and when 

 my great grandfather waB taking all the first honours at 

 Birmingham, &c, he was always so called ; but we are more 

 widely known under our present name, and why trouble to alter 

 again and thus unsettle what is now believed by most to be our 

 correct title ? When in our wild state ,1 have been told our re- 

 lations are found at some seasons flying in most of those places. 



" Justitia " says at Manchester ornamental waterfowls num- 

 bered twenty-five entries. True, but twenty of those were 

 off the garden ponds, and were not really what I may call ex- 

 hibitors' entries. Again, he says, at the Palace Show " not 

 even the sop of a highly commended or commended being dealt 

 out to Mrs. Hayne, who took first and third at Birmingham, 

 or to those by Mr. Burn ; Mr. George, who took first and third 

 at Bristol, alone coming in for one highly commended." Now, 

 Mrs. Hayne's first-prize Birmingham pen was sold at the 

 auction in Bingley Hall for £4, and was not at the Palace 

 Show. Mr. Burn, who took the first, second, and cup at 

 Bristol, was not able to send a single pen to the Palace Show 

 owing to the railway company sending his birds from the 

 Bristol Show into Cumberland instead of Yorkshire, where 

 they were lost for a week ; although much praise is due to the 

 party who received such an unexpected addition to his pets 

 ior the great care bestowed upon them, yet they could not go 

 to the Palace Show. Mr. George took the third prize, and not, 

 as stated by " Justitia," first and third at Bristol. 



As regards the proposition to get up a subscription cup, this 

 was done last year by Mr. Burn, and £3 3s. was paid for the 

 cup won by Mrs. Hayne at Birmingham. I understand that 

 the same is being done this year with every prospect of getting 

 a five-guinea cup, and that will make us, at least for the 

 Birmingham Show, the head of our tribe, for the fortunate 

 winner will have eight guineas. — Black East Indian. 



P.S. — Will " Justitia " and his friends help Mr. Burn to make 

 the Birmingham cup worthy of what he thinks our position 

 should be ? 



THE POUTER PIGEON. 



[The following valuable description of the prize fancy Pouter 

 has been sent to us, with the engraving, by the Birmingham 

 Columbarian Society.] 



In giving our opinions of the essential properties or points 

 of this variety of Pigeon we do not intend, nor is it necessary, 

 to enter into an elaborate disquisition on the origin, antiquity, 

 habits, and beauty of this kind of bird. There is sure to be, 

 and fortunately is, a great diversity of opinion with regard to 

 their position in relation to other Pigeons ; yet whatever these 

 various opinions may be, there Bhould be but little difference 

 as to what constitutes a " perfect Pouter." Their merits have 

 been so often discussed, their claims to especial favour admitted, 

 and their beauty acknowledged, that to be ignorant of their 

 points as show birds is, from a fancier's point of view, tanta- 

 mount to knowing but little of Pigeons generally, as the Pouter 

 has always had a prior claim and the lion's share of encourage- 

 ment at our exhibitions, so that the fancier ought to be pretty 

 well informed of their qualities and defects. 



In noting down our views we cannot well avoid repeating to 

 some extent that which has been written of late upon this 

 subject by several of your correspondents and our fellow fanciers 

 in the north, to the latter of whom belongs, in a great measure, 

 the credit of breeding and maintaining the Pouter in its true 

 character, and also to whom unquestionably belong some of 

 the best birds of this type. Good Pouters are undoubtedly a 

 graceful and attractive kind of Pigeon, and are a great acqui- 

 sition at whatever shows they may be congregated, as they form 

 a singular and charming contrast to the many other kinds, to 

 the whole of which they are so entirely dissimilar. Their 

 general appearance differs so considerably from that of any 

 other kind of Pigeons, that at a glance they really appear, as 

 often remarked, of no affinity to the Pigeon tribe. 



As before said, it is needless to enlarge upon the merit of 

 these birds, as so recently and so well have your readers been 

 acquainted with their points, by those who are evidently well 

 informed upon this breed of Pigeon, that to add much more to 



what has been written would perhaps be regarded as super- 

 fluous, and only tend to confuse rather than to make clear our 

 views, which are, upon this subject, I think, in unison with 

 those of our Glasgow contemporaries who have preceded ns in 

 this matter. It now only seems neoesBary to give a brief 

 summary, and to supplement such with a representation of a 

 standard Pouter, which will probably furnish that information 

 which an exhaustive volume might fail to do. 



Varieties. — Pouters for exhibition are divided into five va- 

 rieties — viz., Blue, Yellow, White, Red, and Black. Our en- 

 graving represents a cock bird of the first-named kind. There 

 are also Mealy or mixed-coloured Pouters, which are the result 

 of crosses with the other kinds, probably in some cases the 

 amalgamation of the whole, and consequently they are not of a 

 very attractive colour, but are nevertheless very useful birds, 

 as they are generally large and of a vigorous constitution, and 

 are oftentimes introduced with good effect as mates for birds of 

 weaker stock, bat of fine feather, for the sake of regenerating 

 them, and keeping up the size and stamina of those of more 

 value. 



The primary qualities of a show Pouter are Form, Size, 

 Colour and Markings. 



They may be described briefly thus : First, they shonld be 

 of Blender and graceful construction ; secondly, they should be 

 of large size, but not unwieldy ; thirdly, they should be pure, 

 rich, and uniform in colour. Their general formation, or 

 structure, may be further explained as follows. They should 

 have a large and rotund crop, narrow girth, and long pinions, 

 the points of which should meet over the tail, but by no means 

 should they cross each other, for when such is the case the 

 birds' butts or shoulders become prominent, and so detract 

 from the apparent size of the crop and slenderness of girth. 

 This defect is oftentimes noticeable in birds that are heavily 

 feathered on the legs or vulture-hocked, and as a consequence 

 generally lose that long stride and important bearing which is 

 so attractive in a good Pouter. The long-muffed ones invari- 

 ably strut about in an awkward and stumbling manner, carry- 

 ing their body in too horizontal a position, lifting high their 

 legs, crossing their wings, and appearing as though they were 

 stepping through water and were desirous of passing through 

 unspotted. This is one of the reasons why the heavily muffed 

 birds do not find the favour their brethren with downy-clothed 

 legs so often and so reasonably lay claim to. 



The legs of the Pouter shonld be long, measuring about 

 7J inches, the outline of which Bhould be neatly, but entirely 

 hidden with smooth feathers, extending to the end of the toes, 

 similar to a Grouse ; in fact, they are not unfrequently called 

 " Grouse-legged." 



The entire length of a good Pouter cock should be 20 inches, 

 from the end of the beak to the extremity of the tail ; the hen 

 birds, of course, are smaller. 



The back, of necessity, must be straight. The high-backed, 

 or humped-backed ones, are very ugly, and generally have also 

 flabby crops, which they are incapable of fully inflating, but 

 which hang loosely down, much to their disfigurement, and 

 however good in other points or pedigree, can only be regarded 

 as defective specimens. 



The size of the Pouter shonld be large ; but it may be re- 

 marked, that although apparently of great size when seen at 

 large, yet when taken in hand they will be found much smaller 

 than would be supposed, as their apparent large proportions 

 are considerably enhanced by the quantity of wind, legs, and 

 feathers, of which they are in a great measure composed. 



The head of the Pouter should be neat, and not large or 

 coarse, as too often seen ; the forehead should be high and pro- 

 minent, and Bomewhat suddenly receding downwards to the ear ; 

 the beak is rather Dove-shaped, the wattle thereon small and 

 regular ; and the eye without any fleshy substance more than is 

 observable in the majority of Pigeons. 



Blue Pouters should be of a clear and bright colour, a shade 

 darker upon the head, neck, and tail than elsewhere ; the sides 

 of the wings, breast, and back should be blue, descending from 

 the neck and terminating in a distinct line from thigh to thigh ; 

 the wing coverts (as in nearly all Blue Pigeons), should be crossed 

 with two black bars, there is also a black band nearly at the 

 edge of the tail ; on the sides of the wings and near to the 

 shoulder should be a few white feathers as represented in the 

 engraving, these are called the rose, and when good and distinct 

 are a great set-off to a Pouter. An important feature also in 

 the markings of a Pouter is a clear white and well defined cres- 

 cent upon the front of the crop or globe. 

 I Yellows, Beds, and Blacks with their respective colours 



