245 POUTING PIGEONS. 



being very miicli smarter in appearance. However, as some 

 of the best birds are slightly featlier-legged, they are not to 

 be discarded on this account. Flight being considered all- 

 in-all by many Cropper fanciers, feathered legs are of little 

 consequence ; at the same time, bare legs are allowed to be 

 correct. I have not seen any pure Croppers completely 

 stocking-legged, and the more they are so the worse they 

 look. No doubt the Pouter is vastly improved by com- 

 pletely feathered stocking limbs; but, as I have shown, it 

 was barelegged in Moore's time. The little Cropper having, 

 however, quite a different carriage from the Pouter, feathered 

 legs give it a clumsy appearance, and this is a settled question 

 among many of those who keep them. The legs ought to 

 be placed in the body as in the Pouter, compared with 

 which the Cropper is straighter in limb, not inclining so 

 much at the hocks. Slenderness of girth, or of waist as it 

 is termed, is, of course, an admirable property in the Cropper, 

 and is best seen in young birds, for they naturally thicken 

 as they increase in age. 



Regarding length of limb and feather in Croppers, I give 

 the following measurements of birds I have possessed, some 

 of which were bred in Norfolk and the adjoining counties, and 

 some by myself. Ten cocks averaged Sy^^in. in limb, and 15in. 

 in feather; they varied from Sy^^in. to 5|in. in limb, and from 

 14|in to ISjin. in feather. Nine hens averaged S^^in. in limb, 

 and 14iin. in feather ; they varied from Sin. to 5f in. in limb, 

 and from 14in. to 15in. in feather. There is, therefore, nothing 

 like the variation in length of limb and feather among them 

 that there is among Pouters. Their average length of limb, in 

 proportion to their average length of feather, is also equal to 

 what is only rarely attained in Pouters, which proves them to 

 be more easily bred good in shape than Pouters. This is, 

 indeed, the case, and many perfect models in shape may be 

 found among them, which, of course, makes them very much 

 less valuable. Good Croppers should feel no heavier in the 



