257 POUTING PIGEONS. 



" I have given you all these particulars as I find I cannot 

 bring my mind to risk the journey to-and-fro of my wee ]}et, 

 much as I would like you to see it at the present time. The 

 mealy-chequer is the only new Wood introduced into my strain, 

 with the exception of a yellow Austrian hen, whose young have 

 never lived. The mealy is most unlike the Norwich Cropper, 

 being heavily covered on limb and toes, and the blue cock, 

 wire-legged, is now the oldest bird I bred, and longer in limb 

 than any Cropper." 



Eaton, at page 72 of his 1858 book, says : "At the sale of Ban- 

 tams, pigeons, &c., belonging to the late celebrated and spirited 

 fancier. Sir John Sebright, I was astonished to see the English 

 Pouters in miniature possessing the five properties of the 

 English Pouter." Some have supposed these were stocking- 

 legged birds; but no proof of this can be adduced. The above is 

 contained in a note on the Pouting Horseman, much of which I 

 have already quoted ; and my own impression is, that they were 

 selected Norwich Croppers, such as I have had myself. 



There is still room for improvement in the pied Pigmy 

 Pouter, its prevailing faults being wide set limbs, roimd or 

 hog back, and too little crop; but as several persons are now 

 directing their attention to it, we may expect to see great 

 improvement as time goes on. The colours of the breed 

 at present are mostly black, blue, and silver pieds : red and 

 yellow pieds are scarce. A few have been bred coloured like 

 the laced Blondinettes, but wanting the white spots on the tail 

 feathers. These seem to have been produced from crossing 

 blues, blacks, and strawberries. 



French Pouters. 



According to Boitard and Corbie, there are several varieties 

 of Pouters bred in France. The writings of these authors 

 evince a personal acquaintance with most of the varieties ; but 

 their descriptions are so meagre, and their technical words so 

 impossible to translate — just as the terms used only by pigeon 



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