264 FANCY PIGEONS. 



description of them, yet it appears necessary for my plan to 

 illustrate more nearly the striking peculiarities, as well as the 

 resemblances, of both. The English Cropper is very large, 

 and very much of the same size as the Pomeranian. The 

 inflated crop is round, and must be intersected by an incision 

 on the breast, so that this incision forms a regular shape; 

 the rump is proportionately thin, the tail long and slender, 

 the legs are very long, possibly equally feathered with downy 

 feathers, only the toes must have standing out feathers so 

 that they quite hide the toes, but at the same time form no 

 shoes, which is a decided defect in the English Cropper." 



What is meant by " shoes " I do not exactly know, but I 

 learn further on that the Pomeranian breed is much rougher- 

 limbed than ours, which, though considered a beauty in them, 

 is a grievous defect in ours. 



"The Pomeranian Cropper is almost, or quite, of the same 

 size as the English; but its rump is thicker, its crop not in- 

 flated so like a ball, on account of which the shape is lost; 

 the tail is shorter, and is carried a little more spread out. The 

 legs with good birds are almost as long as with the English. 

 Yet from a distance they do not appear so long, because they 

 are provided with pretty large feathers, which form stockings 

 below the hocks and shoes at the feet. The colours and marks 

 are the same as with the English; pure whites also occur, 

 though they have become rare; and there are whites with 

 black and blue tails. The last mark often occurs, and I have 

 hitherto believed that whites with black tails existed in no 

 other race, especially in the English, for Fulton does not 

 mention them, although he treats his subject very minutely 

 and fully. It is striking that among the Pomeranian Croppers 

 there are no whites with red or yellow tails." 



I have seen many blue and black-tailed white English Pouters, 

 and they can easily be bred by pairing a black or blue pied 

 with a white. The first cross often results in such marking, 

 as I have observed elsewhere, and it can easily be fixed, as 



