272 FANCY PIGEONS. 



first that were introduced, so far as I know, were self-coloured 

 blacks, reds, blues, &c., wlilcli went by the name of Austrians. 

 Self colours with white wing bars are also known, the most 

 beautiful being the delicate cream or light dove-coloured ones 

 called Isabels. The smallest of these Pigmies are now generally 

 known by their Geinnan name of Briinners. So far as I can 

 leam from the description of these varieties by Neumeister 

 and Priitz, they ought to have clean legs. I have had them 

 with feathers on the outsides of the legs and middle toes, 

 precisely the same as in many of our Norwich Croppers, biit I 

 prefer bare legs. Tegotmeier figures a pair of pigeons called 

 Isabels, very tall and rough-legged, but entirely devoid of 

 ■crop, and with none of the shape of a Cropper. He also 

 figures a pair of red Austrians, which well rej)resent such as 

 I have seen, except that their limbs are well covered with 

 •downy feathers, and their colour is too bright. Such Isabels 

 .as I have had were miniature Pouters with hardly any leg 

 feathering, more delicate in colour than those Mr. Tegetmeier 

 represents in his book, Uplopers in carriage, only medium-sized 

 in crop, and carried their wings crossed at the tips. They 

 "were splendid fliers, floating lightly in the air, with wings 

 upheld, for great distances, but did not clap so loudly as 

 Norwich Croppers, nor carry their tails so fan-like. They had 

 the ability, mentioned by Neumeister, of bending their hock 

 joints forward when stretched to their utmost height ; but 

 they were not nearly so small as he speaks of, being very 

 little less than average-sized Norwich Croppers. Mr. Teget- 

 meier, who bred foreign Pigmy Pouters extensively, and pro- 

 duced them with stocking limbs like English Pouters, gives the 

 following weights and measurements of birds he possessed : 



White cock IS^in. by 5iin Weight 8oz. 



Blue hen 13in. ., 5in ,, 7ioz. 



Silver hen 13in. ,, 4|in ,, Sq-oz. 



Neumeister and Priitz describe these miniature Croppers as 

 follows : 



