273 POUTING PIGEONS. 



The Brunn Pouter {Die Brilnner Kropftauhe), according to 

 Xeumeister, " is found particularly beautiful in Prague and 

 Yienna, where it is known by the false name of the 'Dutch 

 Cropper.' It is the most elegant and finest of all the Croppers. 

 Having been first imported to us from Briinn, it was named 

 Briinner Cropper, and it is mostly known by that name. It 

 has the smallest body of all the house pigeons, its whole 

 length amounting to 27^ centimetres (llin.). Legs very long, 

 the thighs being outside the plumage of the belly, and being 

 so stretched during the act of inflating the crop that they 

 almost form a perpendicular line. The leg measures 14 centi- 

 metres (5|in.); the full-grown pigeon weighs 200-266fgrm. 

 (7 to 9foz.). When not inflated, it is very little bigger than 

 a Blackbird, and so slim that you can draw it through your 

 thumb and forefinger. When affected, it presses its thighs 

 outwards, to such a degree that they look like knees which 

 can be moved forward, as it stands almost perpendicularly 

 on the points of its toes. Its smooth, finely-shaped head, is 

 oval ; brow high, neck long ; the globular crop is 7i centimetres 

 (Sin.) in diameter, but without hair. The bill is thin, the 

 waist delicate. The wings, fitting closely to the body, reach 

 within an inch of the end of the tail. The tips are strongly 

 drawn together, narrow and long, and much crossed over 

 the rump. Feet and toes are weakly and smooth. On the 

 whole, the pigeon has a loose plumage, but, notwithstanding, 

 flies well and perseveringly. The Briinn Cropper is mostly 

 coloured like the Saxon. The black with white wing bars, 

 blue, red, and yellow, are the most common. The delicate 

 bay with white wing bars are the rarest. In this colouring 

 the whole plumage, without exception, must be equally, as it 

 were, breathed upon with the most delicate and aerial bay, 

 not so light but that the pure white wing bars can be 

 distinctly seen on it. In connection with this is an un- 

 spotted, delicate, flesh-coloured beak, toe nails, and eye wattle. 

 The iris is light yellow, with an orange border. A dark 



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