228 FANCY PIGEONS. 



fanciers have, to some extent, bred these noble pigeons for 

 several years past, and they have succeeded in producing 

 many fine ones, as is well known. Some of the best I have 

 bred myself I can trace back to birds I bought from the late 

 Mr. Montgomery, of Belfast, whose stock was founded chiefly 

 on Scotch blood. 



It has been usual to write of the English Pouter as having 

 five properties viz., crop, length of limb, length of feather, 

 slenderness of girth, and feather. Authorities are divided on 

 the respective value of these properties, and also as to which 

 is the most valuable. It is no use, however, to argue over 

 this, as a Pouter must be fairly well up in all points to 

 have any chance of winning at a good show, the bird which 

 fails conspicuously in any one of them having little chance 

 in keen competition. In describing the Pouter, I shall restrict 

 its properties to four viz., size, shape, carriage, and feather. 



SIZE. The Pouter must be a very large pigeon, very tall 

 and upstanding, the larger the better. It will be found in 

 breeding, that the great difficulty is to get it of gigantic pro- 

 portions, combined with quality in shape, feather, and carriage. 

 Under-sized Pouters, otherwise very good, are common enough ; 

 but, as soon as a certain size is reached, there is not only a 

 very great difficulty in rearing a bird, but it almost invariably 

 fails in shape and carriage. When size and shape are got, 

 the difficulty of producing good colour and the intricate 

 marking at once decimates the number fit for exhibition. 

 Those whose experience in breeding pigeons has been confined 

 to self-coloured varieties, such as Carriers and Barbs, know 

 nothing of the difficulty there is in producing colour and 

 marking, combined with size and shape, in the Pouter. I 

 believe the Pouter was formerly the most valuable variety. 

 Moore says : " I have known eight guineas refused for a single 

 Pigeon of this breed " ; and the author of the Treatise of 1765 

 quotes a sale of Pouters by auction, at which two pairs 

 realised 13 6s. and 16 16s. respectively. He says that 



