254 FANCY PIGEONS. 



Pouter. Captain Norman Hill has been working at this variety 

 for about twenty years, and to his skill and perseverance we 

 are indebted for many of the best specimens that have been 

 exhibited. A noted specimen, bred by him, was a black pied 

 hen, first exhibited in 1879. Afterwards he produced a very 

 curious one, which was black pied on one side, and blue pied 

 on the other. This bird, which was very small, was well marked 

 according to the Pouter standard. At the Crystal Palace Show 

 of 1885 he showed some very well-marked, glossy-coloured 

 black pieds. 



The following correspondence with Captain Hill, in the year 

 1880, will show how he produced his now well-known breed of 

 Pigmies. He wrote to me as follows : " Some time ago I saw a 

 letter of yours, in the Fancier's Chronicle, on the Norwich 

 Cropper, which in itself was good, and correctly written; but 

 therein you ventured a remark which I must take exception to, 

 and which, at the time, I fully intended putting you right on, as 

 far as my strain of pied Pigmies are concerned. Your opinion 

 then was, as far as I can recollect, that my good Pigmy that 

 had been produced lately was a cross between the Norwich 

 Cropper and the foreigner. Until I went to Colchester I had 

 never seen a Cropper worth looking at ; then I saw one or two, 

 in Mr. Boreham's collection, with fair markings and more 

 character than I had before seen. The thought then struck 

 me, had I possessed one of them at the time I began, I might 

 have saved years in the manufacture of my Pigmies ; but this 

 may be doubtful. However, I never had one in my possession 

 until this season, when I bought three from Mr. Boreham, after 

 he had supplied you with the best specimens he got at Norwich 

 or Yarmouth. I am now giving them up, having no opportunity 

 of witnessing their flying powers, and I cannot agree with 

 you in admiring their other properties in preference to the 

 Pigmy. 



" In reply to your inquiry, how I bred my much-admired 

 black pied Pigmy, I may state, briefly, by in-breeding and 



