202 THE TURTLE-DOVE. 



neck, and upper part of the wings are of a snowy wliite \ 

 the head may be either black, yellow, or red. 



Pouters are so called from the curious manner in which 

 they can inflate or distend their crops. Hence their old 

 name of Croppers. As Willoughby says : " They are so 

 called because they can, and generally do, by attracting the 

 air, blow up their crops to that strange bigness, that they 

 exceed the bulk of the whole body besides ; and which, 

 as they fly, and while they make that murmuring noise, 

 swell their throats to a great bigness, and the bigger the 

 better and more generous they are esteemed." Their 

 appearance, when the crop is thus inflated, strikes us as 

 pre-eminently ridiculous; especially as there is a wonderful 

 pomposity in their gait, and air of self-satisfaction in their 

 whole bearing. 



In our enumeration of the European pigeons we must 

 not omit to refer to the graceful and beautiful Turtle- 

 dove, which in all time has been the type of faithful 

 affection. Thus, we read in Sir Philip Sidney : — 



" Time doth work what no man knoweth, 

 Time doth us the subject prove ; 

 With time still affection groweth 

 To the faithful turtle-dove." 



And every reader will remember Byron's allusion to 



" The rage of the vulture and love of the turtle." 



A yet happier illustration is afibrded by Spenser : — 



" Like as the culver on the bared bough 

 Sits mourning for the absence of her mate, 



