60 



169. — There are all sorts of feathers in this pigeon, and the Dutch in 

 breeding it take a very great care ; for as soon as they have fed off their 

 soft meat, they'put their young ones under others to nurse, and then sepa- 

 rate their old ones, placing them in different coops, and feeding them high 

 Tvith hemp or rape seed for a month, then turning them together ; and by 

 being very hearty and salacious, they breed pigeons with very good pro- 

 perties ; from whence we may observe, that would mankind be alike abste- 

 mious, their progeny might be more compleat both in body and mind. 



160. — These are the Pigeons that are most apt to gorge, if not kept con- 

 stantly supplied with meat and water. 



COLUMBA GUTTUROSA ANGLIOANA. 

 The English Vowter. 



161. — This Pigeon, which was first bred in England, and is therefore 

 called the English Powter, is originally a mixed breed between a Horse- 

 regard to this Pigeon, since they have made it subservient to their purpose, viz. by 

 raising from them and others the Pouter. 



158. (Eaton.) — The Dutch Ceofpek. — There does not appear any beauty in the 

 Dutch Cropper that we should attempt to breed a bird like it ; at the same time we 

 must not forget our gratitude to the Dutch Fanciers, in enabling us to obtain this bird, 

 the Dutch Cropper, and crossing it with the Horseman or Carrier have produced the 

 majestic, fine-shaped, elegant English Pout-er. We are not only indebted to the Dutch 

 for the Dutch Cropper, but also for several of the Toy Pigeons, also to other nations 

 that have devoted great care and attention to other Pigeons. 



158. (Beent ) — The Dutch Pouter is also a merry, active bird, playing erect, con* 

 tinually clapping his wings and jumping at his mate. His legs are thin, and frequently 

 bare of feathers, or only tuffed on the toes ; his colour is various, his crop good, but he 

 is not much prized in this country, though the English Pouter is thought to be de- 

 scended from him, with a slight admixture of Horseman blood. 



(Beent.) — The old German Pouters are very large Pigeons, and scarce, even in their 

 native country, measuring twenty-two inches in length, from the tip of the beak to the 

 end of the tail, and three feet six inches, from point to point of the expanded wings, 

 their tail and pinion-feathers being very long ; the beak is stout and rather short ; the 

 legs stout and short, and feet featherless ; the crops are large and well made, but from 

 the shortness of their legs they cannot carry themselves erect. They are sometimes 

 turn-crowned ; in colour they are marked like a bald-headed Tumbler, though occa- 

 sionally quite white. They are not good breeders, on account of their great size ; they 

 often break their eggs, or trample their young to death, consequently they require 

 raising under other nurses. There are many other varieties of Pouters (Kropftauben) 

 in Germany ; one other that I must mention is a moderate-sized, thick-set bird, with 

 turned crown, feather-footed, and half-erect carriage ; the crop is not quite so globular 

 as in some others, and their plumage blue and white. But their peculiarity consists in 

 their manner of flying ; rising a considerable height in the air, with distended crop, 

 they allow themselves to fall or descend almost to the ground, again rising and per- 

 forming the same feat repeatedly. 



161. (Eaton.) — The English Pouter is so infinitely superior for elegance and style, 

 compared to the Dutch Cropper, the Parisian Pouter, the Uploper, or the Pouting 

 Horseman, I should scarce think any good Fancier would attempt to breed an inferior 

 bird when he has the opportunity to breed the superior bird, unless for a particular 

 pvirpose. The late Sir John Sebright was an acknowledged good Fancier ; after his 

 death, I was at the sale of his Bantams and Pigeons ; I was surprised, on looking at 



