62 



162. — 1. As to the length of body, the longer they are from the Apex 

 of the beak, to the end of the tail, the more the Pigeon is esteemed : I 

 have seen one that measured this way near twenty inches, although seven- 

 teen or eighteen is reckoned a very good length. (*) 



163. — 2. The length of the leg, is the next thing to be examined in a 

 Powter, i.e. from the upper joint of the thigh (f) in sight, to the end of 

 the toe nail ; (J) and in this property some pigeons have been very con- 

 siderable, wanting a mere trifle of seven inches, yet the bird that produces 

 six and a half or three quarters must be allowed to be a very good one. (§) 



compared among other Pouters, was not over eighteen inches in length or feather. 

 You may ask how it came to pass that a bird, comparatively short as touching length 

 of body or feather, could show so conspicuous among other Pouters, simply because it 

 possessed the three grandest properties of the Pouter ; first, length of leg or limb ; 

 second, by smallness of girt or waist ; thirdly, a large beautiful round or globular crap 

 or crop. 



(Eaton.) — 4th Property crap or crop. Mr. Mooee beautifully defines the crap or 

 crop ; Mayor or Gietin do not mention it. I cannot add or take from without injm'- 

 ing Mr. Moobe's remarks, while I have been attempting to write on the crap or crop, 

 finding I cannot. The word here is perfectly correct, I think it would sound better if 

 Gentlemen Fanciers would make use of the word Pouters, instead of the words Croppers 

 or Crappers ; I presume the words are so deeply rooted among Fanciers, that it win be 

 impossible to eradicate them. 



(Eaton.) — 5th and last Property in a Pouter, feather. I am aware some inexpe- 

 rienced Fanciers would make, just as the maggot bites with them, sometimes ten at 

 other times fifteen properties, the standard laid down 123 years ago is the same now, 

 five properties, and never can be improved. Read Moore, paragraphs 166 to 174, on 

 feather, chap, chop, bib, pinion, clean white thighs, and flight feathers, after all only 

 one property, feather. 



* 162. (Mayor, p. 94.) — It should have a hollow back, running ofi" taper from the 

 shoulders, to form a fine shape, (for if it rises on the back it is called hog-backed,) and 

 it should be small in the girt. Great caution should be observed in measuring their 

 length of body, lest the head and tail shouldjbe pulled off, which (if I am rightly informed) 

 was once the case, and thereby a fine bird sacrificed. 



t 163. Mayor, p. 94, states with regard to length of leg, and in this property 

 some of them want a mere trifle of seven inches and a quarter. 



J 163. (Eaton.) — It requires truth and honesty in measuring, besides being rather 

 difl&cult ; it requires two to measure, if it is accurately done, and is done in the follow- 

 ing way : — Let one hold the leg out straight ; place the blade of a penknife or small 

 wedge in the upper joint of the thigh, the other taking the length from what is placed 

 in the joint ; let the rule touch, and continue to the end of the longest toe-nail ; which 

 does not appear to be altogether fair, there being no limits to the length of toe-nail. If 

 two gentlemen showed two birds for length of leg, and, fairly speaking, the length of 

 leg was equal ; yet if one in the toe-nail ran out a quarter, or half-an-inch more than 

 the other, by the standard laid down it counts as length of leg, although the bird would 

 not stand higher for it. The Pouter Fanciers reason and say, it has as much right to 

 count as the running out or length of beak in the Horseman or Carrier. I acknow- 

 ledge this to be fair argument, and leave it to the Pouter and Carrier Fanciers to 

 decide. I think it right to inform you, I measure only to the end of the quick, and all 

 over consider horn : the same remarks are applicable to short-faced Tumblers. Mr. 

 MooRE, in the preceding Paragraph, 162, as touching length of body, states, in his 

 day, he had seen one nearly twenty inches, and in Paragraph 163, wanting a mere trifle 

 of seven inches ; and Mayor, p. 94, states the leg seven inches and a quarter ; it 

 therefore appears the leg is full one-third of the length of the body of the bird. 



§ 163. (Mayor, p. 95.) — Their thighs and legs should be stout and thick, and 

 well covered with smooth white feathers, not thin wire legs and naked, as for- 

 merly. 



