The gentleman wrote me he was satisfied. You may ask why I did not charge 10 

 guineas for it ? Simply because I did not consider it worth, and, in the second place, I 

 knew he was as good or better judge of a Pigeon than myself. With regard to the 

 Pout-er cock, 1 only knew of one I considered worth 10 guineas. I waited upon the 

 Fancier, the owner of the bird, and asked him the lowest he would take for it. He 

 bummed and ah'd, and said he did not know what he would take for it, that it would 

 follow the family about the house lil^e a house-dog, I knew a gentleman who had 

 offered him 10 guineas for the bird. I could not by any possibility get him to name a 

 price. He said he thought it should die in the family. It certainly was a splendid 

 bird, the best I ever saw, I believe the bird belonged to, and was bred by, his 

 daughter, who was equally as good or better Fancier than her father ; so I had to give 

 it up. With regard to the Carriers, I could not obtain one I could send out for 10 

 guineas, not considering it good enough for the money, therefore gave it up. Some 

 months after, being at a celebrated show, I was struck by a wonderful Carrier in a pen 

 among other Carriers. The thought struck me that bird would do. I ascertained it 

 belonged to a gentleman I knew very well, and with whom I could take liberties. I 

 said to him if I should put that Carrier into my pocket, what is the very very lowest I 

 shall have to give you for it, not to open yom* mouth too wide, but to draw it mild ? 

 placed his hands on my two shoulders, and said, " Mr, Eaton, to draw it mild with 

 you, the very very lowest I can take is £16." I also gave that up, though I considered 

 it worth all the money, for had I put £50 in my pocket, and gone in search for its 

 equal, I believe I could not have obtained it. The simple. cause of my writing this, is 

 to show the young Fancier there are gentlemen in the Fancy who will give very long 

 prices for extra good birds, and are not to be obtained ..any other way ; that birds are 

 equally as dear or dearer now, as when Mr. Mayoe attended the sale on the 2nd of 

 February, 1761. It is impossible to say what some rich Fanciers would give for the 

 best birds, provided they could be obtained. Kich Fanciers do not take it with a good 

 grace coming in second best ; they all want to take first prizes at the shows. Some 

 time ago a grand show of Poultry and Pigeons was to take place in a certain town. I 

 received three letters from different gentlemen connected with the town, each soliciting 

 if I could let him have a pair of Almonds that would take the first prize at the show. 

 This placed me in a fix. Being very strong in Almonds at the time, I picked out three 

 pair as near as I could for properties, and sent them. They gave satisfaction. SoAie- 

 times it happens the toss of jour hat which birds will win (when Poultry judges take 

 upon themselves the onerous office of awarding prizes to Pigeons). I knew it to be 

 utterly impossible that the three pair of birds could take first prize at the same show ; 

 I reasoned, provided the birds were sent to three different shows, and the judges who 

 awarded the prizes were incompetent to their work, who would undertake to say that 

 each pair of birds would not take the ''first prize in their turn?" The cause why A 1 

 good Pigeons are considered high at the present time is, in a great measure, owing to 

 the shows that are taking place in Her Most Gracious Majesty's dominions ; Fanciers, 

 all wanting to take the first prizes, to play first fiddle — they will not play second fiddle, 

 or, more classically speaking, they all want to be " top sawyers," not satisfied with 

 taking second or third prizes. Suppose each county has a rich spirited Fancier, and a 

 show to take place ; he is determined for the honour of his county to take the first 

 prizes, and determined to purchase the best Pigeons money will procui'e, which, after 

 all, is a mere bagatelle or real economy to a rich spirited Fancier, who takes great de- 

 light in being with his birds, and determined to have the Pigeons that will take the 

 first prizes, provided money can obtain them ; or to breed fron>, in hopes to breed 

 better birds. In my humble opinion, this is the cause of first-rate birds being so high 

 at this time. Mr. Moore mentions, paragraph 6, Sir Richaed Atheeton in 1726 

 having a Pout-er cock he valued at £5 ; also, paragraph 198, Mr. MooEE states Sir 

 Thomas Dolby would have given him a guinea and a half for a Leghorn Runt. 

 Mayor, in his work, page 109, says, " I have known 4 guineas a pair given for Leg- 

 horn Runts.'' The prices in those days are comparatively nothing to what they are now 

 for first-rate birds. One thing is quite certain from these accounts : there were men of 

 distinction. Fanciers in those days, as there are now. 



(Mayor, p, 59.)— The Pouter is introduced in Mayor's Work among the Almond 

 Tumblers ; as he says, " purposely to shew the difference of trouble, time, and incon- 

 venience, between breeding them and the Almond Tumblers." The Pouter was formerly 

 much valued, as well as the Carrier, and seemed at one time to engross the principal 



