69 



175. — 1. The crop ought to be so far filled with wind, as to show its 

 full extent, without bufling or being slack-winded, which are both esteemed 

 very great faults ? The Pigeon that buffles, fills his crop so full of 

 wind, that it is thereby strained, in such a manner, that he is ready to fall 

 backwards, because he can't readily discharge the confined air, which 

 renders him uneasy and unweildy, and many a good thing has, by this 

 means, either fallen into the street, or become a prey to those fatal ene- 

 mies of the Fancy, the cats. The other extreme is being slack- winded, 

 so that he shows little or no crop, and appears not much better than an 

 ill-shaped runt. 



176. — 2. The second beauty in carriage, is their playing upright, with a 

 fine tail, well spread like a fan, without scraping the ground therewith, or 

 tucking it between their legs ; neither should they set up the feathers on 

 their rump when they play, which is called rumping. 



177. — 3. The last beauty of carriage in a Powter is to stand close 

 with his legs, without straddling, and keep the shoulders of his wing 

 tight down to his body, and when he moves, to trip beautifully with 

 his feet, almost upon his toes, without jumping, which is the quality of 

 an Uploper. 



178. — A Powter that would answer all these properties, might be said to 

 be perfect, but as absolute perfection is incompatible with anything in this 

 world, that Pigeon that makes the nearest advances to^^jds them, is cer- 

 tainly the best. 



179. — Some have answered them so well, that T have-^i^lfiown eight gui- 

 neas refused for a single pigeon of this breed. ... ■ 



179, (Eaton.) — Mooke, paragraph 59, says the Pouter is introduced among the 

 Almond Tumbler purposely to show the difference of trouble, time and inconvenience 

 between them and the Almond Tumblers, read paragraph. Matok, page 59, states 

 much truth as regards the Pouter ; other observations startles me, which I shall notice 

 by and bye. He says the Pouter was formerly much valued as well as the Carrier. 

 The Pouter and Carrier is as much valued now, 1858, as ever they were ; the only dif- 

 ficulty I know of is, they cannot be obtained good enough. In most of the counties 

 there are spirited Fanciers and breeders of the noble and dignified English Pouter, 

 especially in Warwickshire, Lancashire, Somersetshire, and, though last not least, at 

 Halifax, in Yorkshire. I believe the London Fanciers can beat the Gentlemen Country 

 Fanciers in breeding better birds from inferior birds, simply from their greater expe- 

 rience, paying more attention to their crosses. They know the largest Pouters do not 

 always breed the largest ; they know it is by making a hit with the cross. Again, if a 

 Pout-er is stunted in its growth in the nest, that when it leaves the nest and feeds 

 itself however much after it may eat, it never will make up a fine English Pouter. If a 

 Fancier is desirous of raising an extra fine large Pouter, he must have two pair of 

 feeders (large, strong, coarse Antwerps, there is a difference in Antwerps, some being 

 smaller), or Drag-ons to bring them up, provided you want them fine birds. Again, 

 some of the London Fanciers have been in the Fancy twenty, thirty, or forty years. 

 Their experience is great, whereas many of the young and spirited Fanciers in the 

 country are less experienced, only having come into the Fancy since the shows which 

 are taking place in every county of Her Most Gracious Majesty's dominions and giving 

 a Fil-Up to the Fancy. The fact is, the two great secrets in producing an extra Pout-er 

 is, first, making a hit with the cross, " not breeding them in and in," secondly, by 

 hatching and rearing them under Antweirps or Drag-ons. I prefer Antwerps to 

 Drag-ons, believing they have more power to pump more food into the young one while 



