70 



in the nest, where it grows amazingly. It is here where the Pout-er is made, if ever 

 made. One young Pout-er is sufl&cient hard work for a pair of Antwerps or Drag-ons 

 to pump in plenty of food, and to bring it up an extra fine-grown English Pout-er. An 

 excellent Pout-er Fancier, showing me some of his splendid Pout-ers, speaking of a pair 

 of Pout-ers, said they were seven inches length of leg when young, but only six inches 

 and three quarters at six months. I believe the limbs do not improve after six weeks 

 old ; they will become stouter, and the feathers will grow and moult, but there are pro- 

 perties in a Pout-er infinitely before feather — viz., leg and girt. If the bird is deficient 

 in these two properties, it never will be a noble, dignified Pout-er at all. It is galling 

 to exchange better birds for worse, at the same time there must be an exchange to 

 infuse fresh blood by way of a cross, PecoUect, for it is certain one of the exchangers 

 would have the best of it, and who knows but what it might be you ? It must be done, 

 therefore it is a mutual exchange, besides being an absolute "Needs be." Mayor's 

 remarks (page 59) on the Pout-er are truly beautiful. You cannot do better than put 

 them into practice, and do as the cobbler did, — stick to the last. Mayoe appears to be 

 quite at home with the Pout-er, but all abroad with the Almond Tumbler, which I shall 

 endeavour to prove, although I shall be brief. 



179. (Eaton.) — However much I admire Mayok on the Pouter, in the same para- 

 graph he astonishes and startles me, when he uses these words, speaking on the 

 Almond Tumbler : — " They require no attendance while breeding, provided you supply 

 them with meat and water, and throw them a little straw." I now appeal to the most 

 experienced Almond Fanciers and breeders of the present day, if a greater mistake was 

 ever made, especially coming from a Fancier who has made some true and beautiful 

 observations on various Pigeons. For argument's sake, if Mr. Mayor was alive, I 

 would undertake to take his Pout-ers, he taking my Almonds, n.either of us allowed 

 feeders, I would undertake to raise more young Pout-ers than he did young Almond 

 Tumblers. I consider the Almond Tumbler the most difficult bird there is to raise 

 without feeders. Pead paragraphs 443, 444, and 445, on shifting of the Almond 

 Tumbler. 



(Eaton.) — In paragraph 186, I mentioned Moore gives a short account of the 

 Almond Tumbler. Mayor gives a longer, that I considered great spirit must have 

 taken place by the Gentlemen of the Fancy in the thirty years that took place between 

 the dates of Moore's work, 1735, and Mayor's work, 1765. Mayor, mentioning the 

 sale of Pout-ers that took place in 1761, says the Almond Tumbler, at the time these 

 Pigeons were sold, were not arrived at one half of the perfection that they are at this 

 time, ninety-seven years ago ; and it is the opinion of many, that were the same 

 number of Almond Tumblers to be sold now they would bear a price equal if not supe- 

 rior to the above. Reading Mayor's account of them, ''They require no attendance 

 while breeding, provided you supply them with meat and water, and throw them a 

 little straw ;" while thinking on this starthng account, I turned to look at his engraving 

 of the Almond that accompanies his work. It appears to me to look as much like a 

 game cock strutting after his hens as an Almond Tumbler ; his black mottle Tumbler 

 not much better, more like a white mottle Tumbler. I think from my observations 

 and reflections neither Moore, 123 years ago, and Mayor, 97 years ago, ever saw the 

 Tumbler in half the state of perfection they have been brought to, and I have witnessed 

 at this time, 1858. I have not any doubt but Moore and Mayor have seen infinitely 

 better Toy Pigeons than ever I saw, owing to Fanciers having allowed them to so de- 

 generate, for on looking at the engraving of his Jacobine it looks truly beautiful and a 

 lovely bird, besides the excellent account he gives of them. I cannot help thinking 

 that the Almond Tumblers, even in Mayor's time, were half as good as in the present 

 time; but that in Moore's time, 123 years ago, they were, comparatively speaking, 

 like Dragons or Antwerps ; that in Mayor's time, 97 years ago, they were Hke Skin- 

 nums. I am justified in making these remarks from observations, examining engrav- 

 ings, and the following account given from Mayor on the Almond Tumbler :— " They 

 require no attention vjhile hreeding, 2^'>'ovided you supply them with meat and boater, and 

 throw them a little straio /" This account of them nearly winds me up, or I find my 

 steam is getting up. I had better attempt to write what little I have to say before my 

 steam is up. I am nearly choaked on writing on such a remark, and experience great 

 difficulty in answering the account given. I have only simply one thing to do, and 

 that is to draw my conclusions that they were very coarse birds in Moore's and 



