m 



199. — As to their feather, they are various, hut the hest that I have 

 seen were either hlack or red mottled. 



200. — There is a vast difference in these hirds, and I have seen very- 

 bad ones, that have been brought from Leghorn, little better than a com- 

 mon Runt ; however this is the genuine true description of the Leg- 

 horn Runt, which is more valued than any other sort of Runts. 



201. — This Pigeon was originally bred either at Pisae in the Duke o^ 

 Tuscany's dominions, or at Pisae in Peloponesus, and from thence brought 

 to Leghorn, and so transmitted to us ; but I rather judge the latter, be- 

 cause it answers the description of the Pigeon which Willoughby in 



(198. Eaton.) — I differ from Mr. Moore as to tUeir being a tender Pigeon; my 

 experience has never taught me it. With regard to '17s., or that of a guinea and a 

 half, for a single cock, offered by Sir Dolbet Thomas, it is at this time, comparatively 

 speaking, not any price ; far from being A 1 they are sold for five guineas per pair, 

 and what is wanted for a pair that will carry off the prizes at the different county 

 shows I should be afraid to tell you. I knew a pair sold for £25. I knew a gentle- 

 man who prided himself in keeping these large Pigeons, and would invite his friends 

 to dine with him, at the same time soliciting each, as a favour, to do has he did — to 

 eat one of his young Pigeons to begin with. As most gentlemen are, if not enthu- 

 siasts in Pigeons, great enthusiasts in the matter of Pigeon-pies, they readily gave con- 

 sent, knowing the gentleman prided himself in breeding and keeping Pigeons. I have 

 often witnessed what pleasure it gave him in relating the circumstance, in witnessing 

 the fix in which it placed some of his friends, if the Pigeon only weighed l^lbs. to 

 Iflbs., not to mention about the crust — a pretty good tightener to begin with. I 

 know a gentleman who informed me his Punts weighed 41bs. lOoz. Being desirous to 

 ascertain and lay before my readers, with truth, the greatest weight of a pair of these 

 birds — (I think it right, nearly in all Fancies, there should be a prize for weight) — I 

 took the liberty to solicit the favour of G-. C. Adkins, Esq., of West House, Edgbas- 

 ton, near Birmingham, and E. A. Lingard, Esq., of Birmingham, if they would in- 

 form me the greatest weights their runts ever weighed ; I will give you their kind 

 answers : — 



(198. G. C. Adkins.) — My largest pair of red Punts weighed just over 4^1bs. I 

 believe they were Italian Punts, imported from France. 



(198. E. A. LiNGAED.) — In reply to yours respecting weight of Runts, my old birds 

 have been as near 4|lbs. as possible. 



(198. Eaton.) — From these weights, if I were a betting man, I should be sorry to 

 make a considerable wager that a pair could not be produced that would weigh 51b3., 

 avoirdupois weight, 80oz. Although not a pair in this country, still I believe they 

 could be obtained from abroad. I have heard from a gentleman who imported some, 

 the expense to obtain and import them is very great, 



(Brent.) — ^The term " Runt " is applied to all large common Pigeons indiscrimi- 

 nately ; but my present remarks pertain to the Fancy Runts, those giants of the Pigeon 

 classes. The two sorts best known are the Italian and Spanish. Of the Italian varie- 

 ties the Leghorn Runts are favourites. These Pigeons are usually of a red colour, 

 and of a very large size ; they have rather large beaks, frequently hooked, with a small 

 wattle ; their necks are long and bent ; chests fuU and prominent ; backs very broad ; 

 tails short and carried slightly elevated ; their wings are short, and their legs long and 

 stout ; their feathers lie very close to the body, which causes to look smaller than they 

 really are. Though their colour is generally red, very good ones are to be met white, 

 buff, and parti-coloured. The Germans call these "Bagadotten Tauben," and they 

 have another variety which they call " Hinckel," or "Florentinen Tauben," which are 

 very heavy and as large as small fowls. They have long legs, but short beak and neck, 

 and are usually blue-pied ; the middle wing-feather is generally a double one ; and they 

 are considered excellent breeders. 



