CHAPTER LXXV. 



THE NORWICH CROPPER. 



The Norwich cropper is a pigeon whicli is found in its purity in the 

 counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. It has hitherto been undeaoribed 

 by name in any book treating of English pigeons, though quite distinct 

 from the large pouter ; but there are some allusions to it by Eaton, who 

 was evidently sensible of its great beauty and fine style. The uploper 

 and pouting-horseman are two varieties of croppers which Moore 

 describes at pp. 37 and 38 of his "Columbarium," as follows: "The 

 Uploper is a Pigeon bred originally in Holland, its Make and Shape grees 

 in every respect with the English Powter, only it is smaller in every 

 Property. Its Crop is very round in which it generally buries its BUI ; its 

 Legs are very small and slender, and its toes are short and close together, 

 on which it treads so nicely, that when moving, yon may put anything 

 under the Ball of its Foot ; it is close thigh' d, plays very upright, and 

 when it approaches the Hen, generally leaps to her, with its tail spread, 

 which is the reason the Name is given to it, from the Dutch Word 

 Uplopen, which signifies to leap up. These Pigeons are generally all 

 blue, white, or black, tho' I will not assert that there are no Pieds of 

 this Species. There are but very few of them in England, and I have been 

 inform'd that in Holland they have ask'd five and twenty Guineas for a 

 single Pair of them." 



Moore then describes the " Powting Horseman" as follows: "This 

 Pigeon is a bastard Strain between the Cropper and the Horseman, and 

 according to the Number of Times that their young ones are bred over 

 irom the Cropper, they are call'd first, second or third bred ; and the 

 oftner they are bred over, the larger their Crop proves. The Eeason 

 of breeding these Pigeons is to improve the Strain of the Powters, by 

 making them close thigh' d, tho' it is apt to make them rump, from the 



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