3o6 Fancy Pigeons. 



power of inflating the throat, bnt in a lesser degree. The crop in the 

 Boulans is always of a spherical form, instead of which these have it in 

 the form of a long pear, of which the thinnest part is below and the 

 largest part under the beak. These pigeons take their name from the 

 town of LUle, where they are much bred and esteemed. Their head is 

 small, beak long and slender, and they are not subject to the crop 

 diseases of the large pouters." 



The Pigeon Lillois eUgant is portrayed as a short-legged, thick-bodied, 

 very upright standing pigeon, with a small oval crop, which is white in 

 front, as are the flights. Boitard and Corbie say : " It is very well made, 

 of an elegant and graceful form, body placed almost vertically on the legs 

 in such manner that the head is on the same line as the feet ; small head, 

 no cere round the eyes, stockinged legs, only the middle toes covered 

 with feathers — a trait which is only met with in this variety — wings long 

 and crossed. This bird is of light flight, is of great productiveness, and 

 is greatly to be recommended to amateurs who wish to unite the useful 

 with the agreeable." 



This pigeon seems to have some resemblance to the Norwich cropper, 

 and from what I can make out its colours are like those of the bar- winged 

 croppers ; but to a British pouter fancier nothing more inelegant than 

 the shape of it, as pictured, can be imagined, so that I can scarcely 

 believe that it correctly represents the breed. 



The next variety has evidently a resemblance to our cropper in flight. 

 Pigeon Lillois claquart. — " This pigeon, which Buffon has confounded 

 with the tournanf*' (Smiter or Eingbeater), "makes a noise with its 

 wings when commencing to fly like a claquette^ hence its name. It 

 inflates its throat, has long wings crossed over the tail, a cere round the 

 eyes, and stocking legs. Its plumage is white or chamois, or blue 

 shouldered with white, that is having the upper part of the wing white. 

 It produces well, which makes it much sought after." 



For my own part, I have never seen long-flighted pigeons fly so well as 

 the short-flighted. 



The Pigeons Cavaliers are recommended for their beauty and produc- 

 tiveness. " This race appears to be extracted from runts (Romains) and 

 pouters, of which they have the general form, as also the power of 

 inflating the throat more or less according to the variety. Some have 

 thick nostrUs, membraneous and floshy, or even a little mushroomed, but 



