100 PIGEONS AND ALL ABOUT TIIEiL 



natural sequence that this should be so, a hollow back caus- 

 ing a bird to be well knit together. Such a Pouter as needs 

 must carry himself w ell and strip his limbs when showing to 

 fullest advantage." 



After all, there is not so mucli cliange in what have al- 

 ways been considered the great "points" in the pouter. For 

 we find in the first American standard ever pmblished, that 

 the committee gave the greatest jjoints ( 12 each ) to "sleu- 

 derness of girth" and "length and shape of legs" and then 

 came "size and s/ia^ie of crop" 10 points. This was in }jied 

 birds. In oil colors and whites f4 points each were given 

 to the two first mentioned properties. 



I think that the folloning ileseription of a young pouter 

 eoek. imported last year, gives Ijriefly what constitulei.^ a 

 typical Pouter. The enthusiast who saw him says, '"He is 

 extra long, well marked, splendid, clean, well-feathered 

 limbs, and stands when in position like a picture. For 

 roundness of globe and sliniuess of girth we have never seen 

 his e(]ual." 



r.rielly, the above is the Pouter for which all are striving. 

 It tells the whole story. 



Tliere is much variance of opinion as to the l>reeding 

 qualities of Pouters. Some claim that tliey are n.i good, auu 

 their young must l>e hatched by other pigeons, but man.v 

 g(!od bj coders take nly one egg, and allow the old pair to 

 raise the other. It is claimeil that tlie percentage of loss is 

 i.o greater than in any well bred pigGon. Sor/e good autlior- 

 il ies claim tliat it interferes with the shape of a Pouter, to 

 allow it 1o feed its own young. Yet we should remember 

 tlial natiiie expi'cis something of the kind from cveiy pig 

 eon wbelhet it be aiiilieial or not, and the Poiiti r is no ex- 

 ception. 



I do not tliink that too much feeding of young is a good 



