108 PIGEONS AXD ALL ABOUT THEM. 



THE PIGMY POUTER. 



THESE neat, and pretty little pets seem to have liad quite 

 a struffgle in achieving popularity, for as late as 1896i 

 there were only about three lofts in this country, where 

 they were lired to any degree of excellence. Of late, however 

 they are becoming quite the thing, and are being rapidly 

 taken up by fanciers. 



It seems useless to devote a chapter to them, as they are 

 simply Pouters proper, on a small scale. 



The same slender body, good legs, full, but even globe, and 

 ui)rig'ht station that governs the large Pouter, holds good in 

 Pigmies, and the great ]>oi]it is to get the proi)er proportions. 



Any tendency to coarseness will not do at all ; in fact the 

 very sniallnes.s of the bird makes fine and delicate lines of 

 symmetry the great desideratum. They come in all colors 

 and aie rapidly becoming nearly as good in contour as the 

 large birds. The cousequental airs put on by the little fel- 

 lows, seem to endear them to all lovers of pigeons. 



There is one point that is bound to make the Pigmy Pouter 

 popular, and that is, the very evident tendency to breed all 

 pigeons down in size. Outside of Eunts, Duchesse and birds 

 of that tyi)c. the lines are drawn more closely year by year 

 and the small, gracefully built bird is driving his coarser 

 lirother out of the Held. 



As the greatest point in the Pigmy is his dimiuutiveness, 

 we may look 1o see a great rivalry as to who can produce the 

 smallest specimens. 



Any one who has ever seen a lot of Pigmies being judoed 

 ill Uie walking jien will admit that they are peculiarly 

 '' taking "' little fellows, and their assumpti(.in of such exa"- 



