THU POUTEK PIGEOS. 



the side of the neck of the same colour with which he is pied ; 

 when this is wanting, he is called swallow-throated. The head, 

 neck, back, and" tail, should be uniform. A. blue-pied pigeon 

 should have two black streaks or bars, ncilr the end of both 

 wings ; if these be of a brown colour, the bird is not worth 

 nearly as much, and he is termed kite-barred. When the 

 pinion of the wing is speckled with wMte, in the form of a 

 rose, it is called a rose-pinion, and is highly esteemed; when 

 the pinion has a large dash of white on the outer edge of the 

 wing, he is said to be bishoped, or lawn-sleeved. They shovild 

 not be naked about the thighs nor spindle-shanked, but the 

 legs and thighs ought to be stout, straight, and well covered 

 with white, soft, downy feathers ; if the feathers of these parts 

 be of any other colour, the bird is much 

 less valuable. The nine larger wing- 

 feathers ought also to be white ; if not, he 

 is called foul-flighted ; and if only some of 

 them are white, he is called sword-flighted." 



The pouter is not a prolific bi'eeder, is 

 a bad nurse, and more likely to degenerate, 

 if not repeatedly crossed and recrossed with 

 fresh stock, than any other pigeon ; never- 

 theless, it is a useful bird to keep, especially 

 if yon are founding a new colony, as it is 

 much attached to its home, and little apt 

 to stray; consequently, it is calculated to pouter pigeon. 

 induce more, restless birds to settle down, 

 and make themselves comfortable. If you wish to breed 

 pouters, you cannot do worse than entrust them with their 

 own eggs. They should be set under a dragon; but you 

 must be sure to supply the hen-pouter with other eggs, or 

 she wiU go on repeatedly laying, and so weaken her constitu- 

 tion as to kiU herself in a very short time. 



The most common pouters are the blues, buflfs, and whites, 

 or an intermixture of all these various colours. I never saw 

 the experiment tried, but it is asserted, on good 3,uthority, that 

 if you pair a chestnut-coloured cock with a bh e hen, the result 

 wiU be a chestnut hen and a blue cock ; and vf this coupie are 

 again paired, the progeny will each take the colour of their 

 respective grand-parents. 



If the pouter is kept too long from grain, the chances are 

 that, the first tiiae he has the opportunity, he will so gorge his 

 crop with it that some will mildew and decay before he has 



