58 PIGEONS. 



"Almost all Pouter-breeders, however, are agreed that length of Hrnb is the 

 most important property, without which the best bird in all other respects would 

 be but of little value. I need scarcely say that the limb is measured from the 

 joint nearest the body to the end of the nail of the centre toe. It requires 

 some little practice to measure a bird accurately, and hence loose and random 

 assertions are constantly made as to the length of limb of certain birds. We 

 often hear of Pouters seven and a half inches in limb ; but I must confess that, 

 though some scores or hundreds of the best birds in the kingdom have passed 

 through my hands when awarding the prizes at various exhibitions, it has never 

 yet been my good fortune to measure one of that length. The best bird I ever 

 bred was seven and a quarter inches, and I should ever be perfectly satisfied with 

 my success if I could breed a few more like him. In fact, seven inches for a 

 cock, and six and three quarter inches for a hen, may be regarded as a first-rate 

 limb. 



" In addition to a good length, the leg also requires to be well and closely 

 feathered to the tips of the toes. 



" The illustration represents a very superb blue-pied cock that belonged to the 

 late Mr. Samuel Bult. The engraving is an exact copy of the original sketch, 

 now in my possession, by the celebrated animal draughtsman, Harrison Weir. The 

 legs of this bird were over seven inches in length ; but in the matter of feathering 

 they were very faulty, the loose long feathers about the hocks detracting very much 

 from the beauty of the bird. The absence of feathers on the shank is as great 

 a fault as their excess, many otherwise very first-class birds being partially bare, 

 or, as it is termed, spindle-shanked. 



" The length of feather is measured from the tip of the beak to the extremity 

 of the centre feathers of the tail, the bird being stretched out at full length. The 

 bird represented measured a little over eighteen inches, which is a very good 

 length, although sometimes exceeded by half or even a whole inch. It is true that 

 I have often met with birds over twenty and even twenty-one inches in length ; 

 but it has always been in print or in conversation about absent birds, as I have 

 never had the pleasure of seeing them in the flesh. 



" Slimness of girth is a very essential property in a Pouter ; nothing detracts 

 more from elegance in a bird of this breed than a thick, clumsy body. The old 

 fanciers used to say that the body of a Pouter ought to be able to slip through a 

 wedding-ring, which, making due allowance for the slight exaggeration always 

 found in the conversation of enthusiasts, gives a correct idea of the form desired 

 to be obtained by the Pouter-breeders. Within the last few years, I think, the 

 generality of Pouters shown have improved in this quality. A few years ago, 

 many of the London birds were thick and clumsy, arising from the fact that one 

 of the largest breeders crossed his strain with a very large Mottled Eunt, in order 

 to get size into his breed. This he did at a sacrifice of shape, and it took several 

 years before the bulky body was bred out. 



" The fourth property, the size and carriage of the crop, is one on which the 



