104 
The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
inflating it with conscious pride and pleasure. Some of the Scotch fanciers call it the “blow;” 
and though, as we have said, not the most important point, or the hardest to obtain, still 
no bird can be a Pouter , however good in all other points, which has not that peculiarity well 
developed which is the type of his race ; and it is the first and most striking property of the 
pigeon. The young bird begins to show the form of the globe or crop at the age of three or four 
months, and, strange to say (for, generally speaking, the males show all properties more and 'sooner 
than hens ; and, even in this case, the cocks show most of it when full grown), very often the hen 
birds begin to show it before the cock birds. Some young ones will show the crop at first all on 
one side, which looks very bad, and is called being “ tight-cropped.” Such a bird appears as if 
choking, and if it remains so is of course worthless ; but they will often grow out of it. What is 
desired in a fine globe is to be as round as possible, to project well out in front and all round, and 
just show a little fulness behind also, below the back of the head, which adds a great deal to the 
appearance of smallness of girth. The bottom part of the crop should stand out suddenly away 
from the breast, like a large bubble. The actual size should correspond with that of the bird ; for 
some have globes really too large for the size of their bodies, and such frequently become what is 
called “ crop-bound,” which causes a great deal of trouble, and often death. Such a fault also 
makes the bird unable to stand properly, from being over-balanced, so that it may even fall 
backwards. Greatly as a fine globe is to be admired, therefore, excess is not to be sought, nor is 
more to be valued than the bird can have thorough control of ; and in our plates we show the form 
and size we consider a good Pouter, in “ good show,” should be possessed of. 
Next we will take the shoulders, or rather size round them, which is called the “girth” of the 
bird. Smallness in this is sought for, and is one of the handsomest and most attractive properties 
in the bird. However grand the bird may be in other points, if thick and wide at the shoulders 
the fine effect they would have had is lost. In order not to lose this and the preceding property 
of crop or globe, some fanciers never allow a good show bird to feed young ones, as this causes the 
globe to become loose and disordered through the shaking and pumping up of the soft food, while 
the shoulders also become slack and hanging, adding to the girth of the bird. 
Smallness of girth is the property of next value to length of limb ; because, if a Pouter be 
thick in girth, the form of the globe cannot be properly seen, since the sudden bulge out of the 
globe at the bottom depends upon it. The more length of body the bird shows from the bottom of the 
crop to the thigh-joints, the more effect is given to the slimness in girth of the bird, for if the crop 
comes down nearly to the thigh, it makes the bird inevitably appear thick, whereas we want to see 
it bulging out suddenly from the slender body. If the globe be what is termed oval-shaped, or by 
others tight-cropped, that is, not projecting sufficiently in front, this fault will also take away by 
absence of contrast from the appearance desired. Another feature necessary to the smallness of 
girth appearing is the concave curve in the back just below the globe ; and without this curve 
behind, and the sudden bulge in front, neither slenderness in girth ncr the true form of crop can be 
properly seen. When a bird is faulty in this feature behind, it is called by fanciers “hog-backed,’’ 
and is one of the most unsightly faults a Pouter can have, quite spoiling the fine, straight sweep 
down from head to tail — a true “ line of beauty” — which all breeders so much admire. 
Slenderness of girth will also depend very much upon the way the bird carries its wings, 
especially at the shoulders. Some are loose-shouldered even from the nest-pan, which always 
makes them appear thick ; and not only so, but owing to the flights being carried so low and veiling 
the upper part of the thighs, causes them to seem much shorter in limb than they really are. This 
fault is often seen in hens which have been weakened, through their owners, in their eagerness 
to obtain stock from them, taking from them too many eggs in one season ; and, as we have 
