io6 
The Illustrated Book of Pigeons. 
small pens of a show, if there are several good birds competing. The reason is that the best birds are 
never thus seen all at once in their best or show form. A large pen of not less than three feet square 
should, or rather must, be provided, as we have already said is done at the Scotch shows, in which 
the best birds can be placed together for comparison, when they will begin to “ play up ” to one 
another, and their points can be seen, if at all in show condition ; and if not it is the exhibitor’s own 
fault, and he deserves to lose. Many birds are very sulky at first in a strange place, and perhaps 
for a day or two would never show at all ; but if penned with a hen in good showing order, almost 
any cock will draw himself together and show off ; so that such a large pen soon brings out the 
real quality of the birds. The breeders of the birds often do not require this, knowing so well 
all the properties of each ; but for a strange judge, this is the only way of arriving at a correct 
decision. In the small pens, if a bird long in feather be seen standing pretty high up on its block, 
and in good showing order, it is sure to catch the judge’s eye and be “ booked for a place.” 
Another bird, come some distance, will be seen “ in the sulks,” standing on the floor of his pen, all 
down, and showing no style or crop at all ; on account of which he is passed over. But put these 
same birds into the large pen with a rank hen in pretty fair show-trim herself, and all is changed. 
The fine bird that looked so immensely long while standing up on its block, directly it is put into 
the level pen appears too short in leg for its length of feather, and its tail sweeping the ground 
causes it to stand low, when the more showy he is the easier is the fault now seen ; whereas, the 
poor, despised, sulky bird, directly he sees the hen, if a really good one will pull himself together, 
brighten up, blow out his crop, and at once manifest his superiority, his length of leg enabling him 
to stand tall, which is one great beauty of the Pouter. By length of leg, then, we do not mean 
mere measurement, for we have had birds that measured seven inches and hardly showed six ; 
but a form and position of the limb that both looks long to the eye, and enables the bird when on 
the level floor to stand tall and upright without being tilted forward by his tail. Of course, some- 
thing in this depends on length of tail or feather, but quite as much on the form of the limb. 
The most important part of the limb in a Pouter is that from the sole of the foot to the knee 
or hock-joint. The longer this part appears the better, and it is this upon which the effect of the 
limb chiefly depends ; and no bird short in this portion, whatever the length of thigh above maybe, 
can ever have the appearance of a long limb. Every Pouter breeder of a few years’ standing knows 
this very well, and we think even novices will see it for themselves after a careful examination of 
the proportions in our coloured plates, which show the pigeon purposely in various positions. The 
whole leg should appear as straight as possible, with only enough bend at the hock-joint to give a 
nice easy effect. Some birds show so much bend at the joint, that this alone makes the shoulders 
low, and the whole bird to appear too “ level ” in carriage, similar to the Runt ; therefore, straight- 
ness, or absence of much bend at the joint, is an important property. 
The next portion of the limb, or the thigh, should show just enough fulness for its outline to 
readily appear clear away from the body. Just proportion here is greatly admired, too much 
spoiling the appearance of slimness in girth, and too little showing no shape in the limb. Some- 
thing also depends upon the amount of slant or bend, the thighs of some birds coming down 
almost perpendicularly from the shoulder, and of course away from the body. The effect of this 
is to make all the “ length” of the bird appear behind the limb, which looks particularly bad ; and 
such a bird, however fine in globe and other points, can never appear well except on its block, when 
its tail can hang down and allow the bird to straighten its back, and so bring the body more “into 
line” with the too upright limb. Birds with this style of limb often measure very well, but almost 
always look short, and never show much shape in the thigh. To see the proper shape of his limbs 
a Pouter must be seen on the ground, or in a large pen, when, if a good bird, it will still enable 
