124 
The Illustrated Book of Plgeons. 
seen ; and this plan may also be adopted at any other time when a sulky bird won’t “ show” — as, 
for instance, if a judge suspects a bird to be a good one, but cannot “wait his lordship’s leisure,” 
yet is willing to give him a chance. Some people thinkjt injures a bird to inflate his crop for him 
in this way, but this is simply ridiculous ; and it is convenient as showing at once the precise size 
and shape of the crop. 
Coming now to details, in mating for cocks there are various good matches, depending upon 
the amount of leg-feather; but in either case a male bird is to be selected as slender in girth, long 
in limb, and fine in shape and carriage as can be procured ; in fact, in all but the precise amount 
of 1 zg-feather, as fine show points as possible. He should not be more than two years old, 
and if less so much the better, unless the amateur is breeding particularly for colour , when he must 
select his ages accordingly ; but as regards the points now considered, a cock not more than two 
years old is to be preferred, mated with a large strong hen not more than four. Such a bird may 
have limbs just correct, in which case he will breed well with a hen possessing just a shade too 
much, for the reasons already given. She must, however, be quite free from vulture-hocks. But it 
will be even better if the cock be a trifle short of foot-feather so as to show a part of the toes, and 
just a little spare even on the leg, such as is represented in Fig. 39. Such birds are often very 
handsome indeed in shape, with fine long limbs, and extra slender bodies ; and if mated with a 
hen possessing limbs like the accompanying Fig. 40 — seen at once to be rather too thick and rough 
in feather, with a slight tendency to vulture-hocks — will generally be found to produce young with 
fine thick-stocking limbs. 
Cocks are often found with still thinner legs, showing more of the toes, and some portion of 
the shank bare, but still with fine long limbs and handsome shape. These should be mated with 
a large strong hen of the decidedly rough or vulture-hocked type. Such matching is shown in 
Figs. 41 and 42, the one bird supplying what the other is deficient in ; and this not only in leg- 
feathering, but in other points. For as the cock is very long and slim in body, he imparts this 
quality to the young cocks from him, while the large coarse hen keeps up the dimensions ; and as 
a thin-legged bird is generally short in flights and often in tail, so the rough-legged one is mostly 
long in feather, and supplies these deficiencies also. The most extraordinary Pouter cocks we 
have met with have been bred from such a cross as this last ; and the secret of its superiority lies 
in the extra or rough feather being a sign of strength and vigour, which are absolutely necessary to 
produce an extraordinary Pouter, since a bird, however beautiful and shapely, is not extra fine if 
at all small. These large, rough, strong hens, therefore, add to the fine figure and limbs of 
the cock more leg-feather, greater size, and length of flights and tail ; thus often producing a 
grand bird. 
For breeding hens the rules we have given should just be reversed, choosing fine, slim, long- 
limbed hens, but in this case taking more care to have them as large as possible, more or less thin- 
legged, and matching them with cocks proportionately rough-legged. In either case, the sex not 
bred specially for most often tends to be rough-feathered, and is then most valuable for re-crossing 
in the same way. 
In this manner have the finest Pouters been produced ; and as Pouters with too much or too 
little leg-covering arc of much less value, and if either feature be far from the standard are almost 
valueless for exhibition, such mating puts the breeding of fine birds within the means of many 
who otherwise could not enjoy the pleasure. It is perhaps the reason why, even more than in 
other varieties (for it is more or less common to all) there are two classes of fanciers ; those who in 
this way, by skill and patience, produce the most extraordinary specimens, and find an intense 
delight in doing so ; and others, with ample means but less time, who are willing to purchase such 
