126 
The Illustrated Book of Plgeons. 
In keeping Pouters especially, the more space that can be devoted to them the better; as if 
closely confined they are apt to become loose in feather, and mope about in awkward attitudes, 
very different to those of birds which have liberty to fly and flap their wings. So important is 
this, that when space is unavoidably limited, the amateur will do well to throw at least two-thirds 
of it into his flight or aviary, and so arrange it as to make the flying space as long as possible. A 
house or loft six feet square will do nicely for six pairs of Pouters. It should contain one or two 
matching-pens, which ought to be, if possible, five feet off the ground, as a Pouter likes best to be 
looked as it were in the face when visited by his owner ; but on the ground will also do, only it 
occupies floor space. All breeding and nesting-boxes should, however, be on the ground, unless 
they are on the floor of largish pens, as in Mr. Wallace’s loft. If proper nesting-boxes cannot 
conveniently be provided, a nest-pan may be put close by the wall, with a piece of board leaning 
in front of it. The use of sawdust we have already advocated, provided the coarse dust can be 
obtained ; the fine “ mill ” dust is, however, useless, flying up with every movement of the birds. 
The more common pigeons or feeders the breeder has at command, the better will be his chance 
of rearing fine young ones ; for though many Pouters will feed pretty well until three weeks, very 
few will rear altogether ; and we have also already stated the evils of allowing large-cropped birds 
to feed for more than ten or twelve days. No better kind of breeding-boxes can be given than 
those figured on page 14 ; but for Pouters they should be larger — not less than three feet wide 
(i.e . , the double box), two feet deep, and eighteen inches high, with the partition and entrance eight 
inches off the ground. The sawdust should be put so deep in these boxes as to nearly reach the 
edge of the nest-pan, which will both avoid many broken eggs, and in case of a young one getting 
out of the nest-pan before it has strength to climb, will enable it to get back again without difficulty. 
By thus filling up the box nearly level, the legs are also much less likely to get outside the pan 
and become dislocated, or deformed, or chilled, which not unfrequently happens when this 
precaution is neglected, and of course spoils if it does not lose the bird. 
Mr. Montgomery has alluded to the importance of training the Pouter ; and we can fully 
confirm the truth of his hint that birds as tame as possible should even be selected to breed from. 
The young birds should be accustomed to being taken in hand from a very early date, when they 
should be talked to and petted, so as to lose all fear of the human form. But to prepare them for 
being exhibited to advantage something like regular “training” is required. The birds should be 
placed singly in pens about eighteen inches high, sixteen inches wide, and say twenty inches deep 
from back to front, with a small block of some kind in the centre, about four inches square and 
five inches high. The half of a brick will answer for the block, or so will a small flower-pot placed 
bottom upwards. Food and water-tins should be so arranged as if possible to hang outside, or 
otherwise so as to prevent the bird from fouling them, which would cause disease. Two or more 
pens should be placed in a row, so as to admit of a sliding division between two, in one of which 
a cock and in the other a hen may be placed. The oftener the owner can visit the birds the 
better ; and on each occasion he should call to them with a peculiar call, something like “hee, keep ; 
hce , Jiccpy Others make a sound more like “ hooic, hooie and on each occasion the sliding 
partition should be withdrawn, so as to allow the two birds suddenly to see each other. This will 
make each bird show its best, as they can hear each other, though they cannot see, before the 
partition is drawn, and the very instant this is done they will generally put themselves into the 
best and most striking attitudes. By doing this on each occasion, they will soon learn, every time 
the owner goes near or speaks to them, to expect to see their mates, and will begin to fill their 
globes and strut about with delight, unless in the case of a very few sulky birds, which can never 
be seen to advantage except now and then while at liberty. But especially, as Mr. Montgomery 
