JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
438 
[ May 25, 1882. 
on an average laid every other day. They are not, it must he said, 
exhibition birds, but a cross between two breeds of Polish. It may 
seem a strange plan, and shock some of our fancier friends, but for 
use we cross the different varieties of Polish. The result is very in¬ 
teresting, and has given us many birds of remarkable beautv and 
colouring. The produce possess all the excellencies of the Polish 
race combined with the great vigour of constitution common to cross¬ 
breds. They lay admirably, and the chickens are always plump and 
fit for the table. We advise our friends, where space is an object, 
to try our plan.—C. 
AN OLD FANCY PIGEON REVIVED. 
THE NORWICH CROPPER. 
(Continued from page 416.) 
We now come to Dixon, who wrote in 1851, and was a clergyman 
near Norwich. All that he says that is original about pouting 
Pigeons refers clearly to the Cropper and not the Pouter—he hits 
off their flight exactly, and their colour, “ blue or cloth splashed in 
various colours and white.” Dixon was not a very accurate Pigeon 
fancier, hut more of a dabbler in natural history, with a gift of 
pleasing writing. He says “ cloth ” is buff; Mr. Lyell, that it is 
“silver.” The picture in Dixon’s hook is also the portrait of a 
Cropper. Brent is the next writer (a.d. 1855). He says of the Dutch 
Pouter or Uploper. it “ is a bird of very different build from the 
common continental variety [Mr. Brent knew the continental 
Pigeons well from long residence abroad], hut it is much more slender, 
has a neat round crop, and carries itself very upright. They are 
not so large and awkward ; their legs are longer hut thin, and not 
much covered with feathers. The purest I believe are generally of 
one whole colour, as white, blue, or black, though reds, yellows, 
buffs, and even pied are to be had. They are merry active Pigeons, 
though perhaps not always the best of nurses ; still I have had some 
of this kind that were excellent breeders. It is from this variety 
that our English Pouter is supposed to he descended.” 
Here then we have more whole colours named, and pieds as existing 
also ; but I think Mr. Brent blunders in writing of the Dutch Pouter, 
or Uploper, for I believe the two were distinct, and that the Uploper 
is exactly and only the Norwich Cropper of Mr. Lyell, of my own 
recollection and present possession. Neither Fulton nor Tegetmeier 
refer or mention the Norwich Cropper as a now existing variety. We 
get just an historical hint in Mr. Lewis Wright’s book (a.d. 1879), 
as he says, “ We think it right to put on record the fact that many 
inquiries have traced the Pouter fancy very far back, indeed to the 
ci f y of Norwich, though it has long since departed thence in favour 
of Canaries.” This last remark is an error, as also is the statement 
“these varieties,” among them the Uploper, “seem to have dis¬ 
appeared.” 
Thus have I traced this bird, and I assert without fear of contra¬ 
diction that the Uploper under the name Norwich Cropper exists 
now, and is exactly what it was forty years ago, and most probably 
150 years since, and that it is a true bred and most interesting 
Pigeon; and it is most curious how the bird has survived while never 
exhibited, and has lived on in spite of exhibitions which are so attrac¬ 
tive to fanciers, as those birds shown take so much attention and are 
kept so extensively. There were pieds in the last century, “they 
are to be had,” said Brent speaking of his personal experience thirty 
years ago. It was natural that they should be preferred to those 
without white on their crops. I, as a boy, sold the whole colours off, 
or killed them. Once begin and go on selecting and only the selected 
colours come, as now in a litter of King Charles’s spaniels, no black, 
white, and tan appear, because they are out of fashion and were con¬ 
stantly killed off, only the black and tan being kept. Returning to 
the Uploper, now Norwich Cropper. The habits of the bird are 
just what they were in 1735 when Moore wrote. I have some that 
trip so on their toes, “ that when moving you might put anything 
under the ball of their feet.” I have a white and dark-tailed bird 
which Raps to my petting as well as to its mate. The legs are dull, 
very slender, and they are very upright. I have Blues—that is, 
Blue Pied—Black Pied, Mealy, Dun Pied, the Dun as in Carriers, 
and White with dark-splashed tail, and a sprinkling of dark feathers 
on the head. This last was a colour forty years ago, just exactly as 
now. That the Pieds being the prettiest I am not surprised they 
were kept chiefly. But if the colour is the same, the nature of the 
bird the same, so is its flight. It is always taking low circling flies, 
sailing with scooped tail; and no Pigeon is so constantly in motion. 
The air around my rectory is often alive with wings, and to anyone 
who had never seen them their appearance when flying is very 
startling. I have sometimes thought they looked like large Cuckoos, 
for their bodies are long and their flight unlike other Pigeons. And 
hereby hangs a tale. One morning I was dressing and my Norwich 
Croppers had just been let out, round they were going low down in 
the air. A policeman was pas-ing down the village lane, a new 
policeman in the first bloom of bobhyhood. Open-mouthed, with 
eyes full of wonder, he looked at a bird. “ What was it ? Shall 1 
inform my inspector ? Has there been some breach of the Wild 
Birds Act ? Shall I run him in ? ” Such seemed to be the thoughts 
of the amazed bobby. 
The Norwich Croppers combine two usually opposite things—ex¬ 
cessive tameness in the loft, and they are most amusing on the 
wing. I know of no other breed such good fliers and so tame, the 
great fliers being usually very wild— eg., the Dragoons, Ant- 
werps, &c. 
They are trim pleasing Pigeons on the ground, strutting away 
on tip-toe, as upright as darts, and the crops of the cocks especially 
always round and full. As to colours there are, according to Mr. 
Lyell, eight Pieds—black, cinnamon or red, yellow, mouse or dun, 
blue, dun or mealy, cream, cloth or silver. There are also whites 
with coloured tails. 
The legs are certainly best when quite free of feathers. Size 
should he small, shape as Pouters, and I line especially a nice round 
and not flat back, and very upright carriage. The flight should bo 
peculiar—a circling low, clapping sailing, and tail spread but “de¬ 
pressed in the middle.” The more Uplop r tricks a bird has the 
more I like him, for his jumping is most pleasing to any eye, and 
altogether this old Pigeon revived is a most companionable, merry, 
and jolly little fellow. 
I have had much pleasure in renewing acquaintance with this 
bird, and tracing his lineage, noting the stability of its markings 
and habits for about 150 years. Anyone in search of a Pigeon pet, 
amusing on wing and in loft, to them I would recommend the 
Norwich Cropper.— Wiltshire Kf.ctor. 
P.S.—I wonder what Mr. Harrison Weir, whose memory goes 
back further than mine, would say of the Norwich Cropper. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Pekin Ducks (T. F. R ).—They are a comparatively new race, distinct, 
and much prized by many persons who have kept them. You will find an ex¬ 
cellent article on these Ducks on page 188, vol. xxxviii., the issue of March 
4th, 1880. 
Pigeons (E .).—Runts are decidedly a profitable variety of Pigeons for table 
purposes, their size being much greater than that of any other breed. They 
would live well in an aviary of the size you describe. The less highly bred 
Runts, such as you'wish to keep, breed freely. Their chief point is size. Birds 
weighing 1 lb. each would be found far mure prolific than the exhibition speci¬ 
mens of double that weight. A good pair may be purchased for 10.J. or 15.?. 
Milking Guernsey Cows ( Guernsey ).—It is one of the best traits in the 
character of the Channel Island cattle that they will, when properly milked, con¬ 
tinue to give milk until the period of calving again ; probably the milk may 
not be fit for use for several days previous to calving. It should, however, be 
drawn away to prevent the danger of parturient fever, which frequently occurs 
if the milk is allowed to coagulate in the udder. 
Guinea Fowls (Mrs. Cox ).—The chicks require food within, at most, six 
hours after hatching, and should be fed and cared for in the same manner as 
young Turkeys, though they may be allowed rather more liberty. 
( METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8 0 W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
D ?1 
Hygrome- 
G . 
O'*" i 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
fl 
1882. 
C W O 0) 
5 > 
ter. 
Z a 
d~ 2 
perature. 
Temperature. 
"3 
May. 
»> S =H 
In 
On 
Dry. 
Wet. 
5 c 
C- 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 14 
30.347 
55.8 
47.4 
ST.E 
55.0 
66.6 
39.7 
115.2 
35.2 
— 
Mon. 15 
30.256 
52.2 
44.3 
N. 
54.8 
57.0 
39.0 
116.2 
84.6 
0.010 
Tues. 14 
30.398 
52.7 
43.6 
N.E. 
53.4 
64.3 
37.3 
125.7 
33.6 
— 
Wed. 17 
30.494 
54.4 
47.7 
N.1C. 
53.3 
64.2 
37.8 
114.6 
33.5 
— 
Thurs 18 
80.485 
537 
47.7 
N.E. 
4.0 
69.3 
38.2 
115.2 
34.0 
— 
Friday 19 
30.217 
58 8 
49.0 
K 
54.0 
66.2 
41.2 
1199 
38.8 
— 
Satur. 20 
29.905 
58.2 
51.7 
N E. 
54.6 
64.4 
44.0 
114.8 
39.3 
0.038 
30.293 
55.1 
47.3 
542 
64 6 
39.6 
11722 
35.6 
0.048 
REMARKS. 
14th.—Fine and bright; much wind and dust. 
15tb.—Cool, with some bright sunshine ; slight shower in forenoon. 
16th.—Fine, with bright hot sunshine. 
17th.—Fine, bright; cool wind. 
18th.—Fin 1 , bright; warmer. 
19th.—Fine and bright, with more cloud. 
20th.—Fine, bright, and clear; high wind and much dust. A slight shower at 
6 AM. 21st. 
Dry and fine ; hot sun and very cold nights. In fact, the nights have been 
almost as cold as those of the second week in January.—G. J. STMONS. 
