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FANCY PIGEONS. 
THE POUTEE. 
The pouters most esteemed are the black-pied, the blue-pied, the yellow- 
pied, and the red-pied; but the colors are not of so much importance as the 
general shape of the bird, the hollow of its back, the roundness of the crop, 
the length and feathers of its legs, the mode of carrying its wings, etc. The 
Iront of the crop, however, should bo white, surrounded with a shining 
green; and the head, neck, back, and tail, should be uniform in tint. 
Sometimes a pouter is unable to distend his crop handsomely; it is then 
called loose-winded, and considered a defective bird. 
THE RUNT 
This is a short, full-breasted bird, with tail turned up. It has rather a 
long, thick neck in proportion to its other parts The beak is short, and it 
lias a small wattle over the nostril. The plumage is generally grizzled, and 
ermine round the neck; but those most esteemed by fanciers are black, 
white, red, or mottled. The Leghorn variety is the most valued, and is a 
Pouters are difficult birds to rear, and the bringing them up is attended 
with considerable expense. Being very voracious, like the whole of the 
pigeon tribe, it requires great care to prevent their over-feediug. Every 
single bird should be kept in a separate coop, lofty and capacious; and 
when the young ones are hatched, as the old birds are apt to pay but little 
attention to them, they should be carefully watched. Some fanciers never 
suffer pouters to rear their own young, but put their eggs under a hen 
dragoon, which variety are good nurses. 
