92 
PIGEONS. 
two pair of dragoons to tend and feed them; but care must be 
taken that the dragoons are kept in a loft separate from the 
pouters, as otherwise, a cross breed would probably be the 
result, and the stock become degenerate. 
Pouting horsemen are not so much in repute as formerly, 
the “ almond tumblers” having almost superseded them. 
THE DRAGOON, OR DRAGON. 
Dragons are bred between a tumbler and a horseman; and 
by frequently crossing them with the horseman, they acquire 
much strength and swiftness. They are exceedingly good 
breeders and kind nurses, and are, therefore, often kept as 
feeders for rearing young Leghorn “ runts,” pouters, &c. 
The dragon is somewhat lighter and smaller than the horse¬ 
man ; and one of its chief beauties consists in the straightness 
of the top of its skull with that of its beak, which, according to 
the rules of the fancy, should form almost a horizontal line. 
These birds should be flown and trained while young, in the 
same way as the horsemen, which they are considered to 
surpass in swiftness, in short flights of from ten to twenty 
miles; but in longer distances, if the horsemen be well bred, 
they will far outstrip the dragoon. 
THE JACOBIN. 
This pigeon, often called a “ Jack,” is, when perfect in its 
properties, extremely rare. The real Jacobin is a very small 
A bird, and the smaller it is, the more valuable; it has on the A 
H .S 
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