Powter

There is a great deal of trouble, time, and expence, requisite for breeding and . rearing of young powters, for they require a vast deal of attendance, as every single bird, cocks as well as hens, must be parted during the winter season, and placed in a separate pen or coop, each of them must be supplied with meat and water, and care taken that the coop be lofty and spacious, that they may not get an ill habit of stooping, which is so great an imperfection, that it must be prevented by all possible means;

I shall confine my remarks to the flyers, and say nothing about the toy birds, which include powters, nuns, tumblers, jacobins, and many other species, which by their respective fanciers are held in as high estimation as the best carriers.

Powters have deservedly a bad character as nurses, and it is usual to put the eggs of valuable birds under other Pigeons to hatch and rear;

I dare say, Mr Wauverley, ye never kend that a' the eggs that were sae weel roasted at supper in the Ha'-house were aye turned by our Davie; — there's no the like o' him ony gate for powtering wi' his fingers amang the het peat-ashes, and roasting eggs.

Having worked and powtered away for a minute or two, the operator suddenly dropped the outlandish instrument, and uplifting his two hands, like the minister when pronouncing the dismissal, he exclaimed, " My stars and garters, what a mighty development!

So we got nowhere in particular ; but learnt a good deal, having ' powtered up and down a bit and had a rattling day.'

He had seen pigs like Christy powtering in the slops, all grunt and hair.