309 WATTLED PIGEONS. 



to a point on the breast, forming a pointed bib. There 

 ought to be a spot of colour on each side of the face, at the 

 gape of the mouth, and this is shown in the illustration of the 

 breed in Herr Priitz's new book. There are also others 

 coloured, in addition, on lower body, from breast to tail, in- 

 cluding the thighs, the head and bib, wing coverts and flights, 

 remaining white. The back must always remain coloured, as 

 in the Magpie, and form the figure of a heart, and is known 

 as "the heart." Others, again, are all coloured except the 

 head, upper neck and bib, flight feathers, and butts of the 

 wings, as in the Stork Pigeon. The quality of colour in this 

 variety is sometimes superb. 



"Its flight is powerful, quick, and more stormy than dex- 

 terous ; its voice abrupt and deep. Towards smaller pigeons 

 it is violent, and therefore not suited to live with them, and 

 best kept alone. It shows mistrust to men, and only gradu- 

 ally becomes accustomed to its feeder." This wild nature 

 is common to all the Carrier race and their descendants. 



The Himalayan Carrier. — When writing about Indian 

 pigeons, I mentioned some gentlemen named Wood, whom I 

 knew in Calcutta as enthusiastic pigeon fanciers. There were 

 four brothers of them who bred choice pigeons, and their 

 father had done so before them. The eldest brother had the 

 largest and best collection I knew of in Calcutta, with the 

 exception of that belonging to the ex-King of Oude. It was 

 in Mr. Wood's aviaries I first saw this variety, which I have 

 named as above; the native name I have forgotten, if I ever 

 heard it. This pigeon is about the size of an average Dragoon. 

 It is very hard and close-feathered, upright in carriage, thin 

 in neck, moderately long in neck and limbs, and inclined to be 

 short in flights and tail. It is short in face, measuring about 

 Ifin. from centre of eye. The beak is stout and thick at the 

 base, sharp rather than blunt at the point, and straight. The 

 head is angular, or wedge-shaped, the brow forming an angle 

 with the crown and beak. It has a smooth beak wattle, of 



