286 FANCY PIGEONS. 



stretched neck, and with its beak at right angles to the same. 

 The neck ought to be long and thin, with a clean run under the 

 jaw, showing no gullet or thickness, and with a beautifully 

 arched or rounded-off shape at the back of the head. The neck 

 ought to be, as much as possible, slender all the way down, till 

 it runs into the body ; but this appearance is only seen in young 

 birds. As they mature they naturally get thicker at the junction 

 of neck and body. The wing butts should be well forward, and 

 level with the front of the breast, which ought to be broad. The 

 Carrier is naturally shy and wild, and this is of advantage to 

 its shape and carriage in the show pen, as any tameness or 

 familiarity is quite at variance with a statuesque appearance. 

 The inflation of the crop and spreading of the tail, which add to 

 the beauty of a good Pouter, when seen in a Carrier only spoil 

 its fine shape. 



THE BEAK. This ought to be long, straight, and thick. 

 Moore says : " As to its Length, an Inch and a half is reckon'd 

 a long Beak, tho' there are very good Carriers that are found 

 not to exceed an Inch and a Quarter." The arguments that 

 have been founded on this statement have evidently been based 

 on the assumption that Moore's measurement was the same 

 as that still known as London measure viz., from the point 

 of the beak to the inner edge of the eye. I cannot believe 

 that Moore measured as far as the eye, considering the length 

 he gives. He evidently measured from the point of the beak 

 to where the feathers begin to grow, behind the mouth. I 

 think the fairest way to measure is from the point of the 

 beak to the centre of the eye, which is the method now 

 generally adopted and best understood. Measured in this way, 

 therefore, the Carrier should be as long as possible; but 

 mere length is of little consequence compared to the style 

 and set of the beak. It ought to be thick, and especially 

 so at the point; and the under mandible ought to approach 

 the upper in consistency as much as possible, fitting closely 

 to it. This is known as a box beak, which is one of the 



