The Antwerp Carrier. 147 



England, but I kept him to breed from, and hia early progeny are very 

 good indeed. 



" So good is the bird in appearance that I have repeatedly refused the 

 offer of ^5 for him merely as a stock bird. 



"Fig. 2 represents a homing Antwerp belonging to me to which the 

 judges gave the silver cup at the Crystal Palace poultry show in 1875. 

 The bird was certainly a handsome one, but not, in my opinion, equal to 

 the former, even in looks ; he was purely Belgian bred, and was a good 

 homer, having flown about 100 miles in previous years. In 1876 I 

 entered him in a private race from Brussels, but — the truth must be told 

 — I have never seen him since he was let off in that pleasant city on the 

 morning of the 20th July, and was lost, although his companion in the 

 race, not half as good looking, is walking about before my eyes. 



" I have now shown what is regarded as the most esteemed type of 

 Belgian birds — viz., as regards cocks, for 

 the hens are generally less stout in the 

 head and beak ; and I may state that the 

 sketches are executed with the most ex- 

 treme accuracy, not only as regards the 

 form, but also as to the expression of the 

 birds. Mr. T. W. Wood, one of the moat 

 accurate of natural history draughtsmen, 

 devoted very great care to their delinea- Pjq_ 3_ 



tion, and I may state that the drawings 



are not altered to suit my views of what a good homer should be, but 

 show the birds exactly as they are. 



" I now wish to show what is not an uncommon view of a homing bird 

 amongst some amateurs. The outline sketch (Fig. 3) is traced with the 

 closest accuracy from one of the drawings of Mr. Ludlow, of Birmingham, 

 published in the "New Tork Pet, Stock, and Poultry Bulletin." The 

 drawing represented, with all Mr. Ludlow's skill, an indifferent Birming- 

 ham show Antwerp, with pert upright carriage, short stubby beak, large 

 eyes, small head and brain, and is no more like a Belgian voyageur than 

 I to Hercules. Such a bird could not fly fifty miles, and would not fly five. 



" I have visited over and over again the lofts of the Belgian amateurs ; 

 I have owned and still own hundreds of these birds ; I have had thousands 

 pass through my hands ; but in all Belgium I never saw a bird approaoh- 



L 2 



