The English Carrier. 349 



The points of excellence in the fancy carrier are the following : 



Hize. — The carrier should be a large pigeon, and the larger the better. 

 -From the point of the beak to the end of the tail, as fanciers measure 

 a pigeon, it should be from 16iu. upwards. I lately measured a blue hen 

 belonging to Mr. G. H. GUlham, of Vauxhall-road, London, and found 

 her 17iin., and a young blue cock of the same strain was 17^in. These 

 measurements are strictly correct, and many would have made them 

 greater, for I have generally been unable to make pigeons measure what 

 has been stated to me as their length of limb and feather. This blue hen 

 owed her length as much to neck as to feather, and was not badly pro- 

 portioned in any way. I should say, then, that a full sized cock carrier 

 ■should measure 18in. in feather, without having an unduly long taU. 

 Bines are, however, admitted to be very stylish and handsome birds, 

 though not generally up to blacks and duns in head properties. For 

 the latter, 17in. at present is a good measurement. 



Shape and Carriage. — In Moore's description of the carrier the follow- 

 ing sentence occurs ; "Their Flesh is naturally firm, and their Feathers 

 close, when they stand erect upon their Legs, their Necks being usually 

 long, there appears in them a wonderful Symmetry of Shape beyond 

 other Pigeons, which are generally crowded on Heaps." This is so well 

 put that I cannot help quoting it. My drawing of a carrier is entirely 

 ideal, and represents what I consider a model one. It will be seen 

 that the bird stands very erect and firmly on its legs, with a long out- 

 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 infla- 

 tion 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 : 



