182 



THE PRACTICAL PIGEON KEEPER. 



curve A E B c be even and unbroken, with no flat place, much 

 less depression at e or b. This is called a good " arched face," 

 and it will be seen that age rather improves it by the growth 

 of the beak-wattle. This last may project a little without 

 fault, provided it be even and not ragged. It matters not how 



Fig. 25. 



[Kg. 26. 



long in reason the head may be, provided the front of the beak, 

 A E, is short, blunt, and massive. Length of nostril e f, or a good 

 space between wattle and eye at D, only give room for the front of 

 the skull to develop, and do not spoil the short appearance of a 

 well-shaped head ; since an Antwerp must be, like a Barb, a 

 biff-headed pigeon. Referring to the top view, the next main 

 point is that the head be wide across behind the wattle, at d d, 

 so that if the beak-wattle were removed and a flat edge laid 

 against the side of the face there should be no hollow or 

 depression. 



In brief, we want generally the head of an Antwerp to 

 be bounded by convex curves, somewhat as in the Owl, but 

 with more length to give massive chai-acter. The eyelash or 



