THE PIGEON BOOK 85 



could make up the wattle of a Carrier to almost any shape. 

 I remember the late Mr. Hammock, of Ilford, showing 

 me how the wattles could be made up with cork so that a 

 novice, or even anyone but a close student of the breed, 

 could not tell the bird was made, and such birds often 

 passed muster in the variety classes, but their owners took 

 care not to show them under specialist judges of the 

 variety. 



The beak and the wattle, particularly the quality of the 

 latter, are the main points in the variety. A good, straight, 

 thick box beak is a most valuable point. While in the 

 Dragon the skull should be wedge-shape, in the Carrier 

 there is more equality in width of skull ; but the fashion 

 for a very narrow skull has died out, for in late years 

 it has been found that such birds did not develop good 

 wattles. 



A really fine Carrier is a majestic bird. Its head and 

 neck should be well set on a good-shaped body. A throaty 

 Carrier or one with a bad gullet is an ugly specimen. 

 But while the neck should not be too swanny still there 

 should be a symmetry about the bird's neck and shoulders 

 that lends to the balance and shape of the bird. 



The most popular colours of the Carrier are dun and 

 black. 



There is no breed that I know that can well be used 

 as a cross with the Carrier to improve it, although I fancy 

 strong Dragons have sometimes been used, especially to 

 get the latter-day blue and white Carriers. 



Tick beans, maple peas, dari, wheat, and maize, mixed 

 in equal parts, make the best food for Carriers. 



These birds are of a pugnacious variety. It is best 

 if possible to give them plenty of house-room and good 

 roomy nest -boxes well separated, so that they are not likely 

 to get into each other's boxes and fight. 



