88 THE PIGEON BOOK 



several years to " grow " its main features, such as sub- 

 stance of skull, correct shaped wattle, and eye cere. The 

 Barb has been bred to line for many generations. The 

 old birds are inclined to contract spouts and eye trouble, 

 and champions are hard to breed. The chief points are 

 in connection with the head. The beak-wattle should be 

 fine in young birds and develop steadily with age. The 

 size of the eye and eye-wattle is a matter of importance. 

 Opinions differ very much as to the size of a good Barb. 

 The style of bird most admired is of medium size, neck of 

 medium length, tapering towards head and broadening 

 towards the shoulders. As the chief points are the beak, 

 good beak-wattle, and head, in selecting birds fanciers 

 should be careful to see they possess these qualities, and 

 come of a winning strain. Any pigeon the good qualities 

 of which depend upon bone, is more difficult to produce 

 than mere feather and colour properties. This equally 

 applies to Barbs and other birds of the same class. 



The Antwerp. 



There are three types of the Antwerp : the 

 long-faced, the short-faced, and the medium-faced 

 bird. During the past few years the Antwerp classes 

 have not filled as well as formerly. There is no doubt 

 the Antwerp originated in Belgium and was a workman, 

 that is to say, was the racer in the Li^ge and Antwerp 

 districts. English fanciers imported Antwerps, and in 

 return shipped Dragons and Carriers to Belgium, but all 

 homing properties in the present-day Antwerp are lost; 

 the exhibition-pen and breeding entirely for show has 

 settled that question. The favourite colour of the old 

 Antwerp fanciers was the " silver dun," as it was called, 

 but really the mealy. The Antwerp as I first knew it was 

 a strong, bold, well-feathered bird, with thick-set 



