CARRIER PROPERTIES. 69 



describes the Carrier as having twelve poin ts, or " properties," 



viz. : — 



1. Three in the beak ; 



2. Three in the [beak] wattle ; 



3. Three in the head ; 



4. Three in the eye [wattle] ; 



which are further particularised as follows : — 



1. The properties of the beak are to be (a) long, (b) straight, 

 and (c) thick. 



2. The wattle ought to be (a) broad across the beak, (6) short 

 from the head towards the apex, and (c) tilting forward from 

 the head. 



3. The properties of the head are (a) its length, (6) its 

 narrowness, and (c) its .■•flatness. 



4. The eye (or eye-wattle) ought to be (a) broad, (6) round, 

 and (c) of an equal thickness. To these, Moore remarks, " some 

 add the distance,'' or space between the hinder part of the wattle 

 and front edge of the eye-wattle ; but as this disappears with 

 age when the development is large he will not allow it to be a 

 property. On this point see our remarks further on. 



The length of beak is now measured from the point 

 to the centre of the eye itself, as the only certain method ; and 

 Moore's length has been increased to two inches, or even 

 occasionally more, though an eighth less is very good if the 

 head be well proportioned. Formerly the length was often taken 

 from the nearest corner of the eye-lid ; but as some eye-lids are 

 much wider across than others, this method gave some birds 

 considerable advantage, without any really greater length of 

 " face," as it is called, and has been practically abandoned. It 

 is not difficult to procure birds that will breed mere length of 

 beak ; but it is difficult to procure length combined with the 

 other properties, and a good head and beak 1|- in. measure are 

 infinitely to be preferred to a face over two inches which is 

 deficient ia other points. 



