OTHEE PROPERTIES. 79 



{i.e., in wings and tail) as possible, without the end of the 

 tail tipping the bird forward ; but we have never found these 

 properties fail when conjoined with a good neck, which there- 

 fore virtually includes them. The neck should be as thin 

 as possible at both extremities — that is, thinning almost 

 suddenly from the shoulders, and running up to a fine, clean- 

 cut gullet ; and a bird with these properties and their relatives 

 — that is, with long thin neck, long limbs, and long tight 

 feather — is said to be fine and " racy "-looking. It may be 

 added that these latter properties have most of all to do with 

 any real aesthetic beauty in a Carrier, and that they are rarely 

 found in old birds. The fact is that the great weight of wattle 

 puts so much strain upon the muscles of the neck and gullet, 

 that it necessarily becomes coarse with the continued efibrt to 

 sustain the loaded head, precisely as the blacksmith's arm 

 thickens with exercise ; and here again, therefore, we have a 

 strong reason for insisting that certain points shall not be de- 

 veloped in mere size any further than is consistent with other 

 properties. 



Nine-tenths of the Carriers shown are black or dun, which 

 are both self-coloured all over. The black should be a real 

 black, and not a dull bluish-black tinge. Very good blues 

 with black bars are also often shown, though they mostly 

 fail in colour, being smoky or chequery, owing to the strong 

 dash of black Carrier blood in them ; but blue being one of the 

 most natural colours in pigeons, this fault will doubtless be 

 gradually bred out. Of late some fairish white Carriers have 

 also been shown ; but we cannot say we have ever yet seen a 

 thoroughly good bird of this colour, and it will probably be 

 some years before such are produced. 



In breeding for colour, black is usually considered the 

 superior, dun being really a kind of complementary colour 

 to it. As long as blacks remain rich, with a metallic lustre, 

 they may be bred together; but whenever the colour fails, 



