20(i I'KJEOXS AXT) ALL AROI'T THEM. 



THE CARRIER. 



Oil, !N[r. Judn'C, pleasu show me a Carrier 1 Oh, is that 

 one'.' AVhy what a fuuny bird. Does it carry the 

 note in its beak, anil how does it know where you 

 want tlie note taken'.'" 



I K've this samijle ot tli':. questions asked a Judge at a show 

 in order that my readers may see the jiredieament I am in. 

 through writing for otliers tlian fanciers. 



We (of the purple,) all know that the show Carrier is not 

 a Homer, and that the ILmier is the bird that takes a mes- 

 sage to its home loft, and nowhere else. That the average 

 Show Carrier would not home a mile. 



I feel that I hurt tlie feelings of no Carrier fancier, when 

 I state that the show Carrier, the old English Carrier, is not 

 one of the most jjopular varieties. At the big shows the 

 Carrier classes are rarely well tilled, yet )ierson.illy I think 

 the Carrier a wonderful liird, and (jne that well repays the 

 fancierfor the time spent in perfecting its points. 



The Carrier is a large bodied pigeon, and is iu reality 

 larger and heavier than it really looks, for its feathers lie 

 close and hard, and it is so "trim" as to be misleading. One 

 of its great p(.>inls is its watlle. There must be two, the u])- 

 l>er or beak wattle, and the lower or Jew wattle. The more 

 prominent these are, the better. 



The head of the Carrier should be long, shallow on toji, 

 and narrow between the eyes. 



The wattles should stand out well, but be short and wide. 

 The beak wattle should be free from hollowness, but should 

 be full, and larger of course than tlie Jew wattle, wliich, 

 however should have the same general characteristics as the 

 former. 



