66 THE PRACTICAL PIGEON KEEPER. 



CHAPTER VL 



CARRIERS. 



The Carrier seems to have been the most esteemed pigeon in 

 Moore's time, and it is, upon the whole, the most popular pigeon 

 stiU; twice the amount of money, at least, being annually spent 

 upon this bird that is expended on any other variety. From 

 an anecdote quoted by the old writer just named, it would 

 appear that the original progenitors of the breed really obtained 

 the name by carrying messages ; and when we consider that 

 Moore only describes the eye- wattle as the size of a shilling, and 

 the beak as an inch and a half in length, there is nothing in- 

 credible in this. It is plain, in fact, that Carrier, Horseman, 

 and Dragoon were allied names given to closely allied races, 

 and that the whole were bred up from one original stock. Some 

 Dragoons of the exaggerated London type prevalent some time 

 ago would closely resemble Moore's description of a Carrier, and 

 that this pigeon is a fair homing or message-bearing bird is 

 well known. In the process of development the Horseman 

 has naturally disappeared, being of that medium type fanciers 

 never care much about. 



Still it is remarkable how little, as regards head-points (the 

 principal properties of a Carrier), we can improve upon Moore's 

 description, which is still, of all we have seen, the best adapted 

 for explaining to a novice what is desired. It must first be 

 explained generally that the Carrier is a long-headed pigeon, 

 having the cere round the eye developed into a broad circular 

 surface of whitish naked substance, called by Moore the " eye," 

 and by modern fanciers the eye-wattle. The warty substance 

 visible on the beak above the nostrils in all pigeons is also 

 enormously developed into a large, whitish, cauliflower-looking 

 substance, called the wattle, or beak-wattle. Moore then 



