EXHIBITING BARBS. 107 



pretty constant cleaniag with a sponge and water; as being thick 

 and fleshy, dirt and secretion is apt to accumulate in the creases, 

 which may cause disease and must cause discomfort. Spouts 

 should be attended to early, as if much developed they are 

 far more troublesome than in Carriers, owing to the greater 

 thickness, and do not always heal so well when operated upon. 

 There are birds which grow a great deal too much wattle, and 

 we have seen some in the show-pen which have had more cut 

 away than has been suffered to remaia ; we are glad to say 

 that such birds win less frequently now than formerly. Apart 

 from cuttiag, we have seen some old birds exhibited of the 

 heavy-browed type, which were really pitiable ia appearance, 

 the overgrown, relaxed wattle falling down over the eye in a 

 very repulsive manner. 



Before exhibiting Barbs, the eye-wattles want a thorough 

 washing with a cloth or sponge, and cold water. It is won- 

 derful how this will bring out the colour, and a very little 

 butter rubbed on while the skin is damp wUl keep it for some 

 time. Often a few smaU feathers will grow on the edge of the 

 eye-wattles, and these the majority of exhibitors consider it 

 admissible to remove, though it cannot strictly be defended. 

 There is no temptation to go any further, since it would take 

 away from width of skull to do so. The upper mandible will 

 sometimes grow longer than the under one in all birds fed from 

 a hopper ; and in such cases it is fair to cut back to an even 

 point, which is always preserved in pigeons that feed from the 

 floor. The beak should in fact be hept so for mere purposes of 

 health, whether the bird be shown or not ; but before showing 

 it should always be examined and trimmed back if necessary 

 to the proper point : to go one fraction beyond betrays itself in 

 a moment, and is fraud. 



Barbs readily become very tame and familiar : we have had 

 several that even deserved to be called affectionate. This is 

 especially the case if brought up by hand, which is very easily 



