56 
7 he Illustrated Book of Plgeons. 
which they brought up their own young ones well, proving that the bad nursing is not owing, as in 
the case of Barbs, to mechanical difficulties, but chiefly to the artificial condition in which they 
are generally kept. Few can, however, run the risk of letting valuable birds fly, and feeders must 
therefore be provided. As a rule, the Carriers themselves will feed the young well for from eight 
to ten days, when they should be transferred to their foster-parents. 
Passing now to the consideration of the Carrier as an exhibition bird, we have great pleasure 
in giving, first of all, the following excellent article by Mr. F. T. Wiltshire, who is well known, 
not only as a successful exhibitor, but as one of the very best breeders. In only one point do 
we take any exception to his remarks — namely, in the opinion he expresses that the Carrier has 
lately deteriorated. It is true that very lately an immense number of the best birds have been 
lost, either by death or exportation ; but our opinion still is that the fanciers of the present day, 
owing to the opportunities they have of comparing birds at exhibitions, are now become so much 
better judges of what a Carrier should be, and there are so many breeding them who are more or 
less qualified to do so, that the young birds now coming on will, when matured, be nearer 
perfection than ever ; and we think this will be the opinion of nearly all who have carefully 
examined some of the young birds bred by Messrs. Montgomery, Heritage, Heaton, Ord, 
Hammack, Mr. Wiltshire himself, and others, besides some grand birds which are known 
to be in the possession of gentlemen who refuse to allow their brethren the pleasure of 
seeing them at exhibitions. It is true that an unusual number of good birds have died, and 
that fine old matured birds were never so scarce, which will account for the opinion expressed ; 
still, if the young ones now maturing should live and thrive, we expect to see a better class of 
birds than ever. But without further preface, we will now give Mr. Wiltshire’s own description 
of the points of a good Carrier. 
“ My opinion of a Carrier is that a full-sized bird should measure from seventeen to seventeen 
and a half inches in length from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail ; but a young bird is very 
seldom seen of such dimensions until after the first moult, when the tail-feathers grow nearly an 
inch longer than the nestling feathers. With regard to the shape, a long thin neck, of uniform 
size, running almost to the shoulders, is a great feature, and adds much to the beauty of the bird, 
especially if nicely cut under the beak instead of having a gullet similar to the owl, which 
imperfection I have noticed has of late made great progress. The shoulders of the wings should 
be even with or slightly in advance of a full chest ; and the body long, but not heavy, standing 
on a pair of stout long legs, without exposing the thigh-joints as with the Pouter. The carriage 
of the Carrier (which many fanciers consider identical with the shape) should be perfectly 
upright, the legs and neck being stretched to the utmost tension ; the head being well set, with 
the beak pointed out straight, and the eye in a line with the ball of the foot. By comparing a 
bird with a pair of short legs with one with the contrary, the advantage in favour of the latter 
will be readily discernible. 
“ The beak is a very important point, and the good old-fashioned box-beaks are rarely seen. I 
am quite content if in my young birds the cocks measure one and three-quarter inches in length, 
and the hens a trifle less ; with age the beak lengthens a little, but birds of the measurements I 
mention must be considered of more than average merit. A few are to be found to exceed them. 
The beak should also be thick and perfectly straight, and what is termed ‘ boxed,’ by which I 
mean both mandibles closely fitting, and the lower, if inverted, appearing almost similar to the 
upper. I have had birds with beaks two inches and upwards in length, but they have been either 
thin or the upper part has been formed of an unusually large quantity of horn. As I have before 
