6 2 
Tiie Illustrated Book of Plgeons. 
years. Generally even earlier — say about two years — they become less so, if left alone ; but may 
be preserved much longer if the portion of the upper mandible which overhangs the lower one 
be cut off level and carefully pared, so as to enable the mandibles to close together. Even a bad 
beak may be improved in this way, which is considered legitimate by most fanciers, and adds 
greatly to the comfort of the bird. It also keeps the mouth from becoming so dry, and prevents 
dust from collecting in the lower mandible, as already mentioned. 
Lastly, a massive, straight, well-formed box-beak is not only good and attractive in itself, but 
it is a good guarantee to the fancier, if in a young bird, that in due time the bearer will develop 
the highest and most rare of all the properties in a Carrier in a reasonable degree. We refer to a 
good beak-wattle, which we have next to consider. 
Some profess not to consider the beak-wattle in a Carrier as of so very much value, but these 
are generally those whose birds are deficient in that point ; and we can safely say we never knew 
any one possessed of a bird really good in this point who was not very proud of it, and who did 
not breed as many young ones as he possibly could from the bird while in his possession. The 
reason of this value being placed upon it is its extreme rarity. We have seen many birds with 
good beaks, and still more with good eye-wattles ; but a bird with a perfect beak-wattle — that is, 
which it was not desirable to alter in some point or other — has never yet come before our eyes, and 
in a long experience we have not seen more than perhaps twenty birds which even tolerably 
approached the standard shape as shown in the diagram ; and a great portion even of these had 
undergone certain alterations to suit the views of the persons possessing them. If one part of 
a wattle is too full, it is very easily removed ; but so far it has puzzled every one to add any. 
Should this latter degree of skill ever be arrived at, we shall no doubt see plenty of Carriers 
perfectly shaped in the beak-wattle. 
The first year a well-bred bird very often has the promise of a perfect wattle, and it may even 
retain this, and begin to “break ” all that can be desired the beginning of the second season ; but 
as the three portions of the upper wattle marked in our diagram b', b", and B'" begin to form, in 
almost every case faults begin to appear. In most cases the front portion, b', appears to stop 
growing, while b" will come out a great deal too full ; or the largest portion, b'", will come up so 
full by the end of the second season as to appear three times the size of the middle portion, b", and 
thus show that “ dent ” or depression in b' and B" which is so often seen in Carriers, and spoils 
the look of the wattle completely. Again, the back portion, b'", which ought to arch or tilt nicely 
away from the skull towards the beak, often grows highest at the very back towards the skull, 
which used to be called a peg-wattle, and looks clumsy and bad. And even when all these points 
are obtained in profile, too often when looked at from the top there is a great deficiency on the 
right, left, or both sides of the wattle. 
In a properly-shaped wattle, the three portions, B 1 , b", and B'", ought to rise, nicely proportioned, 
one above the other, each being well filled out or rounded on the top. There are lots of Carriers 
not possessed of the three portions of beak-wattle, and which only show b' and B"', more especially 
those that have had their beaks tampered with in infancy, as already described. The formation 
should resemble that of a cauliflower, and not be in smooth masses like putty ; and the back 
portion, b'", should be well arched, so as to keep it forward and free of the eye-wattle. In a good 
wattle, the highest part will stand up nearly half an inch above the top of the skull, and if well 
curved away from it looks much higher. The freer it is from the eye-wattle the better, as it both 
shows the shape of the beak-wattle to greater advantage to be clear of the other, and also gives 
the appearance of a longer face. 
The wattle on the lower mandible should be somewhat similarly formed ; c' being small, 
