Tiie Head Viewed in Front. 
79 
is an ocular deception, for measurement will show it to be less in diameter than the wattles of lots 
of liens which are to be seen. It is, however, as large as could be placed on such a head without 
crowding the two wattles together, which would cause the whole face and head to appear short ; 
so that we see again how a well-built eye-wattle not of extraordinary size, well placed and 
combined with the rest, gives most perfectly that appearance which is so much admired. The 
gullet will be found much the same as at an earlier age. 
To have a thorough idea of a good head, however, a front view is also needful, and this we 
o-ive in Tig. 36, which represents the cock bird looked at in this direction, at the mature age of 
four to six years. We put the age loosely, because, as we have before observed, some really good 
birds take much longer to develop than others ; but the diagram will show pretty well how the 
beak, beak-wattle, eye-wattle, and skull will appear relatively in a really good bird. The length 
of beak in front of the wattle appears here as in the side views before given, but of course little of 
Fig. 36. 
the under wattle can be seen ; it can, however, be readily perceived that it is well formed, and 
“comes up’’ well to that on the upper mandible, so as to appear almost as if in one piece. It will 
also be seen that the sides are well filled out, so as to preserve very nearly the same “ peg-top” 
shape as appears in the side views ; and we hardly need remark to any one who knows anything 
of Carrier pigeons, how very rare it is to find any wattle so regularly filled out all round, and 
showing both sides alike, with no dent in one part or excess in another. Excess is easily removed ; 
and hence a bird which has enough in its least developed part, and only fails by too great 
development in some other, can readily be made all it should be by a little amputation ; but for 
defect there is no remedy, even for the most unscrupulous fancier. 
The eye and beak-wattle may appear to a careless view crowded together in this diagram, but 
this is only from the point of sight bringing the beak-wattle partially in front, and thus hiding the 
space between the two wattles ; the view being drawn from one of the same heads as the side 
views before given. This view, however, shows the thickness of the eye-wattle much more than 
the side views can do, these last appearing thin as in a young bird; whereas we have never or 
hardly ever seen a bird possessing such a grand beak-wattle as here shown, fully developed, which 
did not after the third season become thick and more or less ragged in the eye-wattle as well, 
which only this front view can adequately represent. Some fanciers, it is true, never allow the 
