146 
The Illustrated Book of Plgeons. 
in that case never look so “ finished ” as when the eyes are full and almost projecting, which makes 
the head look round on the side,*as well as at the front, back, and top. The flat-cheeked birds 
look mean by the side of a full, rounded, bold head of this kind. 
Birds too broad in head are often also very flat in the skull. Such are called by fanciers 
“ square-headed ” birds, from the bad appearance they present, and especially on account of the 
flat and square look of the front of the skull. A high-skulled bird, on the contrary, as it becomes 
two or three years old, generally acquires a “ set ” forward of the feathers on the forehead, which 
makes it appear actually to hang over the beak, and adds much to the apparent shortness of 
face. Such birds also nearly always have another point, which is greatly admired in the head 
of an Almond, namely, fullness of muff, or the feathers on the cheeks below the eye projecting 
like the muff on a Polish fowl or a whiskered Bantam. This is a grand point, and makes the head 
look larger than it really is, either in pen or aviary. 
The head should be proportioned to the size of the body, a large head being preferred. 
Of course no one can expect to see the head of a small bird equal to that of another with 
larger body ; but should the head of the small bird be equal, or nearly so, to that of the larger one* 
its head is to be considered the best, unless it has been tampered with. This point needs care, 
or a pigeon may win the point for size of head unjustly, merely because it is altogether a larger 
and coarser bird than the other. And in all cases the form of the head must be considered 
before mere size. 
The form of the skull being by most fanciers considered of such primary importance, owes 
much in general, as we have already hinted, to the assistance of art whilst in the nest-pan. We 
shall, in the proper place, describe the best method of giving this assistance, without which no 
fancier can possibly compete with others to any purpose ; but the result of this practice is that it 
is very difficult now to determine the real quality of a bird. This was one of the reasons why we 
expressed a wish that less value were set upon this property as compared with others which could 
not be improved ; and, as the matter now stands, the breeder’s difficulties are great. We may be 
asked whether we would not prefer a bird of good carriage, with its head well “made-up” into a 
first-rate show form, to a plain natural head ? Well, there is one purpose for which we would 
prefer it — or rather two — to sell it, or to show it ; but for breeding purposes we would infinitely 
prefer the honest-headed bird (that is, of course, if we knew it to be so) whose best and worst 
qualities we could see, whereas, wc cannot say what the “ made” head would have been had it been 
let alone. Many will say that a really bad head cannot be made a really good head, or at least 
cannot be made larger. It is true that as regards most of the improvements we have hitherto 
spoken of in this work, a bad point cannot be made really good. But this case differs ; and we 
can assure our readers that the head can be made larger, broader, higher, and of the proper shape. 
We know it from experience, and shall, of course, describe the manner in which it is done ; and still 
further, this is a case of improvement which cannot possibly be detected. No judge can say 
positively, as in most other cases, that a head has been tampered with ; and hence he is not 
warranted in disqualifying it. All practical breeders know by experience what we state, and few 
beginners but what are startled by the progeny from some of the wonderful-skulled birds they 
have purchased turning out very different from the parents. This has to our knowledge dis- 
couraged many who would have remained in the fancy had they only happened to begin with 
honest-headed birds. Still, it is the fact that the progeny of even the best of these will not 
compete successfully if untouched. The standard in skull is so high, that, except in the rarest 
cases, natural birds cannot reach it; for which reason we shall endeavour to show all alike “ how 
it is done,” and are not ourselves thorough-going “ head-and-beak ” fanciers. 
