Tije Beak- wattle. 
for with safety, and name that pigeon because it varies less in size than any other of the proper 
dimensions we know, and hence makes a good standard. If a bird be larger or smaller, no 
matter; but a very small bird scarcely ever shows a really good skull, and a very large one 
looks coarse, whereas this size seems what best shows really fine properties to advantage. 
To resume, then. If the fancier can obtain for matching two rather small fleshy-eyed birds, 
with good beaks, they will be almost sure to produce some birds even better beaked than 
themselves, or, at least, which appear so the first season ; and if fairly good in eye-wattle, the 
young will look, at say five or six months old, so much more developed than much larger birds of 
the other kind, as to be sure to win the day. The very smallness makes the bird lock young and 
pretty, while the other bird will look both older and coarser in comparison, and has little chance 
unless judged by a very old and experienced breeder. Sometimes such an one will reverse the 
decision ; and we cannot in truth blame either, since both are right from different points of view. 
The one bird as it stands looks far the best, and really is the most developed for its age ; 
whereas, it is generally the other specimen, which cannot win as a young bird, which in the end, 
when it is maturely developed, makes the finest bird. Winning young Barbs comparatively 
seldom make winners in good company over three years old. Hence, we advise different studs of 
birds to breed winners the first season, and such as are intended to win when old birds ; and this 
is, in fact, the rule adopted by our oldest breeders and exhibitors, and the explanation of many 
facts and apparently contradictory decisions which may have puzzled some of our readers. The 
Barb is almost the only pigeon of which it is true ; and it arises from a thick eye-wattle, as well 
as a large one, being desired in this case ; whereas, the most prized Carrier-wattle, though large, is 
thin in comparison. 
Next we come to the beak-wattle, which varies in its way quite as much, though less 
conspicuously, than the eye-wattle. This chiefly depends on the size and formation of the beak 
itself. When this is massive and well shaped, it should and does resemble, as nearly as we 
can describe it, an oval-shaped bean, split nearly into two slices, and then laid like a saddle on 
the beak, one half on each side. The longer, smoother, and fuller it is, and the nearer it comes 
to the point of the beak, the better ; and this length, fulness, and regularity can be traced in 
a very young bird. It helps the shortness of face, and, filling up the profile, gives a fine 
and high-bred look generally. Such a wattle is, however, scarcely ever seen but on a fine 
and massive beak. When thus found it remains with little variation until two years old, when 
it generally wrinkles a little ; it is, however, but little, and, when properly full in the centre, 
little hinders the appearance of the skull. It should allow the front edges of the eye-wattle 
to be clearly seen, from a full front view, with a space between them and the beak-wattle ; 
and w r hen this is the case it is rarely that fine indented groove is absent, which is, perhaps, the 
best test of a really well-bred bird. 
Other wattles are the opposite of this, being ragged, flat in front or on top, or even hollow, 
instead of convex, and spreading at the back behind, over the edges of the upper mandible, so as 
to cover or destroy the space that should appear between eye and beak-wattles. 
We come next to the under or jew-wattle. Some of the coarser specimens have this very 
full and large ; and though by itself we greatly admire such, as it causes the bird to appear 
shorter in face and thicker in neck, still it has great disadvantages. Nearly all heavily-jewed 
birds are much pinched in the eye-wattle, the evils of which we have already seen ; and are besides, 
and as combined with this, too often narrow in front of the skull. But again, the jew-wattle 
is scarcely ever seen unusually full without the bird having a great deal too much at the root of the 
mouth ; and lastly, it is usually accompanied with a thin or poor under mandible, the growth 
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