262 
The Illustrated Book of Plgeons. 
showing an apparently powerful pair of jaws. The eye should be large, bold, and prominent, and 
of an orange-red or blood-red colour, wild, and full of fire. The fleshy circle around should be of 
fair size, circular, and of a pale colour, but not coarse or overhanging. A moderately-full eye-cere 
adds greatly to the apparent width of head and general appearance, provided it is even in formation 
and not overhanging, in which case it becomes coarse and objectionable. Some fanciers I know 
prefer but little eye-cere ; but I have found that such paucity of eye is generally accompanied with a 
scantily-furnished beak. These features of eye and beak I have found invariably to accord in 
development : if we want the one, we must have the other, and, for my own part, I prefer both, 
as being in harmony with the general formation of the breed. The eye and beak should be as far 
asunder as possible, and this, in my opinion, is a great point, and in young birds is a fair indication 
of a probable big head when at maturity; for, bear in mind, a Show Antwerp must have a ‘ big 
head '— a capacious cranium for the development of a large brain. These qualities, as in a perfect 
bird, are shown in Fig. 62. 
Fig. 62. 
“ The neck should be moderately long, and slender at its upper portion, and not dewlapped 
or ‘ throated,’ as some prefer, for this is a characteristic of the Owl, and when seen upon an 
Antwerp, there are sure to be other Owly features to accompany it, such as short neck, leg, and 
body, which are not desirable properties of the breed under consideration. The shoulders should 
be broad, and wing-butts prominent, and well separated from the body ; the breast full, and 
the entire body long; the wings of good length, and composed of broad feathers well knit together, 
so as to insure buoyancy when upon the wing; the legs should be long, and feet of good size. 
I lie general aspect of these birds is bold, dignified, and intelligent. There is an arch expression 
of the eye, which bespeaks keen and knowing features of more than an ordinary character. These, 
then, constitute the primary properties of the breed. I will now give the various colours. 
“ Silver Duns, sometimes called ‘ Mealies,’ are of an extremely delicate, creamy-white tint, 
bordering upon white itself, but when actually in contrast with pure white shows clearly the 
colour (little though it be) of which it is composed. However, this faint tint should be as pale 
and clear as possible throughout the entire body, flights, and tail. The head itself (in cock birds) 
should be of floury whiteness to a line beneath the lower jaw (hens are, as a rule, of a darker 
shade) ; the neck and breast should be of a deep rich coppery bronze colour, without the semblance 
