November 17. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
forsake them ; but Carriers, in confinement, are notorious on 
this account; and it is usual to have several pairs of feeders, 
to which they are successively passed. Young Pigeons are 
often left by the hen before they are fledged, and, if the 
nights are sharp, they die in consequence, even when full of 
food; but it is not unusual for high-fed, salacious Pigeons to 
go to nest, and lay again before the young ones are old 
enough to be thus left; so to obviate all these difficulties, it 
is usual to put the valuable young ones about to be placed 
in such a plight under more common Pigeons, who have • 
young ones somewhat younger, and, if shifted at night, the 
changelings are not discovered with very delicate Pigeons 
(as Almond Tumblers) ; and in cold weather this is some¬ 
times repeated two or three times, for the sake of warmth 
at night, until the feathers are well grown to protect them. 
Fantails, Carriers, and some others, will often evince the 
greatest affection for their young until about a week old, 
they will then call off to nest again, and never visit the 
young afterwards; and this they will continue to do all 
through the season, consequently, you must he prepared 
with good and tried feeders to assume the necessary 
nursing. Runts, Dragoons, Trumpeters, and other affec¬ 
tionate birds, attend to the young with every solicitude, 
jointly, until the hen lays again, when the cock bird under¬ 
takes the whole of the duties, except in some instances, 
when, if the young have left the nest, hut cannot feed them¬ 
selves, they will often petition the hen until she feeds them 
a little; and this happens during the day, when the cock is 
again on the nest. 
You will observe, that Pigeons are not guided by the size 
of their young ones as to the proper time for leaving them. 
They appear to brood them for a certain number of days, 
irrespective of the state of the weather, or forwardness of 
the young ; for instance, if you notice, at night, a pair of 
young, valuable Carriers, with only half a crop full of food, 
but partially fledged, and their mother, probably, standing 
over her first eggs of the next nest, then remove these to 
the place of a younger and less valuable pair, by which they 
will obtain an addition week’s nursing, and thus sava them. 
It is experience only that can teach the breeder what birds 
to retain as the best feeders, and those who will require 
feeders, for many of the most valuable birds will bring up 
their own young ones, while others are too weak, too sala¬ 
cious, or too careless, to properly attend to them, and for 
whom, if it is desirable to rear their young, it is necessary 
to provide substitutes.—C. II. B., Knip Cotlaye. 
THE CARRIER PIGEON. 
“ The Carrier is larger in size than most of the common 
sorts of Pigeons: I measured one, tho other day, whose 
length from the point of the beak to the extremity of the 
tail was fifteen inches ; this, though not one of the largest, 
weighed nearly twenty ounces. Their flesh is naturally 
firm, and their feathers close; when they stand erect upon 
their legs, then' necks being usually long, there appears 
in them a wonderful symmetry of shape beyond other 
pigeons, which are generally crowded on heaps. 
“ The upper chap of the hill is half covered from the 
head, with a naked, white, tuberous, furfuraceous flesh, 
which projects or hangs over both its sides on the upper 
part nearest the head, and ends in a point about the middle 
of the hill; this is called the wattle, and is sometimes 
joined by two small excrescences of the same kind on each 
side of the under chap. 
“ This flesh is in some Carriers more inclinable to a 
blackish colour, which is generally the more valued. 
“ The eyes, whose iris, or circle round the black pupil, is 
generally of the colour of a reddish gravel [“ Mayor, p. 80. 
4 But should he a fiery red.’ Griffin, p. 01. * Of a red 
brick-dust colour ’], are equally surrounded with the same 
sort of furfuraceous matter for about the breadth of a 
shilling; this is generally thin when it spreads wide, and is 
most valued, yet when the flesh round the eye is thick and 
broad, it shows the Carriers to be of a good blood that will 
breed very stout ones. 
“ This bird is often esteemed, by the gentlemen of the 
Fancy, as the King of Pigeons, on the account of its beauty [ 
and great sagacity; for which reason Mr. Hickman, a dis- I 
181 
tiller in Bishopsgate-street (not of the family of the lying 
Hickmans), when living, always kept a silver hatchet and 
block, on which he decently chopped off their heads, alleging 
that, being of the blood royal, they ought not to die after 
the same manner as the vulgar herd. 
“ A Carrier is generally reckoned to have twelve proper¬ 
ties, viz.— 
“ Three in the beak. 
“ Three in the wattle. 
“ Three in the head. 
“ Three in the eye. 
“ To begin, therefore, with tho first—the properties of the 
beak are to he long, straight, and thick. 
“ As to its length, an inch-and-a-lialf is reckoned a long 
beak, though there are very good Carriers that are found not 
to exceed an inch-and-a-quarter. 
[“ In Moore’s day an inch-and-a-half was reckoned a 
long beak, although at this time there are 1 teaks that would 
measure one inch-and-three-quarters, and some few two 
inches ; it is infinitely better to have a beak one-incli-and-a- 
half in a right position, possessing the properties, straight 
and thick, than have a beak upon which tricks have been 
played when young, and coaxed to the length of two inches, 
and spindle beaked. The experienced fanciers are aware 
how some measure, as I said before. Position, thickness, 
and straightness of the beak, causes the admiration of 
fanciers; if you refer to the portrait of the Carrier accom¬ 
panying this work, you will find the beak two inches full, 
and, if measured from the back of the head to the end of 
the beak, nearly three inches, understanding that in some 
parts of the country they measure in this way.] 
“ The straightness of the beak adds a wonderful beauty 
to its length, and, if otherwise, it is said to ho hook-beaked, 
and is not so much esteomed. 
“ The thickness of the beak is likewise a very great 
recommendation, and if it fails in this point it is said to be 
spindle-beaked, which diminishes something of its value. 
[“ Girtin, p. 03. Beak a black colour.] 
“ The next three properties are those of the wattle, which 
ought to be broad across the beak; short from the head 
towards the apex, or point of the bill, and tilting forwards 
from the head; for, if otherwise, it is said to he he pegg- 
wattled, which is very much disesteemed; and, therefore, 
some people, to impose upon mankind, and enhance the 
price of an indifferent bird, have artificially raised the 
hinder part of the wattle, filled it up with cork, and wired it 
in with fine wire, in such a manner as not to be easily per¬ 
ceptible, especially to gentlemen who are not adepts in the 
Fancy. 
[“ Mayor, p. 82. ‘ To impose upon the ignorant.’] 
“ We come now to consider the properties of the head, 
which are its length, its narrowness, and its flatness. When 
a Carrier has a long, narrow head, and a very flat skull, it 
is much admired; and, if otherwise, it is said to he barrel 
headed. 
[“ Mayor, p. 82. ‘ With a hollow impression or dent in 
the middle.’] 
“ The last three properties are those of the eye, which 
ought to be broad, round, and of an equal thickness ; for if 
one part of the eye be thinner than the rest, it is said to be 
pinch eyed, which is deemed a very great imperfection; 
whereas, if it has the contrary properties, it is said to have 
a rose-eye, which is very valuable. 
“ To these, some add the distance which is between the 
hinder part of the wattle and the edge of the eye; but I 
cannot allow this to be a property, because, when a Carrier 
comes to be three or four years old, if the eye is broad and 
the wattle large, they must of necessity meet: the distance 
therefore seems to be rather a property of the Horseman, of 
which more in its proper place. 
“ Another distinguishing mark of a Carrier is the length 
and thinness of its neck, which some call a property; and, 
indeed, it must be allowed to add a very great beauty to 
this bird, especially considering the breadth of its chest. 
[“ Mayor, p. 83. 4 Tho broader the chest the better, for 
which reason the head should incline backward, which 
shews it more advantageously.’] 
“ Its feather is chiefly black or dun, though there are 
likewise blues, whites, and pieds of each feather, but tho 
black and dun answer best the foregoing properties, yet the 
