Transman knowing what I know from doing EPA and NHTSA (FMVSS) certification, compliance and homologation there is always a minimum of two years of "phase-in" for manufactures to either comply or start to comply with any new federally mandated standard(s). The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards regulation was passed in 1966 so that's why most all of the 1968 "model" year vehicles started to have things like seat belts, collapsible steering columns, the VIN in the corner of the windshield, safety glass, break away inside rear view mirrors, seat back latches, side marker lights and then reflectors and then both a light within a reflector (front amber, rear red and still done to this day that way) . Every safety item was listed on the Monroney/window sticker/label and then as of January 1, 1969 mandatory "head restraints" (head rests). That mandatory head restraint regulation of 01/01/69 phase-in is the reason you will not find a real A12 (SPD 3/29 + 4/26) without head restraints/head rest.

So back to the breather with the multiple nipples would most likely be for a '70 and forward EPA emission regulation phase-in (also of two years) and most likely for "EVAP" or evaporative emissions containment when the engine is not running. You'll see the '70 air cleaner snorkels with the vacuum valves, "butterflies" that close when the engine is shut off to contain the carburetor fumes from going out the snorkels or the air cleaner inlets. Another reason for the '70+ Air Grabber hood scoops to shut automatically when the engine was off, and why the '69 lift-off-hood was NEVER going to be used again. EVAP IMO was the reason there was no (official) 3X2 SIX PACK/6BBL for model year '72 because from what I know about the regulation Holley was not going to modify the 2-bbl carbs for a float bowl that would or could be vent to a carbon EVAP canister for only a few models. I was told by a Chrysler engineer that they had hand modified the Holley carbs and got them to meet the EVAP standards, but Holley was not going to make the modifications cheap enough to satisfy the Chrysler bean counters to go into production especially with all of the emission expense BS they had already had to deal with. Bye, bye 3X2 carbs . Hey long winded again, sorry. I dealt with the EPA, NHTSA (DOT) Transport Canada, Environment Canada, Euro TUV and CARB for over 30 years as my job so there is so much that mostly is never seen by the consumers that manufactures have to deal with and deal with two or more years in advance.

Mike