February 20, 1868. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTIOOLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



151 



Linnet. — First, Highly C'omniondod, iiiid Conimcudod, S. Hinds. 



Skylark.— First and Verv Highly Coiumeadod, J. Judd. Commended, 

 S. Hind3. 



WooDLARK.— First, J. .Tiidd. Coramcndod, C. Obermiiller. 



Robin.— Prize, J. Smith, Lower Norwood, 



Blackbird.— Prize, A. Isjincs, Prince's Street, Leicester Siiimro. 

 Higbly Commended, W. Bnrnnrd, Anerley. Commended, L. Corti, Bath 

 Street, City Road. 



SoNtJ Thrush.— Firflt, K. J. B.ildwin, Noi-thampton- Second, F. P. 

 Cuddon, Croydon. Very Highly Commended, K. A. Simpson. Com- 

 mended, \V. Barnard. 



Stabling.— Prize. .1. Judd. Highly Commended, J. .Tudd ; E, Haw- 

 kins ; G. Mustoe, Upper Nort?ood. Commended, VV. Bicknell, Ebury 

 Street, Bclgrftvia. 



Magpie.— Prize, A. Von Glchn, Sydenham. 



Any Oticer Variety. — First. J. Adams. Eastbnurno, Sussex (White 

 Goldtlnchi. Second and Third, E. Hawfcins. Fourth, T. Carrington. 

 Fifth, J. B. H. Oxley. Higlilv t'omniended, E. Hawkins iWliite Sparrow) ; 

 Rev. H. C. Rnssell (White Pled Linnet). 



BIRDS OF PASSAGE AN'() MIGR.\TORY LIRDS. 



Blackcap.— Prize, C. Ohennuller. Very Highly Commenjod, S. Hinds. 

 Highly Commended, C. A. P.owdler. 



NiOHTiNGALE.— Pri'/e. G. Miller, New North Road, Hoxton. 



Siskin or Abehdf.vine. ^ Prize, W. Walter. Very Highly Com- 

 mended, J. Judd. Hi(,'hly Commended, H. Ashton ; E. De L. Simmonds, 

 Winchester. Commended. ^. Winspear. 



Any OTHGit Variety.— Prize, E. Hawkins (Waxen Chatterer). Very 

 Highly Commended, E. Hawkins. Commended, W. Walter (Waxwing). 

 FOREIGN BIRDS. 



Cockatoo (Lemon or Orange-crested). — First, M. George, Upper East 

 Smitbfield. Secoud, K. H. Douglas, Dalston. Very Highly Conimended, 

 J. Partridge. 



Cockatoo (Lcadbeater, or Rose-crested),— Fii-st and Second, A. Isaacs. 

 Special, F. Ashley. 



Cockatoo (Any other variety). — Prize, J. Judd. Highly Commended, 

 A. Isaccs. 



Grey Parrots. — First, C. Thompson, Upper Norwood. Second, J. 

 jQdd. 



Lo^*E Birds.— Prize, J. Judd. Highly Commended, E. Hawkins. 



Parakeets (Australian GrussL— Prixe, H. Vine. Very Highly Com- 

 mended, J. Judd ; E. Hawkin.s. Highly Commended, J. Judd ; W. Walter ; 

 A. Isaacs. 



Parakeets (Ring-necked or Bengal).— Prize, G. Hurs:. 



Parakeets (Rosebill). — Prize, J. Judd. 



Parakeets (Pennants). — Prize, W. Walter. Commended, J. Jones. 



Parakeets (Any other variety). — Prize, J. .ludd. 



Kino Parrots. — Prize. A. Isaacs. Very Highly Commended, J. Jones ; 

 J. Jndd. 



Coc KATE als.— Prize, Mrs. O. Reckitt. Very Highly Commended, J. 

 Jndd; Commended, A. Isaacs. 



Lory (Any variety). — Prize, J. Judd. 



Sparrows (Diamoudl. — Prize, A. Isaacs. Highly Commended, W. 

 Walter. Commended, S. Hinds. 



Sparrows Coral-necked).— -Prize. J. Jndd. Very Highly Commended, 

 A.Isaacs. Highly Commended, E. Hawkins. 



Sparrows (Java).~Prize. E. Hawkins. Very Highly Commended, W. 

 "Walter. Highly Commended, E. Hawkins. 



Indigo Blue Birds.— Prize. E. Hawkins. 



Waxbills (Any variety). — First, A. Isaacs. Second, W. Walter. Very 

 Highly Commended, J. Judd. Highly Commended, E. Hawkins; A. 

 Isaace. 



Cardinals.— Prize, E. Hawkins. Very Highly Commended, E. Hawkins. 



WiDAH Birds. — Prize, W. Walter. 



Any OTHER Variety.— First and Third, E. Hawkins (White Java 

 Sparrow). Second. H. Ashton (Scarlet Tanageri. Very Highly Com- 

 mended, W. Walter (Grenadier Bishop). Highly Commended, W.'Walter 

 (White-headed Manakin) ; S. Bunting (Saffron Fiuchi; W. P. Junes 

 (Senegal Canaries) ; A. Isaacs (Black Manakinsj. Commended, E. 

 Hawkins (Glossy Oriel). 



Group of Partridges (Cross between English and French).— Special 

 Prize, J. S. Stevens. 



Judges.— Camines.—^r. T. Moore; Mr. A. Wilmore ; Mr. G. J. 

 Bamesby. Britiak and Forriijn Jjirds. — Mr. W. Goodwin. 



PIGEONS— :\IATIXG WITH :MEALY, &c. 



I NOTICE with pleasure ilr. Heath's remarks in the Journal 

 of the 23rd ult. on my notes on the hook entitled "Pigeons," 

 and I have no doubt that by means of such communications 

 we shall bj-and-by reach a real " standard of excellence." 



In my experience in breeding and observing the breeds of 

 Pouters, the greater number of Yellow birds bred from a Mealy 

 on either the one side or the other have shown strongly 

 defined bars. By this I do not mean to say that the bars are 

 necessarily dark or solid in colour, but '"strongly defined," or 

 plainly marked. When this has not been the case many 

 of the birds have been pale in colour, some of a dappled or 

 clouded yellow, others having the edges of each or most of the 

 feathers marked with a lighter shade, and, as a rule, showing 

 indications of the bar. Thus it is that Mr. Heath's " three 

 Ked cocks, with scarcely any sign of a bar," do show it, I am 

 led to presume, in a degree — perhaps in a very small degree, 

 but the indications are there. A pood judge, looking along the 

 line of Yellow Pouters in one of our exhibitions, will seldom 

 fail in pointing out birds bred from Jlealies. 



I trust it will be understood that I do not condemn the birds 

 bred in this way ; they are to my eye all beautiful, and many 

 of tbem, without doubt, very handsome in form, and when the 



bars are strong in colour they add a very pretty variety to the 

 Yellow class. It is the rule for breeding Y'ellow Pied Pouters 

 that I condemn, and more particularly when recommended as 

 possessing an " advantage." 



This is one of the points I was desirous of pressing upon 

 the attention of my brethren in the fancy ; for now that we 

 have attained to size and length of feather, we must give to 

 colour more attention. When a book of such pretentions as 

 " Pigeons " is put into our hands, we naturally expect to find 

 at least plain directions founded on past experience, and if 

 perused by a fancier of little or no experience, he as naturally 

 looks upon it as an unerring guide. Fortunately or unfortu- 

 nately, I must not say which, I have been born a Pigeon- 

 fancier, and I did feel annoyed at finding a book on our pastime 

 so well " got up," setting forth rules of this kind. 



As the question of matching colours is now raised, allow me 

 to ask. Why breed for Y'ellows from Mealy at all ? We want 

 a rich solid yellow colour, without bars on the wing. This 

 being the case, it seems folly t/> introduce the bar or any other 

 objectionable mark. We can mtroduce such marks by one cross, 

 the bars more particularly ; but how many crosses will it re- 

 quire to breed those marks thoroughly out ? The bar will ap- 

 pear every now and then for generations. A pure-bred solid 

 Ked is the colour of bird to match with a Y'ellow, and from 

 Mr. Heath's remarks I feel sure he will agree with me in this. 

 I have only seen one or two specimens of Mealies without bars, 

 I think only one ; they are very rare, and the reason is that 

 the Mealy comes from the Blue Pied ; it may have been a 

 distant cross, but Blue is the origin. Hence a Mealy is the 

 best colour to match with a Blue (if a cross of colour is re- 

 quired), as it tends to give that softness to the blue colour so 

 much prized, and certainly most beautiful. To a fancier^of Blues 

 a Mealy bird is valuable, t hey being generally of very fine shape. 



The Mealies Mr. Heath refers to as " without any bars at 

 all," are, I suspect, what are properly called Sandies. They 

 are of a reddish sandy coloui", not of that soft solid tint of the 

 Mealy proper. The feathers are streaked with a dull reddish 

 sandy or blackish red sandy colour; it so, the proper name is 

 Sandy. Birds of this colour are of mixed blood, principally 

 Black, and a most valuable bird to breed with Black Pied ; as a 

 rule, they are handsome in form, and often very fine in limb. 



The prescription Mr. Heath kindly gives for roup I shall 

 try the first time my birds are afiected with that dire 

 disease, and report the result. The diseases of Pigeons might 

 form of themselves a study ; the causes seem almost unknown, 

 and the cures very uncertain. I have had upwards of twenty 

 young Pouters carried off in one season from roup and purg- 

 ing, perhaps the following 3'ear only one or two ; some years 

 the old birds only are affected, and in other seasons the whole 

 collection seems to enjoy perfect health. 



In reading over the pages of The -Joubnal of Hoeticcltcee, 

 teeming with interest to every admirer of Nature — a publication 

 I find almost everywhere — I meet with articles on horticul- 

 ture in every department, on singing birds, fowls, bees, and silk- 

 worms, and even on the insects and dust that prey on or dis- 

 turb each or all of them. But what of the Pigeon fancy? So 

 far it is undeveloped in the field of letters, for few come for- 

 ward to give us their experience. A pastime full of interest, 

 requiring as much art and care as any other, year by year gaining 

 on the attention of the public, and yet it is left iu the back- 

 ground. We must bestir ourselves. — J. HuiE. 



BREEDING YELLOW POUTER PIGEONS. 



Havixg read with pleasure the letters upon matching Pouteri 

 for obtaining Y'ellow ones, I wish also to state the results of my 

 long experience and success in breeding that rare colour, of 

 which I have bred some of the best birds both for richness of 

 colour Dud style. 



To use the words of my friend, Mr. Huie, in breeding for 

 Yellows we want a rich, solid, orange colour, not a light or 

 pale colour, or streaked at the edge of the feather with white 

 or a buff tinge. Mr. Huie says, that five minutes" consideration 

 will bring us to the conclusion, that no bird showing a bar 

 should be introduced to breed the desired orange colour, and I 

 fully indorse that opinion. 



For obtaining Yellows, nearly in every nest of young birds 

 the first need is to have a rich- coloured Bed cock bird, and as 

 nearly of a blcod colour as possible. Mate him with a Y'ellow 

 hen as rich in colour as possible. 



Next mate a Y'ellow cock bird, of course as near as possible 

 to the desired orange colour, with a blood-red hen. 



