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JOUENAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 34, IMS. 



seen the " Standard of Excellence," but should wish its merits 

 to be freely discuBsed in your Journal. — Sketchly. 



[We sent the two preceding communications to Mr. Hewitt, 

 and the following are his notes in reply ; — 



The deformity in the hind toe of Game fowls, commonly 

 known as " duck-footed," appears now to be quite a leading 

 subject of discussion among amateurs, so much so, that I think 

 evei'y fact that can be adduced in proof of its hereditary ten- 

 dency, or otherwise, will be a matter of interest to most of your 

 readers, and prove far more conclusive than the most ably sup- 

 ported theory could possibly be. I will be as brief as possible. 

 Some eighteen or twenty months ago a gentleman, at that time 

 a stranger, requested my opinion as to the desirability of pur- 

 chasing a first-prize pen of Game chickens at a show at which 

 I had just arbitrated. As to the question of price I always 

 decline to intermeddle, as I consider it entirely a matter of 

 personal determination between buyer and seller ; but of the 

 quaUty of the birds as they then stood I gave a most favom-- 

 able opinion, and, in .short, they were " claimed " at the cata- 

 logue price, though a liberal one for chickens so young as they 

 then were. I am quite clear on one point : at that time there 

 was not observable even a tendency to "duck-foot" in either 

 of the three birds. Two extra puUets were afterwards bought 

 from the same yard, and placed with the pen previously exhi- 

 bited, for breeding-pm-poses; the five birds thus ran all together, 

 and the not-very-modest demand of the same sum was paid for 

 the two pullets as for the three birds previously claimed. I am 

 told a noted " cocker,'' two months or more afterwards, ex- 

 amined very carefully the whole lot, and spoke favourably of 

 them. 



To my astonishment, as time wore on, I was infoi-med by the 

 owner that all his Game fowls were " duck-heeled," and I ac- 

 cepted an invitation " to examine them for myself." The fact 

 was, the cock and thi-ee out of the four hens were, at that in- 

 spection, undoubtedly " duck-footed," in fact, confirmedly so. 

 We next examined minutely sixteen or seventeen chickens 

 (two hatches clutched together with one foster hen) from the 

 same Game parents. They were only about a week old, and to 

 make assurance doubly sure, they were placed one at a time, at 

 the proprietor's suggestion, to stand on a tea-tray, and we could 

 not find a single instance of " duck-foot " in the whole brood. 

 The next inquiry was naturally as to the roosts, and finding 

 them to be about 1 J -inch-square scantlings, with the sharp 

 edges planed carefully off, we both arrived at the same conclu- 

 sion — that the perches being flat and too wide for the foot to 

 grasp with comfort, had tended to jnoduce the ailment. On 

 the simple face of the just-uarrated facts this impression ap- 

 peared to admit of uo doubt, iilthough my previous convictions 

 rested on hereditary malformation. The young chickens were 

 kept from any roost whatever, large or small, till about seven 

 weeks old, for they were compelled by tlieir owner to roost (if 

 it can be so called) on loose straw scattered on the floor ; the 

 feet were still, I am told, perfect when allowed the privilege 

 of first taking their chance among the elder trees growing 

 aroiuad the house, for every artificial perch had been removed 

 beforehand. Of course they could now make their own selec- 

 tion, and roosted variously : yet from information received 

 that " they were all gone duck-footed," I again called, and with 

 only three exceptions they really had become so. Their owner, 

 it seems, felt so gi-ievously annoyed as to give all these chickens 

 at once into the hands of the cook, and the parent birds 

 were also similarly treated. It so happened that not long 

 afteiTvards I was travelling in the immediate neighbourhood 

 from which the original birds " claimed " by my friend first 

 came, and without giving any reasons to the breeder I called, 

 and saw the parent cock of the five Game fowls first piu-chased, 

 he was grossly duck-footed, his hens, so far as I examined 

 them, not being so ; and walking a mile or more still further 

 on placed me also with that cock's father in my hands, he of 

 course being the grandparent of my friend's original stock of 

 five, and this bird was " duck-footed " equally with his de- 

 scendants. Jfy somewhat extensive connection with poultry 

 exhibitions also convinces me that this faihng is by no means 

 entirely confined to Game fowls. I know a yard of Cochins in 

 which the same imperfection exists ; also a strain of Pencilled 

 Hamburghs aUke defective, and acknowledge in their case, also, 

 that it acts as a drawback to success ; but as such fowls are not 

 reqmred for fighting, I would myself consider it of far less 

 importance than in Game fowls, even for exhibition, as in the 

 latter breed unrestricted motion, when fighting, is one of the 

 very first elements of success. 



There are many differences of opinion as to the first causes 



producing duck-footedness, some persons confidently argue 

 that it proceeds from constitutional weakness of the parent 

 birds ; others say, with equal positiveness, it is not hereditary, 

 but entirely arising from a nervous affection of the bird itself. 

 I leave others to the full enjoyment of their own opinions ; of 

 this only I am myself sure — some chickens are actually hatched 

 duck-footed, others become so only when matured. — Edwaud 

 Hewitt, Sparkbrook, Binningham.1 



NOTES ON PIGEONS. 

 Former Writers on the Subject — John Moore, a.d. 17-3.j. 



At the suggestion and by the wish of the Editors of this 

 Journal I have agreed to write a few papers, readable ones I 

 hope they will prove, on the subject of Fancy Pigeons. After 

 simdry prefatory remarks I hope to speak of those varieties 

 known to me, and of my experience as a fancier. A few notes 

 on the Powter, published September 12th, must be considered 

 the first of the series, first, however, only in point of time. 

 I do not expect to be able to say much that is new, if, indeed, 

 anj-thing ; but I shall be satisfied, and e\en gratified, if I can 

 succeed in bringing the claims to regard and affection of these 

 beautiful birds jiromiuently before those who have a yearning 

 for pets, but who, as yet, have adopted none ; or, if increasing 

 the love of those who already love them ; or, if that be im- 

 possible, of pleasing fanciers by praising what they praise. 

 Indeed, the thought had come across my mind that Pigeons, 

 birds of so manj' varieties, with such broad and marked differ- 

 ences, have of recent years scarcely taken so prominent a posi- 

 tion in this periodical as they were entitled to take. Thousands 

 in England love these charming birds, from the just-breeched 

 — no, just nickerbockered — boy, with his first pair of common 

 ones, to the giaceful girl who feeds with her own hand her 

 snowy-necked Fantails, her pets and almost rivals in beauty. 



Many persons who have not, and cannot have, a poultry 

 3'ard, for whom no garden can bloom a flower, yet could manage 

 in some little loft to place a few choice Pigeons, and snatch 

 half an hour from business to enjoy their pets. And, mark me, 

 it is not only the old bachelor, or the man retired from busi- 

 ness, or the lady who lives 



'■In maiden meditation fancy free," 

 who needs the solace that pets can give ; but it is the man 

 full of business, who has many cares, who wants a little re- 

 creation, and yet must not run awaj' from home — this is the 

 man who requires a little nook to retire to, a very arbour of 

 rest for his mind ; and such a nook, such an arbour, is his loft 

 to a Pigeon-fancier. In crowded cities we most of all find this 

 yearning for pets, hence it is that smoky London, sooty Bir- 

 mingham, and gi'imy Bristol are full of ardent Pigeon-fanciers. 

 Then there are my brethren the clergy. A witty bishop said 

 to us, 



" Hunt not, 5;hoot not. 

 Fiddle not, flute not ;" 



but in spite of this couplet I should, had he been my bishop, 

 have boldly taken him not only to see my roses, but my poultry 

 and Pigeons as well. My bishop was here the other night, and I 

 showed him my dear in-door pets ; had it been day I should 

 have showed him my out-door ones as weU. 



One word, too, upon a piece of scandal against Pigeon- 

 fanciers. Blackguards may keep Pigeons, and fly them for 

 bets ; however, I never knew such, but I have known vei-y 

 many ladies and gentlemen, and a very great many respectable 

 tradesmen and artisans, both in England and Scotland, who 

 were excellent, worthy men, and whom, when I meet, it gives 

 me unfeigned pleasure to give and receive a hearty shake of the 

 hand; no scandle, then, please ; the best class have bad ones 

 among them, but no class is all bad. 



A word next upon the various books which have been written 

 about fancy Pigeons. For aught we know to the contrary, 

 until the year 1735 the Pigeon fancy was guided by an ivn- 

 written code of laws. It may be that we have altogether lost 

 sight of some older work ; but clearly we only know as the first 

 work on the subject " The Columbariimi, by John Moore, 

 printed for J. Wilford, behind the Chapter-house in St. Paul'.'^ 

 Churchyard, 1735." Arid a good old book this is, and a thorough 

 master of his art was Moore, for he produced a work which for 

 a century was the standard work on the subject, and which 

 other writers copied line by line and page by i>age ; but, alas ! 

 without acknowledgment, adding indeed some little, but the 

 bulk was ever Moore and Moore only. First in time, as far as 

 we know, and certainly in fame and worth, is old Moore. I 



