February 25, 1875. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOOLTOEB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



173 



wished the fowls to ha at Monmouth, and the object of sending 

 them; 2u(l, that no delay was caused by the defeudants ; ;!rd, 

 that plaintiff bad not, in his correspondeuoe orparticubirs, made 

 any claim for deterioration, and could not now set up that claim. 

 With re{;ard to the first point the plaintiff stated, in reply to the 

 Judge, ttiat the two cases had printed labels addressed "The 

 Secretary, Poultry Show, Monmouth." This, the Judge stated, 

 using a littln common sense as well as law, ought to have been 

 sufficient intimation of the time and object. With regard to the 

 second point, there were three routes from Warminster to Mon- 

 mouth, one which the plaintiff had correctly marked out, one by 

 Swindon and Gloucester, and one by Cardiff and Neath. The 

 Judge requested that these routes might be marked out in the 

 same way as the plaintiff had marked out the other route. Much 

 time was then lost in the attempt to mark out the two routes. 

 In one there was but slight difference in the time of arrival with 

 that suggested by the plaintiff; but with the other, it was shown 

 that the baskets would be taken from Portskewet v/'d Cardiff 

 and Neath to Monmouth, arriving there at 12 30 on the day of 

 the Show. By this route the baskets were taken one hundred 

 miles or more out of their way. The poultry had been judged, 

 and plaintiff's birds, it was proved by Mr. Ashpole's evidence, 

 were not removed from their hampers at all, and there remained 

 more than fifty hours without water. The Judge ruled that 

 this was against all common sense, and that seeing the Com- 

 pany's traffic was increased largely by these exhibitions, and 

 that they well knew birds despatched to them were valualile, 

 they were bound to take the shortest route unless otherwise 

 specified. It was suggested that the decision as to the route of 

 parcels was left to the discretion of the guards. His Honour 

 said this custom was a most foolish one, and was likely to lead 

 to endless litigation. If tho directors acted so, they must take 

 the consequences of their servants' acts. 



With regard to the third point, the Judge ruled, that although 

 plaintiff had been without professional services in drawing his 

 particulars, they were, however, framed in general words as to 

 entitle him to claim for deterioration, that being, in fact, a sub- 

 stituted claim for anticipated prizes. 



His Honour, Mr. (Jaillard, in delivering judgment, said he 

 must allow the plaintiff the carriage and entry fees. He had 

 greater difficulty in settling the amount of damages ; but as such 

 a detention without food or water was very likely to prove in- 

 jurious to the specimens, he considered that if he made the order 

 for 30s., inclusive of the railway carriage and entry fees, it would 

 meet the merits of the case. Judgment for 30s. with costs was 

 accordingly given. Towards the end of the case a cock, appa- 

 rently under the window of the Court, as if in anticipation of the 

 verdict, commenced crowing vigorously. This caused consider- 

 able amusement, and perhaps by some was considered a favour- 

 able omen. — {]Varmiiister Herald.) 



THE MEALY POUTEK. 



I A5I sorry that I have been prevented from sooner acknowledg- 

 ing the manly avowal of Mr. Huie on the above. With Mr. 

 Laurie I am delighted to see the Mealy elevated to the dignity 

 of a standard bird. It was a necessity of his position in tho late 

 controversy, and had the public avowal only been made a little 

 earlier Mr. Huie would have saved himself the " rub " at Kil- 

 marnock Show, which I am glad to see was taken as it was 

 given. No old custom ought to shackle the conviction of any 

 judge, the qualifications for which office Mr. Huie so lucidly 

 tabulated in a recent number; and though he is not the Pigeon 

 fancy, he cannot forget that he is a representative member of it, 

 and that it is perfectly competent for representatives to carry 

 out reforms obviously desired by their constituents. 



Mr. Huie's reasons are very compreheusive and well put. 

 His second might be amended as follows ; — " The Mealy in 

 itself is a standard colour, not being produced by crossing 

 colours." No founding could thus be made on his concession 

 with regard to standard-marked Chequers, itc, which are con- 

 fessedly cross-bred colours. Just one other rub with Mr. Huie 

 in connection with this controversy. 



Bearing in mind his definition of a Pouter, we cannot see how 

 he can consistently exclude badly-marked standard colours from 

 the class which we prefer to call the "Any other Pouter class," 

 into which he admits Splashes. He may tell us to exhibit them 

 with their demerits in the standard classes, which simply means 

 keep them at home. Now, as the object of this class is to main- 

 tain the standard, these birds ought not to be so treated. Surely 

 a standard-marked Blue can be more easily bred from a badly- 

 marked Blue bred from Blues than from any cross whatever. 

 The latter demands knowledge, experience, and patience, and 

 young fanciers, though willing to grasp the results of others, 

 will not attempt it for themselves. Take the probable case of 

 two birds in a loft, to all appearance Blue Splashes ; but one is 

 a chance throw from Blues, and the other a cross from White. 

 Is it not strange that the one can be shown and the other not ? 

 Besides, I would advise those who consider badly-marked birds 

 of little value to go and try to purchase one good in the essential 



points from any of our noted breeders, and, failing a bargain, to 

 note the birds he has paired-up for breeding. 



Their admission into any class other than the standard would, 

 of course, raise the question as to what are the disqualifications 

 in the standard classes. The solution of this question, which 

 appears perfectly possible, would excite much interest among 

 Pouter fanciers, and I sincerely trust Mr. Huie will give us the 

 lieneflt of his experience on the subject. To begin, I append a 

 list of disqualifications gleaned from observation of the work of 

 most of our best judges. It does not pretend to be complete, 

 and may not be correct. I invite both completion and correction. 



1. Eadical faults. — a. Thin limb, or limb not covered to the 

 toes ; h^ Limb so flagged as to hide shape and length. 



2. Birds too dark. — a, Limbs body-coloured, splashed or not 

 splashed with white ; 6, Total want of moon ; c, Coloured flights ; 

 (I, Chequer marks in body colour. 



3. Birds too light. — a, Want of distinct band of body colour 

 between moon and white of vent ; b, Colour on back splashed 

 with white ; c. White in tail. 



Passable faults more or less serious : Want of bib, ringneck, 

 snip, want of one or both rose pinions, body-coloured feathers in 

 moon, and white limb splashed with bodycolour. — D. McNaught, 

 Kllmaurs. 



THE PRESENT STATE OP THE PIGEON FANCY. 



I AGREE so far with your correspondent of February 11th, that 

 English Owls are a degenerate lot compared with Africans, 

 but there is one property they have, not to be found as far as I 

 know in any other fancy Pigeon — viz., colour, which will pre- 

 vent them meeting with the summary disposal your correspon- 

 dent suggests ; I allude of course to the Powder Blue, one of 

 the most striking and beautiful colours among fancy Pigeons. 

 To produce this colour in conjunction with all the points to be 

 found in the best white foreigners should be the aim of the Owl 

 fancier. It will take a long time to do it ; Ijut in the meantime, 

 while the native bird is beiug fined down, the Owl should have 

 two classes at shows as at present, divided, not as now for 

 Foreign and English, but first a class for the best Owls of what- 

 ever colour, and second for the best Powder Blues. I think I 

 can detect of late the foreign element in winning natives, but at 

 the same time the loss of powderiug, a proof to my mind of the 

 means used. The author of the " Treatise on Pigeons," inscribed 

 to John Mayor, Esq , is the first to mention the Powder Blue in 

 Owls. He says, "The Blue ones should have black bars across 

 the wings, and the lighter they are in colour, particularly in the 

 hackle, the more they are valued." 



The Dragoon fancy seems in a curious state at present. I 

 have always regarded it as a fancy unworthy of support, and 

 have been astonished and disappointed to find that a breed 

 absolutely and without dispute a bastard strain, should mono- 

 polise the attention of breeders to the exclusion of high-class 

 and Toy Pigeons, and to such an extent that only lately as high 

 as .£30 have been given for a single bird of this breed. 



Carriers are Black, Dun, and Blue. It should be the ambition 

 of the stout-bird fancier to try what he can do now in Yellows, 

 Beds, and Whites. The latter were fifteen years ago to be had 

 very good, and some of the Yellow and Red Dragoons, as they 

 are called, might be advantageously used as the foundation of a 

 strain of Carriers of these colours. 



The only true criterion to judge a fancy Pigeon by is to see 

 a perfect specimen, if not in life then on paper, and consider if 

 there is auytbiug about it truly original and distinct or not. 

 By such a standard the Dragoon will not stand ; neither will the 

 Short-faced Antwerp. — J. C. Lyell. 



THE ENGLISH OWL PIGEON. 



I AH much obliged by " Bubo's " appreciative praise. It is 

 always pleasant to be approved. He and I agree about the 

 Barb, but I fear we do not agree about the English Owl. I 

 could better do without the foreign Owl than our bird of long 

 lineage, and which existed here in great beauty upwards of a 

 hundred years ago. If the word degenerate is to be used, the 

 African Owl is the one to which it might be applied. The 

 English bird is a fine noble fellow, with a capital pair of wings 

 of which he can make excellent use. He is to the African what 

 the well-bred flying Tumbler is to the Almond. The crossbred 

 ones are less apparent at our shows than they were. I fear the 

 Powder Blue has been grievously injured by the cross. I would 

 on no account discourage the exhibition of the English Owl. 

 Bred true and fine he is a grand bird. Then my eye can wander 

 on and see with pleasure the little Africans, appreciating their 

 petite charms. Breeders, strive for the Powder Blue Owls. I 

 wish " BuEO " every success with his little Africans, but wish 

 as heartily English Owl breeders as great success with their 

 birds. — Wiltshire Rector. 



PouLTRV-Y\r.D Account-book. By Hugh Piper. Groombridge 

 and Sons, Paternoster Row. — This is a very useful account- 



