AprU 15, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOBTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



305 



opinion which I have formed of Liguriane, the latter of our old 

 friends, and this chiefly from what I have read of them for some 

 years in " our Journal." 



I should like to be informed, for I do not know, what kind of 

 bees inhabited the twelve hives which produced the yoT lbs. of 

 virgin honey exhibited at the Crystal Palace Show. 



I only desire the trial in the interest of soienoe, and of the 

 increasing number of bee-keepers. Till the matter is thus satis- 

 factorily pro ved I shall look upon Ligurians as a fancy of the day, 

 a mere fashion, and remain — Unconvinced. 



be to introduce them on a large scale, bo as to leave a good 

 margin for accidents and on a large domain of land. 



The best account of recent date of these birds is to be read in 

 " Gun, Rod, and Saddle," by Parker Gillmore, who knows my 

 part of the couutry well, and insists that both Prairie Fowl and 

 Euiled Grouse would do well in many parts of the north of 

 England and Scotland. — J. Gixlbanks, Cumberland. 



KUFFED AND PINNATED GROUSE. 

 As your correspondent "A. H. B." alludes to these two species 



oi American Grouse as if they were identical, he cannot have 



read Wilson with much care. The above-mentioned birds are 



entirely distinct, and do not frer^aent the same districts or the 



same nature of ground. 



The Ruffed Grouse 



(Tetrao nmbellus) 



is a woodland bird, 



having the habits of 



our Pheasant. The 



Pinnated Grouse (T. 



cnpido) fretiuents the 



boundless grassy 



plains of America, and 



18 commonly called the 



Prairie Hen. It much 



resembles our Black 



Game in its food and 



choice of ground. 

 I am much surprised 



that anyone having 



access to the public 



papers should not have 



observed the numerous 



trials of late to intro- 

 duce this delicious and 



hardy Game bird. One 



Sergeant Bates of Illi- 

 nois — who distin- 

 guished himself some 



time since by walking 



through England bear- 

 ing the American flag 



— wrote in the Field 



and other papers about 



ayear ago that he could 



send any quantity over, 



if he had an order, at 



about 10s. a couple. He 



also wrote me a long 



letter on the subject, 

 which I took up warm- 

 ly, and sent him a long Fig. 75. 



list of noblemen and 



gentlemen anxious to try them on an extensive scale. I also sug- 

 gested sending over sound eggs, and he sent me nearly a hundred, 

 evidently gathered fresh and well packed. These all failed for 

 many reasons: They were above a month on their journey; 

 they were several days in the custom house at Liverpool when 

 the weather was tropical — sufficient to addle anything of the 

 sort. I kept them under hens for a mouth, and on examination 

 found the yolk had adhered to the sides for want of turning, 

 which is indispensable. 



I am positive that eggs might be brought over with their 

 vitality retained if skilfully managed, as we have well authenti- 

 cated instances of their being kept for months and then hatching 

 (vide Jesse's " Gleanings," &c.). Some eggs sent at the same 

 time to the Prince of Wales brought out, but the chicks did not 

 survive, being weakly. I do not see why Mr. Baily in particular 

 should be applied to when Mr. Jamrach advertises them for 

 sale. He had a fine lot last year, which were picked up imme- 

 diately. Those which my personal friends had from him all 

 died ; they would not endure the confinement of an aviary when 

 spring with its natural attendant impulses arrived, but became 

 uneasy and pined away. Mr. Jamrach also advertised several 

 pairs in the early part of this year, and may have some yet. 

 I dared not venture to take any at the time, as we have had the 

 severest winter on record, and there was no shelter or food to 

 keep them within bounds. 



Prairie fowl are great ramblers in quest of food and frequent 

 open ground ; Ruffed Grouse, on the other hand, fly into the 

 nearest wood or thicket on being disturbed. This habit makes 

 them the more desirable bird for us to introduce. 



They are now extinct in many States of America, where they 

 abounded in the days of Wilson and Audubon. The latter had 

 a great quantity of both perfectly domesticated at his home in 

 Kentucky. The only chance of success with Prairie Fowl would 



THE PRIZE CAGES AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE 

 BIRD SHOW. 



SECOND-PRIZE CAGE. 

 This cage (fig. 75) met with the approbation of the Judges, owing 

 to the suitability of it to show a bird effectively. It is simple and 

 light, with no ingenuity in the make of it. It also answers the 

 purpose of showing a bird well both during daylight and gas- 

 light; the only drawback being that the vessels for seed and 



water would have to 

 be made a separate 

 package of unless they 

 were placed inside, 

 which is no improve- 

 ment upon the present 

 system. The cage was 

 exhibited by Mr. W. 

 Evans, and was award- 

 ed the second prize. 

 The number in the 

 catalogue is 1453, but 

 the cost of construc- 

 tion is not stated ; but 

 it would be more 

 reasonable than the 

 first-prize cage. 



THIED-PEIZE CAGE. 

 The cage numbered 

 1449 was not so gene- 

 rally approved, it being 

 rather too small. Still 

 this could be obviated, 

 and the construction 

 of it maintained. It 

 would make a tolerably 

 good show cage with 

 slight alteration, one 

 fault being that it is 

 too deep from back to 

 front. The catalogue 

 states " the back of the 

 cage screws off and 

 on, so that it may the 

 more readily undergo 

 a regular cleansing." 

 The vessels for seed 

 and water are made to 

 insert at each end of 

 the front of the cage, and the wirework is turned inwards, so 

 that the vessels can be replenished with food. The cost is 

 stated to be about 3s. 3d. It was exhibited by the Rev. V. Ward 

 of Hythe, Kent, and was awarded the third prize. 



Altogether forty-seven cages were exhibited, some of which 

 were tolerably good in construction. Several were far from 

 being adapted for show cages, they being too intricate. Mr. T. 

 Newmarch of Shoreditoh and the Crystal Palace entered no less 

 than seventeen, styled as follows: — Stag's Head Cottage, New 

 Design, the Princess, the Gothic, the Emperor, the Optician, 

 the Latest Style, the Suow Fall, the Acorn, the Count, the 

 Pagoda, the Inlaid Pagoda Brass Wire (2), the Jenny Lind (2), 

 the Stained Corner Brass Wire, and the Brass Wire Domed. 



YORK AND DISTRICT FANCY RABBIT SHOW. 



The annual Spring Show of the York and District Fancy 

 Rabbit Club was held on the 3rd inst., in the large room in the 

 Friendly Society's Hall, Castlegate, where some first-class Lop- 

 eared Rabbits were exhibited. The first prize and silver cup 

 for length of ear was awarded to Mr. Dobson's Grey-and-white 

 doe, with ears 22! inches long by 6J. This Rabbit also carried 

 off the first prize for heavy weight, it weighing over 12 lbs. ; it 

 was also awarded the extra prize given by the President, Mr. 

 Hume, for the best all-property Rabbit in the Show. It is a 

 grand all-property Rabbit, aud the condition she was shown in 

 was a credit to her breeder. Mr. Dobson also took the first 

 prize in the Black-and-white class with a good Rabbit well 

 marked. The second prize was won by Mr. J. Wharton of 

 Bramham with a very nice Rabbit. In the Tellow-aud-white 

 class Mr. Wharton took the first prize with a very nice well- 

 marked buck. The second prize was awarded to Mr. Kittlewell 

 for a good all-property doe. In the Grey-and-white class Mr. J. 



