October 8, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



331 



Barbs. — The first prize in all three classes went to Mr. Firth. 

 Mr. Yardley's second-prize hen was a superb bird, but out of 

 condition. In the class for young birds there seemed to us liitle 

 to choose between the winners. 



TunMers. — .\lm0ad3 were as usual f aw and good. Mr. Wood- 

 hoase carried off all the prizes in Balds or Beards. First and 

 third were Blue Beards, second a Red Bald. 



In the class for any other Short-faced variety Mr. Minuitt 

 took first with a lovely Black Mottle in blooming condition. 



Three classes for Long-faced Tumblers brought out many 

 curiosities only known to the initiated. We especially admired 

 a Black Mottle Muff-legged belongiug to Mr. Mapplebeok. 



Fantails must have given the Judges the trouble they usually 

 have over this class ; at least the White ones must, so lUffereut 

 do the same birds look in different positions and at different 

 moments. We thought a young bird highly commended (No. 81:!, 

 Mr. Serjeantson), one of great promise. The cup for Any other 

 colour was won by one of the best Blacks in colour and carriage 

 we have ever seen, a peak-headed bird. 



Jacobins. — The Reds and Yellows were in a bad light, first 

 apparently a rich Red with head buried in a perfect hood. 

 First in the " Any other colour " class was a little White, Mr. 

 John Baker's, perfect in head and chain. 



Turbits. — The class for Red or Yellow was specially marked 

 by the Judges a good class, and it certainly bore out their notice, 

 being uniformly excellent. The cup went to a Yellow, perfect 

 in colour and frill, but narrower iu head than we like. It was 

 pressed hard by the second, a veteran winner, shown by Mr. 

 CresBwell, a rich Red with a fine broad head. Third an excellent 

 young Red. Mr. Dew won the cup for Any other colour with a 

 grand Silver; second a lovely Blue, third a Silver. 



Niiiis were not remarkable. The cup went to a nice Black, a 

 Yellow being second. 



Owls — The class for English Owls was a very large and good 

 one. We are glad again to see White Owls ; one of great merit 

 won the cup. 



Trumpeters. — The new type of birds imported of late from 

 Asiatic Russia as trsual carried all before them. We much regret 

 that the beautifnl White Trumpeters of former days have almost 

 disappeared since these new importations. 



There were four classes for Dragoons and four for AntwerpSy 

 the awards in which seemed to give satisfaction on the whole. 

 Swallotvs and Magpies also had classes, likewise Archangels, 

 but a pile of boards over the latter variety precluded all possi- 

 bility of admiring their bright hues or of criticising the awards. 



The Any other variety class was an interesting one. Impor- 

 tations of a kind of feather-legged Turbit have of late been made 

 from Egypt and elsewhere in the East; their colour is splendid, 

 but they are to English eyes disfigured with coloured spots 

 about the head. The cup was awarded to a Red bird of this 

 variety. Second was a curious Red Frillback, third a Satinette. 

 We admired two unnoticed birds {Damascenes we believe they 

 are called), ashy blue in colour with dark eyes. 



On the whole everything was done to make the Pigeons as 

 comfortable as possible. The great heat of the first day threw 

 many birds deep into the moult in a few hours, but no harm 

 need result from this. 



PBIESTS. 



Pbeests or Quakers are the pet toys of many fanciers ; and 

 here the old adage is very applicable, "Everyone to his fancy." 

 For myself, my fancy runs iu a different channel, though I 

 remember well with what happiness I carried home the first 

 pair of Priests I ever owned. They were very ordinary birds, 

 as judged in these days, but to me they were priceless. The 

 rest of the afternoon was spent nailing boxes against the house 

 wall; and as the boxes were too heavy for a boy to handle, 

 occasional tumbles of box, boy, and birds drew forth peals of 

 laughter and merry shouts from our neighbour's daughters, 

 before whose eyes I was always a shamefaced youth. It may 

 be that same experience was what ultimately caused me to dis- 

 like the Priests. Not that the young ladies were at all disliked; 

 but what boy can stand his interest in his Pigeons made a matter 

 of amusement, and yet preserve his equilibrium? As sure as I 

 went into the garden to look up at my Quakers, so surely did 

 those girls look out of the window and whistle *' Hua, hua, hua." 

 Many is the time they have driven me away with a forlorn smile 

 on my lip and bitterness in my heart to wish my Pigeons were dead. 

 Ah ! but I have had my revenge since those days. Both those 

 girls have husbands, both have children, and both have Pigeons — 

 Pigeons in their garrets, in their stables, in their cellars. Yea, 

 I saw this day a pair of cropped-winged birds upon the baby's 

 crib, as I examined the oldest boy for the measles. His last 

 words were, " When are you going to bring me the Quakers ? 

 His mother's benediction was, "Doctor, if you bring any more 

 Pigeons here, you shall never enter my house again. It is all 

 your fault, I cannot have a clean room to sit down in." 



My readers, you cannot tell how well I felt as I drove home, 

 knowing the merriment and whistling is all on my side now. 

 That boy will be here after the Quakers as soon as he gets out; 



and every time I see his mamma it is only necessary to " hua, 

 hua" once or twice to awaken the merriest memories of the past. 

 The bitterness of my youthful days is gone, aud we can afford to 

 laugh amid our retrospection at what was then the most im- 

 portant object of our lives. 



Now that we have reached a breathing place, you may ask. 

 What has this to do with Priests ? Why, but for what has been 

 written, no article on that variety would have followed, nor 

 would I have impressed upon you how necessary it is that we 

 should enter into the sympathies of the little people. They 

 cannot understand us ; therefore, to insure their happiness, try 

 to understand them; the effort wonderfully repays us. If your 

 boy wants Pigeons, help him to fix up for them. Do not laugh 

 his fancies to scorn, or you may chill all the feelings that bind 

 him to his home ; and recollect, your fancies for your cigar, novel, 

 or horse are no more intense than his for his (to you) minor 

 interests. 



But enough of this. Let us to the Priests, as they are called 

 in Germany, on account of their white cowl, and in contra- 

 distinction to the black veil of the Nun ; or Quakers, as they are 

 called in this country, by reason of their firm, sedate, and sombre 

 appearance. 



The Priest is about the size of the common, and the plain 

 birds are not unlike it in shape, but the Starlings partake more 

 of the shape of the Suabiau or Archangel, to which they are 

 nearly related. The Priest is a solid or whole-coloured bird, 

 with the exception of the head, which is bald or white. The 

 line between the colours passes through the centres of the eyes, 

 and along the inner and lower part of the hood, which must 

 be free from any foul white feathers. The upper halt of the 

 beak is white, the lower dark. The eye is generally mixed, but 

 I have seen them where the upper half was pearl, the lower half 

 dark ; thus partaking of the colours of the head and neck. The 

 hood must be proportioned to the size of the bird, aud in the 

 ordinary colours it must be a perfect cup-edged hood ; but in the 

 Starling a point head is frequently seen, and does not detract 

 from the beauty of the bird ; the feet closely covered with 

 short feathers, among which no whites are allowed, not even on 

 the toes. The Starlings are clean-footed, and indeed ought 

 hardly to be ranked with the Priests, as they more nearly 

 approach the Suabians and Archangels. There are plain Priests, 

 which signifies that the colours — black, red, blue, and yellow 

 — are solid (except the Baldhead), without bars across the tail or 

 wings; then there are barred Priests, in which the bars are 

 allowed ; and also white-barred birds, in which white bars occupy 

 the positions on the wings and tail, in place of the dark bars 

 generally seen. Of these, the red and yellow birds with white 

 bars are rarest; the plain birds next. The Starling or Star 

 Quaker is a black bird with white bars across the wings, and a 

 crescent-shaped band of finely-spangled iridescent irradiating 

 feathers about the throat, the upper border of which is straight 

 across the neck, and distinctly marked ; the head is bald, and 

 feet clean. The following points may be useful to judge by : — 



1. Colouring. — A coloured bird with white head, the line of 

 division passing through the centre of the eyes, witliiu the base 

 of the hood, and sloping at the corners of the mouth. 



2. Eyes. — The upper half pearl, the lower half dark. 



3. Feet. — Covered with short close feathers, except the Star- 

 lings, which are clean. 



4. Hood. — Well-proportioned, clear on the inside ; the Starling 

 sometimes point-headed. 



5. Colours. — Black, red, blue, yellow, and starling. 

 Sometimes the Priest degenerates, and loses nearly all the 



white of the head, excepting a spot near the base of the beak, 

 then it is called a white spot. — Dk. W. P. Morgan (in American 

 Fanciers' Journal.) 



[The lively-writing Dr. Morgan is more amusing than ever in 

 the above article. It must be worth being what children caU 

 " a little ill " to have the doctor in attendance. In regard to the 

 Pigeons called Priests, they aud Blue Brunswicks, similar birds, 

 appeared at our shows a few years since ; but I have not seen 

 any recently. The fact is that German Toys don't take in 

 England. Our fanciers seem to ask for something more than 

 the ordinary Pigeon form, with variations only in the colour and 

 disposition of the feathers. John Bull perseveres with the 

 older fancy Pigeons, and fights for perfection in their many 

 properties ; but is no great feather fancier. Then Sandy Scot 

 sticks to his Pouter (long Pigeon suits long face, aye ! and long 

 head too, for Sandy has that long as well as his face), and he 

 tries hard to lengthen the limb, narrow the girth, and enlarge 

 the crop of his pet ; but he, too, is not a feather fancier. Perhaps 

 all this is a pity ; but so it is. We read about German Toys, 

 but we do not care to keep them, or, at any rate, we do not give 

 our hearts to them.— Wiltshire Rector.] 



ORNAMENTAL WATEBPOWLS. 



In answer to " T. H. T.," there are two sorts of " tamed wild 

 fowl." In one they are wild birds compelled to make the best 

 of a bad bargain, because they are pinioned and unable to fly 



