372 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 22, 1874. 



Homer (2); R. FuUon (Owl), c, A. J. Barnes, GlonceBter (Black Magpie); J. 

 F. Loveraidge ; J. W. Towdbod. Bowden (Foreign Owl). 



SELLING CL4SSES. 



TAms— Price not to exceed £3.-Cnp. E. Horner (Red Barbs). 2, J. Baily, 

 jnn, London. S, Rev E. C- EwbanJt, BlRglP8w.ide. Ac, E Beckwith, Sunder- 

 land : D. hiddiongb. jun. ; E. Horner, Harewood (2) ; Miss F. Seanor. c, A. N. 

 Bryoe (Fantails;; ,s. A. Whvllie. 



Single Bikd— Price not to exceed £2.— Medal, W- Brjdone (Barb). 2. R. W. 

 Brjce (Mottled Trumpeter). 3, J. Bailv, inn. he. W. Sefton; J. Lister; Mrs. 

 Ladd (Wb.te Ponlen; C. O. Cave. Spalding: J. Bailv, jun. (2); L. Allen, 

 SonthwarK ; E. Homer (White Ponter and Dun Barb); Miss F. Seanor. c, F. 

 Graham ; W. H. A. Miller, Walsall (Carrier). 



Pair.— Price not to exceed 30.?.— Cup, E. Homer. 2, J. Lister; E. Homer 

 (Black Pouters) 3, ttev. E. C Ewbank: E. Horner, yfic, W.Binns (Antwerp). 

 Ac, Wells & sherwin. Ripon (Black Swallows); C. Anton; J. Lister; W. Bry- 

 done, Dunse ; J. Watts. 



SivOLE Biha.—Priee not to exceed 208 —Medal, Miss F. Seanor. 2, Mrs. H. 

 Prickworth, Moulton Marsh. S, T Horrman. jun., Ripon (Carrier), vkc. A, T, 

 Dmpleby, BoroURhbridge. he. Wells & sherwin (Blue Carriers); J. Thomp- 

 son; W, Brydone; T. Horrman, jun., Ripon (Carrier); J. Baily (2); E. 

 Homer c, E. Beckwith; A, Smith, York; J. Baily: G. F. Whitehonse, 

 Birmingham (White Dragoon. 



Judges.— Mr. Cannan, Bradford, and Mr. E. Hutton, Padsey. 



CANAKY SHOW AT THE KOYAL PAVILION, 



BRIGHTON. 



This waa the twenty-first annual Exhibition of British and 

 foreign cage birds held in the King's Apartments in connection 

 with the Brighton Amateur Canary Show. The past week has 

 certainly been one of note to the " fancy" at Brighton, as much 

 so as the present week at Brighton has been of consequence to 

 the " fancy " in various parts of England, owing to the AU 

 England Show of poultry, birds, &c.; but our dntyjhere is to 

 chronicle the points made by the members of the Amicable 

 Society. The birds exhibited were high enough in colour, and 

 sufficiently good in quality and breed to fit the most fastidious 

 fancy of a fancier. The specimens exhibited by Messrs. Pope, 

 Peach, and Adams were really of a first-class stamp, and to the 

 lot of Mr. E. J. Pope (of the eminent firm of Messrs. Pope & Son, 

 of the New Eoad, IBrighton), four silver cups were awarded, 

 Mr. Peach also winning a couple of silver cups, besides numerous 

 prizes to each exhibitor. The Exhibition opened on Tuesday the 

 Isth, and waa to continue open until Friday, but owing to the 

 great success attending it, it was continued during the whole of 

 Saturday. Thus there were two bird shows on at one time in 

 the Eoyal Pavilion, the All Enoland Show taking place in the 

 Corn Exchange. Tie whole length of the King's Apartments, 

 together with the anteroom, was fitted with rows of benches, 

 the Canaries being placed upon the centre rows. The back part 

 of the Apartments was given up to the exhibition of a fine 

 collection of birds sent, not for competition, by Mr. Dench, of 

 St. James's Street, who exhibited some fine specimens of Vir- 

 ginia Nightingales, Cut-throats, Zebra Finches, Parrots, Cocka- 

 toos, Bishop Birds, Piping Bullfinches, &c. The following are 

 the awards : — 



Norwich.— C^fflr reZ7otu —1, R. J. Pope. 2, C. Adame. 8, W. Peach, c, W* 

 Brainee. Clear BvJT.—l. R. J. Pope. 2. W. Peach. 3, C. Adams, vhc, W, 

 Braines. c, W. B. tmilh. Variegated Tellotr.— ],R. J. Pope. 2, C. Adams. 

 8, P. Amore. Varieriated Evjr.—l.'W. Peach. 2, C. Adams. 8, R. J. Pope, c, \ 

 ■W. Braines. Ticked YeUmi- or Bv_ff.—l,h. J.Pope. 2, C.Adame. 8, R. Peach. I 

 e, J. Mountney. 



TuRNCBOwNs — 1, R. J. Pope. 2, C.Adams. 8,'W.Peach. ftc, W. Braines. c. 

 B. Butler. 



Cinnamon.— IV((oit—l, W. P€ach. 2, R J.Pope. S.C.Adams. Bujf.— 1, R. 

 J.Pope 2, WPtach. 3. C. Adams. r«riffin(fd.— 1, R. J. Pope. 2, W.Peach. 

 8, C. Adams, vhc, H. S. Smith. 



Geeen —1. C. Adams. 2, W. Peach. 



Bkightos Fancy.- 1, W. Peach, c, P. Amore. 



NoEwicH.— Cnpf of Six Tenmg Clear Yellow. — 1, R. J. Pope. 2, C. Adams. 

 Caoe o/oix Young Clear Bug— I, K. J. Pope. Cage of Six Young Variegated. 

 — 1, J. Healhome. 2, R.J.Pope. Cage of Six Old Clear and Variegated.— 1,— 

 Adams. 2, P. Amore. 



CiN.vAMoNs.— Capf of Six Young. ~l, R. J. Pope. 2, J. Heathome. Cage of 

 Six Young Variegated.—!, W. Peach. 



Ant \ARii.lv —Cage of Six Old Birds.-l, W. Peach. 2, E. J. Pope. 3, P. 

 Amore. 



Goldftncb Mrl.E.—P(fd.— I.D.Taylor. Plain.— 1, D. Taylor. 2, W. Peach. 

 Caoe ofHix.—l, W. Peach. 2. D. Taylor. 



Paebot and (ocKii,... Tribe- 1. R. J. Pope (Leadbcater). Extra 1 and S, 

 Mrs. Dench (Crimson Macaw and Rose Cockatoo). 2, Mrs. Bean (King Parrot). 

 vhc, Mrs. Bailey (Grey Parrot), c, B. Jonea {Blue Macaw). 



The Judges were Messrs. Wood and Beal. 



SNELLS (HELMETS). 

 Tms variety has been admired by but few persons this side 

 of the Atlantic. It belonga to the Toy class, and is, therefore, 

 one of the easiest varieties to breed true. It was produced in 

 the first place in that hotbed of Toys, Germany, and ranks quite 

 high in that country. And the only persons I have known to 

 be great admirers of it have been Germans, who broaght their 

 tastes for plumage with them to this part of the world. It is a 

 contemporary of the Nun and Spot, and evidently descends from 

 the same forefathers ; in fact, all the Toys are but modifications 

 of colour upon the ordinary common Pigeon, and anyone familiar 

 with markings can, in a few years, produce Breasters, Magpies, 

 Swallows, Nuns, Snells, &c., at will. A Magpie, for instance, is 

 but a Nun which has transferred the black from the wings to the 

 back and breast ; and a Swallow or Snell can be tranamogrified 

 into a Snell or Swallow. 



Often in one's loft an oddly-marked Pigeon (a sport) will 

 appear. If the marking is sufficiently curious it can be fixed 

 in most cases by judicious selection and pairing of the yotmg of 

 that sport. There is such a tendency for any odd marking to 

 become strong, that very little encouragement settles the ques- 

 tion ; therefore nothing is easier in the handling of Pigeons 

 than to produce varieties of Toys. The Germans are continually 

 doing this, and as continually allowing them to run out, for the 

 reason that they do not become the fashion. I have seen in my 

 life Nuns, Snells (with and without coloured flights). Spots, 

 Breasters, Moorcaps, Death's Heads, &c., that were produced 

 from the same strain of birds. How do you account for that ? 

 Why, just in the same way yon have seen Turbits bred from 

 Owls, or vice versti, where perhaps the first half dozen young will 

 be various coloured Tarbits, caps and all; and the next half- 

 dozen Owls, possibly all solid, and without the sign of a cap. The 

 ancient Snell waa a white bird with coloured head (scalp), flights, 

 and tail ; some were smooth heads, others capped, but when 

 capped they were so like the Nun that it at last becsme the 

 fashion to have them differ as much as possible, and the caps 

 were prohibited, as were also the coloured flights. Now, there- 

 fore, the standard markings are as follows : A white bird with 

 coloured scalp and tail. The line of colour on the head begins 

 at the corner of the beak, passes backward through the centre 

 of the eye, and around the head to the corner of beak opposite 

 to starting point ; the upper half of the beak is dark, the lower 

 half white. The division of colour at the tail is a line drawn 

 from the root of the outside tail feathers on each side, crossing 

 the vent. The eyes are pearl, the feet clean ; some few are 

 capped or point-headed, but the most are plain-headed. One 

 can in this variety have anything he wants ; for instance, by a 

 cross with Swallows a bird is produced with the coloured head, 

 flights, tail, and feathered feet ; by introducing a white bird 

 Spota will be thrown in abundance, &c. 



The Snell ia called by many the Helmet, from the fancied 

 resemblance to the covering of the head used by the ancient 

 knights. One of the best exercises for a studious fancier, or f<w 

 anyone who wishes to excel in the breeding of varieties, is to 

 spend a few years experimenting with the selection and fixing 

 of colour among Toys. It serves as an introduction to the study 

 of the higher fanciea, and it is absolutely needed for an apprecia- 

 tion of the Almonds, &c. 



What amateur or tradesman 'of five, or even ten years, yea, 

 or twenty years, whose mission it has been to buy and sell birds, 

 or to raise a few, can select a pair of short-faced birds, even out 

 of his own loft, and say that they will breed Almonds ? The 

 reason of this is because everyone that buys a pair of Pigeons 

 wants that pair to go down to hard work, laying eggs and nursing 

 young ones, regardless of anything that may be learned, other 

 than the price those young will bring. 



Everything a man learns from personal experience becomes 

 a key to something else he may come in contact with, and to 

 nothing ia thia more applicable than in the Pigeon fancy. The 

 fact of knowing that a cross between the Swallow and a Helmet 

 will give the nucleus for a capped feather-footed Snell, is of 

 itself knowledge invaluable. That this can be done anyone 

 can prove by trying ; and what are we here for but to observe, 

 compare, and experiment ? — Dr. W. P. Morg.in, Baltimore. — 

 {American Fanciers' Journal.) 



In a late number there was an article on SneUs, some parts 

 of which are in my opinion incorrect. 



That it, together with the Nun, was produced in Germany is 

 not doubted ; but that it was not produced (as the writer states 

 it evidently was) from the same forefathers is apparent — the 

 undegenerated Snell not being a Toy but a Tumbler bred to 

 markings. Most fanciers, however, neglected every property 

 except feather, hence the common Sueli of to-day is nothing 

 more than a Toy. Helmet Tumblers are yet seen occasionally. 

 On the other hand a Nun bred to the highest standard ia not, 

 nor never was, else than a Toy. How, then, the same parentage? 



The writer. Dr. W. P. Morgan, then states that " anyone 

 familiar with markings can, in a few years, produce Breasters, 

 Magpies, Swallows, Nuns, Snells, &c., at ivill " (the italics are 

 not his but mine), and then proceeds to assure us that " a Mag- 

 pie, for instance, is but a Nun which has transferred the black 

 from the wings to the back and breast; " but allow me to ask 

 whether he has ever merely transferred that black ? I might 

 here remark that a Magpie ia alao of Tumbler origin, and differs 

 from a Nun, not only in colour but also in build. My reason 

 for emphasising at will ia this : the Germana produce new 

 varieties of Toys by putting a number of hens of various breeds 

 in a loft with male birds of other breeds, thus having no male 

 and female of the same variety, and allow them to mate as their 

 inclination tends. 



As your correspondent says he has seen " Nuns, Snells (with 

 and without coloured flights). Spots, Breasters, Moorcaps, 

 Death's Heads, &c., that were produced from the same strain of 

 birds," he will of course not object, ero bono publico, to give 

 the foundation of that truly wonderfulstraiu. What he gives as 



