October 22, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OP H0RTICULTUR3 AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



373 



an explanation (that it is " in the same manner aa you have 

 seen Turbits bred from Owls, caps and all, and vice-versa") 

 does not satisfy me, at least, as breeding for colour is quite 

 another matter to breeding caps and plain heads out of one 

 pair; but Owls and Turbits differ in far more important points 

 than as to caps, iu fact there are plaiu-head Turbits, and a pair 

 is, or was several months since, in this city. 



In reference to the statement that " a Swallow or Snell can be 

 transmogrified into a Suell or Swallow," I would ask bow a 

 Snell, which is a clean-legged bird, can be transformed into a 

 heavy-booted bird vastly different in carriage, form, and mark- 

 ings '? — W. Atlee Buepee. — [American Fanciers' Journal.) 



[Doctors differ no doubt in America as in England, and, as 

 we see above, someone differs from the doctor of American 

 Pigeon fanciers— viz.. Dr. Morgan. Dr. Morgan is quite right 

 that the Helmet — that is, the original Helmet, is a contemporary 

 of the Nun and the Spot. Moore, a.d. 1735, mentions the bird, 

 and in his day it is clear that it was as thoroughly a Toy as 

 either of the other birds, and nothing whatever of a Tumbler, 

 as it was gravel-eyed ; also, like the Nun, it was dovehouae- 

 Pigeon-shaped and not Tumbler-shaped. The difference of any 

 modern Helmet from the ancient one is that now the flight 

 feathers are white and not dark, probably because now they (the 

 Helmets) are further removed from the Nuns and more akin to 

 the Tumblers ; but I think the Helmet would be a better bird 

 if it bad the flight feathers dark. 



Dr. Morgan has in his eye clearly the old Toy Helmet — the 

 original Helmet ; but, on the other hand, Mr. Burpee has in 

 his eye the Helmet Tumbler, which Brent, long a resident in 

 Germany, first as an English author mentions, and to which, 

 half German by association as he was, he inclines. But I claim 

 a higher English pedigree for the Toy Helmet, which was no 

 Tumbler at all. Just as two doctors may differ and yet both 

 be right, so of Dr. Morgan and Mr. Burpee. They refer to dif- 

 ferent birds, if I understand them right'y. I have called the 

 birds all through Helmets, as the name " Snell" is unknown in 

 England. 



I have before noted that mere feather Pigeons find little 

 favour in England, unless of very great beauty. German Toys 

 are not much cared for, although the best part — the original 

 part — of Brent's book is that in which he speaks of them ; but 

 though it has been published a dozen years or more, and has 

 had a wide circulation, still German Toys are in few hands. I 

 would, however, say that the breeding of our old English Toys 

 ought to be kept up, and are the very birds for lady fanciers to 

 take to, and in their hands would be certain, from their taste in 

 colours, to improve. A pigeonry — an enclosed one — in which, 

 for instance, were Nuns, Helmets, and Spots of various colours, 

 would form a very pretty sight from their slight yet distinct 

 shades of difference, and would be just the birds to interest 

 ladies. — WiLTSHniE Eeotob.] 



THE WASHINa OF CAGE BIRDS FOR 

 EXHIBITION. 



The exhibition season for cage birds is " on the wing," and 

 for the particular information of those who have not hitherto 

 tried their hands at the washing process, much useful instruc- 

 tion may be gleaned from a work published some years back, 

 bearing the name of Mr. Barnesby, Derby, Judge of Birds. One- 

 half the battle in bird-exhibiting is the staging of the birds in 

 a clean condition, without which it cannot be expected that 

 high honours can be gained. We give the following as his 

 modus operandi : — " Many fine birds have been kept in the 

 rear rank owing to the smoky or dirty state they have been in 

 when exhibited. Whatever bloom they m.ay be possessed of is 

 partly hidden by the dirt and smoke ; and were unclean birds 

 encouraged before cleanly-looking specimens, an inducement 

 wonld be offered to filth, and exhibitions would deteriorate. In 

 performing the operation of washing much care must be exer- 

 cised. Tou will require a cage for drying-iu before the fire, with 

 a soft cloth placed on the bottom inside the cage." [The use 

 of a wire cage for dryiug-in is preferable to placing a washed 

 bird upon a cloth upon the fender, as has been unwisely sug- 

 gested, thus risking the chance of the bird darting from off 

 the fender; and, even if it did not come in contact with the 

 ashes beneath the grate, to a certainty it would not improve 

 either the breast, wings, or tail during the time it was fluttering 

 abont.j 



Mr. Barnesby further states, " A shaving brush (the one I use 

 for the washing operation is of badger hair, being soft and easy), 

 a fine soft drying cloth for extracting as much damp as possible 

 out of the feathers before placing them iu the drying cage, and 

 two bowls for washing the birds in." [Two bowls will be quite 

 sufficient.] " When you lay hold of a bird to wash it, handle it 

 firmly but carefully. Hold the bird in the left hand with the 

 head towards the wrist, the tail falling or resting along the fore- 

 finger. When washing, do not press the thumb tightly across 

 the bird's neck, for by so doing the neck feathers may possibly 



become frilled; then, after rubbing the brush upon the soap, 

 apply it to the back of the bird, washing the back and wings 

 down to the tail. Having freely operated iu this manner turn 

 the bird upon its back, and in a similar way clean the breast 

 and underneath portion. Operate on the neck and head, and 

 when you find the dirt well extracted rinse in clean warm water, 

 or the feathers will not be in proper condition when the bird is 

 dry. Do not be afraid of soap getting into the eyes or mouth, 

 but of course be as careful as possible in this respect. The 

 birds will during the washing become somewhat prostrate, and 

 appear to an unpractised person as though they were dying, but 

 it is not often such accidents happen." — A Eancier. 

 (To be continued.) 



PROFITABLE BEE-KEEPING. 



There can be no doubt that the object of bee-keeping is to get 

 as much honey as possible. I say " the " object ^rtr excellotce ; 

 there are doubtless many objects in bee-keeping. The naturalist 

 and the lover of nature each has his object : the first in 

 the scientific study of bees, to understand their habits and 

 characteristics ; the second in the great beauty and pleasure 

 which belongs to these creatures, and their presence near the 

 dwelling of man. The hum of the apiary in spring and summer 

 has a special charm of its own, well appreciated by multitudes. 

 But after all, honey is the raison d'etre of bee-keepiug. Granted, 

 of course, for who will gainsay it, any more than that milk and 

 butter are the object of the dairy farmer? How, then, shall we 

 get the largest possible harvest from our apiaries ? It appears 

 to me that there is a ready answer to this question, which at no 

 other period in the world's history could have been given. Our 

 modern appliances are so perfect that a very little system in- 

 troduced into the management of the apiary would produce in 

 every case the maximum of profit with a minimum of loss. 



Let me at once say that in future times high farming among 

 bees should aim at the entire removal from all hives of every 

 particle of honey which the iusects have collected by the end of 

 July or August, according to the season and the locality. What 

 is easier with our bar-framed hives and honey-slingers than, 

 after driving any given stock into some temporary hive, to place 

 every comb within the latter named instrument, extract the 

 honey by a few turns of the handle, and when emptied (which 

 can now be done, it seems, without injury to the brood) replace 

 them, and when the emptied combs have been carefully re- 

 adjusted, return the bees, and let them start fair again. Of 

 course they will require to be fed, but with excellent sugar at 

 'id. per lb., or even less, and our improved methods of feeding, 

 there is no difficulty liere. As the cheapest good honey, such 

 as all honey must be that is extracted from the cells without 

 bruising them, would fetch from Is. to 2s. per lb., it is a poor 

 country where the average yield of ten stocks under our im- 

 proved system would not give 15 lbs. of honey in the stock hive 

 itself, after removing the supers. At Is. per lb. ten hives would 

 produce £7 10s. ; deduct from this 15 lbs. of sugar at 'id. per lb., 

 yielding, with an equal weight of water, 30 lbs. of food to each 

 hive. This would give 3s. 9d. as the cost of feeding per hive, or 

 £1 17s. 6(i. for the ten ; leaving a profit on the transaction of 

 £5 12s. %d., which would be no mean addition to a poor man's 

 income ; this too, bear in mind, iu surplusage of his super- 

 obtained honey. 



I have only partially tried this plan, and I am not in a position 

 to carry it out myself, but I venture to put it forward for ven- 

 tilation among your apiarian readers. Will someone give it a 

 fair trial, and report progress in these pages ? — B. & W. 



HYBRID VERSUS MONGREL BEES. 

 It has been the habit of bee-keepers, when speaking of the 

 cross between the com -non bee (Apis mellifica), and the Ligurian 

 (Apis ligustica), to style their progeny hybrids. I think this 

 must be looked upon as a misnomer, and the proper designation 

 should be mongrels, as there is no doubt that both bees are 

 of one species. In this all entomologists agree, and Dr. Ger- 

 stacker even goes so far as to consider the Egyptian bee (A. fas- 

 ciata), and another African species (A. Adansonii), as mere 

 varieties also. Distinct species seldom voluntarily interbreed J 

 whilst from the difficulty we find in keeping Ligurians pure we 

 know our two bees commonly do. Darwin says, " First crosses 

 between forms sufliciently distinct to be ranked as species and 

 their hybrids are very generally, but not always, sterile. First 

 crosses between forms known to be varieties, or sufldciently 

 alike to be considered aa varieties, and their mongrel offspring, 

 are very generally, but not always, fertile." Breeders of cattle, 

 poultry, &c., know well that the introduction of fresh blood from 

 a distant source into their stock gives health and vigour to the 

 subsequent young, and bee-keepers find the same law of nature 

 holds good with bees. Esiablish a healthy Ligurian stock in 

 our apiary, and the old inhabitants will take a new lease of life 

 and strength. Entomologists are in a difficulty as to which 



