414 



JOtJBNAL OF HOETICDLTURB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 5, 1874. 



valned at £2, to the most successful exhibitor iu Classes 1 to 17 

 inclusive ; aad the Committee's electro-plated silver cup, of the 

 value of two guineas, to the moat successful exhibitor in Classea 

 18 to 34 inclusive. It appears the principal cup was awarded 

 to Mr. J. Spence, of South Shields; the cruet to Mr. John 

 Adams, of Coventry; and the Committee's cup to Mr. J. Stevens, 

 of Middlesborough. I am pleased to learn that the members of 

 the Middlesborough Oruilhological Association can boast of their 

 fourteenth annual Exhibition, brought about, too, by fanciers 

 of the right stamp. I need only mention the names of Mr. R. 

 Hawman (President), Mr. J. Stevens (Treasurer), and Mr. W. 

 Carrick (Secretary), as a guarantee that the Exhibition was 

 conducted in a way worthy of the occasion. Middlesborough is 

 only one of the numerous places in Yorkshire, which county, 

 however, cannot quite lay claim to having as many annual bird 

 shows as there are towns in its divisions — not quite; but it (the 

 county) undoubtedly bears the palm in far surpassing all others 

 in England for the number of bird exhibitions; and, to judge 

 of the number of fanciers the question arises. What becomes 

 of all the birds bred in Yorkshire alone '? The question may be 

 answered in this way : The best, or, as the fanciers would term 

 them, the " plums," are kept principally for show purposes, 

 many finding homes in various habitations, and numerous 

 others being purchased yearly by London and other dealers. 

 The breed of Canary styled " Yorkshire " is as peculiar to that 

 part of England as the " Norwich " bird is to the midland and 

 the more southern districts. At the South Stockton Show there 

 were eighty-nine specimens of the Y'orkshire breed exhibited, and 

 at the Middlesborough Exhibition there were 101 for competition. 

 The town of Middlesborough is adjacent to Stockton, and is of 

 easy access by the river Tees. It was at the latter place a bird 

 show was recently held, and, as an eye-witness, I will note 

 down a few remarks concerning the respective positions of 

 several of the prize birds at each of the shows. 



Belgian birds came to the post in somewhat stronger force, 

 Mr. Hawman taking a first and third, Mr. Moffat a first, Mr. 

 Jobliug a third, and Messrs. Fawcett & Anderson occupying 

 second and third positions. The birds were exhibited in two 

 classes — namely. Clear or Marked Y'ellow, and Clear or Marked 

 Buff. At Stockton Show Mr. Hawman occupied a third position, 

 and Mr. Jobling first. 



Norwich (Clear Yellow), although not strong in numbers were 

 well up in colour and condition. Here Mr. Cox, of Northamp- 

 ton, kept Mr. Adams out of the first place with a splendid bird, 

 the latter exhibitor putting in an appearance for second and 

 third with a pair of fiery-looking birds. At the Stockton Show 

 Messrs. Johnson & Armstrong won a second prize in Clear 

 Yellows, but here the bird was not noticed. Clear Buffs. — The 

 first prize, a " clipper," was added to the account of Mr. Adams, 

 who also won second honours. Mr. Besson, Derby, won the 

 third prize with a fine specimen. Mr. Simpson's bird was 

 highly commended. At Stockton the same exhibitor took the 

 first prize in Clear Buffs. There were only five Even-marked 

 Norwich shown, the contest being between Messrs. Brown and 

 Gayton, Messrs. Moore & Wynne, and Mr. Adams, the latter 

 having to give way to both the Northampton firms, which proved 

 too strong for him. Evenly-marked Buff. — This was a much 

 better class, Mr. Adams being justly awarded first honours, Mr. 

 Cox second, and Messrs. Johnson & Armstrong third. At the 

 Stockton Show the latter exhibitors stood in the front rank, Mr. 

 Adams occupying the second place, Mr, Simpson the third, but not 

 named at Middlesborough. In the Unevenly -marked Norwich 

 classes. Yellow and Buff, Mr. Adams was first and second in each, 

 Messrs. Bexsou and Hawman each gaining a third prize. In 

 Class 8 Mr. Cockerton entered a bird wrougly. 



There were but five entries in Crested Yellow Norwich, Mr. 

 W. J. Hampton winning first honours. Messrs. Cleminson and 

 EUerton's bird, the second-prize, will appear better when the 

 crest is more developed; third prize, Mr. G. Cox. The Crested 

 Buff class brought up ten entries, but the winner of the first 

 prize was not exactly to my liking, there being some evidence 

 of Coppy breed in it. It was shown by Messrs. Brown & Gay- 

 ton, and claimed by Mr. Hawman, as I was given to understand. 

 The second-prize bird, shown by Mr. Doman, of Nottingham, 

 would have been more in its place had it been first. Mr. Cox 

 was a good third. There were eleven birds exhibited in Class 11, 

 Coppy Crests. 



Lizards. — What a change in a few days in the Lizard classes ! 

 I have an idea that Mr. J. N. Harrison knows something about 

 a Lizard bird when he sees a good one ; for, if I mistake not, he 

 himself has possessed above one first-class specimen of this 

 choice breed of Canary. No " chaff," or "dodges," to use a very 

 vulgar expression, could have influenced him in his decisions. 

 I have seen it stated somewhere in print (I cannot just now cal- 

 culate, as a Yankee would say), that Darlington, so famous for 

 the past two or three seasons for Lizards, held its own. It 

 appears so, judging by the recent achievements at Nottingham, 

 Northampton, Stockton, and, last of all, the present Middles- 

 borough Show. Respecting the latter two in particular there is 

 just this difference : At South Stockton Show Mr. R. Ritchie 



had awarded to him first and second prizes for Golden-spangled, 

 Messrs. Cleminson & EUerton being third ; but at the Mid- 

 dlesborough Exhibition Messrs. Cleminson & EUerton's Golden 

 Lizards were awarded first prize and a very high commenda- 

 tion, Mr. Ritchie being placed in the second and third posi- 

 tions. This looks something like a reversal. Again, in Silver- 

 spangled Lizards, at Stockton Show Mr. Ritchie stood first and 

 second, Messrs. Cleminson & EUerton at the same Show only 

 being third. Now, at Middlesborough Show, the one I am now 

 reporting, another reversal of the Stockton awards takes place — 

 namely, that of Messrs. Cleminson & EUerton winning first 

 prize with their only bird entered, thus again compeUing Mr. 

 Ritchie to retire to a third position with one of his birds, and 

 having a high commendation for the other. There are other 

 noticeable changes, one of which is worth recording — that of Mr. 

 -J. Stevens's bird. At Stockton Mr. Stevens was only very highly 

 commended for his Silver Lizard, but at Middlesborough he 

 stepped in for second honours. Doctors wiU differ, I am aware, 

 and so wiU judges. It is not to be wondered at, considering 

 their varied talent. This, in all sober seriousness, is given 

 without any " chaff " whatever. In Class 14 I will do Mr. 

 Ritchie the justice by noting that he well-earned the first, second, 

 and third places with his broken-cap birds. Some of these 

 birds often carry many good points. Such is the case with Mr. 

 Ritchie's birds. The Lizard classes were not to be considered 

 strong classes, for there were but twenty-two specimens in the 

 three classes. 



Cinnamons. — The old tale — Mr. Adams being first, second, and 

 third for Jonques, and first and second for Buffs. Still in the 

 latter class there is a bit of a change, for Mr. Adams (at least the 

 Judge) gave a third prize to a capital bird in the Buff class, 

 shown by Mr. Cox. The Variegated class of this breed was thus 

 disposed of — Messrs. Brown & Gayton first, Mr. Brooks second, 

 and Messrs. "W. li: C. Burniston third. 



The Yorkshire classes were very well filled, there being no 

 less than 101 birds in the six classes. Messrs. Lenox & Ren- 

 wick, W. Lickley, W. Hutton, B. Hawman, J. Garbutt, and 

 George Gott were the principal prizewinners. 



Clear Green brought to the post four birds, three of which 

 had prizes given to them. There is something really so " green " 

 about this class that the sooner it is abolished the better if no 

 more than four specimens can be produced. I would suggest 

 the " Any other variety of Canary " class as the most suitable 

 one in which to enter the " Green " birds ; but, as the Middles- 

 borough Committee had not provided one, perhaps it wiU be 

 considered for the next Show. 



Mules. — In Classes 25 and 26 there were several very good 

 birds exhibited (nothing sensational) of the Evenly-marked and 

 dark kinds of the Goldfinch aud Canary breeds. In Class 27, 

 " Linnet Mule nearest Canary," Mr. Spence exhibited two birds 

 for which he obtained second and third prizes, and Mr. Stevens 

 due for a first prize. The second-prize bird was awarded the cup, 

 as for the best Mule in the Show. One word of advice to the 

 Committee : Do away with the remark " nearest Canary," for I 

 consider it an extraordinary act to give a bird a first prize, and 

 then award a special prize of the value of five guineas to a bird 

 taking second in the same class. The second-prize Mule, if the 

 best Mule in the Show, should have had at least first honours 

 awarded. I do not believe in a premium being given for a 

 specimen because it happens to more closely resemble a Canary. 

 It might, possibly, be of the veriest puny kind. 



The other classes were tolerably well fiUed, and contained 

 many fine-plumed birds of the British kinds. The Selling class 

 had twenty-seven birds in it; and in Class 35, for stuffed birds, 

 reptiles, or animals, there were many well-executed cases. The 

 prize list was given last week. — An Ete-wit.ness. 



PAINTED DOGS. 



A cuBious practice exists among certain tribes of the South 

 American Indians of painting their dogs. The appearance of 

 these animals, as migtit be assumed, is most peculiar, and a 

 stranger, ignorant of the customs of the people, would be at a 

 loss to account for the peculiarity of their appearance. They 

 are to be seen of all colours — yellow, blue, green, and scarlet; 

 while others are mottled with every variety of tint. A South 

 American traveller, who recently accompanied a party of natives 

 on a tapir hunt, says that it is the custom among many of the 

 tribes of the South American Indians to dye, not only their own 

 bodies, but the hairy coats of their dogs, with brilliant colours 

 obtained from vegetable juice, such as huilic, yeUow roca, and 

 indigo. The light grey, often white, hair of theoo animals lavours 

 the staining process, and the effect pleases the eye of their 

 savage masters ; but, to a stranger, the effect is fantastical. 

 "I could not," he says, "restrain my laughter when I first 

 scanned the curs in tUeir fanciful coats ; picture to yourself a 

 pack of scarlet, orange, and purple dogs." 



British Bee-keepebs' Association. — The Ealing Institute, 

 on the 10th inat., wiU inaugurate their winter session by a lecture 



