November 12, 1874. ! JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



433 



We should have preferred both pens with shorter legs ; a Grove 

 cock used to be shown by Mr. Sichel, which we always adnaired 

 as the perfect type of Grove for hia shortaess of leg. Mr. Dring 

 was third with birds which would a short time ago have carried 

 all before them. 



Malaya (seventeen entries) pat in a most creditable appearance. 

 The cup pair were immense in limb and good in colour; the 

 cockerel in the second-prize pen would have looked better with- 

 out a featherlesa spot ou his crop ; third were Whites, if such 

 we can call them, for the cockerel had red on the wing and the 

 pullet brown on the breast. We were very glad to see Whites, 

 and suppose that the Judge awarded them a third prize to en- 

 courage fanciers of the variety j we should have given third to 

 pen 545 (Bradford). 



American Fowls (seventeen entries), are emerging from the 

 Variety class, and had a class to themselves. The White variety 

 oi Leghorn seems superior to the Brown. Mr. R. Fowler won the 

 cup with a White pair; the cock had a very gamey look. We 

 cannot admire the sickly yellow tinge of these birds' earlobes, 

 very like that of a carp's scales, but suppose it is a necessary 

 accompaniment of yellow legs. Second were Plymouth Eocks, 

 the cock somewhat scaly in feet ; third. While Leghorn again. 

 Two nice pens were disqualified from the owner having evidently 

 through inadvertence left their home marks on their legs. 



White Silkies were probably the best collection of this variety 

 ever seen. How the standard has improved since the Oxford 

 Committee two years ago liberally give them their first class, 

 and how have exhibitors improved in getting them up ! Mr. 

 Woodgate, of course, took the cup in this class as well as for 

 White Cochins. The second-prize birds were very white bat 

 lighter in earlobe than we like. The third hardly merited their 

 position. Pen 5(i9 (Watts) contained a four-clawed hen, which 

 the Judge must have overlooked in giving them a high com- 

 mendation. 



Any 0</^e^B)•^e(i (ten entries). — From the multitude of classes 

 few were left for the Variety class. First were a lovely pair of 

 White Minorcas in blooming condition. How pretty are their 

 white legs and faces after the Leghorns ! Second Sultans ; 

 third a good pen of Cuckoo Dumpies, the pullet, however, far 

 too long in leg. Black Minorcas and White Guinea fowls were 

 highly commended. 



Bantams had six classes. For Black Reds there were thirty- 

 one entries. The awards seemed unexceptional, and the highly 

 commended pens were all worthy of prizes. Brown Reds only 

 mustered thirteen pairs; the winners were all good and well 

 shown. The chief feature of the class for Any other variety 

 Game was the large number of Piles which appeared, many of 

 them of great beauty. The cup went to a perfect pair, second 

 and third being given to Duckwings. The class for Black Clean- 

 legged Bantams was excellent. The cockerel in the cup pen 

 reminded us rather too much of the Hamburghs' combs afore- 

 mentioned. Twenty-one pairs in all were shown. 



In Sebrights (seven entries), Mr. Leno, strange to say, was not 

 first. Mr. Braund's first-prize birds were Golden, very regular 

 in lacing, and good in colour. Mr. Leno's second were Silvers, 

 particularly clear in ground colour. In the class for Any other 

 variety of Bantams, Japanese were first, the cock a beautiful bird, 

 white with a magnificent black tail ; they were soon claimed at 

 their modest price, three guineas. Pekins were second, and 

 White Clean-legged third. We should prefer seeing the latter 

 variety compete with Blacks, their points, barring colour, being 

 all the same. 



Duchs. — Mr. Fowler carried off all three prizes in Aylesburys 

 with such birds as only Aylesbury can produce. Twenty-two 

 pens of Rouens competed. The cup pen were easily first, and 

 of great merit. All three prizes for Black East Indians went to 

 one exhibitor, and deservedly too ; they were wonders in colour, 

 condition, and closeness of feather. 'The old exhibitors are all 

 left behind by Mr. Sainsbury. By the liberality of a lady a 

 class was provided for Call Ducks; nine pens appeared, all 

 Whites. We wish other people would follow the example of 

 this lady. One hears too much now of " paying " classes, and 

 many lovely breeds have become neglected from being always 

 relegated to the hazard of Variety classes. We should not 

 have liked to judge this class, so little apparent difference was 

 there in the birds. It was to be regretted that none of the 

 Coloured variety were shown — those lovely miniature Mallards. 



Turkeys were fine, but struck us as looking cramped even in 

 their large pens, and many had broken tails. 



In Geese Mr. Fowler again carried off the cup with a gigantic 

 pair of Embden. Truly Mr. Fowler's Geese are all Swans, 

 though not in the ordinary sense of that phrase. His Toulouse 

 second were almost ec^ually grand. The third-prize pair came 

 from Blenheim. It would be impossible to criticise the awards 

 in the Selling classes of 220 pens ; they were on the whole of 

 extraordinary excellence, and the bargains were many, of which 

 fanciers seemed to avail themselves as never before at Oxford. 



If this report of the poultry is somewhat lengthy, our apology 

 must be that it is not easy to do justice to a thousand and odd 

 pens of such birds in any cursory remarks. We seem to have 



entered upon a new era of poultry-showing. Each variety is 

 bred-up to such excellence that few exhibitors can safely in- 

 dulge in more than one or two, and the day seems quite past 

 in which any one person can sweep the board as formerly did 

 Mrs. Arbuthnot and others in a dozen breeds. 



PIGEONS. 



Carriers had five classes. First in the catalogue came Mr. 

 Fulton, and first in the prize list too, with a Dun cock perfect in 

 condition and points. Mr. Tardley was second with a Black, 

 and Mr. Fulton again third with a Black less in wattle than his 

 first-prize bird, but evidently younger. The prizes in this class 

 (for Black or Dun cocks) were all well placed. Pen 1021, very 

 highly commended, contained a good Dan; and Col. Hassard'a 

 highly-commended bird, though small in wattle, was magnifi- 

 cent in form. In the class for hens Mr. Yardley's first-prize bird 

 had, for a hen, marvellous wattle. In the classes for Any other 

 colour we specially noticed the first and third hens (Mr. Ham- 

 mock's) for their extraordinary length ; they were Blue. The 

 class for young birds was the best in the Pigeon Show. There 

 were twenty-nine entries, and the Judges must have had much 

 trouble in making their awards. First was a dark Dun, second 

 a Black, third a Dun, and extra third a splendid Blue. 



Pouters had but two classes — viz., for cocks and hens of any 

 colour. In cocks Mr. BuUeuwas first with a beautiful White, 

 which we observed was claimed at £10. Mr. Fulton was second 

 and third with respectively a Blue and a Yedow, both of which 

 were much admired. In hens a White again was first, and 

 justly so ; a very good Yellow third. 



Barbs were shown in pairs. In the class for old birds a small 

 and good pair of Blacks were first, Blacks also second, and Reds 

 third — grand birds, but the cock apparently rather antique. The 

 class for young birds did not contain many or remarkable 

 specimens. 



Tumblers had three classes. The Almond class mustered 

 better than usual — viz., nine pairs, many of them old friends 

 and good. The production of Almonds seems too much of a 

 science to extend itself in the fancy. In the Any variety Short- 

 faced class good Black Kites were first. Agates second (we feared 

 two cocks). Red Mottles third. In the Long-faced class Mr. 

 Mapplebeck was first with well-marked Red Mottles, second 

 were Black Balds, and third Feather-footed Reds. 



Dragoons seem fashionable at present. The class for Red or 

 Yellow was marked by the Judges " very good." That for Any 

 other colour contained thirty-five entries. The first. Silvers, 

 were a striking pair, to all appearance two cocks; second were 

 Whites, and third Blues. 



In Antwerps the first pair were excellent. Red Chequers 

 second, and third Silver Duns. 



Runts were obliged to be divided, cock and hen in each entry 

 being in separate pens. Mr. Green's well-known Blue birds 

 were first, judged, we believe, by weight. 



Owls were properly divided into English and Foreign. Tha 

 English class, though large, struck us as not being very good 

 First and third were Silvers, second Blue. Mr. Edge had a nice 

 pen of Whites very highly commended, and Mr. Fulton a 

 curious pair of Mottled Yellows highly commended. In the 

 Foreign class first and second were White ; pen 1281, highly 

 commended (Wylie), a pretty pair of Whites with blue tails. 



Nuns seem to have more admirers theoretically than practi- 

 cally. We suspect this is owing to the gross trimming to which 

 at one time they were subjected, but which we are glad to see 

 is falling into disuetude. Seven pens appeared. The winners 

 of first and third prizes were black-headed, those of second red- 

 headed and very good. 



Turbits had two classes to themselves, and excellent they 

 were. The breed seems to be popular and bred up to a high 

 standard. The first class was for Red or Yellow. First and 

 second were Yellows, and of nearly equal merit ; the first were 

 most clean in thigh, the second brighter in colour; third were 

 Reds with fine heads. The pair of Yellows very highly com- 

 mended (Cresswell), though paler in colour than the winning 

 Y''ellow3, had magnificent frills. The class for Any other colour 

 was marked by the Judges as " very good." First were beauti- 

 ful Blacks, very rich in colour ; second well-known Silvers, the 

 hen far too brown to please us; third neat Blues ; very highly 

 commended another good pair of Blacks ; pen 1303 (Smythe) 

 nice shell-crested Blues. As shell-crested birds always compete 

 to disadvantage with peak-headed, why should not others follow 

 the example of the Newcastle Oommittee and give them a 

 class ? 



Fanlails were an excellent class, but we regretted to see them 

 all of the large English type. The winners were all Whites. 

 A curious blue-shouldered pair received more than their deserts 

 in a commendation. 



Jacobins were a large class. Mr. Fulton's first Reds were 

 wonderful in hood. A non-fancier would hardly believe that 

 Nature provided them with so artistic an ornament. Second 

 were somewhat coarse Yellows, third Reds. Why an exquisite 

 pair of Whites (Mr. Baker's) did not win, was to us a mystery. 



Trumpeters become fewer and fewer. Alas ! for the lovely 



