458 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 19, 1874. 



colour, but a little white in wing. This pen fetched a long price 

 at the auction. The second waB a fair pen of Whites ; the cockerel 

 well-grown, but rather creamy; the pullet small. We should 

 have almost placed here pen 509 (Shrimpton), where the cockerel 

 was of beautiful colour, and had a very good tail in shape and 

 colour. The third were fair Buffs; not so good as 508, which 

 were fourth. We fancied in this fourth pen was the Buff cockerel, 

 we believe, which won third at Birmingham, and which some 

 said should have been first (we speak of the late summer Show) ; 

 he is, however, poorly leg-feathered, though of good colour. 

 52G, highly commended (Fowler), was a good pen, promising to 

 make-up well. 



Bbahmas. — The entries in the ten classes for Brahmas num- 

 bered 675— a good-sized poultry show in themselves, and, if we 

 mistake not, half the number of the whole Crystal Palace Show 

 five years ago. Greatly has the standard risen in the Dark 

 Brahma classes since two years ago. We can hardly imagine 

 it possible for greater perfection to be attained in cockerels as to 

 size and colouring; form may well be improved, for the giant 

 frames which now win lack much in comeliness. The pullets, on 

 the other hand, are marvels of pencilling and colour, but not 

 larger, if so large, as the winners of a few years ago. Vulture 

 hocks, or at least the nearest approach to them, are again in 

 favour, and in the Dark classes bare legs have totally disappeared. 



Dark cocks, as a class, were not well through the moult. First 

 on the list Mr. Ansdell's bird, the cup-winner, was a fine tall 

 bird of exquisitely-silvered back and hackle, bright green wing- 

 bars, and black fluff. Second was a much more compact though 

 far less bird, beautifully through the moult, inclined to the 

 fault of vulture hocks above, with poor leg-feathering below. 

 Third was a bird of the same type as the first, but his comb 

 was large and loose. We did not admire him. Fourth was a 

 very massive bird, deep-breasted and short-legged, decidedly 

 hocked, but splendid in foot-feathering. 



Dark Hens. — Mr. Liugwood's cup pen was a marvel in breast- 

 pencilling and good all round, but, as far as we could see in her 

 elevated position, somewhat indistinctly marked on the back. 

 Second a beautiful bird of the Silver-Grey type, moulted-out 

 like a pullet. Third a grand bird, the very perfection of shape, 

 unmistakeably vulture-hocked. Fourth also fine in form and 

 breast-pencilling, too, but lighter than we like in fluff. Fifth 

 another large well-shaped hen, but too brown. 



Cockerels. — There was a strange family likeness in six of the 

 eight winning cockerels; they were huge birds of the old 

 Brahma type, totally distinct "from the Cochin form, with up- 

 standing tails, this ornament in several of them being larger 

 than we can admire. Mr. Ansdell was the proud winner of the 

 twenty-guinea cup; his bird was tall, broad, and well filled, 

 densely black in fluff and breast ; he well deserved his place. 

 Second had a beautiful little head combined with great size : both 

 these birds had long tails. Third another bird of the same type, 

 with a very peculiar, and we thought ugly tail, like an exaggera- 

 tion of the Grouse tail ; stiU he was a grand fellow in size, and 

 well-marked. Fourth was somewhat spoilt to our fancy by the 

 centre ridge of his comb being very hish. Fifth was a neat bird 

 of Miss Douglas Pennant's, much smaller than his superiors in 

 the list, and with too depressed a comb, but well pencilled. 

 Sixth was a bird of Mr. Lingwood's own style, and one which 

 not a long time ago could not have failed to secure the highest 

 honours. ^ Seventh, another good bird, not quite so broad as the 

 sixth. Eighth, a very nice, very young bird, somewhat lightly 

 pencilled in hackle, moderately feathered, and with beautiful 

 orange-coloured legs. 



Pullets.' — Size and form, as we have said, struck us as wanting 

 in this class. The cup went to a bird of as beautiful pencilling 

 as we have ever seen— dark and crisp on a silver ground, but 

 she was small and poorly feathered on the leg. Second was not 

 unlike her, now a well-known bird, perhaps not quite so per- 

 fect in pencilling as the first, but a little larger; she also is 

 rather under-feathered on the leg. Third was a bird nice all 

 round, but very light on the head. We admired the fourth-prize 

 bird, and should have put her higher; she is large with small 

 and even pencilling, the type of bird Mr. Wright generally 

 shows. Fifth, a fine bird in form and colour ; she certainly did 

 not look to us like a bird of this year, otherwise we should have 

 put her in the first place. Sixth would also have been higher 

 had her head not been white. Seventh was small but most strik- 

 ingly pencilled, the markings being glossy black on a pure 

 white ground. Eighth was a fair bird all round ; probably her 

 distinct pencilling up to the throat caught the Judge's eye. Over 

 fifty birds received notice in this class. There followed a 

 Selling class for pairs (cock and hen), not exceeding five guineas 

 in price ; some good birds found their way into it, but as a 

 whole it hardly deserves much criticism, being chiefly remark- 

 able, as might be expected, for ill-assorted matches. A fine deep 

 black-fluffed cock in the fifth-prize pen caught our eye, and 

 appeared one of the best birds in the class. 



Light Brahmas were not behind their Dark relations in 

 number, though in quality we thought them by no means their 

 equals ; no bad birds found their way into the prize list, but 



beyond the winners there were many, especially in the classes for 

 chickens, poorly feathered, and second-rate in style. 



Cocks. — The leg-feathering in this class was good, at least in 

 the case of the winners, being full without vulture hocks. The 

 cup went to a cock of medium size and very neat shape; dark in 

 neck-hackle and other points. Second was a fair bird, not well 

 through the moult; his tail hardly grown, and some old yellow 

 neck-hackle still apparent. Third had an ugly comb, but clear 

 good hackle and splendid foot-feathering. Fc^rth was pale in 

 comb, fair in hackle, and remarkable for fine deep fluff. 



Hens. — The cup bird did not strike us as large, but she was 

 very white; apparently she was mopish when we looked at her, 

 and may not have looked her best. Second was, in our opinion, 

 far ahead — a beautiful and faultless bird, perfect in neck-hackle 

 and foot-feathering. Third was neither so good in marking nor 

 so clear in ground colour as the second. Fourth was a very 

 good hen ; here and there the dark under-colour peeped through 

 too much, but we should have put her second. 



Cockerels. — The first cockerel in the catalogue was a nice bird 

 all round and unnoticed, which led us to expect greater general 

 meiitthanwe found. Mr. Maynard's cup cockerel was grand 

 in size, and taking the bird all round the award was a correct 

 one ; his colour was good as Lights go (they are nearly all tinged 

 with yellowl, his legs well feathered, with soft curls round the 

 hocks ; a tinge on the neck-hackle took somewhat from his 

 bounty at first sight. Second was much longer in limb than 

 the first, but a less compact bird ; his uuderfeathering was very 

 dark, and tail a rich black. Third, a well-shaped bird, with just 

 a nice medium quantity of neck-pencilling and leg-feathering. 

 Fourth, a tall and stately bird, not so white as he might be, with 

 intensely black under-dovm. Fifth a very nice bird, not dark 

 enough in neck-hackle, or white enough on back and wings, 

 but correct in leg-feathering and richly black in tail. Sixth 

 such a bird as we should like to breed from, not large, but 

 shapely, very white, with lovely neck-hackle, but sparsely 

 feathered on the leg. Seventh was not remarkable for form, 

 but had a fine and delicate white edging to his tail feathers, so 

 difficult to acquire. Eighth, a tall cockerel, with poor comb and 

 little hackle-pencilling, but with attractive clean yellow legs. 

 Beyond the winners many cockerels were narrow and poor in 

 leg-feathering. 



Pullets. — In this class the earlier winners were grand birds; 

 then there seemed a great gap in merit, and a number of second- 

 rate birds followed, very nearly equal in points and size. The 

 cup bird, we suppose, won her position with her form and deep 

 fluff ; we preferred the second bird with exquisite neck-hackle, 

 and nearly the equal in figure of the first. Third was a fine, 

 very white pullet, but with the common deficiency in neck- 

 marking. Fourth was a pure white in ground colour, and well 

 feathered. Fifth, not large or deep, otherwise a good bird. 

 Sixth, a large bird with fair markings, but here we come into a 

 region of mediocrity. Seventh was a very clear- coloured bird, 

 but brownish in neck-hackle. Eighth was too much marked on 

 the back. 1082 (Percival), was nice pullet, well hackled, and 

 better, in our opinion, than many in the prize list. 1092 (Broad), 

 was very large, and we suppose left out for her unfortunately 

 hen-like look. A five-guinea Selling class followed, but not 

 worthy of special notice when so many interesting classes 

 follow. 



PoLANDS. — These were not large classes, but all were good. 

 The first Gold cock was very fine, and splendid in crest and 

 colour. Second also with a splendid crest. Third, good colour, 

 but not so good in tail and crest as the other two winners. The 

 first hen was very good, but too white in crest. Second and 

 third good birds, but not so well spangled. We liked 1848 (Uns- 

 worth), or 1849 (Beldon), better than the third. 1854 (Taylor), a 

 good hen. 



Silver-spangled were good. The cup cock was very yellow 

 in crest, or else it was a marvellous one, and the bird was well 

 shown. Second and third good hens with fine crests, and well 

 marked on the body. 1857 (Adkins), good hen, but too pale. 

 Silver hens were a beautiful lot. The first well placed. Second 

 and third very good. 18G8 (Hinton), a charming hen, well 

 marked, and good colour. 1872 (Long), a good bird, and will be 

 better still in two or three weeks. 



Black with White Crests mustered poorly. The first cock 

 was a wonder, a most glorious crest, and very good in shape. 

 Second, a nice bird, with fine crest. We do not see why third 

 was withheld, as pen 1882 (Darby), was quite worthy of the 

 place. The hens were well placed, and were three good birds. 

 Pens 1835 and 1837 (Edwards) had wonderful crests, but they 

 had not a trace of black in front, and they were too parted in the 

 centre ; still they were two good birds. 



HonDiNS. — There were four large and good classes of Houdans. 

 We did not care for some of the prize birds as much as some of 

 the unnoticed ones, but it must have been a hard and difficalt 

 work to judge here. The cup bird was a large bird, but must 

 have been closely pressed by the second, which was very large 

 and good in comb and crest. The third was a fine bird, but a 

 little too red in hackle, stiU he deserved his place. 1271 (Dring), 



