Decembar S, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTGBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



505 



had a little twist in the hackle. 800, oommeuded, should have 

 beeu entered iu the Bantam class. 



PartriJcje — Iu old cocks, 830, first (Laoey), a fjrand bird ; 8U, 

 Beooud (Taylor), a fine bird, but a little inclined to vulture 

 hocks; 838, third (Tudinan), a good bird, a little brown iu fluff. 

 8-10, highly commeuded (Lacey), sound iu colour throughout; we 

 fancied him better than third. 812 (Stretch), unnoticed, we 

 believe was the first at the l*alace. 



Cockerels. — 851 (Tindal), first, we thought he had very sus- 

 picious-looking hocks, but he was a fine bird, and with this ex- 

 ception deserved his position ; 858 second (Jones), beautiful in 

 colour, but we did not like his comb ; 81G third (Tiudal), was 

 also a good coloured bird, but wanted leg-feathering. 852, 

 highly commended, we thought a pretty chicken. 8i8, highly 

 commended, did not like his tail. 817 we thought deserved 

 some notice. 



Hens. — The winuiug pen, 867 (Tudman), were fine birds, well 

 pencilled, with good leg-feathering; 868, second (Stretch), big 

 birds, but not so clearly pencilled; 805, third (Taylor), contained 

 one good hen. 



The pullels we considered a very poor class. Pen 830 (Stretch), 

 first-prize, we thought should have beeu shown in the class for 

 hens. Pen 879, second (Percival), well grown, but deficient in 

 pencilling. Pen 876, third, good-shaped, with plenty of leg- 

 feathering, but like the second in pencilling. Pen 872, highly 

 commended, well pencilled but small. Pen 835, highly com- 

 mended, were beautifully marked, but very young ; we con- 

 sidered them better than the second and third. 836, highly 

 commended, we should also have placed in the prize list. 



Whites. — Pen 899, first (Percival), was a beautiful bird, rather 

 Inclined to go yellow. 901, second (Burnell), we did not like; 

 pen 894 (Talbot) we should have placed before him ; ho was 

 better in comb, and a bigger bird. 903, third (Procter), should 

 then have retained hia position, as we preferred him to the 

 second. Pen 905, commended, was a beautiful bird. 



Cockerel. — Pen 907 (Burnell) was first, but we liked pen 909 

 (Williamson) third, better; he had a thorough Cochin-shape, 

 and we considered him in almost every respect superior to the 

 first. Pen 917, second, we did not admire, and thought a better 

 might have been found. 



Hens. — 934, first were a splendid pair, shown in magnificent 

 trim; 932, second, the legs of one of the hens were in bad con- 

 dition, and very deficient of leg-feathering. 930, third, good 

 pair, well shown. 931, highly commended, deserved a prize. 

 942, highly commended, we thought contained a hen and a 

 pullet. 



Pullets. — 956, first were a superb pair; 951, second; 946, third, 

 well deserved their positions : so many good pairs were to be 

 found in this class that the Judge must have had great trouble 

 iu making his selection. Pens 953, 954, 942, and 939 struck us 

 as being about the best of the highly commended birds. 



Malays put in a creditable appearance: they are thought 

 worthy of four classes at Birmingham, and so many chickens 

 come out. The first cock is a grand bird, marvellously strong iu 

 limb; second, good, but with a strange-looking hind claw ; Mr. 

 Brooke's highly commended bird is the richest in colour in the 

 class. The cup cockerel is a noble bird in carriage and mien, 

 conspicuous for his clean and brilliant orange legs; second, 

 smaller but stylish ; a good White, highly commended, but as 

 usual with White Malays, tinged on the wing. In hens the first 

 winner is a veritable cinnamon in colour : second, somewhat 

 darker. There is a Black hen in this class, but unfortunately 

 of no merit. Mr. Sabin's cup pullet is a gem in colour and 

 shape ; one of his highly commended birds is also good. 



Creve CcEURs progress iu merit, but decidedly not in num- 

 ber ; the old and young birds are mixed together, which is not 

 fair to the latter. The first cock deserves his position ; he is 

 a superb bird in superb condition, deep-bodied, and lustrous in 

 colour. It seems to be a merit in Crevea that they moult out 

 well; second is also grand in shape and colour, not remarkable 

 for tuft; third, a large bird in frame, with a beautifully round 

 tuft. 1058 (Wood) struck us as being an enormous bird, though 

 deficient iu breast. 



Heiis are a good class, the cup-winners gigantic birds ; one 

 of^them has too much white on the tuft. Second very good too, 

 but not so fuU-breaated as some other birds iu the class ; thirtl 

 are very black iu tuft for old birds, and have handsome beardn. 

 Mr. Crabtree's pen are as fine as any iu the class, but white in 

 their tufts and scaliness on the legs of one must have thrown 

 them out. Mr. Cutlack's pen are well shown, and deserve their 

 high commendation. 



HouDANS are divided into four classes, and good they all are. 

 The first cock is a tall bird, a thorough French Houdan in look, 

 his only blemish being some rudimentary feathers on his legs; 

 the second is well-marked and large, but hia tuft poor, and 

 feathers appear on his legs too. We should have put Mr. 

 Quibell's highly commended bird higher; he is rather light 

 iu colour, but sprightly for hia age, and massive. 



The cup cockerel is a typical bird in every point, with uoble 

 carnage, full breast, and perfect feet ; second, good all round, 



save an inclination to knock-knees. 1103 (Dring), a most pro- 

 mising cockerel. The first-prize pen in the class for hens con- 

 tains one magnificent bird ; the colour of both is beautiful for 

 adult birds, and their fee t white and good. The second are as 

 large, but a little too light. 



The first^jitHiis are very large, but too dark in plumage and 

 feet, and one with a poor tuft; the second less, but a beautiful 

 match, and perfection in colour. 1127 (Copplestone), good. 



Polish. — We regret to see all the varieties of this breed so 

 much in the hands of one or two exhibitors. All four prizes for 

 White-crested Blacks go deservedly to Mr. Shaw; hia first-prize 

 cock is lovely in colour aud in shape of crest. Mr. Uns- 

 worth's bird has a very large though not very shapely crest. 

 The first-prize Golden cock rightly wins from the immense size 

 of his tuft aud his robust appearance. He is evidently an old 

 bird and somewhat too light in tail. Second, a handsome bird, 

 but not so rich in breast-colouring as the first, and with a 

 smaller crest. 



Spanish. — The class for old cocks was a small one — nine en- 

 tries. Pen 1138, first, has the largest lobe, but he was very 

 coarse and ugly iu comb. I'en 1140, second (IJeldon), the Palace 

 winner, we liked much bettor; he was not so big iu the lobe, but 

 the white was of much better quality, aud he had a good comb 

 for an old bird. Pen 11-44, third, was another coarse bird; we 

 liked pen 1142, highly commended, better. 



The Cockerel class mustered twenty-six entries. Pen 1107, 

 first-prize (Miss Brown), was a good selection ; this bird was 

 second at the Palace, the first-prize Palace bird we could not 

 find. Pen 1165, second, was a coarse bird. Pen 1172, third, was 

 much worae, he had a abort lobe, and one side was longer than 

 the other. Pen 1160, fourth (Jones), was a neat bird, with a face 

 of good quality : we should have placed him second, with pens 

 1152 aud 1150 for third and fourth. Pen 1163, unnoticed, was a 

 tuperior bird, but out of condition. 



In theSeiis some fine birds were to be found, thoae in the beat 

 condition winning, several good pens being passed over through 

 not being forward enough. 



Pullets were not a good class. The first-piize pen, 1182, had 

 nice faces, the others will improve as they get older. We thought 

 all the awards correct. 



In consequence of pressure of time we are compelled to post- 

 pone our report of some of the clasaea until next week. 

 PIGEONS. 



From whatever cause it may arise, one thing is certain — the 

 Pigeon Show at Birmingham is losing its prestige, the entries 

 this year in point of numbers scarcely coming-up to a good pro- 

 vincial show. The prizes are good, and the olaaaification ex- 

 tended, and yet the birds do not come. Why is it ? la it be- 

 cauae the birda in moat classes are shown in pairs ? or is it the 

 wretched little pens in which the majority are exhibited ? We 

 know not ; but the fact remains that iu aome classes where 

 first and second prizes of £2 and JEI are offered two entries ap- 

 pear, while three and four are several times met with. Wa 

 regret this state of things, because we remember the time when 

 a high commendation was thought as much of at Birmingham 

 as a prize at many other shows. 



Carriers. — Black cocks (old) were a good lot, though few ; but 

 we thought one eye of the first-prizetaker gone a little too far ; 

 second, a good sound bird. 



Black Hens. — First, a splendid bird. 



Dun Cocks. — First, a good- wattled bird, rather paler in colour 

 than we like. 



Dun Hena. — Firat, a good bird with good box beak ; others 

 rightly placed. 



Carriera, Any other colour (two entries). — Very bad Blues, but 

 good birds in other respects. 



Black Carriera hatched iu 1874.— Some grand young birds 

 were shown in this class. The best Carriers did not take the 

 prizes, and a question ariaea which it would be well to ventilate 

 and aettle if possible— viz.. Is a bird which has a patch of white 

 on the veat and belly, aud a fringe of the same colour at the 

 knee-joint, a black bird 1 We do not express an opinion at 

 present, but hope to have the views of some of our eminent 

 breeders on the aubjeot. 



Young Carriera, Any other colour.— First, a grand pair oi 

 birds; second, we cannot express an opinion on, aa only one bird 

 waa in the pen at the time of our visit. 



Pouters, Red or Yellow cocks.- First, good colour, with large 

 crop, but a coarse heavy bird, not our notion of an elegant 

 Pouter ; a good Yellow highly commended. 



Red or Yellow Hens.— First, a good Red ; second, a poor 

 Yellow. 



Blue Cocks.— First, a magnificent bird; third, a good raking 

 bird ; second, we did not like. 



Blue Hens. — We preferred second to first. 



White cocks were a good class, but we should have placed 

 Mrs. Ladd's second first. In hens again we thought Mrs. Ladd's 

 elegant bird entitled to first honoura. 



Almond Tumblers were a fair claas, and we considered the 

 prizes rightly placed, but should like to see a little more head 



