Beeember 2, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



495 



coloured pair, evenly pencilled all over, bat very poor in leg- 

 feathering. Fourth Bomewhat indistinct on the breast for a 

 prize pair. In the fifth-prize pen one pullet was better than 

 the other. Mr. Birch's highly commended pen (140) contained 

 one euormoua bird, we almost think a hen sent by mistake. 

 Mrs. Baillie Hamilton showed a singularly well grown pair, 

 highly commended. 



Light Brahnias almost equal their Dark cousins in aggregate 

 numbers. The pullet class of the variety is peculiarly strong, 

 and a highly commended is no barren honour there. Cocks. — 

 The first prize goes justly to Mr. Horsfall's beautiful Palace 

 winner, and the cup too. He certainly looks small here among 

 giants, but he deserves his honour. We described him in our 

 Palace report. Second and third are fine birds, with little to 

 choose between them ; they are both larger by far than the 

 cup bird, but do not show his marvellous style. Fourth is 

 rather loose in wing, and spoilt by a huge comb. "We think 

 the four prize birds well placed. Cocikerels. — Mr. Horsfall 

 repeats his double first in cocks, as at the Palace. If his cockerel 

 had a prettier comb it would be an admirable bird. Second not 

 a large bird, but ueat all round and fine in foot-feathering. He 

 fe'ched twelve guineas at the auction. Third another of Mr. 

 Wtjile's bird.i, deficient in neck-hackle, but good in shape and 

 very white. Fourth a fine bird in shape and size; we should 

 have put him second. Fifth rather narrow. Several nice birds, 

 among others Mr. Tedd's (192), would have been higher but for 

 a yellow tinge. We admired one of Mr. Dean's highly com- 

 mended birds, but he has not enough neck hackle. Hens. — 

 The cup went to a magnificent pair, not a good match, however. 

 The best of them is the first Palace bird, a marvel in shape 

 and size, but not looking happy at Birmingham. We hope she 

 will not be overshown. Second again are not well matched. 

 Ooe of them is superb in shape, and would thus match Mrs. 

 Tindal's best bird, but is deficient in hackle. Third a nice 

 healthy-looking pair of hens, well hackled, but without the 

 massive look of the first and second winners. Pullets number 

 sixty-eight pairs. The average quality is very high, and they 

 must have given much trouble to the Judge. The first are a 

 large pair, clear in hackle and ground colour, and must make 

 magi- ificent hens, for they look hardly full grown. Second again 

 an excellent pair, splendid in foot- feathering. Third a square 

 and well. featht red pair. Fourth well grown, one better marked 

 in hackle than the other. Fifth one of the best-shaped pairs 

 in the class, but light in tail. Thirteen high commendations 

 and seven commendations testify to the excellence of this class. 

 The shortnef s of the days has not given us time to look over the 

 Brahma Selling classes carefully. They seem a success, as 

 bringing good and cheap birds into the market. The three first 

 pairs of hens sold respectively for £6, £.5, and £6. 



Mr. Teebay judged all the Brahmas, and must have been well 

 employed on Saturday. 



Dorkings. — The Dark variety certainly do not muster the 

 number of entries which we remember at Birmingham eight or 

 ten years ago, but the quality is very good, and in most cases 

 their colour too; indeed, we are afraid there is a growing 

 tendency to regard them too much as birds of feather. Cocks. — 

 Here Mrs. Arkrt'right is in her old position, and takes second 

 prize as well as first cup. The first cock is square and massive, 

 a little shaky on his legs ; he is light in colour and splashed on 

 breast, but has a good black tail well moulted-out — a merit, and 

 one often overlooked. The second is a very similar bird in 

 colour, though not so square in make, and carries his tail too far 

 back. Third a very tall and dark bird with excellent white feet, a 

 little wanting in breast. Mr. Darby's highly-commended bird 

 and Mr. Bartium's unnoticed one are both grand cocks, but not 

 in their best plumage or condition. Cockerels. — Mr. Burnell is 

 first with a gigantic young bird, which we commented on when 

 second at the Palace. Second a large and long cockerel, but we 

 do not much admire him ; he is white in earlobes, and one of 

 his middle toes twisted. Third a squirrel-tailed bird, good in 

 feet and comb. Fourth a large bird, good in legs and feet, very 

 brown on the wings. Fifth strong in limb, of a good dark 

 colour. As a whole the cockerels were certainly not in such 

 strong force as we have seen them, at the same time there were 

 very few really bad birds. Hens. — The three winning pens are 

 all excellent and well placed. The cup birds are fairly a-head, 

 and a magnificent pair. Mr. Bartrum's second pair are rich in 

 colour, and one of them a grand bird, being superior in form 

 and comb to the other. Third are very large, but dusky in feet. 

 Pullets.— In this class sooty feet prevail ; it seems next to im- 

 possible to get white feet with the very dark colour now required. 

 Here again Mr. Burn- 11 heads the list. The first and second 

 prize pairs are nearly equal. First are a well-known pair, second 

 and third at the Palace, their only fault being dark feet. Se- 

 cond a deep-bodied rich-coloured pair, white in feet; they come 

 from Inchmarline. Mrs. Arbuthnol's mantle seems to have 

 fallen on her auccessor ! Third well placed, one specially good. 

 A nice pair of Mrs. Arkwiight's are unnoticed, we suppose as 

 being too in-kneed. An almost Black pair of Mr. Drewry's are 

 highly commended. 



Silver-Greys are improving in numbers ; among the winners 

 are birds that would well do battle against the Dark variety. 

 The cup cock is very good all round, and easily first. Secoud 

 has a bad overlapping comb; he is generally inferior to Mr. 

 Ruttlidge's unnoticed bird, which we conclude was put out by a 

 little white in thigh. Cockerels. — We are glad to see Lord and 

 Lady Bagot again exhibiting here. First is good all round, not 

 very deep-bodied. Second a nice silvery little bird, second at 

 the Palace if we forget not. Third very poor, dark in neck- 

 hackle and shoulders. A large and good bird of Mr. Howard's 

 highly commended. The light in Birmingham is very unpro- 

 pitiouB for judging silvery birds, and many t)f this class look 

 yellow which at the Palace would make a good appearance. 

 Hens. — The two winning pens are old acquaintances, both from 

 Mr. CresbWell's yards. The first pair marvellously long in body, 

 and large ; the second not quite their match, but very square 

 and thorough Dorkings. Pullets. — A fine pair carry off the cup, 

 one of them such a pullet as we have seldom seen. Second are 

 also a good pair, but we dislike their breast colour. In our 

 opinion the breast of a Silver-Grey hen should be either robin- 

 coloured or salmon coloured, but these and many other good 

 birds now have breasts of two shades of cinnamon. 



W)iUes continue to improve, and many grand birds are to be 

 found in the fonr classes. Combs are the failing in this breed. 

 Mr. Cresswell rf.'peated his Palace victories, and secured both 

 cups. The cup cock is very broad, and by far the truest Dorking 

 in the class. Second is a very nice bird and massive, but he 

 has not the style of the cup bird. In cockerels Mrs. Hayne is 

 first with a very white bird. We think we saw him in the 

 prize list at Oxford and the Palace. He has had his tail broken 

 since then. Second is a fsir bird, not very striking. There are 

 many good birds among the unnoticed in this class. Hens. — 

 One hen in the first-prize pen is large and good, the other 

 smaller and with twisted hackle. She wan third at the Palace. 

 Second a fine pair but with wry combs. Highly commended a 

 very white pair, one of them the cup heu at the Palace. Pullets. 

 — The cup went to a pretty pair but not so good, we think, aa 

 their owner's highly commended pair, which were in a bad light 

 and seen to disadvantage in a corner pen. Second a good match 

 and in their right place. 



In the Selling class the first-prize Dorking cockerel is a good 

 bird all round and worthy of the open class. The hens are poor. 

 Mr. Baily judged all the Dorkings, and we heard few com- 

 plaints about his awards, which is something to say at Birming- 

 ham, where for various reasons it is difficult to make satisfac- 

 tory decisions. 



Cochins.— It is unfortunate that the Buff Cochins are ranged 

 round the annex under the galleries. Their delicate colours 

 require a strong and even light to show them to advantage. 

 The old Buff cocks are not, as a rule, in good feather and con- 

 dition. First-and-cup is Mr. Burnell's famous bird which 

 needs no comment. Second a bird in poor condition, and not 

 well recovered from the moult. Third one not sufficiently 

 feathered on the shanks, but in better condition. Fourth a nice 

 bird which we should have placed second, rather black in tail, 

 but good in colour and well feathered. Cockerels. — Here we 

 could not understand the first award. The bird is certainly 

 well shaped but mealy on the wing, and his black tail does not 

 seem to suit his canary-coloured hackles. Second an evenly- 

 coloured bird and well shaped. We thought him the best in the 

 class. Third a nice bird, a little cloudy in hackle and not equal 

 to the marvels which sometimes come from Stoke Park. Fourth 

 good, not dark enough in wing to match his fluff colour. We 

 much admired Mr. W. A. Taylor's very highly commended bird, 

 the old-fashioned type of Cochin. Among the highly com- 

 mendeds we saw Mrs. Tindal's champion Palace cockerel. He 

 has, indeed, made a mighty descent ; others do not so well 

 deserve their high commendeds. H^ns. — Mr. Procter's cup 

 pair are magnificent, though not a perfect match. The lighter 

 one is singularly sound in colour. Second a good and well- 

 matched pair of beautiful shape. Third are smaller but very 

 good in shape. The fourth pen contains one magnificent hen. 

 Pullets. — First are a very perfect match and even in colour, on© 

 of them is too much feathered inside the legs. Second are a 

 pair which will make even larger hens. They are rather darker 

 in colour, especially one of them, which is the best bird. They 

 are not so short on the legs as Mrs. Tindal's birds, and have not 

 such profuse down. Third a smaller pair and nnmistakeably 

 hocked, but very even in colour. The class is a super-excellent 

 one, and twenty-nine pens are noticed. 



Partridge Cochin cocks. — The cup bird is nearly faultless all 

 round, splendid in shape and excellent in condition. S'-cond a 

 very large bird with fine leg-featherings, Viut too round in hack, 

 and slightly slipped in wing. Third rich in colour, not very 

 gainly, but, barring some white in his tail, better, we thought, 

 than the second. Mr. Tudmau's very highly commended bird 

 is good, a little too darkly striped in hackle. The cockeiela 

 were in a dreadful light, and no judge or critic could do justice 

 to them there. Mrs. Tindal's first cockerel is very near perfec- 

 tion, and will make a larger cook than the cup bird. He does 



