POULTRY. 211 



warm commendation of many admirably constructed cages, ex- 

 hibited by Isaac Dean of Tannton, John Cummings, Jr., Frederic 

 S. Potter of North Dartmouth, R. G. Buflinton of Somerset, 

 and others, to whom we would gladly have voted more pre- 

 miums, if the sum appropriated to this department had war- 

 ranted it. We hope by another year to have at least twenty- 

 five cages owned by the society, into which, for a small compen- 

 sation, birds badly accommodated by their owners can be placed. 

 In former years, it has been a subject of complaint that this at- 

 tractive department was crowded too much in a corner, far 

 away from the portion of our grounds most thronged and ac- 

 cessible. The Committee, this year, availed themselves of a 

 new and better location, much nearer the centre of the grounds, 

 and from the approbation expressed by many at the cliange, as 

 well as the increased throng of interested spectators, tliey are 

 led to believe that future exhibitions should be located in nearly 

 the same spot. 



Another new feature of the exhibition was the entry among 

 the lists of competitors in this department of a young lady, — 

 Miss Eudora F. Terry, of New Bedford, — who made a most 

 gratifying and brilliant display of light and dark Brahmas, 

 golden buff Cochins, Houdans and Gray Dorkings. We wel- 

 come this fact as a very encouraging indication that the refined 

 and intelligent culture of choice breeds of poultry is beginning 

 to be appreciated by those whose natural susceptibility to beauty 

 is usually of a finer quality than our own, and who are not 

 likely to be excelled in the breeding to a feather of our choicest 

 breeds of poultry. 



We hope another year to chronicle the advent of other lady 

 competitors. We can assure them that in this specialty there 

 is great scope for the exercise of aesthetic perceptions. What 

 can be more beautiful, for instance, than the pencilling of the 

 gold and silver Hamburgs ; the exquisite harmony of color 

 which the best-bred Gray Dorking pullets exhibit, and which we 

 think come nearer the wild game birds of the country in beauty 

 of form and plumage than any other ? 



Then there are the numerous strains of game fowl, the prevx 

 chevaliers of their race, unexcelled in splendor of plumage and 

 unequalled in grace of form and carriage : the Houdans, hel- 

 meted like cuirassiers, and the plumed Crevecoeurs, the black- 



