Injury done witji iMruNirv. 171 



at imposition made some yeaiG back of sticking on a Bantam's tail with cobbler's wax : but very 

 recently was shown a Game cock, with one of the sickle-feathers so dextrously ' imped ' on as to be 

 only discoverable (even in a perfect light) after the closest scrutiny ; although in perfect candour 

 I was previously told one of these feathers had been subjected to this treatment. In practised 

 hands, it is really wonderful what can be done with the ' imping-needle,' as it supersedes quick- 

 drjang varnish altogether. Several feathers from the wing of a trained falcon were as an 

 illustration submitted to my inspection, that had been naturally 'moulted' after some months 

 of actual hard ivear during fliglit since they were 'imped;' and j-et the point of juncture even 

 when handled remained as firm, and I had almost written as invisible, as when first replaced. 

 As to trimmers and their suppression, my sympath}' with /w^-measures is very slight, and I 

 confidently suggest that rules should be either faithfully enforced, or expunged altogether from 

 the printed regulations." 



Being personally referred to in the foregoing paper, we may say that we perfectly remember 

 the case mentioned by Mr. Hewitt, and making the remark stated by him in the course of a 

 lengthy and very detailed report of the show in question, undertaken by us at the special request 

 of the editors of the leading English poultry journal. We may add that at a later period — 

 unfortunately too late for any correction — we were convinced beyond question by another of the 

 judges who had officiated in that class of the gross fraud that had been perpetrated, which could not 

 possibly have been discovered without actually withdrawing the birds for examination ; and we are 

 justified in asking by what term should be designated the conduct of those who thus deliberately 

 refused to protect the interests of honest exhibitors .' We have been amused at the persistence 

 with which it has been attempted to get rid of this vital matter by urging the " impossibility of 

 detecting" every case. This is not the question — no man is responsible for not doing what cannot 

 be done ! But when fraud has been detected — what then .' That is the point ; and committees 

 who wish to avoid the charge of direct complicity with swindling would do well to study it. One' 

 of the committee of the show here referred to, in reply to private remonstrance from ourselves on 

 the injury done to honest exhibitors by such wilful neglect of duty, made use of an argument 

 which we have found curiously common in such cases; viz., that "as the guilty party had taken 

 no prize with the trimmed birds, no injury had arisen." This is specious, but none the less false, 

 as will be readily seen : for if duly punished, the fraudulent trimmer would probabl\' be deterred 

 from repeating his fraud, to the protection of the honest amateur ; whereas by such disgraceful 

 impunity he is emboldened to renew his attempt on another occasion, when he may not be 

 discovered as in this case; and for the injury then done the committee which has neglected any 

 deterrent measures cannot be held guiltless. 



Owing to the interest we have long taken in this question, we have been so often asked 

 what practicable measures can be adopted, that we venture to frame a rule against the practice 

 which can give no difficulty in working ; which gives to the judge his proper responsibility, and 

 to the committee theirs ; and which if carried out honestly would, as we have been assured by 

 many knoivn trimmers themselves, almost eradicate this evil. The last statement may astonish 

 many, but it is simple fact ! Several of the most frequent offenders in this way affirm that 

 they are in a measure driven to it by the keen and unprincipled competition that prevails, 

 and that if they could only be assured all would be sternly dealt with on discovery, no one 

 would rejoice at the new state of things more than themselves. Being known, strong as our 

 opinions on this matter are, never to " break confidence," the number of private confessions thus 

 poured into our cars has been astounding, and llic social p(jsitiiMi nfsume thus cuinj)romiseii lew 



