234 



FANCIERS' JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



By this time I began to mistrust that the Black Martin 

 would not build a nest for itself so long as it can find one 

 ready-made. I believe that is just why they always came 

 the second time, about when they expected to find a finished 

 nest. It seemed just so to me. Of course the material 

 composing a Swallow's, Bluebird's, or Wren's nest would 

 not be sufficient for a Martin's nest, but it would go some 

 way in building it. Maybe I suspect them unjustly. But 

 I was determined to have some Martins, if it took all sum- 

 mer, so I built a large house expressly for them on the roof 

 of my poultry-house. It contains thirty-two rooms about 

 eight by ten inches, three stories high, twelve inches to 

 ceiling in each story. While we were building the same 

 Martins flew around us, inspecting the work, and frequently 

 came so near that we might have caught them. The finish- 

 ing and painting took so long that they finally left before 

 the job was completed, as none of them took up their abode 

 with us, but often during the summer they would circle 

 about for hours, frequently flying in and out, and after a 

 social chat fly away to their eaves and cornices about town 

 where they were forced by the lateness of the season to 

 make their nests. When they return this spring I can 

 accommodate forty to fifty pairs, and when the rooms are 

 all taken I will build more for them. In a few days I shall 

 furnish each room with a few handfulls of soft hay made to 

 imitate nests, to attract them. Their beautiful blue-black 

 and glossy plumage, together with their almost clamorous 

 sociabilit}', causes me in a very great measure to forget that 

 they may be a little inclined to aristocracy, so far as labor is 

 concerned. Let them all come ; they shall find food and 

 protection. The Sparrows ma}' feed with the Cochins, 

 Brahmas, Plymouth Bocks, and the rest of their giant 

 friends, undisturbed. The motherly Bobin will always find 

 plenty of strawberries early in the summer for her young, 

 and lots of all the other luscious fruits all through the 

 season. 



I remembered the birds when I planted my trees and 

 vines, years ago, and somehow we are cheered all summer 

 long by the different birds of our country, and do not miss 

 what little they eat. Talk about their stealing fruit. They 

 do not steal it; God gave it to them. I never planted a bed 

 of flowers but that I was amply repaid for the trouble and 

 expense by seeing the scores of little Humming Birds flock- 

 ing there to feed, to say nothing of the pleasure we all 

 derived from their beauty and fragrance. 



But pardon this my first trial of your patience. In the 

 future, if agreeable, I may drop you an occasional line on 

 not only birds, but all the other pets, in rotation. 



Tours truly, J. H. Watlinq. 



figg- The first shad taken this year in the Delaware was 

 near Chester, and sold for five dollars. 



J8@r° The introduction of salmon into the rivers of Aus- 

 tralia, after repeated failures, has been accomplished at last. 



8@T There is a severe drought in most of the jurisdictions 

 of Cuba, and the animals are suffering for water. 



8®* John Henry, of South Hadley Tails, accidentally 

 shot himself in the head while hunting ducks, on Sunday, 

 and expired soon after. 



figr- A boy was caught stealing chestnuts near a ceme- 

 tery. "What's your name?" "Tweed," blubbered the 

 boy. The frightened farmer dropped the boy and fled. 



figg" Mr. Samuel Maxwell, of Vanceboro' Maine, killed 

 two bears and captured another alive, one day last week in 

 that town, and within two miles of the settlement. 



fig?- Christian Sharpe, inventor of the Sharpe rifle, the 

 best firearm of its day and still has no superior, died sud- 

 denly in Vernon, Conn., on Thursday night, aged 63. 



8®°" Two malevolent dogs ate up $200 worth of mutton 

 for John Farnum, at Lanesboro, R. I., last week, in just 

 half an hour ; to be exact, they killed 35 sheep, and wound- 

 ed half a dozen more. 



fi@?" A boy named James Wright was accidentally killed 

 at Seabrook, in a gunning float, recently, by J. Bowe. 

 Wright was sculling the float, and Eowe's gunlock caught 

 on a seat as he raised the weapon, and both barrels were 

 discharged in the back of Wright's head. 



figy A young man was carrying a goose at a dinner table 

 one day, when, by an awkward move, he knocked it into 

 the lap of a lady who was sitting opposite, in the glory of a 

 green satin dress. Instead of showing his verdancy by pro- 

 fuse apologies and a confused manner, he simply said ; "I'll 

 trouble you for that goose, Missl" Can the annals of society 

 furnish an example of self-possession more sublime? 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



THE BUCKS COUNTY POULTRY ASSOCIATION. 



At the last meeting of the executive committee it was 

 decided that the next annual exhibition should be held on 

 the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th of December, 1874. Already 

 we have the most promising indications that our next fair 

 will be the largest ever held in the State. The president 

 has named a committee to obtain special premiums. We 

 intend to make the specials one of our grand points. The 

 North Pennsylvania Railroad which terminates at Doyles- 

 town, will issue excursion tickets from Philadelphia and 

 other points. Bucks county is fairly awake on the poultry 

 question. At the next exhibition the members of the asso- 

 ciation living in the county will exhibit fine specimens of 

 the following breeds of fowl : Silver Pencilled, Silver Span- 

 gled, Golden Spangled, and Black Hamburgs ; White, 

 Brown, Black, and Dominique Leghorns ; Black Breasted 

 Red, Duckwing, Irish Grey, and Earl Derby Games; Crev- 

 ecoeurs, Houdans, and Japan Silkies; Light and Dark Brah- 

 mas ; Buff and Partridge Cochins ; Plymouth Bocks and 

 Dominiques ; Golden Sebright, Black Red Game, Duck- 

 wing Game, Black African, and Japan Bantams. 



All the breeds above named, are bred by members of the 

 Association from the best stock procurable, so you see, Mr. 

 Editor, we will have something to show visitors at our next 

 fair. Respectfully, 



W. T. Rogers. 



DOYLESTOWN, Pa. 



POULTRY SHOWS FOR 1874 & 1875. 



Bucks Co. Poultry Association. Doylestown, Pa., Decem- 

 ber 8, 9, 10, and 11. Theo P. Harvey, Secretary, Doyles- 

 town, Pa. 



Maine Poultry Association. Portland, January 12, 13, 14, 

 and 15. Fred. Fox, Secretary, Portland, Maine. 



Connecticut State Poultry Society: Hartford, Conn., De- 

 cember 16, 17, 18, and 19. Dr. Geo. L. Parmele, Sec'y. 



