FANCIERS' JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



263 



ody, but the entire tune. Teaching Bullfinches to pipe well 

 is an art almost entirely confined to the Continent, and well- 

 drilled birds realize high prices. Many can pipe a simple 

 air almost to its close, but when they come to the last bar, 

 they finish with a cadence scarcely more melodious than the 

 fag end of a Cochin cock's melancholy crow. — W. A. Blak- 

 ston, in Journal of Horticulture. 



gggf A Madras Pish Story. — The coroner has held an 

 inquest at the General Hospital, Madras, respecting the death 

 of a native man who is reported to have died from suffocation 

 by a fish accidentally jumping into his throat. It appeared 

 that the deceased was catching fish in a shallow tank with 

 his hands, and having caught one about six inches long and 

 one and a half inches thick, he placed the head of it in his 

 mouth and bit it, as the fish was troublesome and wiggled 

 about. While thus employed one of the sharp points in the 

 back fin stuck in his hand, and on opening his mouth and 

 crying out for help, the fish jumped into his throat and stuck 

 there. The deceased tried to remove the fish, but was 

 unable to do so. He was taken to the General Hospital, and 

 the fish was removed by small pieces. Dr. Paul stated that 

 he tried to remove the fish, but was unable to do so, and 

 found that the only means of removing the fish from the 

 man's throat was by making an opening in the neck. The 

 deceased was much exhausted, and died as soon as the fish 

 was removed, the following day at 10 a.m. The jury in 

 their verdict found that the deceased died from suffocation 

 by a fish accidentally sticking in his throat. — Madras 

 Athenaeum. 



GDormiJoutUtta. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



Editor Fanciers' Journal. 



Dear Sir: Can you tell me what is the matter with 

 pigeons when they sit moping around in corners, lose all 

 appetite, and eventually die. I have lost dozens of pigeons by 

 this disease, and not knowing what to do to help them, have 

 had to have their necks wrung. If you can answer the 

 above, and give a remedy for it, I will be much obliged. 

 Please answer through the columns of your valuable paper. 



W. V. K. 



Savannah, Ga., April 7th, 1874. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



A LIBERAL OFFER. 



Jos. M. Wade, Esq. 



I highly value your paper, and desire that it may add 

 many fold to its already large circulation, and in order to 

 lend my aid to that end, I will give two sittings of Brown 

 Leghorn eggs to the first person sending you five new sub- 

 scribers, accompanied with the cash, before May 1st. Eggs 

 from my pedigree stock, fresh and well packed, and deliv- 

 ered to express. Respectfully, 



Thomas. H. Walton. 



Doylestown, Pa., April 13, 1874. 



paper about twenty by sixteen inches, fold it into four the 

 long way, which gives me a four-inch strip twenty inches 

 long, into which I roll the egg tightly, without mashing 

 the edges of the strip down to the egg ; then I take a string 

 and tie it around the paper as close to the butt end of the 

 egg as I can, which will be about an inch from the edge of 

 the paper ; then I shape the end out so that I have just the 

 shape of an egg cup, and that will stand up just as an egg 

 cup, and strong enough to prevent anything touching the 

 butt end of the egg. The sides will be sixteen thicknesses of 

 paper around each egg. I then take a basket six and a half 

 inches deep by eight inches inside measure, into which I 

 put about two inches of uncut hay boiled down, into which 

 I set my egg cups with their eggs, and then fill in between 

 and on top with cut hay, so that the corn goes in closely, 

 and find that the eggs carry safely and well. 



Hoping that this will help some that cannot get any pat- 

 ent arrangement, I am Yours truly, 



Jno. D. Oakford. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 

 Mr. Jos. M. Wade. 



Dear Sir : It may benefit some of your readers to know 

 an easy and safe way of packing eggs that I have adopted 

 this season. I take a sheet of soft wrapping or tissue 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 

 Mr. Jos. M. Wade. 



Dear Sir: The weekly visits of your valuable paper have 

 long ago become fondly anticipated, and I hope for you the 

 largest show of success, as the results of your labors in pro- 

 ducing a poultry weekly. My papers are becoming well 

 worn in circulating them, and very likely shall ask you to 

 send me some back numbers to complete my file, which I 

 wish to preserve for binding. 



FLOORS OF POULTRY HOUSES. 



I have noticed several articles in your paper, in regard 

 to the best method of preparing and preserving floors in poul- 

 try houses, and would like to mention to you my plan : 



In building, I first set short posts in the ground, boarding 

 them up on both sides and filling with sand and tan bark be- 

 tween the walls, and laying my sills on top of the posts ; 

 then filling up the entire space inclosed with, at first, small 

 stones, tnen coarse gravel, and last fine gravel, nearly as 

 high as the sills ; then I make divisions for pens, leaving floor 

 a deep gravel bed, always dry, and by having the top fine 

 the hens need no other dusting material. Every fall I take 

 oft" as deep as it has become foul, and add new gravel. With 

 a little care in gathering the droppings once a day, it will 

 never become very foul, and the hens seem to enjoy scratch- 

 ing and picking it over. I believe such a floor is less 

 likely to be troubled with vermin than when made of 

 boards ; in fact I have never been troubled at all. 

 Yours very truly, 



J. D. Hammond. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



Jos. M. Wade. 



Dear Sir: Can any of your readers inform me the cause 

 of different hens, of the same breed, in the same yard, laying 

 eggs the shells of which are different colors? Some of my 

 hens lay eggs the shells of which are very dark brown, some 

 a dark buff, and others between the two. 1 make a specialty 

 of Light Brahmas, and they all have the same care, so I 

 cannot account for the difference in color. Can any one 

 also tell me whether or no there should be any definite color 

 for Light Brahma eggs ? 



Erie, Pa., April 4, 1874. 



Yours respectfully, 



F. T. K. 



