FANCIERS' JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



281 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



Mr. Editor. 



My attention was arrested by an article in your Fanciers' 

 Journal of this week, by Mr. Burnham, which proposes a 

 universal convention of all the poultry people of the coun- 

 try to revise the American standard properly. 



The changing and fixing of this standard has been many 

 times attempted, but we have never yet got one that was 

 worthy the name of an American standard, and I agree 

 with Mr. Burnham and others of your writers that this last 

 one, by the Buffalo folks, is worse than all. It is full of 

 mistakes ; and the compulsory instructions to our judges, in 

 the opening of the book, which confines arbiters at our ex- 

 hibitions to laid-down rules beforehand, makes this highly 

 objectionable. 



I hope the suggestion of Mr. Burnham will be carried 

 out. There is need of it. This last "new standard" will 

 not answer our turn anyhow. If we can get together, as 

 B. suggests, at some central point — all hands — we could 

 take hold of this thing fairly and understandingly, I fancy, 

 and put out something that would be far more useful in the 

 shape of a standard than this can ever be, and which will 

 never be used in this State in its present imperfect form, I 

 am confident. Tours, &c, J. French, Jr. 



Weymouth, Mass. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



IMPORTATIONS. 



Dear Journal. 



I have just received, in fine condition, from Mr. George 

 Pashby, the well-known Yorkshire judge of prize poultry, 

 the following: One trio of magnificent White Cochins, one 

 trio of Black Spanish, one trio of pure-bred Dorkings, and 

 one trio of Golden Penciled Hamburgs. These birds are all 

 cup and prize winners at first-class exhibitions the last 

 season in England. Mr. Pashby says "They are the 

 grandest lot of birds ever exported from the old coun- 

 try." I expect another importation next week from the 

 celebrated yards of Mr. John Jurner, of Bath, England, 

 and Mr. Henry Eeast, Swansea. 



I am yours truly, W. C. Munroe, M.D. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



Jos. M. Wade. 



Dear Sir: I received, per steamer "Prance," from Lon 

 don, a small blue Scotch Terrier bitch, which I consider one 

 of the finest dogs of that breed ever imported to this coun 

 try. She is three years old, and weighs seven pounds, and 

 is " all dog." Yours truly, H.A.Brown 



New Yokk, April 21, 1874. 



P. S. I also expect from Liverpool a large invoice of 

 Baldhead Tumblers, said to be very fine, and second to none 

 before sent to me or sent to the United States. 



&3~ All communications and contributions intended for this depart- 

 ent should be addressed to HOWARD I. IRELAND, Concordville, 

 Delaware County, Pa. 



TO THE YOUNG READERS OF THE JOURNAL. 



With this number of the Journal we accept the editor- 

 ship of the Bird and Small Pet Department, which 

 hereafter will be devoted especially to the interests of the 

 juvenile readers of the Journal. We have no doubt there 

 are in the families of the subscribers to this magazine many 

 boys, and girls, too, who are not yet "full-fledged" fan- 

 ciers, and who amuse themselves by keeping minor pets — 

 the boys, rabbits, guinea pigs, white mice, etc. ; the girls, 

 singing birds and gold fish. To the interests of these this 

 corner will be reserved ; and in order to make it an especial 

 feature we solicit the aid, in the shape of contributions, of 

 all our young friends. If you do not feel capable of writing 

 an article yourself, ask the aid of your big brother or sister. 

 Your friend, The Editor 



of the Bird and Small Pet Department. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



Priend Wade. 



Last week I received a coop of very fine Sumatra Game 

 fowls direct from Angiers Point, Sumatra, by ship Mary 

 Whitridge, Captain Ben. Cutler. They are fine birds, of 

 beautiful plumage, and compare very favorably with my old 

 stock (the original having been imported from same point 

 some twenty years ago), having the invariable pea-comb, 

 and in the cock duplicate spur, tail very full and carried 

 well down, the ends dragging the ground. 



Yours truly, E. S. Ralph. 



Buffalo, April 20, 1874. 



BUFF BELGIAN COCK. 



The Belgian canary is without doubt the most delicate 

 and, at the same time, the most highly prized of any variety. 

 They are truly noble birds, and any one who has ever pos- 

 sessed a pure-bred bird — not one of the so-called Belgian 

 which are so often seen, shapeless animals without one of the 

 characteristics of the true breed, but a bird with " thorough- 

 bred " stamped all over him — will at once admit that having 

 acquired a taste for the variety, all others are thought very 

 little of. They will stand and look at you without flinching 

 and draw near to you when you approach their cages ; they 

 seem to endeavor to show their gratitude for your kind care 

 and attention — and this is the case with young birds, even 

 from the nest they do not seem shy and never fly wildly 

 about the cage every time the person in the habit of attend- 

 ing them comes near. They certainly require more care 



