102 



JOTTENAIi OF HORTICULTTTBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ Januarr SI, 1865. 



third prize was won by Mr. Williams, of Nottingham, with 

 a good specimen. There were several other good birds in 

 the same class, mixed up with two or three sailly out of 

 condition, especially one in a cage with No. 55 label upon 

 it, and another with roughish feather marked 61. The 

 Tariegated Belgian classes were but middling, the first and 

 third prizes in Class G being given to Mr. Corbett, and the 

 second prize to Mr. Martin, Belper. One bird shown by 

 Mr. Nicholson would have taken our fancy more had it been 

 marked about the head to match with the wings. In Class 7 

 Mr. Phillips, of Basford, showed two good bii-ds, with which 

 he won first and third prizes, and one in ijartlcular was 

 possessed of kind feathering but was somewhat small. 

 Mr. Corbetfs second-prize bird, and Mr. Goodwin's highly 

 commended bird were fair specimens, but we cannot speak 

 of the variegated classes as being so good as we have before 

 witnessed. The Crested Belgians as they were styled, or 

 the Manchester copy as we will call them, had five entries, 

 and only a second prize was given. The Marked Belgian 

 class contained several first-class bii-ds, but we preferred the 

 one -which was awarded the second prize. The gold and 

 silver spangled Lizards were very superior, the first prize in 

 each class being won by Mi-. Phillips. Mr. Chapman, North- 

 ampton, was awarded second "prize for a Jonque Lizard; 

 Mr. Wdliams second-prize lor a mealy Lizard, and H. 

 Ashton, Esq., -won the third prizes in each class. The 

 Goldfinch mides were exceedingly good, the first prize in 

 Jonques being given to a choice specimen shown by Mrs. G. 

 Barnesby, and which has won at various exhibitions eight 

 first and three second class prizes in England and Scotland. 

 H. Ashton, Esq., won the second prize in each class, and 

 the thii'd prize in Jonques was given to a famous bird belong- 

 ing to Mr. Crocker, Plymouth, who also entered in the same 

 class a curious-looking black mule. Mr. Edward Bemrose 

 exhibited a rare mealy mule, ^^■ith which he easily gained fii-st 

 honours, adding another laurel to three other first prizes at 

 other exhibitions. In Class 14 a first prize was deservedly 

 awai-ded to a rare mule, bred between the Goldfinch hen and 

 Cinnamon Canary, belonging to Mr. Pointon, Basford, al- 

 though we should have liked to have seen Mr. Lingai-d's 

 Linnet mule with a prize also, but the class was not well filled. 

 We never saw a bird more out of its place than Mr. Williams's 

 Green Belgian, for the class was set apart entii-ely for 

 mules or hybrids, and why should Judges have to contend 

 ■with such a mixture 'i The cages containing collections of 

 six birds each were most excellent, and numbered seven in 

 the whole, six of them receiving iiigh commendations. Three 

 of the seven aviaries contained Goldfinch mules, and were 

 exhibited by H. Vauncey Crewe, Esq., of Calke Abbey, Mr. 

 Walter, of Winchester, and Mr. G. J. Barnesby, of Derby, 

 the latter exhibitor winning the first prize with a superb 

 and even collection. The mules shown from Calke Abbey 

 were the next best. The half-dozen yellow Norwich Cocks 

 belonging to Mr. Walter were very showy birds. 



The British birds generally were very fine in plumage, 

 but we did not think the Bullfinches so good as previously, 

 and the first-prize bird must have been judged more for its 

 size than pl-jmage. As to the Goldfinch class, which num- 

 bered 17, all good birds, we must admit never having seen 

 such an assemblage of these gay-looking little fellows. The 

 Judges were quite right in giving an extra prize in this class, 

 and we may remark that so good were many others that 

 they were fully deserving of prizes. The Brown Linnets 

 were fair samples, and the winner was correctly placed, al- 

 though had Mr. Key's birds been in smarter attire it would 

 have run the winner close. The Skylarks and Blackbirds 

 were rightly judged, although in the latter class the losing 

 birds were fine, one of them belonging to Mr. John Litton, 

 Derby, waa worth seeing only for the curious fonnation of 

 its mandible. The first-prize Thrush was especially good, 

 and the company it was keeping added no disgrace, the class 

 being noted as very beautiful. There was ono solitary Star- 

 ling, and >^ith no competition no prize was given. 



The classes for foreign birds were made up as follows : — 

 Ono rose-breasted Cockatoo, but no award made. Seven 

 Grey Parrots were present for competition, and formed a 

 conspicaons and interesting feature, some being rather talka- 

 tive. The first prize was given to Mr. T. Bi.ldulph's bird, 

 and the second to Mr. Corbett' s, the bird which gained first 

 prize last yea> being commended. There was no entry 



for Green Parrots, and a second prize was given to Mr. T. 

 Harper, for a pair of Australian Grass Parriieets, although 

 we believe the awai-ds would have been othei-wise, had not 

 one bird escaped from cage 201, and could not be caught 

 until hunger induced a discontinuance of its flighty diversions 

 some time after the awards had been made. In the extra 

 Foreign class, Mr. Booker, Liverpool, took a first prize -with 

 a West Australian King Lory. In -the same class, Mr. T. 

 Harper, Derby exhibited a fine Lory Parrakeet, and Mi\ 

 Scrimshaw, of Nottingham, a pair of Cockateals, pairs of 

 Diamond Sparrows, Java Sparrows, Indigo blue birds, and 

 African Waxbills. There were three entries for collections 

 of Foreign bh-ds, two of which put in an appeai-ance, and 

 the first prize was very justly given to that belonging to 

 Howarth Ashton, Esq., whilst a commendatory card was 

 attached to Mr. AValter's cage. 



Manj' fine birds, and several pens of poultry, were sent 

 for exhibition and sale, including a Goldfinch and Canary 

 mule braced and fastened to a fi-ame of very tasty design, 

 with a small box which the bird lifts the lid of to feed from, 

 and also affixed to the fi-ame is a little vessel from which the 

 bird draws up water. It belongs to Mx. Bembridge, Not- 

 tingham, and was much admired. Mi-. J. W. Price showed 

 a largo pen containing several fine golden Pheasants. Mr. 

 Walter exhibited half a dozen drawcages -with Goldfinches 

 and Eedpoles as occupants, which when hungry were obliged 

 to draw up an inclined board a small waggon, descending 

 each time the bird fed. Mr. Edwd. Bemrose's very rare 

 specimen of a Linnet, a pure white one, commanded much 

 attention, as well it might. Mr. Scrimshaw, also sent three 

 Grey Parrots, a Macaw, several Indigo blue birds. Siskins, 

 and Bramblefinches. Mr. J. Price sent a Brown Owl and a , 

 Hawk, and some well bred fowls were shown by Mr. G. 

 Crewe, Mr. Fountain, Mr. E. Bemrose, and others. Several 

 choice dogs were also exhibited by Mi-. Bunting (one a 

 winner of three or four prizes), Mr. Eiokard, Mi-. Chapman, 

 and Mr. Martin. Great praise is due to the Secretary, Mr. 

 J. W. Price, and others of the Committee for so conducting 

 the Show, and who wish to express their thanks to the 

 librarian of the institution and also his wife (Mr. and Jlrs. 

 Davison), for their courtesy and assistance rendered. — Geo. 

 J. Barnesby, Derby. 



PHENOMENOIf IN HIMALAYAN EABBITS. 



I HAVE kept Himalayan Kabbits for the last twelve years, 

 and it is quite a common occurrence for one out of a litter 

 to be black, and before two months old it turns perfectly 

 white. I give mine no water, and very little green meat, 

 principally feeding them on oats and bran. 



I observe an advertisement in your paper, offering Hima- 

 layan Rabbits for sale at 12s. a-pair; allow me to observe 

 that 6s. a-pair will buy mine, perfectly thoroughbred. — 

 Himalayas. 



ME. LANGSTROTH, THE AMERICAN 

 ArLU^IAN. 



"OuB Editors" have done me no more than justice in 

 Relieving that I should hasten to correct any error that I 

 might have fallen into with regard to the above-named dis- 

 tinguished gentleman. 



The apiarian readers of The JouBNAr, of Horticultttbe 

 can bear witness, that I was the first to introduce Mr. 

 Langstroth's valuable book to their notice, and that I have 

 always spoken most highly of it. By mo also was it first 

 brought to the knowledge of my friend, Mr. S. Bevan Fox, 

 who has only echoed my ovm. sentiments in fully appreciat- 

 ing its merits. 



In according to Mr. Langstroth the credit of introducing 

 the frame-hive and Gorman method of managing bees into 

 America, I had not the slightest intention of representing 

 him as either borrowing or copying from our Teutonic 

 brethren without the most ample acknowledgement. The 

 facts of the case, which oi-o no doubt correctly stated by 

 him, both in his letter to "our Journal," and in his ex- 

 cellent work on " Tho Hive and Honey Bee," seem to amount 

 to this, that substantially the same results -were -worked out 



