May 9, 1865. ] 



JOTJiiyAIj OP HOKTICULTTJEE AND COTTAaE GAEDENEE. 



369 



growers of grain, and no doubt paid great individual atten- 

 tion to their feeding. — Old Fox. 



[We hare omitted all you wrote about the proposed Com- 

 pany. There is no need " thrice to slay the slain."] 



PIGEON BREATHING WITH DIFFICULTY. 



Firstly. Spanish liquorice dissolved in their drinking 

 water I have found to cure cage birds, and no doubt it 

 Tvould assist the Tumbler cock. -■';'■■■- 'J 



Secondly. I had a red mottled Air-Tnmbler cock which was 

 taken very ill last year, being affected with a sort of asthma 

 and sore thi-oat. I gave him pills containing 1 grain calomel 

 and l-12th of a grain tartar emetic — one daily for two or 

 three days — after which boluses of cod-Hver oil and flour, 

 and ho speedily recovered. 



Lastly. I read lately in the German poultry papers that 

 bacon cut in small worm-like shreds and rolled in antimony 

 was a sure cure for such diseases in chickens, no water to 

 be given for three hours afterwards. 



The above is all the information I can give; it is only 

 necessary for me to say that antimony is a poison, and I 

 believe Canaries have died from drinking water in which 

 3 grains were dissolved in a quart of the water. — B. P. 

 Bbent. 



THE DERBY CANARY AND ORNITHOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETY. 



We have been favoured with a copy of the " Handbook of 

 the Eules^ and Eegulations of the Derby Canary and 

 Ornithological Society, for Promoting Improvement in the 

 Breeds of Canaries and other Fancy Cage Birds," and which 

 also contains the standard properties by which the choice 

 breeds of Canaries and Mule birds are there judged. 



_ Mr. G. J. Barnesby, of Abbey Street, Derby, in his preface 

 gives a cheering account of the rise and progress of this 

 Society, which appears to be now in a flourishing state. The 

 book contains a long list of rules and regulations, forty-one 

 in number; but as Eule S declares, that "'No person is 

 admitted as a member of this Society unless residing in the 

 county or borough of Derby," these rules can have little 

 interest for the general reader. We can only express a 

 regret at this exolusiveness in these days of railroads and 

 the general diffusion of the Canary fancy. We cannot help 

 expressing a regret that the Derby committee should 

 consider it necessary to be so strict with their members, since 

 the London Fancy Canary Club have found it obligatory 

 to go with the times, and adopt a more liberal code. 



The standard of properties, which is of much more interest 

 to the general breeder, is on the whole good ; yet the arrange- 

 ment of the points, as 1, 2, or 3, is not in accordance with 

 the value of these points as set forth in their aooompanying- 

 explanation. 



The properties for Belgian Canaries are exclusively for 

 the _ Hooped or Bowed fancy, a variety which strikes the 

 novice by its ugliness ; lindeed, this fancy, like many others, 

 is one of cultivation. We do not perceive the necessity of 

 distinct classes for Marked, or Ticked, and Variegated 

 Belgians. Would it not be better to have one standard for 

 the best-marked Pied Belgians ? It must also ie regretted 

 that no class or standard of properties is given for that 

 magnificent breed the Erect Belgian or, as some call them, 

 Dutch bii-ds. We think the same may be said of dividing 

 the Marked and Vai-iegated Norwich birds as of the 

 Belgians, but we conclude these are local fancies and 

 distinctions not recognised by fanciers in o'ther parts, thoup-h 

 we have seen the same division of colour at other shows, 

 but could not regard it with favour. 



The rules for London Fancy birds are the same as those of 

 the London Club, and they will do well to adhere to Eules 

 8 and 9, " Legs for blackness," " Flue for blackness." The 

 points for Lizards ai-e well given. The Coppy or Crested 

 Belgians have, as stated, " considerable grace." Mongrels 

 we have no liking for, they are never satisfactory to the true 

 tancier, though Cinnamon, Grass Green, and regular Pieds 

 areoften very handsome and worthy of more attention. 



We think Goldfinch Mules should be divided into Clear 



birds and Pied, the one valued for their near resemblance to 

 the Canary, the other for the regularity of their marking. 

 Linnet Mules are also noticed, but other mules and sundiy 

 other breeds are not, we gather from a concluding note, 

 because "they do not appear to find much favour" in 

 Derby. 



This Society holds a yearly exhibition, but it seems to "be 

 confined to the town and county of Derby. 



" No appeals from the decisions of the judges shall be 

 entertained upon any grounds whatever." 



Prizes are also awarded for other British and Foreign 

 birds. 



The book concludes with a few good hints, but we can- 

 not quite coincide with the last, that cats are not to be 

 trusted ; we can only say for ours that we can trust them, 

 and though constantly among the birds they have never 

 betrayed their trust. They are valuable in destroying mice, 

 and also in keeping off stray oats which have not received a 

 good education. We hope that this Society wiU take a 

 more liberal yiew of the fancy generally and relax a few of 

 their stringent laws. 



REGICIDE AMONG BEES— HIVES DESERTED. 



Since I last wrote in reference to bees killing queens of 

 other hives, I have met with several instances of it, whioli I 

 will relate. 



The first was a hive to which some bees were presented 

 that were benumbed with cold, they went in readily, but 

 next morning the queen was thrown out, not dead but quite 

 lively and able to fly. The commotion shewed distinctly to 

 which hive she belonged, and when returned she was gladly 

 received. VVhUe holding the hive in my hands in order to 

 witness the result, I could distinctly see the motions of the 

 bees, and while most of them paid homage to her, who was by 

 this time a mother, there was one bee more restless than the 

 rest which showed signs of great uneasiaess, and it at one 

 moment darted at her and would have killed her had I not 

 prevented it. I am pretty certain that it was one of the 

 bees I had presented to the hive the evening before. 



The second case was that of a stock which lost its queen 

 under the following circumstances. While manipulating a 

 hive and taking some bees from it to add to a weak Ligurian 

 colony, I saw two of the bees enter another hive, and in half 

 an hour these two bees and the queen were thrown out dead. 

 The third case was similar to one which I mentioned some 

 time since, and was that of a strong black hive from which 

 I took some bees to add to another weak artificial hive of 

 Ligurians. Although I saw the queen when the crown-board 

 was removed, yet ere I laid it down she had disappeared, 

 and after examining every comb I failed to find her. The 

 day was warm, and by reason of the delay the smell was at- 

 tracting robbers. At length I found her in a corner of the 

 hive surrounded by a few bees. At the moment I was about 

 to seize her a strange bee darted furiously at her when I had 

 just caught her, and so intent was it on getting at her that 

 it followed my hand, attempted an entrance, and neaily 

 effected it, having hold of the queen by the wing, and actu- 

 ally stung my hand instead of her. I would, therefore, 

 caution all apiarians while manipulating with bees which 

 have a queen to try and prevent their entering other hives, 

 as I am perfectly satisfied that strange bees will kill queens. 

 Still while advancing this doctrine, I do not deny the fact of 

 regieidal attacks, although I have never witnessed them ; 

 but this I know, that I have seen queens imprisoned by their 

 own subjects when strange bees were admitted into tieir 

 hives. 



On the 5th of April, I noticed a commotion at one of my 

 Ligiu'ian hives, and found the queen lying before the hive ; 

 I raised her and placed her at the mouth, when she entered 

 reluctantly, and in a few seconds I was astonished at the 

 great number of bees entering ; they had deserted and were 

 returning. I thought the cause was their being few in num- 

 bers ; and knowing the value of a Ligurian queen I did not 

 wish to lose her, I therefore took about 5000 bees from a 

 strong swarm of blacks and added to them. The Sunday 

 following being a fine day they took wing again, and I was 

 just in time to see the queen depart, but was too late to 

 catch her, although she was the last to come out. They 



