JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ November 14, 1878. 
are; fourth is a good bird heavily marked ; fifth and sixth both 
pretty good. 680 (While), and 613 (Haines) both good pens, and 
better worth mentioning than some that were highly commended. 
704 (Breeze) is also good. Light pullets number nearly fifty 
pens. The cup went toa very good bird belonging to Messrs. 
Birch ; second, we did not much like, being rather hocked and 
leggy. Fourth would have very likely beaten her if she had 
been properly washed. Third is a good one, but rather creamy. 
Fifth and sixth are both good birds but badly shown. 709 
(Evans) a very good pullet, and might have been higher if she 
had been properly washed. 
There is nothing of any great merit in the Selling classes, 
with the exception of Mr. Lucas’s first-prize cockerel, which is 
much better than many in the open class. 
Houdans.—Houdan cocks are a numerous class, but are not 
correspondingly good. Many are diseased in feet, and many are 
also backward in plumage ; of course these latter will improve 
with time. First is a fine bird, very large, fine in colour, good in 
comb, and fairly good in crest, although we should like to see him 
better in this respect ; second large and good in colour, but defi- 
cient in crest and bad in feet; third not perfect in comb, but 
pretty fair in other points. 870 (Lane) is a very good bird. 856 
(Howard) a large bird, but fails in crest. 868 (Thomas) is good, 
but backward in plumage. Houdan hens number twenty-four, 
and are better than the cocks. First-and-cup a grand hen, very 
large and good in marking, but scarcely good enough in crest and 
beard ; second is the old champion hen, now growing bad on her 
feet, otherwise very good, beautiful in marking, fine in crest, and 
a large bird; third magnificent in crest and good in colour, but 
poor in body. 879 (Daniel) a fine hen, but a little feather-legged. 
884 (Vallance) splendid in colour. 889 (Wood) a beautiful hen, 
good in feet, fine in crest, and worthy of a prize. 892 (Thomas) a 
well-known hen, last-year’s winner, splendid in crest, but rather 
light in colour. 895 (Thomas) last year’s cup pullet, splendid in 
crest, but moulted very jight. In Houdan cockerels first very 
dark, splendid leaf comb, large in size, and fair in crest ; second a 
good heavy-bodied bird ; third large and good in colour, but rather 
poor in crest ; fourth a good bird of nice colour. 903 (Boissier) 
good excepting comb. 906 (Rinboul) and 907 (Naylor) are good. 
955 and 957 (Dr. Lloyd) are very good Créves, entered in this class 
by mistake. In pullets there are thirty-nine entries. First good 
in body, well marked, and fair in crest; second a good dark 
pullet, nice crest, and of good size ; third an evenly marked pullet 
with a fair crest ; fourth has a good crest. 951 (Vallance) a good 
pullet. 956 very regularly marked. 962 (Coplestone) very good, 
rather dark. 959 (Wood) a splendid pullet, one of the best in the 
class ; a good crest, rather dark. 
In Créve cocks first-and-cup a most beautiful bird, in fine con- 
dition and with good head; very much like a bird that used to be 
shown by Mr. Feast. Second good in crest and comb ; third good 
in size and comb, but a little white in crest, which does not im- 
prove his appearance. 976 (Ward) and 979 (Longman) are both 
good and very large. Cocks have only nine entries, but hens come 
out in greater force. First rather small in crest, otherwise very 
good ; second a very good hen if she is not wry-tailed ; third fine 
im size and crest, and in good plumage. 985 (Mackwell) and 987 
(Burrell) are good. 988 (Ward) a very fine hen. In cockerels of 
this variety first is of fine size, crest and comb also good ; second 
splendid except in crest, which is better in front; third very 
good. In pullets first is a splendid massive bird grand in crest ; 
second very good with a compact crest; third a well-crested 
pullet. 1013 and 1015 (Hibbert), and 1014 (Wood), are good birds. 
Hamburghs.—In Golden-spangled Hamburgh cocks first-and-cup 
rather large in comb, good in ears, well marked on breast and 
wings; second very good in comb, ears, and colour, nice bars 
and breast ; third good in comb and earlobe. In hens, first-and- 
cup for Spangled Hamburghs is very well marked; second a 
well-mooned hen ; third a well-marked glossy-plumaged bird. In 
Silver-spangled cocks first very handsome; second a well-marked 
bird, though he might be rather clearer ; third we liked better 
than second. In hens, first a rather dark but well-marked hen ; 
second a beautiful bird; third a well-mooned hen. In Golden- 
pencilled cocks first a cockerel good in ears, comb, colour, and 
tail; second a richly-coloured cockerel with fine head; third 
well coloured. In hens, first a well-pencilled pullet; second 
well marked ; third good in pencilling and ground colour. In 
Silver-pencilled cocks, first, which wins the cup, in splendid con- 
dition, tail, ears, and comb good; second also good in comb, ears, 
and tail; third a good bird. In hens, first very sharp and clear 
in pencilling, also good in other points ; second well pencilled ; 
third rather young but well marked. Black Hamburghs mustered 
well. In cocks first a young bird, very neat in comb and ears ; 
second a fine glossy cockerel, good in head properties; third a 
good cockerel in fine plumage. In hens the winners are all glossy 
birds of excellent quality. The Hamburgh classes contain many 
birds of high merit. 
Polish—Golden Poland cocks are the best class of the Polish 
tribe. First a beautiful bird, in fine plumage and good in crest 
and markings. Second should not have a place here, as others 
are his superiors. Third a good bird, which will be better in the 
course of a few weeks. In hens—first, a most beautiful pullet, 
well marked and very fine in crest ; second, a very light-coloured 
hen, not well marked, but large in crest ; third is a good hen with 
excellent crest. In Silver cocks—first, which wins the cup, is a 
very fine bird with good crest; second and third are both good, 
but neither are quite ready yet, especially the latter. In hens 
the winners are all very good birds, capital in crest, although we 
think we had seen Mr. Adkins turn out better. In the variety 
Polish class of cocks, first a good untrimmed Black with fair crest ; 
second, a fair bird of the same colour ; third, a White of moderate 
merit. In hens—first a fine and well-known Black; second a 
beautiful Buff, weil marked and good in crest ; third a White. In 
these classes two birds’ were disqualified for trimming. It is time 
the matter was settled; if trimming is to be illegal, which we 
should be glad to see the case, the fact should be made known. 
We think some more birds in these two classes might have been 
selected for this distinction. 
THE PIGEONS. 
This I believe is the tenth regular annual Show at the Palace 
—I am not sure whether it is not the twelfth. There was a time 
long, almost long long, when there was a show there for a year 
or two, when heads now grey were brown, or scalps now bald were 
well thatched ; then came a pause, and then the regular annual 
exhibition, which is indeed the Derby of the fancy. The Palace has 
therefore been very true tous. The Alexandra and the Aquarium 
flirted with the fancy and then broke acquaintance, but the old 
palace of glass at Sydenham is true as steel. It is the fanciers’ 
trysting place, where we are sure to meet, even if we meet not 
any time besides. This year I understood that a circus had taken 
up the transept, that a lot of galloping horses had intruded them- 
selves, and consequently I went in no amiable mood, not liking 
the old place to be so used and the associations of years to be so 
broken. However, I quickly changed my mind when once at the 
Show. From end to end the grand nave was full of birds, From 
the first entrance, where the kings and queens look down, was the 
poultry up to the transept, then the circus—a not-bad break ; then 
on the whole length, in three lines, came the Pigeons up to tropical 
department, yea, within it still Pigeons ; so that from end to end 
the fancy was in possession of the whole length of the long build- 
ing. It was the old friend with a slightly new face, but an im- 
proved face, for the Show gained in importance by this arrange- 
ment. But what about the quality of the Pigeons? I venture 
to say it was the very best Show ever seen—in number of pens 
over sixteen hundred, in quality as yet unsurpassed. 
One first remark before describing the classes. The whole of 
Monday must in future be given up to the Judges. When I left. 
at seven o’clock in the evening, the whole of the cards were not. 
on, and I cannot wonder, for Judges are rightly careful, and the 
quality of the birds added to the number makes a great difficulty. 
Now for the pens. 
Pouters, originally from imitation of Glasgow Show, put first. 
Blue Pieds and Whites the cream; first, second, third, and extra 
third prizes for cocks of the former colour. Blacks.—The first- 
prize excellent. The cup Red (2555) elegant. No Yellow tooka 
prize among the old birds. Among the Pouters of this year the 
cup hen (Beckwith), once owned by Mr. Bullen, a superb bird ; 
also the first Blue hen, very choice. Pigmies much as usual. 
Carriers.—The champion class select, and but few as natural. 
The cup Black cock (2665) very grand, especially as he faced one ; 
beak foremost to the eye. The Black hens were even superior to 
thecocks. First-prize (2680) wonderfully out of moult. It looked 
as if it had fallen into the pig tub. Dun hens better than cocks. 
Blues an advance. Cup (2735) good jew, and one of the best 
birds ever seen. Blue hens very good as well. Other coloured 
Carriers, chiefly Whites, but first-prize a Silver Dun ; third a good 
Silver ; second White and large. Of the Carriers of 1878 (the 
youngsters) they are a capital racy lot of birds ; most promising- 
The Judges, who are always fond of the rule of three, gave even 
a fourth prize in the cocks. Cup hen (Blacks) soid for £50. 
Dragoons an enormous class. Blues most excellent as to prize 
birds, purein colourand fine in points. Many besides the winners 
first-rate. Mr. Woodsis a wonderful winner. Many a man would 
be a Mr. Woods if he could! Beautiful brown-barred Silvers, 
good deep-coloured Reds and Yellows, Whites not quite so good. 
The young Dragoons promise well. : 
Almond Tumblers—Cup cock a bird of colour. Hens.—First 
prize (3188) sound in ground colour, that difficult point, as also 
second-prize, The Short-faced Balds and Beards more numerous 
than formerly. Red and Yellow Agates and a whole Red took 
prizes among the cocks, while a Kite headed thehens. The Barbs 
scarcely so numerous as usual I fancy, but the names of Fulton, 
Maynard, Ecroyd, and Hedley suffice to prove their excellence. 
Jacobins hard indeed to judge,so level were the best. Reds deeper 
in colour than formerly, and abundance of stuff inthem. Yellows. 
—Cup (3367) superb in hoodand chain. Black.—Cup (3395) per- 
haps the best ever shown. The Whites still few, and a coloured 
one took one of the three prizes. Fantails—In these birds the 
Judges have gone back to more of the English style—less motion 
stouter birds. Mr. Cresswell’s tasty dainty hen only third. A 
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