December 5, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGH GARDENER. 
437 
very difficult to judge, as the light was extremely bad, many of 
the pens being so dark the marking on the bird could hardly be 
distinguished. The cup hen was rather small and short of 
feather, but was good in colour, being much less brown than 
most of the others, and to that she probably owed her position ; 
second was a hocked bird, good in shape and marking, but hada 
poor comb; third and fourth were both large birds, but rather 
brown. There were a good many pens highly commended, but 
the light was so bad we were unable to criticise them properly. 
Cockerels were a poor class, much inferior to the past few years. 
The cup bird was about the best, but by no means as good as Mr. 
Lingwood generally shows, being very narrow and slightly ticked 
on breast. Second was nearly as good but rather loose in comb. 
Third we liked very well. He was a good bird well shown, but 
would have been better if he had had more leg feather. Fourth 
was rather leggy and narrow; fifth a good cockerel with bad 
wing. The highly commended pens were none of them very 
good, and several hardly worthy of their position. The cup 
pullet was a hocked one, beautifully marked all over down to 
her foot feathering. Second looked like the cup pullet at the 
Palace. She only wants good leg feather to be perfect. Third 
went to a hocked bird, very heavily marked. Fourth and fifth 
were both well marked birds, but ‘the former failed rather on 
eushion. The first and second old Light Brahma cocks were both 
very good birds, the former haying the best head and comb, but 
otherwise they were nearly equal. The third we did not like; he 
was hocked, bad in comb, and too dark in hackle. We liked 136 
(highly commended) or the fourth-prize bird better. 150 and 157 
were both well-known winners, and might have been higher. 
The cup went to a cockerel which had little but his head and 
neck to recommend him ; the same exhibitor’s fourth-prize bird 
was as good if not better. Second we thought the best in the 
class. He was rather short of leg feather but was otherwise a 
good bird. Third had a good hackle, if anything rather too dark, 
and was rather white in tail. Fifth was good but in poor condition. 
In hens the cup pen was occupied by the Palace winner, looking 
very well; second was a good bird rather light in hackle, and we 
did not like her comb; fourth was a fine hen, rather short of 
feather. 203 and 205 both good birds out of condition; the 
latter was the champion of last year. The pullet cup also went 
to the winner at the Palace, and Mr. Birch is to be congratulated 
on possessing two such good birds. Second was rather creamy, 
:and not so good in hackle as first ; third was good in hackle but 
a little ticked on cushion. We rather preferred fourth. Fifth 
went to another heayily-marked bird. This class was not as good 
as usual, many birds showing a creamy tinge. 
Dorkings are by no means what they once were at Birmingham. 
If we are not mistaken, at the first show we attended here there 
were sixty-seven Grey Dorking cocks. We should say that the 
falling-off is chiefly in the Dark variety, which we suspect has 
first been spoilt by crosses, and has in its modern leggy form 
become less popular, for the collection of Silver-Greys and Whites 
struck us as being as good as we have ever seen at Birmingham. 
The two winning Dark cocks (two prizes only where there used to 
be five !), were birds of the same type belonging to the same owner. 
‘These were both bony birds, long on the leg, and of medium colour. 
The second-prize bird was singularly devoid of breast. The birds 
which struck us as being most of what we consider Dorking form 
were 366 (Mrs. Troughton) and 369 (Cresswell), both unnoticed. 
‘The cup and extra three-guinea prize went to the first Dark 
cockerel. He certainly was immense, but long on leg with spurs 
badly put on, and with a drooping comb. Second was a fair bird, 
with fifth toes a little enlarged. Thirda dark lumpy bird. Fourth 
a nice bird all round, a little flimsy in comb. Among the best of 
the class we thought Mr. Crewe’s highly commended cockerel, 
which was capital in comb and shape, and three of Mr. White’s 
cockerels. The cup for Dark hen or pullet went to a capital bird 
of Mr. Burnell’s, good in colour, feet, and condition. Second, a 
good bird with a beautiful gloss on her plumage. Third, a well- 
shaped rose-combed hen. The first and third pullets belonged to 
one exhibitor, the owner of the cup cockerel. They certainly are 
by no means the type of Dorking we admire, being lanky and 
long-legged ; however, if they fill out well they will make good 
hens. Second was in body a remarkable pullet, but was much 
spoilt by one of her feet being flat and narrow. The Silver-Grey 
classes were good all round, and far superior in shape to the Dark. 
The cup went to the Palace cup cock. His hackle has now 
grown, and he looked very well. He is, we believe, from a family 
which have for several generations won both the great cups—yiz., 
at the Palace and Birmingham, and are remarkable for splendid 
combs. Second was a yery silvery bird, but poor in comb. We 
liked Mr. Burnell’s quite as well. The awards in cockerels struck 
us as peculiar. First is a good bird in shape, comb, and tail, but 
very yellow and with white lobes. Second is mcomprehensible ; 
a stilty bird with one yery crooked leg. Third still worse, with 
@ cup comb, Among the highly commended were two or three 
which we much preferred to the winners among Mr. Ruttlidge’s 
and Mr. Cresswell’s, the Crystal Palace cup cockerel. In hens 
Mr. Burnell took cup and first with his grand square old hen. 
‘Second was a large bird, and 478 (Denison) was good. Pullets were 
generally an even lot, and mostly pale in breast. The first was 
large, not very smooth in colour. Second a pretty bird. Third 
very fully developed, we should think a daughter of the cup 
hen. Cuckoos were very few, three in each class. The first cock 
was too light; second much better in colour, but not good in 
feet. -The first hen was very clear in marking, far ahead of 
the other two, which were cloudy. The cups have this year been 
cut down. There were formerly tivo for White Dorkings, there is 
now but one, and this is competed for by the two classes of 
Cuckoos as well as by the four classes of Whites. It went to the 
Palace cup White cock, as large a White Dorking, we fancy, as 
we have ever seen. Second had a poor small comb and very 
yellow. We should certainly have put Mr. Boissier’s highly 
commended bird, which was very white, in its place. The first 
cockerel did not at all please us either in form or colour, but he 
looked weighty. Second was a capital White bird which we 
thought easily first, though his comb was not perfect. The 
cockerel class was generally above the average. In hens a large 
long bird was first, a well-shaped square bird belonging to the 
same exhibitor. Second, Mr. Boissier’s ; and Mrs. Hayne’s highly 
commended birds are both good. ‘The only first-class pullet is 
the first. The Selling classes contain several very fair pens— 
bargains we do not call them, for, for our own part, we never 
think second-rate poultry cheap at any price. 
Cochins.—Buffs were large classes, numbering over 130 entries. 
The first cock was short-legged, rich in colour and heavy in 
feather, with a dark tail ; dark tails seem now to be the prevailing 
fashion. Second was not quite so short in the back as the first, of 
a good golden colour with a buff tail. Third, a curious contrast 
in shades of colour, being light in breast, and much darker 
in hackles and back, witha dark tail. There were some very 
good cockerels ; the cup bird was splendid in form with short legs, 
short back, and excellent foot feathering. Second a fine and 
large bird, the general effect of the bird’s plumage was curious 
from the difference in his shades of colour. Third, deficient in foot 
feather, otherwise a good bird. Fourth, much the same type as the 
cup-winner. Fifth, a nice bird all round, almost cinnamon in colour. 
Mr. Procter’s famed winning hens need no description, the cup 
bird was not so bright in condition as she might be; the second 
has wonderful foot feathering ; third again is a very good bird, 
not quite so good in cushion as Mr. Procter’s birds ; fourth, a 
smaller bird good in shape, but in so bad a light that we could not 
make out her colour. No less than forty-five pullets were entered. 
First is a small bird but perfect in shape and of bright even colour ; 
second, a large bird of deep colour, a little twisted in hackle; 
third, a large-framed pullet, deficient in feather and a little marked 
in hackle; fourth, very dark and shapely; fifth, in a miserable 
light, apparently a large canary-coloured bird with a poor comb. 
There were many empty pens in the class for Partridge cocks. The 
cup went toa grand hocked bird of immense breadth with beautiful 
bloom. Second was certainly not his equal, not being well through 
the moult. Third was small but well shaped. The cockerels were 
under the gallery, and it was impossible to see their colour as well 
as that of the cocks. The winners we thought good, and the 
rest a poor lot. First was bright in colour, not very broad, and 
with stiff hocks. We preferred the second, but he had the adyan- 
tage of being in an upper tier. He was fine in size. Third was 
short-legged and good in colour, but had not a good comb. They 
all belong to Captain Heaton, who seems to have returned to his 
old fancy. The cup hen was magnificent in the clearness of her 
pencilling, but was long in the leg and short in feather. Second 
was smaller and less distinct in pencilling, good in shape and 
feather. The third award surprised us. The hen was small, long 
in the leg, and poorly feathered. Several good grouse-like hens 
were left out. Pullets were a large class, and all three prizes 
again went to Captain Heaton. Their pencilling was stronger 
than their shape. In Whites Mr. Darby’s redoubtable old cock 
was conqueror again. Second was a big and very broad bird, 
not the glittering white of the first. The first cockerel was very 
white and good all round. His legs might be a little shorter. 
Second was short on legs and heavily feathered, but yellow and 
rather long in back. The cup hen was admirable in shape and 
feather, but not very large. Second was decidedly small, but 
almost a dumpy in legs, white and fine in fluff. Mr. Darby’s very 
highly commended bird was the whitest in the class. The first 
pullet was good, larger than many of the hens. Second will 
make a fine hen. We liked Mr. Tomlinson’s highly commended 
bird much ; and Mr. Darby’s highly commended pullet, very young, 
now promises well. Black cocks were few. The first was a fine 
cock in fine condition and bloom. Second capital in form but 
spoilt by a drooping comb. We didnot like the first cockerel, he 
certainly was large, but his back and tail made an ugly angle. 
Second was good all round ; however, we prefer his owner’s other 
| bird. These classes partially faced the light, and partially looked 
the other way, which made it next to impossible to judge them 
properly. The first hen was very good in shape and gloss, she 
might with advantage have more leg feathering. Second was a fair 
bird, but we preferred Mr. Pritchard’s. The second winning pullets 
will both be good hens ; they are of the same type of bird, hocked 
and long in limb. 
