Ootober 5, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



317 



was produced — very likely partly by some lucky chance — by 

 crossing Blues and Silvers, and it is most singular that, so far, 

 crossing it with any of the small foreign speoimens seems to 

 overpower it, and it dies out." If my theory is correct the 

 Powdered Owl is only after all half-bred as regards powdering, 

 and therefore it is no wonder the colour goes when cr :*ssed with 

 the dueky Blue African. But if some experimental breeder 

 would make the cross anew between the Damascene or Mahomet 

 and the Blue African better results might follow, and certainly 

 the produoe would be better in head and beak than any Powdered 

 Owls I have seen. Mr. Fulton says, " It was well put once in 

 our own hearing by that old and much-respected fancier Mr. 

 Esquilant, who remarked that the only certain way of seeing a 

 really true-bred English Owl now was to see a Powdered Blue." 

 This is as much as to say that other English Owls than " Pow- 

 dered " birds have been crossed with the African breed to im- 

 prove them. No one after looking through Mr. Fulton's book 

 will need to be told that Mr. Ludlow is not responsible for the 

 colouring of the plate of English Owls. Someone has made 

 a mess of it. The publishers would do well to publish a freBh 

 plate, as it mars the whole book. — James C. Lyell. 



OXFORD POULTBY SHOW SCHEDULE. 



The fifth Exhibition is at hand, and Oxford once more pre- 

 sents to the public a menu even more tasty and more compre- 

 hensive than ever. The Committee are the same as in past 

 years ; one of them, however, since last we were there has been 

 returned Mayor for the city. We cannot attempt to criticise 

 the classes and prizes offered ; we only urge all to send by the 

 next post for a schedule, as they will find something to suit even 

 the most fastidious exhibitor. There are fifty-five cups or pieces 

 of plate ; there are handBome local prizes ; there are four good 

 prizeB for undubbed Game cockerels; there is a £10 prize for 

 the best Black Red oockerel ; there are classes for Brown and 

 for White LeghornB; for White-crested Black Polands, for 

 Silkies, for Malays, for Black Ducks ; there are seven classes for 

 Bantams ; there are seventeen classes for Dragoons ; there is a 

 Variety class, and nothing left to go in it. There is, in fact, a 

 splendid prize list, a good Committee, and every prospect of a 

 splendid show. Not only should fanciers exhibit, but fanciers 

 should attend, for the Oxford Committee promise them a right 

 hearty welcome, and beg us to say that everyone will be treated 

 alike, and that there will be no partiality and no favour. Entries 

 posted on Sunday will be in time, and all birds must be in the 

 Show on October 23rd by midnight. The whole of the prize 

 pens will be put up to auction on the usual terms, and all ex- 

 hibitors of four pens will have a free pass. Enter early, enter 

 largely, enter all you can, and make this important Exhibition 

 the great success it deserves to be. — W. 



GOLDFINCHES. 



In the issue of September 21st, in reply to "C. G. B.," we 

 briefly alluded to the Goldfinch known as the " Cheverel," 

 which possesses the white mark on the throat. By no other 

 Bign is the bird distinguished from other Finches, and this may 

 be accepted as an answer to your question, " What are the 

 proper points of a ' Chevalier ' Goldfinch ?" 



The Goldfinch proper (not a "Cheverel") is judged for the 

 following points : — Head bright scarlet red, showing no white 

 speck or mark on the throat, the back part of the head and down 

 the sides of the neck deep black ; beak large and pointed ; breast, 

 the centre white, with the sides of the breast and flanks pure 

 brown; back rich brown; oheeks and sides of the neck nearest 

 the face white; large covert feathers well marked with pure 

 yellow; feathers close, and general appearance smart, with 

 pinion feathers in wiDgs and tail tipped with white. But con- 

 cerning other varieties Bechstein says, " The characteristics 

 which mark the following varieties are thus : — The Goldfinch 

 with the yellow breast; the White-headed Goldfinch ; the Black- 

 headed Goldfinch (of this variety four were taken out of the 

 same nest) ; the White Goldfinch ; the Black Goldfinch. These 

 (the latter) are either entirely black, which is caused by age or 

 being fed upon hemp, or they retain the yellow spot upon the 



wings. The laBt will sometimes happen in the cage 



Those Goldfinches which become black before old age resume 

 the colour after moulting, but then do not usually live much 

 longer." 



With respect to the Black Goldfinch it is no uncommon occur- 

 rence to find such at bird exhibitions— the Crystal Palace Show 

 in particular — and where also, two years ago, a moBt lovely pure 

 white Goldfinch in beautiful condition was exhibited by Mr. 

 W. H. Allcorn of 31, Great St. Andrew Street, London. I may 

 state that I have in my possession a stuffed specimen of a Gold- 

 finch of a dove colour, with the yellow markings in the primary 

 wing feathers, but possessing only one small scarlet-red feather 

 in the face of the bird, which in an ordinary specimen would be 

 bright scarlet-red surrounding the base of the beak. The bird, 

 with three others, was taken alive from a nest in Gloucestershire 



some ten years ago, and given to me by Mr. G. Cummings of 

 Gloucester. 



Bechstein further remarks — " The tail should be slightly 

 forked and black, the two, and sometimes the three, first pinion 

 feathers having a white spot in the centre of the inner web, and. 

 the rest with white tips. The female is a little Bmaller, not so 

 broadly and beautifally red about the beak; the chin brownish; 

 the cheeks intermixed with bright brown ; the smaller coverts 

 of the wings brown, and the back of a deeper dark brown. The 

 size and even deficiency of some of the white tips of the pinion 

 feathers cannot be taken as a distinguishing characteristic be- 

 tween the sexes, as some birdcatchers assert, and as little may 

 we adopt their opinion that the size and number of these spots 

 constitute different varieties. These distinctions are accidental, 

 and depend on the Btate and age of the bird." 



Some Goldfinches are larger than others and are termed Pine 

 Goldfinches, whilst the smaller birds are called Garden Gold- 

 finches, and are assumed to be bred only in gardens ; but Bech- 

 stein remarks, "these differences are quite imaginary," and 

 assumes the first birds batched are usually the largest, which 

 accounts for the variation iu size of the same species of birds. 



Broderip says that " the debonnair Goldfinch builds one of 

 the most elegant neBts that our Finches produce : moss, lichens, 

 wool, and grass, artistically intertwined, form the outside of the 

 fabrio, which is generally hidden in a quiet orchard or secluded 

 garden, where, in the midst of some evergreens — an arbutus, 

 perchance — it is protected from the prying eye by the compact 

 leafy screen of the well-grown healthy shrub." The Rev. F. O. 

 Morris says, " the Goldfinch builds in orchards and other trees ;" 

 and Tarrell remarks that " the Goldfinch builds a very neat 

 nest, which is sometimes fixed in an apple tree or pear tree." 



Many amateur bird-breeders make much-ado about possessing 

 a " Cheverel " Finch for breeding purposes, and such birds are 

 generally estimated at greater value. Some bird-dealers assert 

 that the variety termed a " three-by-six " is the bird proper for 

 breeding with. Such are known by the three outer tail feathers 

 upon each side being mooned with white in the inner web, whilst 

 the six centre tail feathers are dark. But to me the matter is 

 of little consideration so that I possess a Finch of an ordinary 

 kind that will breed. 



It has often been a matter of surprise to find a want of 

 knowledge existing in rural districts with respect to one of our 

 choicest-plumed British birds — the Goldfinch, which is so igno- 

 rantly confounded with the Tellowhammer, which latter speci- 

 men is frequently and persistently asserted to be the Goldfinch, 

 whilst master Goldie is dubbed a " Red Linnet." — George J. 

 Baenesby. 



BEES' EGGS-TIME BEQUIEED FOR HATCHING. 



The time, from the egg, required for the development of 

 queen and worker bees iB a point of much importance in prac- 

 tical bee-culture. The following experiments to determine it 

 are taken from my private journal begun in 1852 :— 



July 24th, 1863. — I at 12 a.m. took a Ligurian queen from a 

 large stock and put her with bees enough to form a strong 

 nucleus, into a box having six small combB. The two central 

 frames were filled with worker comb built the same season, 

 from which nearly all the brood had just hatched, the others 

 were well supplied with both honey and pollen. 2f p.m. — Saw 

 no eggs, queen upon a central comb, evidently preparing to lay. 

 3J p.m. — A few eggs laid. Judged that the queen began laying 

 about 3 p.m. 25th. 12 a.m. — Removed the queen. 28th. 9 a.m. — 

 One queen cell begun. The larva? plentifully supplied with jelly. 



August 1st. 6 a.m. — Five or six worker larva apparently just 

 sealed over (capped), one queen cell almost capped. 7 a.m. — One 

 queen cell capped. The nucleus has been kept strong in bees, 

 and all the other conditions have been favourable. All of the 

 eggs, about four hundred in number, were laid in one of the 

 new worker combs, and although the interval between the 

 laying of the first and last egg could not have exceeded twenty- 

 one hours, the development of the larva in different cells is 

 more irregular than might be expected. 12 a.m. — Another 

 queen cell capped. 8th. 5 p.m. — A queen just hatched. For 

 some hours after this nucleus was made and examinations 

 were made at intervals not exceeding half an hour. While 

 engaged in these experiments a queen hatched in each of two 

 strong stocks, between three and four hours less than ten days 

 after the stocks were nnqueened. 10th. 10 p.m. — All the queens 

 but one had hatched and were removed. 11th. 5 a.m. — The last 

 queen has hatched, her pale appearance showing that she could 

 be only a few hours old. Her cell was on the edge of the comb, 

 and the egg was probably among those last laid. 12th. 5 p.m. — 

 Two workers hatched. The examinations to-day have been 

 made at intervals of not more than half an hour. 13th. 5 a.m. — 

 Workers hatching freely. 14th. All the bees in the central 

 cells had hatched, there being only a rim of two or more cells 

 wide still unhatched. 15th. 6 a.m. — Thirty yet unhatched. 

 10 a.m. — Twenty all in the extreme outside cells of the circle of 

 cells which contained the eggB. 5 p.m. — Thirteen. 16th. 6 a.m. 

 —Five unhatched. 3 p.m. — The last worker gnawing itB way out. 



