58 



JOURNAL OB" HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ January 20, 1863. 



In the " Any other " class, Mr. Perry won first with as good 

 a pen of Creve Cceurs as we have seen for Borne time. 



Turkeys were very good. 



Geese were of various kinds, many pens of Chinese being 

 shown; and under the name of Danubian, there were many penB 

 precisely similar to those loose-feathered birds that Mr. Harvey 

 D. Bayly has shown under the name of Sebastopol. 



Ducks were large and good. 



The Pigeons were truly a magnificent show. The class of 

 Black Carriers was of extraordinary merit. The Powters were very 

 good ; Mr. Hawkins, of Belfast, brought the birdB with which 

 he won at Glasgow last week, and carried off many of the prizes, 

 being closely pressed by Dr. Harvey, who was also very success- 

 ful. The Short-faced Almonds and Kites were numerous, but 

 not equal to the Powters in merit. Twenty-five pens of Pan- 

 tails made a feature in the show-room. The winning bit ds were 

 very good, particularly the Blues and Blacks; Jacobins poor; 

 but Barbs very good, particularly those of Mr. Perrott, Miss 

 Pike, and a cock of Mr. Dowling's. The Sweepstakes for the 

 best young Carrier was won by Mr. Goulding with a splendid 

 young Dun, the bird of Dr. Harvey being of almost equal merit. 

 An " Extra prize," given for the best young Powter and Short- 

 faced Tumbler, was won by Mr. Hawkins with a Blue Powter 

 and Almond cock. The White hen, exhibited by Dr. Harvey 

 for this prize was one of the best birds we have ever Been, very 

 long in the limb and feather ; but her chance was damaged by 

 the Kite with which she was associated. 



The birds were exhibited in the Halifax pens, and were 

 managed in an admirable manner. No show in the kingdom is 

 conducted with more spirit and energy than the Cork Exhibi- 

 tion : consequently it yearly increases in the number of entries, 

 and in the interest it excites, as testified by the number of visitors. 



We understand that many additional prizes and medals will 

 be given at the next annual Exhibition. 



We published the list of prizetakers last week. 



MB,. HUTTON versus ME. MUNJ5T. 

 HAVlNct read with astonishment Mr. Munn's attempt to 

 drag me into the disgraceful mess into which ha has got him- 

 self, by imposing upon the Birmingham Committee and the 

 exhibitors in the Black Bantam class at that Show, 1 feel myself 

 more than ever called upon to defend myself from his attacks 

 upon my character, and to show to your readers that he is now 

 trying to impose upon them also. 



It is, no doubt, very convenient to have a "man," behind 

 whom to shield himself when caught in any kind of irregularities. 

 Mr. Munn says that he left home " in the middle of Novem- 

 ber" — we will call it the 14th or 15th, and bind him down to 

 that time ; also, that I " sent two birds on approval," which is 

 correct. He says he was away from home on their arrival. If 

 so, why did his " man " use the following words in his letter of 

 advice to me when they were returned ? — " Mr. Munn desires me 

 to say that he does not see the value of £2 in either of the birds." 

 Then, again, as the enclosed note from the Great Northern 

 Railway Company's office here states, the birds were sent off to 

 him on the 5th November, and returned on the 7th of that 

 monthi; so that the whole transaction was completed seven 

 clear dayB before the admitted " middle of the month," when 

 Mr. Munn says he left home. Query, Where was Mr. Munn in 

 the interim ? But, supposing he had been from home, the birds 

 would not be sent to the Birmingham Show till the 28th, which 

 leaves twenty-one days for his "man" to apply elsewhere or have 

 Mr. Munn's advice in the matter ; and still Mr. Munn does not 

 scruple to tell us that his "man" "had not time to write to 

 and get an answer from" him. Then he says " they were per- 

 fectly valueless for exhibition ;" but, in the advice referred to, he 

 says nothing at all about the quality of the birds, but contents 

 himself with grumbling at the price. 



The one, he says, had red ear-lobeB, had pure black legs, 

 was an excellent bird, had already taken first prizes at Skipton 

 and Settle, and I bought him because of the Bize and whiteness 

 of hi& ear-lobes ; and the other has good blue legs yet, and, if 

 desirable, shall be Bent to your office for your inspection. 



He says further, that he " knew nothing at all of the affair ;" 

 but, on turning over two leaves of your Journal, he says that he 

 " claimed a pen of Geese " at Birmingham. Of course he would 

 be at Birmingham. How, then, are we to reconcile his assertion 

 with that fact ? 



When his "man" wrote to me he used the following words 

 only, " The one we have has white legs," and never informed me 

 that he had been claimed from me at the Crystal Palace Show : 

 therefore I cannot see what explanation he could expect from me. 



There is an old adage that " one tale is good till another is 

 told :" therefore I shall feel it very hard towards myself if you 

 object to retract what you have said respecting Mr. Munn's 

 letter, exculpating him ; and if he has returned the prize money 

 to the Birmingham Committee, he has not nor is it in his power 

 to restore the rightful honours to the exhibitors whom he has 

 wronged. 



As to the change in the natural colour of the legs of fowls, my 

 experience as an extensive breeder and dealer tells me the con- 

 trary of your assertion. I have seen Black Polands, Bantams, 

 and Ham burghs at the age of sixteen or seventeen weeks, with 

 legs within a shade of black, as were the legs of the bird referred 

 to, change to be almost white by the time they were six or seven 

 months old. I have no doubt but that many of your readers 

 can bear me out in this. 



In a previous letter I made an assertion which you seem to 

 doubt ; but, fortunately for myself, I have invariably acted on the 

 maxim that " two heads are better than one," and have sought 

 advice from other exhibitors before sending a fresh pen of birdB 

 to any particular show. In the case in hand 1 had them 

 examined by two whose names have appeared in prize lists in 

 your Journal ; and having washed the legs of the birds before 

 they were sent off, they will give their signatures to the effect 

 that they were naturally a good dark colour, and perfect in that 

 respect, if you will allow them to do so. — E. Hutton. 



[We have omitted much from Mr. Hutton's letter, but have 

 inBL-rted all that is at all applicable to the subject. Mr. Munn 

 says that he knew nothing about the Bantam's legs being 

 blackened, and even Mr. Hutton's assumptions — and they are 

 only assumptions — are not irreconcileable with Mr. Munn's 

 statement. The man when rejecting and returning the Bantam 

 cocks might say, without any criminal deviation from the truth, 

 that Mr. Munn desired him to say what he did say, because 

 Mr. Munn bad left him to exercise his own judgment. That 

 Mr. Munn has returned the prize money to the Birmingham 

 Committee we know, because we have seen the Secretary's 

 acknowledgment of its receipt. Mr. Hutton may have seen 

 chickens' legs become lighter as they became adult ; but we think 

 he will not venture to say he has seen the black legs of an adult 

 fowl become white as it became when three weeks older. 



May we not take the most charitable view of the conduct of 

 both parties, and accept as truth Mr. Munn's declaration that 

 he knew nothing of the legs being blackened, and Mr. Hutton's 

 declaration that no colouring was put on the cock's legs sent 

 to the Crystal Palace? There have been many instances of 

 birds on their way from a show being changed. — Eds. J. op H.] >. 



PHILOPEKISTEEON SOCIETY'S ANNUAL 



SHOW. 

 The annual Show of the Philoperisteron Society was held in 

 the Freemason's Hall on Thursday the 15th. The show of 

 birds was truly magnificent in character, and, in spite of some 

 varieties not being represented, must be pronounced as one of 

 the best that the Society has ever held. The room was almost 

 inconveniently crowded during the afternoon. Among the com- 

 pany present were many well-known fanciers. In addition to 

 the members we noticed Messrs. Bellamy, Pyne, Dean, Wol- 

 stenholme, &c., and a good sprinkling of those savants who take* 

 an interest in the variation and origin of species — Mr. Smith, 

 the President of the Entomological Society ; Mr. Wallace, the 

 celebrated ornithologist, to whom we are indebted for the living 

 Birds of Paradise ; Dr. Giinther, of the British Museum, the 

 highest authority on the natural history of fisheB ; the Secretaries 

 of the Acclimatisation Soeiety, and many others. 



Of the birds it is difficult to speak. Mr. P. Eden's Powters: 

 worthily occupied the pens hitherto filled by those of Mr. Bu.lt ; 

 those of Mr. Hayne were also present at the other end of the 

 room. In Carriers the Show was particularly strong. Mr. 

 Hayne is a host in himBelf, and was rivalled by many of the 

 country members. Mr. Oliver's birds were splendid in eye and 

 style. Some of the celebrated Plymouth strain from Mr. Chalker 

 put in an appearance. Good birds were also shown by Messrs- 

 Dale and Everett, and an exquisite White hen by Mr. Esquilant, 

 Short-faced Tumblers were in full force. A Society which in- 



