190 



JOUKNAL OF HOHTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEH. 



[ Marcli 9, 1871. 



bii'tls. The Jonqne and Mealy Norwicli "were not up to the standard 

 but better than have been showu before. The iirst-prize bird in 

 the Tiched or Variegated Class is celebrated. The Clear-erested Coppy 

 ■were really first rate ; the first-prize bird was a splendid Yellow, and 

 the second not far behind. In Dark or Grey-crested, the first and third 

 were really good birds, the second-prize going to a good Dark-crested 

 Coppy. Clear Yorkshire were of the very best, and were all highly 

 commended. In Evenly-marked Yellow Canaries, the first was a fault- 

 less bird. In Evenly-marked Buffs, the first-prize bird was very truly 

 marked on the eyes, wings, and tail, and the tail feathers were its 

 own ! The prize Cinnamons were a very fair lot. In Gold or Silver- 

 spangled Lizards, tbe first bird was a splendid Silver. In Evenly- 

 marked Goldfinch Mules, the first-prize bird, Buff, distanced all shown. 

 In the Selling Class for the township of Baildou only, there were 

 many good and cheap birds, and they changed owners very quickly ; 

 Dark Mules only were scarce. The third-prize bird was good, but 

 pied on the breast. In Any other Variety of Mules, a Linnet Mule 

 was first, and the second prize was taken by a Bullfinch and Goldfinch 

 Mule. The Goldfinches would have been thought a nice lot, providing 

 the first-prize bird had not been there ; he put them all completely in 

 the shade. Linnets were good. In the class for Any other Variety of 

 British Birds, a really splendid Mountain Finch won easily. 



Belgian.— CZeo7- YcUoic.-1, J. Ellis, Baildon. 2, H. Greenwood, Booth 

 Town. Halifax. 3, W. f hacldeton. Ilkley. Clear Biiff.—l, H. Greenwood. 2,W. 

 Sliackieton. 3, J. N. Hamson, Helper. 



NoKWicn —Clear Jonque.—i, Moore &. "Wynn, Nortliampton. 2, J. Coctshott, 

 BJngley. 3. G. Iilidgley, Bocldiif?. Clear Buff.—l and 2, Woore & Wynn. 3, W. 

 I^'oweli. Baildon. Ticlced—']., K. Hawman, Middlesbrough. 2 and 3, Moore 

 and Wynn. 



Cleah Ckeeted.— CopiPJ/.BwiT'or Tcllow.—l,'W. Shactleton. 2, Hutton and 

 Fawcett. 3, J. Fawcett, Baildon. 



Chested.— J3rtr7j or Grci/.—l and 3, Moore AWj-nn. 2, "W- Sliackleton. 



YnnKS-BiTiF..— Clear Yellow.— 1, W. Pliacldeton. 2, T. Pinipei-ton, Eailf^on. 

 3, Hntton A: Fawcett. Clear Buff.~l, Hutton & Fawcett. 2, J. Boddy, Baildon. 

 , Fail-dough & Howe. 



E\'ENly-maeked.— rc??ow. — 1, Stephens & Burton, Jliddlcshrouph. 2, B. 

 Hawman. 3, Hutton & Fawcett. Biiff.—l, H. Greenwood. 2, Stephens and 

 Burton. 3, J. N. Harrison. 



TuizASD.—G olden or Silver-spangled.— 1, J. N. Harrison. 2, Stephens and 

 Burton. 3, R. Hawman. 



CiNNAJJox.— Btf.^ or Yellow.— 2, Moore &. Wynn. 2, J. N. Harrison. 3, J. 

 Spence, Sunderland. 



Goldfinch M.VL'E.—Evcnhj-markcci Bi'ff or Yellmv.—\, W. & C. Em-niston, 

 Middlesbrough. 2 and 3, E. btausfield. Darlc, Buff orYcLlow.—l. Stephens and 

 Burton. 2, Moore & Wynn. 3, E, Stnnsfield. Any other Variety of Mules. — 



1, J. Spence. 2, E. Stansfield. S. W. & C. Enrniston. 



Selling Class (Local).— 1 and 2, Hutton & Fawcett. 3, J. Ellis. 

 Goldfinch.— 1, J. Cocksbott. 2, J. Spence. 3, N. Whitaker, Baildon. 

 Linnet.— 1, W. & C. Eurniston. 2, A. Webster, lurkstall, Leeds. 3, Fair- 

 clough & Howe. 

 Ant othf-e Bkitish Bisd.— 1, A. Webster. 2, J. Sharp. 3, A. Pimperton. 



Pigeons.— Car ?-i>r5.~l, W. Lund, Shipley. 2 rnd 3, J. Watkins. Marden. 

 Dragoons.— 1, E. Beldon, Bradford. 2, T. Speight, Bradford. 3, W. Lund. 

 Turbits—1 and 3, W. Lund. 2, H. G. Poole, Br.idford. Avtwcrps.—l, W. Lund. 

 2, T. Lancaster. 3, J. W. Collinson, Halifax. Oivls.-l, W. C. Dawson. Otley. 

 2, J. Thresh. Bradford. 3, H. C. Crowley, Brndford. Tuviblcrs.—l, E. Beldon. 

 2, W. Lund. S, F. Bentley, Baildon. Anji other Variety.—l, W. C. Dawson. 



2, E. Beldon. 3. W. Lund. (Local).~l, S. Jagger, Baildon. 2, W.'Lancaater, 

 Baildon. 3, W. Boocock, Baildon. 



Judges. — Cananes, Sc: Mr. J. Taylor, Middlesbrough-on-Tees. 

 Pigeons : Mr. W. Carman, Bradford. 



MULES AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE BIBD SHOW. 



These were neither so nnmerong iior of sucli qnality, on tlio whole, 

 as last jear, when they nnmbered 141 as against S7 thiis year. The 

 great ambition of Goldfinch-CEnary and Linnet-Canary Mule-breeders 

 is to produce an absolutely clear bird — i.e., one free from the taint of 

 even a single darlt feather^ — a tast requiring the exercise of patience 

 as great as that belonging to the patriarch whose possession of that 

 attribute is proverbial ; indeed, it is averred by many that it is only 

 his lineal descendants who should attempt it. When it is tal;en into 

 consideration that, to begin with, it is not easy to breed a Mule at all ; 

 that 75 per cent., or I might as well say 90 per cent., of those bred 

 have not a single light-coloured feather other than the silky flue on 

 the nnder part of the body ; that not one in a hundred is decently 

 marked ; and not one in a thousand clear, or what is as difficult to 

 obtain — exactly marked, having no foul feathers whatever, some idea 

 of the magnitude of the lottery may be arrived at ; and before invest- 

 ing in a Goldfinch, which may or may not feel disposed to enter into 

 matrimonial relations with the Canary, one may well consult his 

 genealogical tree in search of a strain of "staying" blood. There 

 are instances on record in which a shilling lottery ticket has eventuated 

 in a fortune, and there are traditions among the fancy, telling how 

 this and that one bred a Clear Mule at the first attempt. One is as 

 remarkable as the other, but those are not wanting who would attribute 

 such good fortune to connection with a gentleman who is popularly 

 represented as belonging to anything but a " Clear " class. 



Such being the difficulties of the case, and such the exceedingly 

 smaU per-centage of Mules approximating to perfection, it is evident 

 that the balance of power, as regards numbers, is in the hands of the 

 Ticked and Unevenly-marked classes, which, with the entirely Dark 

 Mnles, form the bulk of the population of this community of hybrids, 

 including among them birds of extraordinary beauty, vastly superior 

 in size, colour, deportment (there is a gentlemanly bearing about a 

 well-bred Mule), and quality of plumage to many of those which base 

 their claim to be ranked among the upper ten upon the cut of theii- 

 coat, just as a " Noah's ark " covers many a Mule now-a-dajs. These 



outsiders — the irregularly-marked Mules, are virtually excluded from 

 competition at the Palace, the prize list providing really for only two 

 descriptions of birds apart from the dark self-coloured — that is, for 

 Clear birds, or birds so nearly approaching that point as to require 

 some skill to discover the defect ; and secondly, for Evenly-marked 

 birds, assuming the word " Variegated " to have the same meaning as 

 in Classes 3 and 4. This being so — and the few entries in the " Clear 

 for choice " classes (only half a dozen in all) support my view — I think 

 that any bird approaching exactness in marking to scch a degree as to- 

 make it what is understood and recognised as an Evenly-marked bird, 

 is, if found in this class, wrongly entered, and should be disqualified, 

 no matter how slight its markings. Such a bird was 527 (J. Doel), 

 first prize, one which never should, under any circumstances, have 

 come into competition with what is meant by '" Clear for choice " birds. 

 If absolutely Clear Mules be so rare that, for reasons financial or 

 otherwise, it be not deemed expedient to give them a separate class, 

 but to include among them those which are almost but not quite spot- 

 less, justly giving precedence to the perfect bird, by all means let the 

 line of demarcation be clearly drawn. 



In the Buff class there could be no mistake as to first and second, 

 529 (Ashton) and 530 (Doel), being two gems without a flaw, but 5'29 

 much the higher colour of the two. No. 531 (Doel), highly commended, 

 was open to the same objection as 527, being pencilled on the eyes, 

 besides having other marks. 



The stars in the Variegated Jouques were 540 (Ashton), first and 

 cup, a rubicund-faced friend, the hero of many fights, with a blaze of 

 colour such as one might expect to see in a bird addicted to cups, and 

 543, 544 (Doel), second and third, both exquisite specimens. The 

 commended birds also were well worthy their v.H.c, and specially 539., 

 which, though defective in the pencilling of one eye, is my embodi- 

 ment of an aristocratic Mule. It has a " jjort and a presence." 



Variegated Buffs were good, though not extraordinai-y, but the first 

 prize. No. 549 (Fairclough & Howe), was a grand, lusty bird, and 

 faii-ly ranks high among Mealy Mules of known reputation. One or 

 two, however, will have to die before it can succeed to the crown. 

 Mr. Doel's birds here deserve special mention, all being young ; 564, 

 marked on eyes, wings, and tail, taking second, with a neat bird of 

 Mr. Baxter's, of Newcastle, third. The Eev. V. Ward showed two 

 which, without much pretension to be considered Variegated Mules, 

 were not to be excelled, if equalled, in condition by any bu-ds in the 

 class. 



In Dark Mules there was nothing calling for special comment, and 

 Mr. Spence's Brown Linnet Mule has been described in my notes on 

 Darlington. 



In tiie "Any other variety" class the first prize fell to 602 (W. 

 Yeoman, Leeds), described as a hybrid between the Bullfinch an3 



Canary. That it is Bullfinch and , there is apparently no doubt ; 



but inthe absence of direct evidence of the fact I should hesitate t& 

 name the Canary as the other parent. It is more like Bullfinch and 

 Chaffinch — an opinion which was entertained by a select committee of 

 the coqnoscenti, who sat upon it in solemn conclave assembled. Mr. 

 Stansifields Bullfinch-Goldfinch was there, bat not in all his gloi^, for 

 610, a similar hybrid and much-improved bird, was close on its heels, 

 the third honour very properly going to a Bnllfinch-Linnet Mule, of 

 which there were two shown, besides Goldfinch-Linnet, Goldfinch- 

 Greenfinch, and other rarities. The groups I will pass, simply envy- 

 ing Mr. Walter his three-prize "six Norwich," and bestowing an 

 extra word of praise on Mr. Doel's six Goldfinch Mules, which were 

 pictures of condition, as were the second six of Mr. Ashton's. — W. A. 

 Blakstox. 



UNITED KINGDOM KABBIT SOCIETY. 



I THisK Mr. Millington's suggestion for establishing a " United 

 Kingdom Society " would be the means of putting the question 

 to ihe test, and the sooner it is commenced the better; but I 

 would suggest the subscription be 2s. &d. instead of Is., and 

 that each member have the privilege of exhibiting one pen 

 annually free of cost. 



It is essential for the well-being of such a Society that all 

 petty jealousies should be sunk, and that every variety of the 

 fancy should be fairly represented. For my own part I am a 

 Lop-eared breeder, but I can admire perfection in any class, 

 and am prepared to give it its due reward. While writing on 

 this subject I would remark that it has often occurred to me 

 that a great mistake is made by most societies in awarding to 

 the Lop-eared variety the best prize for length of ear irrespec- 

 tive of every other property ; for example, a Eabbit may be 

 produced with tremendously long ears, may be hare-legged, 

 blear-eyed, splay-footed, of very bad colour, ugly in form — in fact 

 may be a ricketty sickly animal, and probably may die within 

 a month or two owing to excessive forcing. Now, to obviate 

 this I would suggest that every Babbit competing for the first 

 prize should be not less than eighteen months old (about half 

 the age of a healthy Kabbit), and that it should be well upon 

 its legs, of good colour, and have a clear eye. Should this 

 principle be adopted I am sure we should have a better supply 

 of perfect Lops. 



