March 30, 1871. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



245 



and three pens of Dark Bralimas, eacli pen to consist of a cock and 

 one or two liens, the birds to be 'bond-fide the property of the com- 

 petitor, and any trimming to be a disqualification. — James Watts. 



[The names of the Judges were pnblished with onr report of the 

 Show last week. We have had various complaints on other subjects 

 connected with this Show. — Eds.] 



GAME FOWLS. 



I HOST fully coincide with the opinion of " Cornish Duckwing," 

 as every really good judge of Game fowls must thoroughly despise 

 " the fashionable half-bred Malay exhibition type," with their long 

 bodies and their drooping whip tails. They are the most spiritless 

 Game fowls ever bred. 



I think that Manchester and Wolverhampton have quite as good 

 birds as Nantwich, though not so many in proportion to the relative 

 sizes of the towns. — Newmarket. 



OUTRAGES ON PKIZE BIRDS. 



We sent two pens of Game Bantams to Colchester Show, and 

 besides arriving too late for competition, after twenty-seven hours' 

 ■travelling, they were returned to us in a state which unfits them for 

 exhibition for at least six months. The two cocks had somehow got 

 to each other and fought to such an extent that one bird had lost 

 almost all his head feathers, and a great mauy from his neck ; the 

 greater part of his bars and much of his tuil were damaged, to say 

 nothing of being blinded in one eye. The other bird was damaged, but 

 not to so great an extent. They certainly were sent in the same 

 hamper, but with a formidable partition between them, which would 

 have defied the attempts of the strongest Malay to break through ; but 

 having carefully examined the basket we can find not only not a single 

 feather in either division, but not the least drop of blood can be found 

 on the canvas, and had these birds fought iu the basket, the amount 

 of blood they must have lost would have left a trace not easily to be 

 overlooked. We have written to Mr. Lavev, the Secretary of the Col- 

 chester Show, on the subject, and he satisfies us that there were no 

 birds which had sustained the least injury to be seen in th9 whole 

 Show. We come, therefore, to this conclusion, that some evil-disposed 

 person mnst have put them together for a combat during some period 

 after the birds had left the care of the Exhibition Committee, or that, 

 very likely, the porters at the station, where the basket was detained 

 during the night of their return, must have thought fit to relieve the 

 tediousness of their night-watches by a "cock fight." Be the mode of 

 injury what it may, it seems very curious that so many birds should have 

 been maltreated after this particular Show ; it would lead one to sup- 

 pose that a party of scoundrels had waylaid a great many birds for the 

 purpose of doing them some injury. If this maltreatmeHt continue 

 we shall merely keep our birds at home, for we prefer looking at them 

 n good feather. — Bellingham & Gill, Lancashire. 



A Cochin- cock belonging to me at the Whitehaven Show had his 

 neck hackles on one side broken off with the nail. The bird had taken 

 the second prize. I also exhibited two Cochin hens, which also took 

 a second prize ; one of these was spoilt by having some of the feathers 

 of both wings cut. I sent one of these hens afterwards to Carlisle; 

 she had a perfect comb when she went, this was spoilt by having the 

 centre of the comb cut out. Now all this malicious injury must have 

 been done in the show rooms, and by persons skilled in such work. — 

 Mart Wilivin, Booth, Camforthy Cu77iberland. 



A PIGEON-CARRYING CASE. 

 Graham versus London and North-Western Railway Company. 



Mr. Frank Graham, 13, Market Place South, Birkenhead, was the 

 plaintiff in this action, and the defendants were the London and 

 North-Western Railway Company. Mr. Anderson appeared for the 

 plaintiff, and Mr. Preston for the defendants. The claim was for 

 .£6 8s. 4(?., compensation for loss sustained by the plaintiff, owing, it 

 was alleged, to delay on the part of the servants of the defendants in 

 delivering two baskets containing Pigeons, entrusted to them for 

 delivery at Sydenham. The claim was £2 15.5., fees paid for entry, 

 10,s. 4f/. for carriage paid to defendants, and £3 35. for a cup which 

 the Pigeons would certainly have won had they been forwarded in 

 time. Mr. Anderson said that he was somewhat dubious about being 

 ;ible to maintain his claim to the last item. The Judge remarked that 

 Mr. Anderson's would be a very convenient way of winning the blue 

 ribbon of the turf — to bring forward, after the race was run, a horse, 

 and say it would have been quite sure to win if only it had arrived in 

 time. Plaintiff failed in proving the non-delivery, and consented to 

 a nonsuit. 



Mr. Graham says, " I should certainly have gained the day had the 

 Secretaries of the Show answered my letters and sent me particulars as 

 to the time of receiving the Pigeons, so that I mi^ht obtain a witness 

 to prove the non-delivery. The only information I could obtain was 

 through the kindness of the Judge, Jones Percivall, Esq., who rendered 

 me every assistance in his power. The conduct of the Secretaries is 

 ao strange that I, as well as my solicitor, Mr. Anderson, now think the 



birds mnst have arrived in time, and through some negligence were 

 not penned. Perhaps the Secretaries will state the reason in your 

 columns." 



THE UNITED KINGDOM RABBIT CLUB. ' 



This Club, I am hajipy to say, is now a reality, which will, I am 

 sure, be hailed by all interested iu the rearing and exhibition of fancy 

 Rabbits as a powerful help to their being placed in that position to 

 which their worth entitles them. I am glad that so much interest has 

 been manifested in the formation of the Club, and that we have had 

 so many expressions of opinion from those whose experience both of 

 Rabbits and exhibitions entitles their opinions to respect. One result 

 is certain — viz., that the committees of the various shows and this 

 Club will be able to work together for mutual advantage ; and if com- 

 mittees will study their own interests, the Club will tend to the further- 

 ance of those interests, and also carry out the intention of placing 

 Rabbits in a better position amongst their neighbours for competition. 



It is very important that a competent judge should be provided for 

 each show, and that the Rabbits alone should be his work, and not 

 that a judge's almost exhausted energies should be entirely spent upon 

 them after bestowing the strength and vigour of the early day upon 

 other parts of the show. Can we wonder that at times such unsatis- 

 factory results follow? After several hours of nice and careful ex- 

 amination of feathers, it may be a judge is not generally much in the 

 mood to turn his attention to fur and award the prizes. I think one 

 object of the Club should be the selection of juflges whose knowledge 

 of the various points of Rabbits, from long experience as breeders and 

 exhibitors, is unquestionable; also that a code of rules as to the 

 points to be adopted should be drawn up for the guidance of such 

 judges, so that some uniformity may be found in their decisions. A 

 I register should be kept of the names and addresses of the members, 

 I the Rabbits in stock when such return is made, the number of entries, 

 i and the prizes received at the shows. This register might contain 

 the rules, and any other information of importance to fanciers, and 

 ' be sold at a reasonable price to each member to protect the Club from 

 loss by its publication. There are many, I doubt not, v/ho are neither 

 breeders nor exhibitors, yet would be glad to become honorary members, 

 and I see no reason for refusal. The subscription is small enough, 

 yet I am glad to learn a great proportion of the members, so far, have 

 not thought the 2s. 6d. a sum commensurate with the expenses in- 

 curred in the formation of the Club, and so have placed the Treasurer 

 in a more comfortable position. 



I am glad so much information has been spread through the pages 

 of " our Journal ;" and the affair is taken up by the best men for 

 the purpose, who have gone into the affair con amove. I know the 

 Secretary will have had much to do, and will yet have to do more, in 

 order that success may be secured, therefore I suggest to all corre- 

 ! spondents the advantage of their enclosing a stamped and addressed 

 envelope for a reply when such is needed. 



The register alluded to, I think, might be brought out in July next ; 

 but that is a matter for the Committee to determine. — Charles 

 Rayson, Ivy Lodge, Didsbiiry, near Mancfiester. 



Birmingham Cattle and Poultry Show. — The annual meet- 

 ing of the Council to revise the prize list ia fixed for April 6ib, 

 previous to which suggestions as to any alterations deemed 

 advisable, and any ofiers of special prizes, may be sent to Mr. 

 John B. Lythall, Secretary. 



NOTES FROM MY CANARY ROOM.— No. 3. 



Beah in mind these notes are not intended to apply specially 

 to any one of the numerous classes into which Canaries are 

 divided, but must be understood as being general in their ap- 

 plication. Farther, readers will please consider them as a 

 friendly hand-in-hand chat as we go along, not entering into too 

 much detail, as at no distant day the Canary will be presented 

 in a way which will exhaust the subject. 



The best Canaries you can put in your cage are a pair of 

 Norwich birds, a yellow cock and a buS hen, or vice versd. I 

 will not here enter into any explanation of the reason why it 

 is best to do this, or indulge in any " Diversions in Breeding." 

 This and other matters will be fully treated upon by-and-by iu 

 another form. My hints are for those who never put up a pair 

 of birds before. If you wish to breed clear birds pair them as 

 I have just now said ; if you wish for marked birds, let either 

 the cock or the hen be marked ; and if you desire to breed 

 crested birds, pair a crested cock and a plain-headed hen, and 

 vice versa. Clear birds will produce clear crests, and dark 

 markings on either side will produce a fair proportion of varie- 

 gated crested young ones in every nest — i.e., if the cock be 

 clear or grey-crested pair him with a marked hen, and if dark- 

 crested put him to a clear hen. 



One cannot remember everything, and last week I was so 

 hurried that I forgot to say that if your breeding cage consists 



