April 13, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOETICDLTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



281 



For in all these cases it is to be observed that the plumage is 

 generally unaffected, and that the old taint is far more likely to 

 show in some peculiar point, such as a top-knot, a pea-oomb, 

 or a fifth toe, which has become as it were a very component of 

 the breed. 



4. But it also seems at least possible that an occasional or 

 single mesalliance with such a strongly-marked variety, as say 

 a Brahma, a Poland, or a Dorking, may not be su£Soient to 

 disturb the actual parentage or the general plumage, and yet 

 enough influence may be given to impress on a portion of the 

 chicks the one peculiar point. Several cases of this nature have 

 oome within my notice, and they may serve to account for many 

 occurrences which have been attributed to impurity of blood in 

 the actual parent. It appears, in short, as if in a certain sense 

 a chick may " have two fathers." Farther light on this inter- 

 asting part of the subject is much to be desired. 



I am at all events inclined to the opinion that in ordinary 

 oases, when a male bird is changed for another of the same 

 breed, about a week may be relied upon to determine the 

 paternity. In case of an alien or markedly inferior bird, I 

 should, however, certainly allow longer ; and I am also inclined 

 to think that if there have been very few hens the influence 

 might probably last longer than if they were numerous. I shall 

 hope to hear further from some of your correspondents on this 

 important question, which is, perhaps, of all others most inter- 

 esting to fanciers generally, — L. ■Weight. 



OVER-FATTENING FOWLS FOR EXHIBITION. 



At the Edinburgh Christmas Show I purchased at a long 

 price a handsome Buff Cochin puUet weighing 9 lbs. She ap- 

 peared in splendid feather and condition, and to avoid risk I 

 fed her for two or three days on soft food. At the end of that 

 time oft'ering her grain she refused it, and this continuing day 

 after day, coupled with never laying an egg, aroused my sus- 

 picions of inflammation of the proventriculus, for which I 

 treated her with small doses of IPInmmer's pill at intervals. 

 The remedies proved unavailing ; she steadily refused any but a 

 soft diet, was harassed by incessant thirst, and lost rapidly in 

 weight and condition till she became mere skin and bone. At 

 length I had her killed, and the post-mortem examination 

 revealed that the liver was enormously enlarged, weighing fully 

 -3 J 023. It was friable and pale, with yellow spots on the sur- 

 face here and there ; these spots were caused by lumps of hard 

 fatty matter, some of them as large as a small nut. These 

 lumps were of a bright yellow externally, very hard to cut, and 

 internally had a dark nucleus ; they were very numerous all 

 through the liver. 



As a warm lover of the poultry fancy, should the publication 

 of these details do something towards checking the ever-to-be- 

 condemned system of over-fattening prize poultry to their ulti- 

 mate ruin, I shall be more than repaid for the loss I have sus- 

 tained.— F. S. F. 



NESTS FOR EGG-HATCHING. 



Where a choice can be had, a nest on the floor should be 

 preferred. I would not put much straw in the nest, because, 

 where this is done, the eggs are very apt to become chilled, 

 especially early in spring. 



A very successful and simple method is this : — Cut a tough 

 grassy turf about 15 inches square and 3 or 4 inches thick. 

 Hollow out the form of a nest on the lower side, then place 

 it where the hen is to sit with the grassy side uppermost, and 

 press it firmly on the bottom or floor. There will then be 

 the form of a nest in the grassy side on account of its being 

 hollowed on the other. On this place the eggs and hen. Two 

 hens set in this manner have hatched all their eggs except 

 one, which contains a dead chicken. Taking into account the 

 severe weather we have had for the last ten days, this must be 

 considered good so far north at the present season.— J. M. C, 

 Aierdeenslure. 



SiEouD PouLTKT Show.— Exhibitors will be glad to learn 

 that the committee of this Show have sanctioned the use of 

 padlocks for securing exhibition hampers. A label having the 

 name and address of the sender, with the number of the " class 

 and pen," must be attached to the key of each padlock, which 

 must be sent by post to the Secretary, a duplicate key being 

 retained by the exhibitor. There will be two self-supporting 

 ■slasses for Malays— viz., one for cooks and the other for single 



hens, and it is to be hoped that the fanciers of this breed will 

 send as many entries as they possibly can ; for should there be 

 a good muster of entries at this Show, no doubt there will be a 

 class for Malays nest year upon the same footing as the other 

 breeds. — E. J.— [The Judges engaged are the Eev. G. F. Hod- 

 son, and Mr. E. Teebay, for Poultry ; Mr. "W.B, Tegetmeier for 

 Pigeons ; Mr. C. Eayson for Babbits ; and Mr. W. A. Blakston 

 for Canaries and other Cage Birds. — Eds.] 



PIGEON-CARRYING CASE. 



Mk. GHAH.i:ii requests a rex^ly tlirougb your columns ; the following 

 is in explanation : — Our offices at Exeter Hall were temporarily occu- 

 pied during tlie Show, and the business being completed at the end of 

 January the offices were given up. Upon an after-inquiry we found 

 two letters from Mr. Graham, the first dated February 11th, asking 

 the time his birds arrived, the second requesting an immediate answer. 

 We much regi'et we did not receive Mr. Graham's letters earlier, as we 

 think we could have given some substantial evidence upon the subject. 

 Mr. Ford, a member of our Committee, remembers the arrival of Mr. 

 Graham's hii-ds at 4 p.ii. on the day of judging ; and further, a receipt 

 was given to the railway company for every pen of birds received, 

 which, if produced, would show the day, if not the hour, of arrival. 

 The result we very much regret, as we think the immense charges 

 made by the railway companies for the carriage of birds should at 

 least secure prompt delivery. A similar ease occurred on the same 

 occasion. Of a number of pens, dispatched together and from the same 

 exbibitor, a portion were delivered on the day a^jpointed for the recep- 

 tion of bii'ds, the others arriving the following day, and ''too late for 

 competition." We are not favoured with the merits of the case before 

 us, but it appears by Mr. Graham's letter that the action was com- 

 menced against the railway company wichout the most important in- 

 formation, and that failing, Mr. Graham jumps equally as quickly at 

 a conclusion — namely, that we were in fault. 



We shall be glad if Mr. Graham will favour us with some further 

 information upon the subject, as we should have, though the railway 

 company could have been made to produce their waybills, which would 

 have shown the date and time of the transfer at the railway junction. 

 Mr. Graham, finding no reply to his first letter, with a little trouble 

 could have referred to the catalogue and found our addresses, together 

 with those of many members of the Committee, to whom he is per- 

 sonally known, all of whom would have been glad to have assisted 

 him in the matter. — C. Howjied & W. J. Nichols, Son. Sees. 



[We forwarded Mr. Ford's letter to Mr. Graham, and we hear from 

 Mr. Jones that he has written to him. — Eds.] 



CANARY-JUDGING AT WOODBRIDGE. 



Ma. AsHTOx, in his remarks on Canary-judging at Woodbridge, 

 asks " How is it that the Judge of Canaries at the recent Woodbridge 

 Show has rendered himself conspicuous by reversiaig the decisions of 

 many of the tried and acknowledged judges in Canary matters '?" and 

 I beg to reply that this did not occur, the prize being awarded to 371, 

 the " crack Lizard," but by some mistake the card was placed on 372, 

 the " four-shilling wretch," which I left unnoticed. I found out the 

 error on my return to the Show, but top late for correction, as the prize 

 lists were printed ; but seeing the birds both belonged to one exhibitor 

 I took no further trouble than j)utting the card on the proper cage. 

 My book of awards is open for inspection at my residence. 



This explanation would have been given in reply to one signing him- 

 self "A CoKRESP0^1^ENT " in your issue of the ^Srd of March had 

 the name of the writer been given, but I have a decided objection to 

 reply to an anonymous communication. 



With respect to the other parts of Mr. Ashton's letter, I have only 

 to say, in defence of the Secretary, that every care was bestowed upon 

 the birds at the Show. This I saw, as I did not leave till within an 

 hour of its close, and at that time not a single bird of Mr. Ashton's 

 was in any way ailing. — E. Huttos, Pudsey. 



VENTILATION OF HIVES DURING WINTER. 

 In continuation of this subject I will give a description of 

 a hive which I had made twenty-five years ago, and of the 

 manner in which I ventilated it, as well as other hives. The 

 hive referred to was made to meet the requirements of those 

 who could not be induced to use ^:ooden hives, and although 

 there are many who still believe that nothing but straw will 

 answer for bees, I consider that straw hives ought to be things 

 of the past. This hive was made according to my directions, 

 with a hole 2 inches in diameter in the centre for feeding, with 

 slits at the side similar to the " Economic hive " recently 

 described in " our Journal," the whole being covered with an 

 adapting board, with holes corresponding to those in the hive. 

 Over the side slits slides were inserted, in imitation of the 

 Stewarton hive ; there were also holes in the front and back, 

 near the top of the hive, 3 to 4 inches long by 2 wide, inside 



