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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ June 15, 1871. 



ridiation of featberg. The carriage of the bird must be erect, 

 the breast very prominent, the neck rather short but well 

 arched, wing-butts well defined, and across which the bird 

 should be broad, and suddenly tapering at an acute angle, thus 

 giving a marked wedge-shaped appearance. The legs free 

 from feathers, not too long ; the feet small, and the bearing 

 chiefly upon the toes. The eyes in all those sorts enumerated 

 should be of an orange-red colour, except the Whites, and 

 their eyes should be dark, apparently all pupil, and known 

 to fanciers as a " bull eye;" the fleshy lash small, even, and 

 light-coloured. We have now given our views of the essential 

 qualities of a perfect Owl. All the sub-varieties to be of value 

 should answer to the foregoing general description, colour only 

 constituting the difference between them. 



Blues should be true Blues, and not faded representations or 

 go-between Blues and Silvers ; they should be pure and uni- 

 form in colour consistent with brightness ; dingy Blues we 

 object to. To use a common fancy phrase, we might say 

 " powder, blue," but as there are so many shades of powder 

 blue, the term 'seems out of place. It may be that such mis- 

 applied phrase originated from the fact of Blues emitting a 



bluish dust from their feathers ; but if it is thus derived, it 

 is equally without force or application, as all Pigeons when 

 healthy should cast off a "bloom," or dust; so that, being com- 

 mon to all kinds, has no special affinity to or identity with 

 any one of them ; therefore the term, like the bloom to which 

 we have alluded, being a superfluity, should le oast out. The 

 term powder blue we do not like, but powdered blue is more 

 expressive, and when used in describing the lighter-coloured 

 Blues is not so inappropriate, as the necks and breasts of this 

 kind really seem as though a white powder had been sprinkled 

 thereon, and it is probable that powder blue, so often used, is 

 simply a corruption of the long-adopted phrase, powdered blue. 

 Well-matched birds of the latter kind are very attractive and 

 uncommon in appearance, but the fancier must not confound 

 them with the true Blues of uniform colour, as the two varieties 

 are very different when placed in comparison with each other. 

 Clear, pure, and uniform should be the colour thronghouS 

 thighs, breast, back, and sides of wings ; the latter, of course, 

 must possess two black bars. The tail has also a band of black 

 near to its extremity ; the head and neck are of a darker hue, 

 the neck richly lustrous with varied colours, which terminate 



in a line on the shoulders. These are the esteemed qualities 

 of Blues. 



Silvers are almost colourless on their body, their necks only 

 being slightly tinged at the lower extremity with semi-toned 

 tints, but in harmony with their delicately- coloured feathers, 

 the bars on the wings should be nearly black, clearly marked, 

 and narrowly formed. A black band also should be upon their 

 tail as in the Blue. 



Whites must be pure unspotted white with dark eyes. 



Blacks stionld be as black as possible, but as yet the jet 

 black has not been obtained. These birds are too apt to come 

 of a blue black ; probably it may be the powder-blue making 

 its way to the surface. Be this as it may, we should like to 

 procure them more of a true black. 



Beds and Yellows must be of a pure colour throughout. 

 Each of the latter kinds ia very scarce ; they are generally of 



a larger and much coarser bind ; indeed, perfect, or we may 

 say even mediocre, specimens are seldom seen at our shows. 

 They cannot successfully contest the palm against Blues, Whites, 

 Silvers, and Blacks ; but where numbers of meritorious speci- 

 mens are congregated for prize competition, the high qualities 

 of the exquisite little Whites are almost sure to lead to an 

 award in their favour, for not only are they, as a rule, of 

 superior head qualities, but they are generally smaller birds, 

 which latter is an essential point, but this point is far too 

 often looked for whilst greater and more important qualities 

 are wholly ignored. 



Owls, we should have said, are good breeders, and feed and 

 rear their young well, and we advise those who have made 

 such birds a study to still continue to do so, and whatever 

 others they may add to their hobby, let some of the stock be 

 Owls. — Birmingham Columbaeian Society. 



VOYAGE AND ARRIVAL OF FEATHERED EMIGRANTS TO NEW ZEALAND. 



The Otago Witness gives an interesting account, by a fellow passen- I the Warrior Queen for their reception : — " The whole of tlie .dect 

 ger of the feathered emigrants, of the arrangements made on board | house, except that part appropriated to the ship's galley, was," h« 



