December 8, 1370. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



459 



and deserving their honours. One of the highly commended pens 

 hardly deserved notice, and pen 7 contained a good pair of birds, but 

 not yet through the moult. 



2. — First and second prizes for cockerels were taken by same exhi- 

 bitor, with fine birds in good condition, fully bearing out ourtremarlcs 

 at Birmingham. Both in better order than at the latter show, but 

 promise better still. Third, a tolerably-framed and very dark bird. 

 ■ The highly cominendeds mostly well given, bnt 28 must have been 

 meant for "29. Dorkings are decidedly not equal to former years, but 

 this was a very fair class. 



3. — First-prize pullets had large frames, hut not at all matched in 

 colour. Second contained one very fine bird, but the other much 

 inferior. Third only middling. This class not nearly equal to the 

 ■cockerels. Pen 64 contained one very fine pullet, and pen 67 ap- 

 peared likely to make a good pair of hens. Several birds in this class 

 appeared uncommonly ancient for pullets, but we could not thoroughly 

 satisfy ourselves of any deception. 



4. — First-prize Silver-Greys were a medium size, but very handsome 

 ■cock, with a hen of massive frame, but hardly clear enough in colour. 

 In the second and third prizes the best cock was with the worst hen 

 and vice versa. 



5. — The cockerel class confirmed the opinion we formed at Birming- 

 ham, that this breed ia advancing. The prizes were very well judged, 

 but pens So and S7 deserved mention before either of the highly com- 

 mended pens. 



6. — The pullets were again not equal to the cockerels, the colour 

 appearing more difficult to breed. 



7. — The first-prize White Dorkings were in truth a fine pair, both 

 large and white. The second cock very yellow, and hen very dirty, 

 and on the whole we preferred the third prize. The highly com- 

 mended pens, except 117, struck us as very poor. 



COCHINS. 



S. — The old Buff Cochin cocks were only five entries, and the tbir.l 

 prize was deservedly withheld, only two pens being gtol. Cup pen a 

 grand shaped cock, but with rather doubtful hoclts, and all the tail 

 ■pulled out ; hen too long in the leg. Second wanting in shape. 



9. — First-prize a fine bird, but again all the tail gone, and rather 

 mealy in wing. Second would also look better with more caudal 

 appendage, but in his case the deficiency appeared natural, the feather 

 being only half grown ; wo liked this bird much, and were his wings 

 quite sound, and himself a month older, we question if he would not 

 'nave had the honours. Third a dafk bird, very promising for his age, 

 and honestly shown. No other bird very first-rate. ' 



10. — In Buff pullets the Birmingham decisious were reversed. 

 Lady Gwydyr's cup pen there being now put second, and first given to 

 the Birmingham fifth-prize. We did not like the alteration, for 

 -though Lady Gwydyr's pen was as we said, anything but a match, and 

 ■one bird not so even in colour as might bo, they were both far better in 

 shape than the others. Third-prize and all the rest very poor, and we 

 repeat our remark, that the Cochins as a whole are deteriorating sadly. 



11. — First-prize old Partridges very good, but nearly all the birds in 

 tbis class very poorly feathered, except one bird with a suspicion of 

 hocks. 



12. — First-prize cockerel a grand-shaped bird, but not quite pure in 

 colour in under parts, and rather heavy hocks. Second not nearly 

 -equal to him, and the other birds poor. 



13. — Both first and second-prize pullets good pairs, the first best in 

 size, shape, and marking, but rather yellow. Had third been larger, we 

 would as soon have had them as any. 



14. First-prize "White Cochins a little hocked, but honestly shown, 

 and we were glad to see them both so shown and so winning. Second 

 well-shaped and large, but the cock yellow. Two or three other fair 

 pens highly commended with judgment, but the rest poor. 



BRAHHAS. 



15. — In the old Dark Brahmas, the cup pen contained the first-prize 

 Birmingham bird, whose only fault was some white in the tail, with a 

 very middling hen. Second also had the second Birmingham cock, 

 with a much better coloured but smaller hen in bad health. Had she 

 been in condition it would have been hard judging. Third, a middling 

 pen, the hen much wanting depth of colour.- Pen 217, also a good pen. 



16. — First-prize Dark cockerel a medium-sized bird, perfect in colour, 

 lint not standing well on his legs, and saddle rather too low. His 

 head also struck us as coarse and heavy. Second-prize a decidedly 

 hocked bird honestly shown, and quite as good as the first. Third, a 

 'very white-tailed bird, and full of white streaks in the Huff. There 

 were several very good highly -corunieuded birds, but in one ease (247), 

 the commendation was a farce, the bird's hock having given way out- 

 wards, so that he could not bear his weight on one leg at all. 



17. — First-prize pullets a very fine pair, third at Birmingham, and 

 not yet at their best. Second-prize middling in colour, but very high 

 ■on leg. Third, a very passable pen, one bird being really fine, and in 

 our opinion should have been second. 



IS. — The cup pen of old Light Brahmas was a doubtful award. The 

 ■hen was very good, but the cock had a great deal of black in bis fluff, 

 and in a month will be hocked, the quills being half grown. His 

 hackle was, however, beautifully striped. Second, a good pen, bnt 

 iooked overdone. Third, a good pen, perhaps a little hocked, with not 

 the shank feathering a hock should carry. 



19. — The cup Light cockerel was a small but pretty bird, with long 



wattles, very much the same style as the Birmingham winners. Second* 

 a rather weedy bird, cleaner, but not so good as pen 316 next door- 

 Third-prize best striped of any in the class, but short of leg feathers- 

 Pen 300 well deserved being added to the list of commendations. 



20. — The cup pullets were very nearly perfect, whether in shape, 

 feather, colour, or other points. Second very bare of leg-feathers ; 

 and third had faulty hackles. Pens 335, 3-15, and 347 were all good 

 pairs. Again the Lights showed much better than the Darks, and 

 Light pullets were, perhaps, the best of all the Brahma classes. 

 SPANISH. 

 21. — The Spanish classes all lookod much better than at Birming- 

 ham, the temperature and light appearing to suit them. Old cocks 

 very fair and well placed. Pen 374 had a capital face, but comb gone 

 half over. Hens also in very good order, the winner in the preced- 

 ing class repeating his success with a very good pair. There were 

 one or two pens in this class we could not understand being passed 

 over. 



23. — The cap Spanish cockerel had an immense face, but rather too 

 coarse. Second-prize also a very wide face of better quality, and, on 

 the whole, we preferred him to the other. The rest of the class we 

 would not like to have the placing of. This and the pullets seemed to 

 us the best classes in the Show. 



24. — The cup pullets were thought by many not deserving their 

 honours. They were a good pair unquestionably, hut either of Mr. 

 Jones's second and third prize pairs were better in our opinion. All 

 the birds were, however, so good that judging was hard. Miss Pen- 

 nant's pens came too late for competition. 



FRENCH FOWLS. 

 25 — 28. — The classes for French fowls were very fair, many of the 

 Birmingham birds competing. It appears certain now that the only 

 varieties which can stand their ground in England are the Houdan 

 and tho Creve-Cceur. 



HAMBURGHS. 



29, 30. — Golden-spangled Hamhnrghs were, as a class, hardly up to 



the mark, but the prize pens were very good. Silvers were decidedly 



a better class, the cup cock having a beautiful tail, which was a treat 



for any Hamburgh fancier to see. Tho same may be said of pen 522. 



31 — 33. — The Golden-pencilled were richer in markiug than Silver. 

 Tho light was too bad when we exanvned those classes to say much as 

 to the judging, bnt we thought Mr. Beldon's pen 559 ought to have 

 been in the prize list. The first-prize Blacks were a really magnificent 

 pair, and second and third were very good, but we liked third best. 

 Tbis breed is advancing still year by year. 

 GAME. 

 34. — The cup Black Red Game cock had the best head and upper 

 works generally of any in tho class, and was a good specimen Game 

 fowl. Second, a tight-looking bird enough ; third not quite so large, 

 but, if anything, better style. 606 was a good bird spoilt by being 

 too fat. 



35. — First-prize hen was an only middling bird with bad carriage, 

 the commended pen 618 being far better. Third-prize a neat gamy 

 hen, but on the whole the second-prize was about tho best in the class. 

 Pen 637 contained also a very good hen. 



36. — The first-prize Brown Red cock, a very hard bird, and well- 

 shaped all but head, which was long and weak. Third much tho same 

 style of body, but better head. Second a middling bird. The best 

 bird in this class (645), very unfortunately arrived too late for com- 

 petition ; he was almost a copy of the first-prize, but with tho advan- 

 tage of a perfect head, and must have headed tho class but for the 

 delay, which was owing to the railway company, 



37.— The first-prize Brown Red hen was very good. Second-prize a 

 good body, but far too red in the face. Third-prize too heavy ; a little 

 starving would improve her. 



38. — Duckwings were a fair class, and all the prize birds were good. 

 It was little more than a toss up between first and second. 



39. — First-prize Duckwing hen a neat and sharp-looking bird, but 

 on the whole we would rather have seen the second-prize in her place. 

 Third-prize a rather large but otherwise good bird, not in her best 

 condition. Many of the Game birds were severely trimmed. 

 POLISH. 

 40—42. — The Polish classes were fully equal to Birmingham, and 

 again the Golden-spangled were both the most numerous and best of 

 the lot. We were very glad to see this splendid variety again so strong 

 in numbers and quality. The Blacks were rather poor. 

 HAL AY 8. 

 43. — Malays were a bare average for a separate class. Most of the 

 birds had been at Birmingham, and appeared in rather low spirits. 

 ANY OTHER VARIETY. 

 44. — In the " Any other variety " class the first prize went to a fiue 

 pair of Black Cochins, the second to Negro Frizzles (what ever will 

 people breed mere abortions for ?), and third to a very large pair of 

 Cuckoo Cochins. The fourth prize was an error, not creditable to the 

 discernment of the Judges, as it did not need any description in the 

 catalogue to stamp them at once as a croBs between Dorking and Dark 

 Brahma. We much regretted not to see Mr. Tegetnieier's pen (729) 

 of White Leghorns in place of this latter pen. 

 GAME BANTAMS. 

 45.— The cup Black Bed Bantam cock was a beauty— the same 



