November 22, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



409 



POULTEY, BEE, AID PIQEON OHROMOLE. 



POULTRY AND BIRD NEWS. 



We regret very mueh to hear that Mr. W. A. Burnell of Wink- 

 burn Hall, near Southwell, is breaking up his Cochin yard and 

 about to retire from the poultry fancy. We learn that all his 

 birds are entered at the coming Birmingham Show at saleable 

 prices, and that his poultryman is on the look-out for a fresh 

 situation. 



At the late Oxford Show Mr. S. Matthews claimed Mr. Pope's 

 cup Black Red Game cockerel in pen 193 for £50. The pur- 

 chaser exhibited this bird last week at the Crystal Palace Show 

 and won with him the £5 5s. cap presented by MesBrs. Spratt. 

 The bird was here olaimed for the enormous price of £100 10s., 

 and has returned to his previous owner's yards at Biggleswade. 

 Mr. Matthews consequently makes £40 and wins a cup by the 

 transaction, the Oxford Committee made £5, and the Palace 

 Managers £10, while the breeder loses £55 and regains his bird. 

 May he do well with him. 



We have seen specimens of the prize cards which the Oxford 

 Committee are sending round with the prize money, and prettier 

 ones we have but rarely seen. They are of neat size with a 

 band of gilt and colour at the edge, and the winner's names and 

 the prizes they have won are beautifully printed on the inside. 

 We never remember to have seen much prettier cards save 

 those which the Messrs. Jennieon sent out from the Bellevne 

 Show of 1873. 



Of the many schedules which have come to hand that of 

 Newtown deserves some mention, for in it we find three distinct 

 divisions with nearly the same number of classes in eacb, and 

 those, too, for the same breeds, only Division I. is for all comers, 

 Division II. for farmers and others residing in Montgomery- 

 shire only, and Division III. is confined to cottagers rated at 

 £7 and under, or pajing an annual rent or rents of £8 and under. 

 We do not know how the plan will answer, but it must neces- 

 sitate a large outlay in prize money and an immense amount of 

 labour to the Judges and Committee. 



At the Crystal Palace the other day a meeting was held in the 

 Marble Hall to discuss the advisability of forming a new poultry 

 club. A good number of fanciers were present, and the chair 

 was taken by the Hon. and Rev. F. Datton. After some con- 

 siderable discussion the meeting was adjourned until Decem- 

 ber 3rd at Birmingham. The following are the names, in alpha- 

 betical order, of those who were appointed to draw up roles and 

 submit them at the next meeting of the Club : — T. C. Burnell, 

 Hon. A. Baillie-Hamilton, R. A. Boissier, O. B. Cresswell, Hon. 

 and Rev. F. G. Dutton, A. B. W. Darby, J. Hinton, Rev. Hans 

 F. Hamilton, R. B. Horsfall, S. Matthews, J. E. Manby, E.Prit- 

 chard, Rev. W. Serjeantson, C. Sidgwick, and R. B. Wood. 

 Among these gentlemen are breeders of Dorkings, Brahmas, 

 Cochins, Game, Malays, Hamburghs, Polish, French, Silkies, 

 Bantams, and Waterfowl, so the fanoierB of no particular 

 breeds can consider themselves to be unrepresented. 



On Tuesday last Mr. Albert Field dispersed the whole of the 

 celebrated flock of Game fowlB which belonged to the late Mr. 

 Chaloner. The sale took place at the Corn Exchange, Worksop, 

 and about 125 birds were put up to auction. On the same day 

 at Stoke Park, near Ipswich, Messrs. Sexton & Nimeoade offered 

 about 200 head of birds from Lady Gwydyr's renowned yards. 

 Black, Buff, and White Cochins, and Dark and Light Brahmas, 

 were the breeds offered for sale. We do not wonder that a sale 

 was necessary to get rid of some of the surplus birds, for when 

 ■we were there in September laBt the park and enclosed runs 

 seemed positively alive with healthy and good specimens. 



At the coming Pigeon show to be held at Glasgow on Decem- 

 ber 19th and 20th next, under the management of the North 

 British Columbarian Society, Capt. Norman Hill again offers 

 for competition the £1 5 15s. champion Pouter cup. We hope 

 the entries for it will be large. — W. 



CRYSTAL PALACE POULTRY SHOW. 



November 13te-16th. 

 Brahmas. — The Darks were certainly far behind the shows of 

 1873 or 1874 both in numbers and quality. It would be interest- 

 ing to know the cause of this, whether the breed has been found 

 disappointing aB to useful qualities, or whether the great un- 

 certainty of the produce of any but carefully selected pens has 

 made it less popular. The Lights keep up in numbers, and 

 have never, in our opinion, been uniformly better in quality. 

 The cup Dark cock is a grand specimen of his owner's type of 

 bird, well through the moult. He is like last year's cup cockerel ; 

 seoond too long on the leg, but in good condition ; third out 

 of condition, but nicely feathered and with a rich black breast ; 

 iourth has no oushion. The first hen is a beautifully-marked 



bird of the dark colour; second very clear in breast-pencilling; 

 third a grand- shaped bird and Bhort on legs; fourth a bargain, 

 entered at three guineas, well shaped, but might be clearer in 

 marking. It waa a pity that the Brahmas were placed so high 

 up ; birds of their size show to much disadvantage in such a 

 position. The first cockerel is a beautiful bird and much such a 

 one as Mr. Lingwood's yard has before produced for the winner ; 

 we think we have seen them with more silvery hackles. Second 

 not so neat in head as the cup bird, well shaped, with little 

 hackle-marking; third very dark, with rich tintB, hocked ; fourth 

 coarse in head, a Cochin-like bird, but having a good cushion ; 

 we much liked the fifth ; sixth a little narrow, but promising to 

 grow. The mottled-breasted birds were very poor and scarcely 

 worth remark; we liked the third-prize one best. Pullets did 

 not strike us as at all equal to former years. First a silver-grey 

 bird of fair size and well feathered ; second a fine-grown pullet, 

 promising to be a grand hen, with good even pencilling, but she 

 is too much hocked ; third too brown and not orisp enough in 

 pencilling ; fourth a Email bird, good in breast, but with two 

 styles of marking on wing; fifth short- legged and well-shaped; 

 sixth clearly and well marked on the back, but small, and with 

 little leg-feathering. 



Light.— First in cocks was an immense bird and very white, 

 but hollow in chest. We did not admire the second. Third 

 would be by far the best in the class but for his ugly comb. His 

 shape is magnificent. He is, we believe, Mr. Horsfall's cup 

 cockerel of 1875. The first hen very good in shape and backle ; 

 second deep and well shaped, but with a good deal of sap in her 

 feathers ; third very large but a little narrow. Among the 

 cockerels were many poor birds, and the greater part of them 

 were too yellow. The oup bird good all round but not large, and 

 yellow in neck hackle; second very mach hocked and yellow; 

 we liked the fourth as well as any, though he is deficient in neck 

 hackle; fifth intensely dark in hackle; sixth good in Bhape with 

 well-marked hackle, but comb too high; seventh one of the 

 whitest birds. Pullets made a large class of seventy. Cup a 

 beautifully white bird with well- defined hackle; second clear in 

 colour with a good cushion ; third a compact bird, short in back ; 

 fourth hocked, and very large; fifth a good bird all round; 

 sixth short-legged, good in hackle, hocked; seventh large but 

 spotted. The five-guinea Selling class for Light birds was far 

 superior to that for Dark. The first and second-prize pair were 

 real bargains, and niauy other pena were by no means despicable. 



Houdans were only moderate classes, save the hens, which we 

 thought good. We must say that the awards in these classes 

 puzzled us much. Houdan cocks apparently eat their prize 

 cards, for we could find none towards the close of the Show. 

 First was an indifferent bird in size with coarse comb. Second 

 a dark and very large bird ; we observed a " sold " card on his 

 pen, his price being £10. Third a well-Bhaped bird. In pen 881 

 we observed a White Houdan cock. We thought the hens by 

 far the best of the four classes. Four very fine birds were olose 

 together, and there waB not much to choose between them. 

 First a grand hen in shape, and evenly marked; second a little 

 dark, but good. Mrs. Vallance's very highly commended bird 

 had bad feet, otherwise we admired her as much as any in the 

 class. The first cockerel is a very dark one, large and strong ; 

 second has a splendid crest and even marking, but a wry comb ; 

 third spoilt by a most irregular lumpy comb. In pullets the 

 cup bird baa a wonderfully round creet and even marking, but 

 is a little knock-kneed ; second has a very light buff with dark 

 plumage and an ill-formed toe ; third a fair evenly-marked bird ; 

 fourth very dark. 



Creves. — The cup cock is all round a magnificent bird, short 

 on the legs, which we think a great point; he haithe advantage 

 of a corner pen. Second not equal to the cup bird, but short- 

 legged with a good comb. Third larger and a sprightly bird. 

 In hens Mr. Ward was again easily first. The three winners 

 were all well worthy of their honours. We much admired Mr. 

 Hibbert's very highly commended hen too. In cockerels first waa 

 fine and good ; second a stylish bird, and a bargain ; third short- 

 legged, with a fine crest. In pullets No. 1 was easily ahead ; 

 second a good bird with compact crest ; third not very large. 



Hamhurghs were a grand collection. Their popularity seems 

 advancing, and several south-country breederB have been added 

 to their admirers. Golden-spangled cocks numbered seventeen. 

 First was a bird in which one could hardly find a fault ; second 

 generally good and lustrous, a little dark ; third a good bird 

 with an honest comb. The first hen waa a lovely specimen with 

 round even lustrous moons not too thickly set ; second had also 

 good moons, but running a little together; third more like the 

 first, with small moons not so evenly distributed as thoBe of the 

 first. The first Silver-spangled cook had perfect sickle; second re- 

 markably good for five lirge moons ; third not a very good comb, 

 but honestly shown. The Silver-spangled hens were a capital 

 claBS of twenty-five. The cup hen was just what we admire, so 

 even in her spangling ; second almost her equal, if not quite. 

 Tie Hamburgh cup very justly went to ■ Miss Mackenzie's 

 Golden-pencilled cockerel, a bird excellent in comb and tail and 

 even in colour, though a Bhade lighter than we like ; wo could 



