November S, 1864. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



381 



POULTBY JUDGES. 



I perceive by your Journal of the 18th ult., that the 

 Poultry Club are dissatisfied with the Judges of the Show at 

 Birmingham, and are about to memorialise the Committee, 

 either to change the Judges or to add to them other Judges 

 " who will have the confidence of the exhibitors." 



What does this mean ? I, as well as many others, were 

 under the impression that the Committee at Birmingham 

 had carried out a most onerous undertaking in a most satis- 

 factory manner, and the number of the entries and the 

 quality of the birds exhibited, are a proof of satisfaction on 

 the part of a very large number of exhibitors. Query, can 

 Judges be had who will please all the exhibitors ? 



I can give you an idea of what some amateurs expect of 

 Poultry Committees. We have a Society in this city, and 

 for the past four years we have had an annual Exhibition 

 which has been remarkably successful, and the general 

 details of schedule, pens, Judges, and other arrangements 

 have been highly approved of by every one who has visited 

 the shows ; but we find our arrangements do not please 

 some members of the Poultry Club, as we have received a 

 letter from a Dublin gentleman stating that though he highly 

 approved of the schedule, &o., yet he had lost all confidence 

 in any " Irish Judges " that he ever met with, and, there- 

 fore, he suggested that we should place ourselves in the 

 hands of the Poultry Club, adopt their rules, and get them 

 to send us two Judges, adding that the Club would pay a 

 portion of the expenses of the Judges, and that he would 

 make a large entry, and, besides, would give .£3 in money, 

 or medal, for the best pair of fowls exhibited. You will under- 

 stand that this disinterested offer was conditional on our 

 placing ourselves in the hands of the Poultry Club. The 

 Committee answered, that they had the most perfect con- 

 fidence in the Irish Judges, but that in the present case 

 they had already appointed their Judges; and as it so 

 happened, both of them were Judges approved of by the 

 Poultry Club. 



This you would fancy ought to suit the gentleman in 

 question ; but no, the Judge appointed for poultry, though 

 admittedly a first-rate Judge, was not the one he wanted, so 

 he "hung fire," and as far as could be judged from his letter 

 in reply, was inclined to back out of the matter. Some 

 members of the Committee were of opinion that it ought to 

 be explained to the gentleman in question, that the Society 

 was composed of gentlemen who bred and exhibited birds 

 not for profit or puffing, but to improve the breeds through 

 the country, and for their own amusement; but the majority 

 decided on making no reply, but they were unanimous in 

 declining to relinquish the control of the Exhibition at the 

 suggestion of an interested exhibitor, even though he was 

 willing to pay for their doing so.. 



I am a fancier of Pigeons, and have read a very excellent 

 work on them by Mr. Eaton. He says in it, that one 

 of the ways to get prizes at a Show, is to " buy the birds 

 from the Judges," and from the awards at some of the late 

 Exhibitions (vide last Islington catalogue), I am inclined 

 to agree with him; and as we have kept clear of any "jobbino-" 

 up to this time, we do not wish to commence now. The 

 Judges appointed for the Show are both well known in Lon- 

 don, Birmingham, and Glasgow, and in no instance have 

 their awards been questioned. — A Cobk " Fancier." 



SITNDEELAND OENITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S 

 FANCY PIGEON SHOW. 

 Tee first annual Exhibition and competition of fancy 

 Pigeons in connection with the above Society was held in 

 the Central Hall, John Street, Sunderland, on the 1st, 2nd, 

 and 3rd inst. Originally the Society was only intended for 

 the immediate locality, but, encouraged by distant fanciers, 

 the Committee determined to make it open to the United 

 Kingdom. Since the discontinuance of the late Halifax 

 Exhibition — an event deeply regretted by all true fanciers — 

 there has not been a really first-class Pigeon Show, with 

 the exception of that at Glasgow, now also given up ; and it 

 was therefore to supply this want that the present under- 

 taking was inaugurated, more particularly as the town of 

 Sunderland is of easy access to both English and Scotch 



exhibitors. A fancier unconnected with the Society, anxious 

 to lend a helping hand, undertook to offer a silver cup 

 value .£5, to be purchased by private subscription, and to 

 be given as might be determined upon ; and through the 

 same channel John T. Lawrence, Esq., of Liverpool, muni- 

 ficently contributed no less than five similar cups to be 

 offered for five different varieties. One of the Hon. Sees., 

 G. E. Potts, Esq., gave a similar cup, which, with two more 

 given by the Society, enabled the Committee to offer no 

 less than nine silver cups, value .£5 each, for competition, 

 in addition to nine classes with prizes of ,£2 and ,£1 each, as 

 well as a selling class. Acting on the suggestion of Mr. 

 Lawrence, the entry fees were fixed low — namely 5s. each 

 pen, except for the selling class, the result being that most 

 of the very best birds in the kingdom were sent for compe- 

 tition, numbering upwards of 230 pens. 



All the birds were ranged on a level, the Glasgow circular 

 pens being used on the occasion. Some of the birds were 

 scarcely through the moult, but -we understand that next 

 year the Exhibition will be held at a later date, so as to 

 enable the whole of the various specimens to be in greater 

 perfection of feather. Under the able management of the 

 Hon. Sees., Messrs. G. E. Potts and J. E. Eobinson, the 

 arrangements were most complete and admirably carried 

 out in every respect, then- exertions being crowned with 

 entire success ; and we hope the Society will continue to 

 receive the encouragement to which it is so eminently en- 

 titled. 



In the class for the best pair of Almond Tximblers there 

 was an entry of twelve pens. Mr. Peter Eden won the cup 

 with a splendid pair, good in all points. Mr. Else secured 

 second position with a pen excellent in feather, but not so 

 perfect in head and beak. 



In the class for Carriers the cup was also awarded to Mr. 

 Eden for a remarkably good pair of Duns. Mi-. Colley was 

 second and highly commended with good Blacks. In Mr. 

 Else's highly-commended pen (Black), the hen was out of 

 condition. 



For the best pair of Powters eight pens were sent, the 

 competition being extremely close. The cup was awarded 

 to an extraordinary pair of Yellows, belonging to Mr. George 

 Ure ; the hen being unquestionably the best of the colour 

 ever exhibited. Mr. Eden took second with very fine Blues, 

 and Mr. Potts received very high commendation for a capital 

 pen of the same colour, the cock being slightly out of order ; 

 while Mr. Ure's Eeds, a splendid pair, were highly com- 

 mended. 



Mr. Lawrence's cup for Barbs brought some first-class birds 

 of this variety, more particularly in cocks, perhaps four of 

 the best ever seen together competing. The cup was awarded 

 to Mr. H. Beldon for Yellows of most unusual merit ; the 

 second went to Blacks, the cock with the drawback of having 

 yellow eyes. 



The Fantail class was an excellent one, numbering fifteen^ 

 pens. Mr. Else secured the cup (Mr. Lawrence's), with a' 

 plain-headed pair, small and fine, good in carriage and con- 

 dition ; a nice pair were second ; and seven pens, including 

 a good pair of Laced, received notice, proving the closeness 

 of the competition. 



In Jacobins ten pens were sent for Mr. Lawrence's cup, 

 which was taken by a beautiful pair of Eeds, very small and 

 fine, an equal match, with good hood and chain, belonging 

 to Mr. Esquilant; fine Blacks were second; while Eeds 

 (two pens), and Blacks were highly commended. 



In Turbits fifteen pens were exhibited, Mr. Lawrence's cup 

 being awarded to a splendid pair of shell-crowned Eeds, 

 clean and fine, belonging to Mr. S. Shaw; a small pair of 

 peaked-crowned Blues were second ; two pairs of good Yel- 

 lows and a pair of Silvers receiving high commendation. 



The Owls formed a beautiful class of a dozen entries, Mr. 

 Lawrence's cup falling to Mr. Sanday's fine pair of Whites, 

 shown in capital condition, with the exception of the hen 

 being slightly picked on the Head. Mr. Eden took second 

 with very good Blues, a good match ; and the Blue cocks in 

 each of the pens shown by Messrs. Else and Fielding were 

 highly commended, as well as a pair of Whites belonging to 

 the latter. 



In the class for Trumpeters fourteen pens competed. The 

 cup, given by distant fanciers, was won by Mr. J. E. Eobin- 

 son with a splendid pair of Black Mottles, good in rose 



