December G, 1S64. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



463 



very good. Any other variety, four peas. In this class Mr. 

 G. S. Sainsbury, of Devizes, took first prize with an excellent 

 pen of Blacks. 



Last of all came Sweepstakes for the best Game cock, 

 fourteen entries, and only one superior one of the whole 

 fourteen — viz., the prize belonging to Mr. R. Elling, of 

 Sutton Parva. Of the rest there was one goad one, which 

 was highly commended; its owner was Mr. Henry Steven- 

 son, of Chippenham. 



Such was the Chippenham Show — a pleasant little Show 

 always. The visitors were numerous, and the ladies as 

 usual left the fat pigs to themselves (by the way, why is 

 not a pint of eau de Cologne sprinkled each hour over these 

 creatures ?) and any male who stood long in front of a pen, 

 as I frequently did, was in danger of having his calves 

 rasped by crinoline, and, what was worse, being considered 

 very much in the way. — Wiltshire Rectok. 



MUEDEE AMONG DUCES. 

 I keep my poultry inside a wired yard, from which they 

 can get in or out of their houses at pleasure. Amongst them 

 I have Aylesbury and Rouen Ducks, and some time since 

 having a few Muscovy Ducks I put them into the same place, 

 when the latter were attacked one night by some animal 

 and killed, the blood being sucked through a deep hole in 

 the neck. Since then the other Ducks have been unmo- 

 lested, but having got a few more Muscovy Ducks a day or 

 two since I again left them in the same yard, and this morn- 

 ing I found three of them killed and three others wounded. 

 This time an Aylesbury was attacked as well, and its feathers 

 gnawed off in a singular manner. All the dead Ducks were 

 killed by a wound in the neck, but those wounded had their 

 feathers gnawed off. The question I wish to ask is, Do you 

 think that there is any particular odour about the Muscovy 

 which would attract a weasel, as the hole in the neck leads 

 me to suppose that he was the robber, although the gnawed 

 back and feathers point to some other vermin ? — An Old 



SuBSCEEBEE. 



[There is, unquestionably, a peculiar smell about Muscovy 

 Ducks, but we have never heard that it attracted vermin. 



Ducks do not make wounds or suck blood, but their fight- 

 ing is always by biting at the back of the neck, and they 

 continue to do so till all feathers are gone, and it is bleeding. 

 A new comer on the pond would be likely to be thus treated 

 by the old inhabitants, and such an one would be an easy 

 prey to any vermin. 



If not previously injured, a weasel would hardly overcome 

 a Muscovy Duck, as she is strong and would take to the 

 water.] 



BEAHMA POOTEAS. • 



So much has been written in the Journal (which I take in 

 regularly), on the subject of the origin of Brahma Pootras, 

 that I feel I must add my little experience on the subject. 

 So long ago as 1848 or 1849, a friend sent me some eggs which 

 he called "Malays." The chickens, however, proved to be 

 not "Malays," for they had feathered legs. It was before 

 the rage for Cochins commenced, so I only kept one pair, 

 and that more out of respect for the friend who had given 

 me the eggs than from any particular fancy that I had for 

 the "new breed ;" for such I really considered them to be. 



From that pair I had one particular hen that had not only 

 the feathered legs, but also the vulture-hock. I considered her 

 something out of the common way, so preserved her eggs. 

 Prom her I bred fowls varying in colour, and also in charac- 

 teristics. One cock I sent to the Crystal Palace Show, where 

 he was much admired, and I was told that if I had had 

 pullets to show with him I should have gained a prize. 



The birds I have now, all arising from this original pair, 

 are decidedly Brahma Pootras; are very hardy, excellent 

 layers, gentle in temper, and good mothers. They vary, how- 

 ever, much in colour, but are chiefly white, with black hackle 

 and tail, are tall handsome birds, and are generally more or 

 less vulture-hocked. 



If t hi s will in any degree help your readers to the settle- 

 ment of the vexed question of the origin of Brahma Pootras, 

 I shall be happy, My own opinion is, that they are a mixed 



breed, but by selecting and keeping only the best specimens 

 they will, ere long, become a decided breed. — A. G. 



P.S. — The bird shown at the Crystal Palace I have still 

 (stuffed), he having died shortly afterwards. He was white, 

 with black hackle and tail, vulture-hocked, and feather- 

 legged. 



If I cannot give any further information I will reply to 

 any notice among your answers to correspondents with which 

 you may favour me. One thing I must add, that my birds 

 do not crow with the prolonged howl of the Cochin-Chinas. 



SATINETTE PIGEONS. 



I have noticed in one of your Numbers the remarks and 

 opinions of Mr. B. P. Brent respecting the Satinettes, which 

 breed I only have imported in this country, and I bred those 

 so successfully exhibited in almost every show in England for 

 the last two years. I now possess the original imported 

 birds with other young ones of them, by far superior to 

 those exhibited and so much praised. 



Allow me now to inform Mr. Brent that the Satinettes 

 are quite a distinct variety in their native land, where I 

 have seen them in large numbers as much as fifteen years 

 back, and there are three different varieties in colour, and I 

 possess all the three. The thoroughbred Satinettes ought 

 to be with feathered legs, and cannot be had with cap at all. 

 I hope Mr. Brent will be satisfied after this, that the Sati- 

 nettes are quite a distinct breed and far superior to Turbits 

 with which they will not hold any relations. — H. Note. 



NOTES BY AN OLD FANCIER AT THE 

 SOUTHAMPTON BIRD SHOW. 



In the first place the foreign birds and stuffed specimens 

 were a show in themselves, and well worth a day's journey to 

 see. I certainly expected to see more Canaries and British 

 birds. The latter were very scarce ; and I think too much is 

 charged for entry, seeing one prize is only given, and that of 

 a very small amount. Of course, I heard much grumbling — 

 amongst disappointed exhibitors, I suppose, but I could see 

 plainly, that some of the awards were unfairly made, and 

 will give some of the cases in which I dissent from the decision 

 of the Judges. 



The Clear Yellow and Clear Buff Norwich justly received 

 the prizes given them. The "worst" bird in the Norwich 

 Variegated Buff received first prize, whereas Mr. "Walter, 

 of Winchester, and Mr. Mackley, of Norwich, ought to have 

 had first and second. The Gold Lizards were a nice class, 

 but No. 32, which ought to have had first prize, was only 

 highly commended. In the groups of Norwich, too, the 

 prizes should have been reversed. Mr. Walter's birds were 

 a better colour than those of Mr. Mackley. The greatest 

 mistake, I consider, was made in the Clear Yellow Belgian 

 Class. The "best" bird in the class, or in the Show, only 

 received a high commendation, and it must have been very 

 annoying to the exhibitor, Mr. Triggs, of Landport, to have 

 been passed over. A different result will ensue if these 

 birds meet at any other show, and I hope they may. I am 

 not singular in my opinion, for I met many old and respected 

 fanciers at the Show, and we compared the birds together ; 

 among them were Mr. Judd, of London, no mean judge, and 

 many others whom I read of in your columns ; and last, 

 though not least, was one of the respected Judges of the 

 Crystal Palace Bird Show, Mr. Moore. The prizes should 

 also have been reversed in the Belgian groups. I could only 

 see "two" birds in the first-prize cage; whereas, "three" 

 were in the second cage. I am afraid there was not enough 

 time allowed to the Judges to do their work properly, for at 

 this time of the year it is dark till a late hour in the morn- 

 ing and the exhibitions generally open about twelve. — 

 Richd. Taylor, Pcrtsea, Hampshire. 



OPEN DEIYING. 

 During the past autumn I have driven bees very exten- 

 sively without confining them in any way, somewhat iu the 

 manner advocated by "J. W. G. C." in page 372 of ths last 

 Volume of The Journal of Horticulture, but omitting 



