113 



informed me of some Squeakers doing Newmarket to London ; I spoke to him on the 

 subject, he admitted they had thrown a feather, and they were G-runters instead of 

 Squeakers. Reading Bell's Life, The Field, and other papers, I often read of bets and 

 matches at Birmingham, Sheffield, Yorkshire, Manchester, and other places, for a home 

 and home match, four or five miles : the distance is nothing ; I admit the difference 

 of a few seconds in which the winning bird does it. If you want a good home and 

 home match, make a match from London and Birmingham, London and Shefl&eld, Lon- 

 don and Manchester, or London and Liverpool ; this would be something like a homing 

 match ; four or five miles is nothing, when you read the account of Beards of five- 

 eighths doing Dover to London, or Grunters doing Newmarket to London ; every man 

 has not the opportunities to train and practise his birds like others. I have known 

 some most viUainous things come to light in Fanciers trusting others to toss their birds . 

 The late Mr, Spicer, who formerly kept the Peacock at Islington, had great facilities 

 over others in tossing birds ; formei'ly the coaches to Birmingham, Manchester, and 

 Liverpool, stopped at his house, and the coachmen and guards used to practise his birds 

 for him ; still it is a great pity that these sharp, subtle, cunning birds, even if shop- 

 keepers knew that one of these birds had performed a hundred miles, they would not 

 give you more than sixpence or ninepence for it at most. I cannot help thinking it 

 is very disheartening to any one who keeps these sagacious birds ; if I wanted to breed 

 a cunning or sharp bird, I would get the best sky blue, with black bars across the 

 flight. Dragon cock, and the best sky blue, with black bars across the flight, hen Owl, 

 by this means you would get beautiful feathered sharp birds, if you get nothing else. It 

 is possible you might obtain the white eye from the long-faced Beard ; one thing I am 

 certain of, the Owl shews itself very prominent in these birds, although there are 

 a wonderful many mealy feathered birds called Antwerps, some of them very pleasant 

 to look at. I beheve they are only half-bred birds, whereas, the genuine as I would 

 call it, right or wrong, blue or chequered Antwerp, that looks volumes at you, is the 

 bird that accomplishes the work. 



PIGEON FLYING IN BELGIUM. 



TO THE EDITOE OP THE POULTEY CHEONICLB. 



257. (Eaton.) — Sie, — I have taken the liberty of forwarding you accounts of the 

 great flying match from Marseilles to Brussels. I beheve there are many Pigeon Fan- 

 ciers who read your valuable Poultry Chronicle who may not have seen the account, 

 but who would feel deeply interested in it, particularly the Gentlemen of the Flying 

 Fancy. For myself, I believe it is true. I have heard it said that Pigeons have done 

 two thousand miles, which I do not believe, owing to the difiiculty of practising them ; 

 for, however well the birds are bred, they will not home without practising them. I 

 have heard that Fanciers on the Continent take as deep an interest in their extraordi- 

 nary birds and matches as some persons take in this country with their race horses 

 and the Derby. What will our Brother Flying Fanciers in this country say to this 

 homeing match ? Simply, " It is a fly with a vengeance." 



258. (Eaton.) — Should you, in your judgment, think it worth recording in your 

 valuable Poultry Chronicle, I shall feel grateful. A Brother Fancier, 



JOHN MATTHEWS EATON. 



7, Islington Green, London. N. 



(Taken from a Weekly Paper.) 



259. — "A sweepstakes for a fly of eight hundred miles (from Marseilles to Brus- 

 sels) came of on Sunday, the 16th instant, but, owing to the extreme severity of the 

 weather, did not prove as satisfactory as some previous ones. There were eighteen 

 prizes, the first three of which were taken on the 19th, the others not until the 24th. 

 The first prize was gained by M. Deheneffe, of Namur ; 2nd, by M. Simonis, of 

 Liege ; 3rd, by J. Vanhaellen ; 4th, by M. Dehenefi"e, of Namur ; 5th, by M. Delorge, 

 of Namur ; 6th, bv M. Defoux, of Namur ; 7th, by do. ; 8th, by M. Chantraine, of 

 Namur ; 9th, by M. Bridt, of Namur ; 10th, by M. Engelen, of Antwerp ; 11th, by 

 M. Mitchell, of Kockelberg ; 12th, by M. Laurent, of Namur; 13th, by M. Win- 

 terainken, of Antwerp ; 14th, by M. Deneyer, of Brussels ; 15th, by M. Putaert, of 

 Molenbeck ; 16th, by M. A. Coopers, of Brussels ; 17th, by M. Decock, of Boom ; 

 H 



