144 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ February 17, issi. 
thought I would try a cross, so in October of that year I purchased 
a dark Dorking cockerel which 1 mated with eight of my Brahma 
hens. During the month of .4pril, 1880, I set five hens with 
thirteen eggs each. The result was that in May I had forty-five 
chickens. In August I selected fourteen pullets uniform in colour, 
&c., and sold off the remainder. The earliest of the fourteen 
pullets commenced laying on November 14th. In November they 
laid 43 eggs ; in December 210 ; in January 129, and in the pre¬ 
sent month they have laid up to date, February 12th, 77, thus 
making a total for the three months of 459. The weather in 
January was anything but favourable for the production of eggs. 
We had continued frost from the 8th until the 28th ; the ther¬ 
mometer registered 30° of frost on two nights. The roosting 
house is a small roughly built house with sheltered yard for run. 
The food I use is barleymeal or sharps given warm in morning, 
scraps and bones broken up small for their midday meal, with 
Indian corn for their third meal. They have skim milk to drink 
when it can be spared. Some of my neighbours have fifty or 
sixty fowls, all mongrels, and have had no eggs all the winter. 
How is it ?— Jno. Campbell. 
TOY PIGEONS—THE SWALLOW. 
This pretty variety in its present distinct form has, we believe, 
been produced within the last thirty-five years. We do not find it 
mentioned in “ The Dovecote and Aviary,” published in 1851 ; but 
Mr. B. P. Brent in his little book, which was written about 1855, 
from his large knowledge of „German lofts gave an accurate 
account of it. He says, “ They are generally called Swallows, 
which name they derive from their plumage, especially the Blue 
ones, much resembling That of the Tern, a small species of Gull, 
which is also called the Sea Swallow.” We cannot, however, 
help thinking that its name must be due not so much to its 
plumage as to its flight, which is most peculiar, and exactly 
like that of the Tern. The form of the Swallow is Trumpeter¬ 
like, and it undoubtedly has some Trumpeter blood ; indeed, we 
have seen Pigeons in old pictures somewhat between the modern 
Swallow and the Trumpeter. The Swallow is, however, a much 
smaller and lighter bird. Like the Trumpeter it has a hood or 
shell of inverted feathers at the back of the head, and has feathered 
feet and shanks. 
Its plumage is of white and some one colour clearly defined, 
like the Turbit, though the markings of white and colour re¬ 
spectively are very different. The coloured parts are the whole of 
the head within the hood, which must itself be white, the wings 
and the foot-feathering. It is to be remarked in Mr. Brent’s 
words, “ Respecting the wings, they must be wholly coloured ; 
but the scapular feathers that overlay the shoulders are white, 
giving the coloured wings a narrow appearance, which is regarded 
as a point of much importance ; ” also that “ the feet or slippers 
are coloured only from the heel or hock-joint downwards, the 
trousers or feathers hanging down the legs or thighs being white.” 
The head of the Swallow, and its beak, is rather long and like 
the Dovehouse Pigeon, the upper mandible dark, and the lower 
light. 
The coloured parts of Swallows are of various colours—red, 
yellow, black, and blue—the latter colour sometimes with black 
bars on the wings, and sometimes with plain blue wings, in which 
case the flight feathers are of a darker shade of blue. One of the 
chief beauties of the breed is that its colours are found of great 
soundness and richness ; we have often passed on at the great 
shows from the Turbit classes to the Swallows, and have wished 
that the former could be found of as glossy black or as sound 
yellow as the latter. Of course the markings must be very clear 
and defined ; and here we fear, especially in the case of the 
coloured head and white hood, the hand of the improver is some¬ 
times busy. The foot-feathering should be as long and thick as 
possible. “Fairy Swallows” are of Swallow form but with dif¬ 
ferent combinations of colour— e.g., some have plain white heads, 
some white wings with coloured flights, some spots on the fore¬ 
head, but they are scarcely worth notice. 
It is many years since we first saw a collection of Swallows at 
the Peristeronic meeting in Great Queen Street, and were charmed 
with them. They were exhibited by the late Mr. Matthew Wicking. 
His cages were crammed with them, all good and uniform, and 
the sight was a beautiful one. Probably there were no individual 
birds quite up in exhibition points to the present lovely specimens 
shown by Mr. Bulley or Mr. Tedd. Subsequently Mr. Wicking 
was kind enough to present us, though personally unknown to 
him, with a bird to mate with one we procured from Germany, 
and we bred Swallows for several years, though not for show. 
They are excellent breeders, make good nests, and tend their 
young carefully. They are hardy and active on the wing and 
thoroughly suited to a country place, where their variety of 
plumage and elegant flight can be seen in the open air.—C. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Eggs and Poultry Musty (J. C .).—We have never known Maize to cause 
mustiness in eggs or poultry, and imagine that it is in your case caused rather 
by something wrong in the place where they are kept. Eggs will get a musty 
flavour from being kept in musty straw or hay, or sometimes from being kept in 
a damp place. The same remark would apply to dead poultry. 
Egg Tester (J.G.). —Egg-testers can be had from any of the incubatormakers. 
Messrs. Christy of 155, Fenchurch Street, supply a simple and effective one. Mr. 
Alfred Perry of Cogenhoe Farm, Northampton, also sells a rather more expen¬ 
sive article. We never find it necessary to use an egg-tester, as by closing the 
first finger and thumb round the egg lengthways, and then holding the egg 
between the eye and a strong light, the fertility or non-fertility can be easily 
ascertained. By giving the egg a slight turn with the fingers of the other hand 
the movements of the germ which floats at the top can be seen at a very early 
stage. 
Fowls with Cold (Idem ).—Separate the birds which are affected from 
the rest, and put them in a dry and rather warm place. Put a few drops of sul¬ 
phuric acid and a few drops of nitric acid in the drinking water, adding a little 
sugar to make it palatable. Feed on soft food mixed warm and seasoned with 
a little cayenne pepper. Wash the nostrils with McDougall’s fluid carbolate 
diluted with water, but take care it does not reach the eyes. If the birds be not 
better in a few days write again. Do you pay proper attention to the housing 
and cleanliness of your birds ? We shall be pleased to have the accounts you 
speak of. 
Shell-less Eggs (B. Jackson ).—The soft eggs dropped by your birds inti¬ 
mate that their egg-organs are over-excited. The food you give them is much 
too stimulating—Indian Corn, Barley, and ground Oats. Omit the first-named 
entirely, and give the Barley and Oats on alternate days, and mashed Potatoes 
instead ot one feeding of corn daily. Give them a daily supply of Lettuce 
leaves, and have a heap of bricklayers’ limy rubbish that they can visit whenever 
they please. 
Poultry Farming (Horlus ).—We cannot recommend you in your circum¬ 
stances to invest your capital in poultry farming. There are no doubt people in 
various parts of the country who earn a living by the rearing of poultry and 
Ducks for the market, but to deal with them successfully some actual experience 
is absolutely indispensable to success. The return in eggs varies so much in 
different birds, and in the same birds under different circumstances, that, except 
with the very best management and with birds selected and bred expressly 
with a view to laying purposes, success is very difficult of attainment. You 
might combine, say, the growth of Grapes with the rearing of early chickens in 
the vinery for market with profit. We did know of a case in which such an 
undertaking showed every indication of success, but unfortunately the death of 
the proprietor put an end to the experiment. Should you determine upon 
making the attempt we should think that nearness to a town or city in which 
you could dispose of eggs as fresh eggs at good prices would be of greater im¬ 
portance to you than proximity to a seaport where grain would be cheap. Grain 
damaged by salt water is frequently injurious to fowls, and we have always 
found it more advantageous to use good sound grain in preference to damaged. 
The best pure-laying breeds are Spanish, Minorcas, Andalusians, Leghorns, and 
Hamburghs, but the Leghorns and Hamburghs lay as a rule rather small eggs. 
You will, we think, find a good deal of information which would be useful to 
you in our article on “Eggs in Winter ” in last week’s number. 
Parrot Eating Feathers (Passagei ).—We think it very probable that the 
sulphur remedy mentioned by Col. Taylor on page 122 would be beneficial and is 
worthy of trial; judiciously given the sulphur could not do the bird any 
injury. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE,LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8'0” W.; Altitude.lll feet. 
date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAT. 
Rain. 
1881. 
Feb. 
■ o 
SS <3 — 
- « 0> O) 
P 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
gr&ss. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 6 
29.845 
34.5 
31.8 
N.W. 
40.0 
40.0 
32.7 
79.8 
29.2 
Mon. 7 
30.028 
34.7 
32.4 
S. 
38.3 
37.2 
26.7 
38.6 
23.3 
0.386 
Tues. 8 
29.180 
40 6 
43.8 
w. 
37.9 
41). 6 
33.3 
78.7 
31.7 
0.015 
Wed. 9 
29.704 
41.9 
38.4 
N.W. 
39.3 
47.4 
41.3 
71.4 
36.6 
0.423 
Thurs. 10 
29.041 
49 2 
48.8 
W. 
40.2 
51.0 
39.6 
90.2 
38.3 
0.080 
Friday 11 
29.087 
39.7 
38.7 
N.E. 
40.7 
44.4 
37.5 
78.2 
33.4 
_ 
Satur. 12 
30.013 
33.4 
32.4 
N.W. 
38.9 
40.8 
30.4 
76.9 
27.3 
— 
Means. 
29.550 
40.0 
38.0 
39.* 
44.3 
34.5 
72.4 
31.4 
0.904 
REMARKS. 
6th.—Very fine and dry, bright sunshine from sunrise to sunset. 
L 7 th.—Cold, with high gusty-wind ; snow in forenoon, which quickly disappeared ; 
rain after 5 p.M.; heavy at 8.60 P.u. ; lightning from 10.30 P.M. to 
11.30 p.m. 
8th.—Gale during the night; stormy day, heavy showers, and sunshine at 
intervals ; fine evening, starlight. 
9th.—Very fine wdth sunshine all the morning; overcast in afternoon, rain 
from 5.30 P.M. 
10th.—Very stormy, high gusty wind ; heavy showers in morning, sunshine at 
intervals; calm in evening and moonlight; rain at 10 P.M., and wind high 
again till midnight. 
11th.'—Cold, with slight showers of snow and sleet, and high gusty wind during 
the day ; evening fine and calmer. 
12th.—Very fine, bright, clear, and cold, 
A squally week, with very great oscillation of the barometer, especially 
between the 11th and 12th. Much more sunshine than for some time past.— 
G. J. Symons. 
