204 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t March 10 , issi. 
applied as well to natural as to artificial incubation, do not alto¬ 
gether negative this traditional idea. We avow at the same time 
that, without absolutely arriving at any rule upon the subject, the 
results obtained under these conditions have presented a certain 
advantage. 
The Turkey hens which have ended by hatching can hatch out 
without any interval four or five clutches. They have been some¬ 
times known to hatch as many as eight. As each batch is hatched 
out one mother takes charge of all the chickens, and the others 
continue to act as hatching machines. 
In spite of its simplicity this system of winter incubation pre¬ 
sents much inconvenience and gives much cause for anxiety. The 
eggs are broken by such of the hens as are too heavy or awkward, 
and the chickens are frequently crushed just before hatching out. 
The nests are fouled, and an evil which is without any certain 
remedy—the hatchers are covered with insects, with which they 
affect their chickens. The persons who carry on this mode of 
hatching reckon that from about four hundred eggs they will 
obtain a hundred chickens. Even admitting that the clear eggs 
can be removed (which is very difficult in consequence of the 
birds fouling their nests to such an extent that it is impossible 
to see through the eggs) and that the eggs are not broken, ten 
Turkeys at least must be employed to obtain this meagre result. 
Then how many anxieties are entailed by this abnormal method 
of hatching ! It is necessary to take off the Turkey hens and 
clean the nests each morning, a work which cannot but be re¬ 
pugnant to the henwife ; then what a quantity of food has to be 
given to the birds ! All this is a mere nothing, however, com¬ 
pared to what may happen if an epidemic should reach the yard ; 
then fifty or a hundred hatchers die in a few days, and there is 
nothing but ruin for a poultry yard in which the hatching is so 
managed. 
TOY PIGEONS—AFRICAN OWLS. 
There is no race of Pigeons which more truly merits the appel¬ 
lation of “Toy” than these little beauties of the sunny South. In 
our descriptions of nearly all the varieties of Toy Pigeons we have 
begun with due deference to the fanciers of the past by quoting 
descriptions of each breed from the older Pigeon books. In the 
present case we cannot do so, for the good reason that these diminu¬ 
tive Owls were unknown to English fanciers half a century ago. 
We owe their importation to the rapidity of transport in these days, 
as we owe the multitude of Parrots and other foreign birds imported 
by Mr. Cross and others, and which can now be purchased for a 
tilhe of the price which our grandfathers gave for such exotics. 
The general characteristics of the African Owl are the same as those 
of the old English breed of Owls, save that its size is only about 
half that of the latter. 
We believe that the first specimens of the variety ever seen in 
England were imported by Mr. Yernon Harcourt of Newnham 
some twenty years ago ; they were white and very small. About 
eight years ago we saw a number of their descendants which had 
sadly degenerated in head properties and increased in size, from the 
stock being allowed to breed in a haphazard fashion. Their home 
is the northern shores of Africa, Algiers, and Tunis. We have also 
seen some imported from the Levant. In form they should be 
short in body with head well thrown back, very short in face and 
beak, very down-faced, and very round in head, their breast frill 
round and full. Their colours when exhibited should be pure 
white, blue, or black. Some of the prettiest and most costly when 
perfectly marked are white with tail of some colour, as black or blue. 
In Africa they are bred more for form than feather. Their breeders, 
we believe, refuse to pick out those of any special marking, and 
consequently the great importers are obliged to take large and 
mi-cellaneous flights. We have seen beautiful collections freshly 
arrived at Mr. Baily’s establishment in Mount Street, but the larger 
proportion of them, though capital in head properties, were not in 
feather such as to suit fanciers of feather ; hence the high prices of 
the very few selected from them as match pairs. A young fancier 
who has a good chance can hardly do better than pick up at 
moderate prices some of the mismarUed birds. We once purchased 
a tiny blue cock, exquisite in form, but with white cheeks and some 
white in flights ; his produce were very good, probably as good as 
from a perfect bird at five guineas. To those, too, not entirely 
devoted to the exhibition mania there is a charm in looking for 
variety in the produce of our birds. 
African Owls are said to be delicate, and we believe that there are 
well-known instances of large and expensive flights being carried 
off by exposure to east winds. We can only say that the above- 
mentiolled little cock reached us in the month of November, and 
insisted upon roosting and nesting through the winter in an open cart 
shed, apparently to the great advantage of his health. Among 
collections of African Owls peak-headed birds are occasionally seen, 
and these when white are sold as White Turbits. Of course foreign 
Owls from the fineness of their heads have been much used to 
improve English Owls. We do not approve of crossing the two 
kinds, and look with suspicion on very small specimens shown as of 
the English type, believing them to have an admixture of foreign 
blood. African Owls are bright and lively little things, and in a 
good situation may have complete liberty.—C. 
Vermin on Fowls. —It seems strange to me to see in the 
“ Country Gentleman,” every now and then, inquiries as to what 
will kill lice on fowls. Let me give you my experience with 
fowls ; then you will see why these inquiries seem strange to me. 
Just about five years ago 1 purchased some show Bantams. When 
the spring of the year came I soon had chickens ; it was not long 
before one or more began to be dumpish, would continually gape, 
and finally die. I could not account for it for some time, but one 
day, just after a pretty Silver chick died, I held it in my hand, 
and on thoughtlessly rubbing up the feathers a little I saw some¬ 
thing on its head, and quickly discovered it to be a patch of lice 
boring into its head, which seemed to me quite enough to cause 
its death. Then I found some under its neck. I had seen in the 
“ Country Gentleman” a statement that kerosene mixed with lard 
enough to prevent its running would kill lice on fowls. I tried 
it, and it thoroughly killed them. I now go over every brood of 
chicks when they are ten or twelve days old, and rub the kerosene 
and lard on their head and under their wings, and wherever else 
I find lice. They look very rough for some hours afterwards, but 
it is not long before they look all right again. From the time I 
began to do this I have had no chickens gaping and dying. I 
lose chickens from time to time, and fowls, but not on account 
of lice.—J. J. (in Albany Country Gentleman). 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Egg Tester (V. S. It.). —You will find full particulars in “Our Letter Box ” 
on page 144, No. 34. 
Spice for Chickens (Idem ).—There are many sorts in the market. We 
never recommend any particular manufacturer. We do not use any. As a 
stimulant we advise bread and ale given once or twice a day. If the food given 
be varied and chosen with due regard to its heat-giving and flesh-forming pro¬ 
perties, stimulants should only be necessary in exceptional cases. 
Curing Egg-eating Hens (C. IF.).—Hens generally eat their eggs from 
want of lime or the material necessary for forming the shell. They eat it first 
for the sake of the shell, in order to form that which is in course of being pro¬ 
duced. Nothing is so good as to throw some baskets of bricklayers’ rubbish 
about in their haunts. It is from want of this that hens in their laying season 
eat the mortar from between the bricks. When they eat the shell they learn to 
like the yolk, and then take to the egg. There is no real cure, but if they are 
watched when they lay, and driven from the nest after the operation is com¬ 
plete, they sometimes give up the habit. Another less troublesome plan is to 
obtain some very hard artificial nest eggs and put them in the nests, and to lay 
them about their haunts. They peck at them, aud finding it fruitless give up 
the habit. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lab. 51° 32'40" N.; Long.0° 8'0” W.; Altitude,111 feet. 
date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
1 Rain. 
I 
1881. 
Feb. 
March. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32° 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 
27 
29.857 
34.0 
33.5 
N.E. 
30.0 
39.1 
30.2 
79.1 
25.9 
0.013 
Mon. 
28 
29.736 
31.4 
30.7 
N. 
35.7 
34.7 
26.9 
67.1 
24.6 
— 
Tnes. 
1 
39.058 
287 
28.7 
N.W. 
35.3 
40.5 
23.7 
84.4 
21.3 
— 
Wed. 
2 
30.257 
34.0 
31.8 
W. 
34.9 
43.4 
27.8 
79.4 
23.7 
— 
Tliurs. 
3 
30.143 
36.7 
33.7 
S.E. 
34.7 
39.0 
33.1 
48.0 
29.3 
0.314 
Friday 
4 
20.544 
37.6 
37.5 
E. 
35.4 
43.4 
34.4 
46.3 
33.6 
0.592 
Satur. 
5 
29.368 
47.6 
47.5 
S. 
3, .3 
57.5 
37.3 
77.2 
37.2 
0.569 
Means. 
30.852 
35.7 
34.8 
3.7.6 
42.5 
30.5 
68.8 
27.9 
1.488 
REMARKS. 
27th.—Slight snow showers in morning; bright sunshine in middle of day; 
starlight evening. 
28th. — Calm, cold ; fine with some sunshine. 
1st.—Fine, cold ; bright sunshine all day. 
2nd.—Fine, bright sunshine in morning; afternoon and evening hazy. 
3rd.—Cloudy and dull; high wind latter part of the day. 
4th.—Damp and misty, with rain greater part of the day. 
5th.—Mild rain in early morning; fair with some sunshine during the day ; 
heavy rain in evening. 
Temperature on the whole rather above the previous week, but still below the 
average. Rainfall much above it, the fall on the last two days being very heavy. 
—G. J. Symons. 
