November 23, 1882.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 491 
for the prize birds there put up. In the Dorking classes but two 
pens changed hands—viz., the first-prize Dark cock at £20 and the 
cup cockerel at £17. Many of the winners were priced at sums 
which we used to consider by no means prohibitory; whence, then, 
comes this apathy of the public to claim them ? Probably the 
general financial depression has something to do with it. Another 
reason is that there will be better choice at Birmingham, and that of 
birds less shown. Fanciers are by degrees realising the fact that the 
greatest winners are not necessarily the best breeders. At Birming¬ 
ham many birds are shown which go to no other shows, hence it is a 
peculiarly good place at which to obtain useful stock birds. The 
highest price we heard of at the Palace was £50 paid for Mr. W. F. 
Addie’s cup Game Bantam pullet. 
It seems to us a pity that at so large an exhibition as the Palace, 
and one which ought to be so generally representative of all poultry, 
White and Black Cochins should be mixed together. When they 
were here shown separately we remember large and good classes of 
both varieties ; now that they are amalgamated the Whites are few, 
and Blacks almost entirely absent. 
We wish the authorities of the Palace, or some other large show, 
could be induced to follow the example of the Poultry Club at 
Cambridge, and give more extended classification for Polish fowls. 
In the classes for “Black or any other colour,” but four cocks and 
six hens were entered, and the sole representative of the “ Any other 
colour” was one Buff cock. 
The popularity of Japanese Bantams seems to increase. The class 
for White Rose-combs had but six entries, that for Sebrights eight, 
and very poor ones too ; White-booted five, and Cuckoos four, while 
no less than twenty pairs of Japanese were entered. It seemed a 
pity to see Lady Dartmouth’s beautiful Frizzles again unnoticed here. 
The Judge considered that they should have been entered in the 
“Any other variety” class. Were Frizzled Cochins or Brahmas 
shown in the classes for such breeds they would undoubtedly be 
passed over. Why should not the same rule obtain in Japanese 
Bantams ? There is something in this argument; at the same time, 
in the case of so purely fancy a breed as Japanese Bantams, the 
points of which have not been very accurately tabulated, we think a 
little more latitude might be given. However, in future we should 
advise her ladyship to enter her beauties in the “ Any other variety ” 
Bantam class. 
We have before us the schedule of the Oxford Ornithological 
Society’s Exhibition, to be held in the Corn Exchange, Oxford, on 
December 6th and 7th. To the 4 usual show of cage birds and cats 
one for Bantams has been added under the patronage of the Bantam 
Club. There are six classes for Game Bantams and six for other 
varieties, all shown singly. There are two selling classes for pairs 
respectively of Game and any other variety of Bantams. There are 
also three classes for pairs of fancy Ducks—viz., Mandarins, Caro- 
linas, and any other ornamental variety. 
We understand that at the meeting of the Bantam Club, held 
during the Crystal Palace Show, the rules of the Club were carefully 
considered, revised, and improved, with reference to the now ex¬ 
tended operations of the Club. Mr. Cress well inquired on behalf of 
several fanciers of Japanese Silkies if this breed could not be encou¬ 
raged by classes at shows held under the patronage of the Club, 
and received an answer in the affirmative. 
At the Farnham Show, held on Tuesday, November 21st, the 
entries were—Poultry, 239 ; Pigeons, 109 ; Cage Birds, 115 ; Rabbits, 
G3 ; Total, 536—not a bad entry for the Show of so young a Society. 
—C. 
POULTRY NOTES AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE SHOW. 
Spanish were more numerous and better in quality than we remem¬ 
ber to have seen for some time past. The old cocks were hardly 
looking their best, and were characterised by some roughness of face. 
The cup went to the winning hen (Street), which had a large, good, 
smooth lobe and a fine face. The second hen had a beautiful rounded 
lobe, but was hardly ready. Cockerels were a very good class, the 
cup going to Mr. Le Sueur for a bird large in face and lobe. Mr. 
Harmer’s second-prize bird and Mr. Underwood’s third were but little 
behind the winner. Pullets though very good were hardly up to the 
cockerels in quality. First (Street), smooth face and nicely rounded 
lobe. 
Hondans were wonderful classes. The cup very properly went to 
Mr. Marx for an old cock which we have never seen surpassed for size 
and quality. We rather preferred third (Lindsey) to second (Boissier), 
as this latter was a shade too dark. We noted h.c. (Wingfieid-Stral- 
ford) and h.c. (Thomas) as being also specially good in quality. The 
winning hen (Mrs. Lane) won by size and colour ; second (Turner) 
being best in head properties. Cockerels were a very good class. Here 
we hardly agreed with the Judge, and preferred second (Nickolls) 
to first, which, though good in crest, was small and rather failed in 
comb. The Dairy Show winner was here properly passed over. 
Pullets again were an especially gcod class and must have been hard 
to judge. We considered 941 (Wingfield-Stratford), only h.c., the 
best. First (Jackson) undoubtedly won by colour, as she was lack¬ 
ing in size and head properties. 
Creve-Catitrs were not numerous, but the winners were quite up to 
the average of those recently seen. Captain Turner was the most 
successful exhibitor, taking the cup and two firsts ; the remaining 
first, that for cockerels, going to Mr. J. Ward. 
La Fleche were a small but good class. Mr. Calvert took first and 
second, Mr. Tegetmeier third. We heard two questions raised as to 
these birds. The first had very large combs, second and third small 
neat combs. Which is correct ? First and second again were without 
crests, third had small crests. Surely one must be wrong. We will 
perhaps have a word to say as to this on another occasion. 
The Hamburgh classes were fairly filled, those for Blacks being 
most numerous. The winners were in nearly all cases first-rate birds, 
but the general quality does not seem to improve. We heard some 
pretty free comments in reference to trimming and comb-cutting, and 
it seems a pity that the Judges are not more severe in ]Dutting down 
such practices. 
Game had 268 entries, but were not, on the whole, up to the quality 
of some former years. Mr. Matthews’ first-prize Black Red cock, 
Messrs. Proctor ifc McKinnon’s winning Black Red cockerel, and 
Mr. C. W. Brierly’s winning Duckwing cockerel were the pick of the 
classes, and were model birds. 
Indian Game were here classed for the first time. All the winners 
came from Cornwall, where this breed is popular. They much re¬ 
semble Malays in type and plumage, though perhaps more brilliant. 
Malays were well represented. Mr. Rallinshaw’s cockerel here 
added another to his list of victories, and the same gentleman stood 
first in the hen class with a hard-feathered pullet of good colour, 
hardly so erect in carriage as we like. 
Polish had a liberal classification, and were fairly numerous. In 
the Spangled classes the indecision of fanciers between lacing and 
spangling has, we think, had an injurious effect. The winning 
Golden-spangled cock (Silvester) was so heavily spangled on breast 
as to be almost black, but otherwise very good. The winners through¬ 
out the Golden classes showed less white in crest and tail than we 
have sometimes seen. The cup for Polish went to a grandly crested 
Silver-spangled cock (Smith), whose chief fault was a straw-coloured 
shade on back and shoulders. 
The winning Brown Leghorn cockerel (Verrey) deservedly took the 
cup for this section, and was the finest we remember to have seen. 
His lobe was very slightly tinged with canary colour, and we cannot 
say that we regard this as a fault. Too much has, we think, been 
made of the pure white lobe, which can hardly be attained in con¬ 
junction with bright yellow legs. The winuing White cockerel 
(Fraser) was another noteworthy bird, though not such a wonder as 
the cupwinner. 
Plymouth Rocks were very numerous, having no less than sixty-five 
entries in two classes ; but there seemed to us to be a great lack of 
quality. The first cockerel (Jackson) was large and shapely, but had 
a white patch on each shoulder. Second (Macdonald) large again, 
bnt a coarse comb and traces of feathers on legs. The winning hens 
were better, the cup going here to Mrs. Ainsworth for a large bird. 
We noted in this class a tendency to abandon the characteristic 
cuckoo marking, in which the two shades of grey blend into each 
other and form bars across the feathers, for a black spangle on a 
white ground. This is effective, but is a new departure which we 
cannot say we incline to favour. 
Andalusian cocks were placed in such a position that they had all 
the light from the back of the pens, which were not covered ; this 
may account for the cup being awarded to a bird with far too much 
white in fact, although otherwise good. 
Minorcas were only moderate. The winning cock about the best ; 
second white in face again. The winning pullet (Dominy) was, we 
thought, the best bird in the two classes. 
Langskans seem as much in need of a standard as ever. The two 
classes were, however, well filled, and some of the winners showed 
wonderful gloss. 
The variety class was a failure in numbers. First went to Scotch 
Greys, second to Yokohamas, and third to Silkies, practically the 
only competitors. 
Game Bantams had an extra incitement in the twenty-five guinea 
challenge cup offered by the Bantam Club. They were wonderful 
classes, but owing to the absence of back covering to the pens and 
to the cold exposed situation in which they were placed, they were 
hardly seen to advantage. Mr. Walton’s well-known Pile cock added 
still further to his trophies by winning the challenge cup for best 
Game Bantam in the Show, and the cup for best in the cock and 
hen classes. The President of the Bantam Club was in great force, 
winning first with a Black Red hen (closely pressed by Mr. Anns with 
a beauty of the same colour), cup in Black Red cockerels with a perfect 
little gem, and two oups and second in Black Red pullets with two 
very perfect birds, of which some good judges preferred the second, 
claimed for £50. Black Rosecombs were a good class. The cupwinners 
(Crowther) good in all points, of the miniature Black Hamburgh type. 
The same exhibitors easily won first and second in the White class 
with very perfect little birds. Japanese had twenty entries and 
were generally good. We cannot agree with the Judge in excluding 
Lady Dartmouth’s beautiful frizzled birds from competition. They 
