January 19. 
THE COTTAGE GA11DENEB. 
305 
generally useful members of the poultry-list; ami is far 
more, we think, to be ascribed to former undue claims on 
their behalf, and extravagant price to which, in many cases, 
they were run up for the purposes of speculation, than to 
their having really fallen short of those qualifications which 
were asserted for them by their wiser friends. In maqy 
localities, where a limited range only can be afforded, no 
fowl will answer better ; and since these conditions are 
necessarily attached to the circumstances of many poultry- 
keepers, we have no fear but that their merits will long 
sustain them in their just position. 
The Hamburgh classes formed no exception to the usual 
character of these birds as at present shown in the southern 
districts of England, and which we have spoken of as far 
behind their appearance in their more favourite northern 
localities. This remark would apply still more strongly to 
the Pencilled than to the Spangled varieties ; among the 
latter, Mr. Wingfield exhibited a pen of Gold-spangled 
birds of great beaut}', but these having only recently passed 
into his possession were not qualified to compete for any 
prize. 
But Game finds should have had precedence of Ham- 
burghs, in the order of the prize-list; and the specimens of 
this race that were here assembled had the fullest right 
to hold their own, for better birds have, probably, never 
before been exhibited at a merely local show of this 
description. In the pen of Duckwings, belonging to E. 
Bodd, Esq., of Penzance, every point required in the Game 
fowl was seen to the best advantage; it would, indeed, have 
been difficult to have found a fault of any kind with these, 
truly admirable specimens. Black-breasted reds, with both 
| white and yellow legs, followed in their several pens, the 
latter taking the lead, though when we came to the chickens 
the former had the pre-eminence. The whole class was 
pronounced “ highly meritorious," and certainly appeared to 
us as most fully meriting this commendation. 
The Polands were also good, especially the Golden, and 
some White birds belonging to Mr. Lawrence; the former 
being the property of Mr. Burton, of Truro. 
Of Bantams we can say but little, since they were few in 
number, and moderate in quality. 
Geese, as was fitting with the exhibition of a society whose 
principal object has been the benefit of the farmer and the 
cottager, came out in great force, the first prize in the old 
class, and the first and second, also, in the young, being 
assigned to Mr. Wingfield ; the first-named pen containing 
Toulouse birds, the second half-bred between Toulouse and 
the common English Goose, and the third Toulouse again. 
George Williams, Esq., had a second prize in the first, and 
was commended in the second class. 
We must repeat the Judge’s general approbation of the 
Ducks. Mr. Bedford’s Aylesbury’s were admirable, also the 
black East Indian, belonging to that same gentleman. Mr. 
Wingfield’s Bouen Ducks were pure specimens of that 
breed, where form and colour have been but too commonly 
sacrificed to mere size by the introduction into the yard of 
large specimens of the common breed, so that both their 
productiveness and the flavour of the flesh have hence 
suffered deterioration. The true plumage of the Bouen 
breed is that of the wild mallard and duck in their re¬ 
spective sexes. Among Ducks of any other variety were 
several pens of very large dun and brown birds. 
In Turkeys, Mr. Williams was all-successful, every prize 
falling to his pens. Mr. Lawrence exhibited, as extra stock, 
some good American Turkey Poults. 
The Pigeons well deserve favourable notice, for nearly 
every class was well represented, and if we give special 
notice to any, it must not be regarded as any slight to the 
remainder. Thus, the White Trumpeters, belonging to the 
Bev. T. Phillpotts, of Porthgwidden, must certainly have 
honourable mention, for better birds of this variety it has 
never been our good fortune to behold. The Nuns, Turbits, 
Owls, Fantails, and one pair of Almond Tumblers, were also 
of great excellence. 
And, now, one sbort sentence of advice to exhibitors 
generally. Select your birds that are intended to be sent 
to an exhibition with greater care. If it is worth your 
while to send any, it is surely worth your while to send the 
best, and for you, or those who have the charge of them, to 
see to their being properly matched to each other. How 
much disappointment follows a neglect of this caution, the 
echoes of any exhibition would easily testify; with two 
or three good birds there constantly appears one so mani¬ 
festly deficient in important points, that the whole pen is 
unavoidably passed over, and a more even pen of birds, 
possibly interior to some in the defective pen, is justly pre¬ 
ferred. Again, do not keep up, or “fat” your birds for ex¬ 
hibition ; a little extra care, a little more nourishing food 
may be advisable, but there is no intention, on such occa¬ 
sions, to show “fat” poultry, and birds in this state will 
neither appear to so much advantage as those with whom 
little beyond their ordinary treatment has been had re¬ 
course to; nor are they in an equally safe condition to 
encounter the fatigue, and consequent disease, to the chance 
of which, after our utmost care, they must be subjected by 
so violent a change in their usual habits and treatment. 
By this time the points of excellence should have been 
sufficiently understood to prevent the annoyance of defeat 
where green or olive-legged White Shanghaes, Polands with 
bronzed wings, White Dorkings, and White Bantams with 
blue legs, and other similar apparent imperfections have 
marred the effect, and lost the victory, to other really good 
specimens in the same pen. 
To the judge, James Eurneaux, Esq., of Scilly, near 
Plymouth, the author of the useful and amusing pamphlet, 
“ The Poultry Pentalogue," the thanks of this Society were 
justly rendered, the decisions being such as might have 
been anticipated from a gentleman who has studied this 
subject with such long-continued attention. 
Truro Poultry Society. —The Second of the Annual 
Poultry Exhibitions, which it is proposed to hold at this 
town, came off on the 5th and 0th of January last. A con¬ 
siderable increase in the number of the pens occupied over 
those of last year, and the general character of their tenants, 
evidenced the continued attention of the poultry-keepers of 
I the West of England to the objects of their care. 
| In the adult Spanish there were seven pens, of which, No. 
11, belonging to Mr. W. G. Bennett, of Truro, took the 
first prize; the second falling to Mr. Blee, of Penzance. 
The chickens of this breed were of moderate quality, and 
the rubicund countenances of even the prize-birds were 
l very far from what we should desire to see in specimens 
! occupying that position. 
When we comp to the Coloured Dorkings we must reite¬ 
rate our opinion expressed with reference to this same 
family at the Penzance Exhibition, for they were generally 
coarse, and in indifferent feather; and the introduction of 
i better blood is here manifestly required. The pens of the 
! White variety were far better filled ; and here Mr. Smith, of 
Scilly,-was successful in the old birds; Mr. Hawke, of Truro, 
in the .young. 
In the adult Buff Shanghaes, we should have been in¬ 
clined, we think, had the choice been permitted us, to have 
taken pen No. 43, belonging to Mr. Lawrence, of Penzance, 
| which received the second prize, rather than that belonging 
to Messrs. C. E. Andrew and Co., No. 41, which was placed 
above them on the prize-list, since in point of form, feather, 
and condition, they appeared to us of greater merit, although 
i it might, certainly, be urged, that Mr. Lawrence’s pens had 
I somewhat too much cinnamon for the cock. In chickens of 
the same variety there were many meritorious birds exhibited, 
Mr. Blee, of Penzance, taking the first prize, with the same 
birds, as we believe, that carried off the second prize at 
Penzance last week. In both these last classes there were 
many commendations, and notwithstanding the late un¬ 
favourable moulting season, the condition of the specimens 
was generally good, although, in several instances, the pre¬ 
sence of a faulty bird, as too often happens, ruined the 
pretensions of companions that might otherwise have been 
distinguished. The brown and partridge-feathered pens, 
beyond a good cock belonging to Mr. Burton, of Truro, in 
No. 79, contained nothing calling for especial notice. 
White Shanghaes were very fairly represented, and the 
Judges were probably occupied for some time with the prize 
pens in either class. If our adherence, indeed, to the judg¬ 
ment ultimately prouounced is a matter of doubt, we would 
much rather assign any difference of opinion to the fact 
that our inspection of the competing pens took place by gas¬ 
light only, when many points are necessarily the more 
involved in doubt. 
