February 9. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
heard. The building is sufficiently spacious, including the 
galleries, for a very large display of poultry, but having 
been adapted for gas-light use, it is unfortunately not pro¬ 
vided with sufficient windows to light it effectually in the 
day-time, especially at this dull season of the year. Some 
temporary openings had been made to remedy, in some 
degree, this defect; but still there was not light enough to 
show the birds to advantage. 
But even with this drawback the exhibition was a good 
one, for the Committee, headed by their chairman, Mr. 
\\ anklyn, had made excellent arrangements for the recep¬ 
tion and care of the specimens, and for the accommodation 
of the subscribers and spectators; and the area of the 
building was, moreover, large enough to enable them to 
have all their pens placed on a level, and covered with wire 
netting, so that all the light which the place afforded was 
made available, and the unfairness so much and so justly 
complained of where specimens are placed at different 
heights was avoided. In the body of the Hall, the pens 
were arranged in rows, with broad alleys between them ; on 
the platform were three more rows of yens, anil two rows 
extended around the galleries. The Turkics, Geese, and 
Aylesbury Bucks, were penned in a small adjoining building, 
communicating with the Hall; and a refreshment-room, 
with offices for the secretary and his staff', completed the 
arrangements. 
Whether as regards quantity or quality, the Show, as a 
whole, may be safely pronounced highly creditable both to 
the promoters and exhibitors. The classes, as is always 
the case, were somewhat unequal in point of merit; but in 
most, if, indeed, not in all of them, some good specimens 
were shown, and in several there were few bad ones. A 
wet morning rather thinned the company on the Tuesday ; 
but the weather cleared-up as the day advanced, and the 
Hall soon became thronged with a company so numerous 
as to show that the prevailing taste for poultry had not 
failed to extend itself even to the metropolis of our manu¬ 
factures. 
In offering a brief commentary on the different classes 
the Spanish first claim our attention. These were arranged 
in three classes, numbering together 70 pens, and com¬ 
prising some of the best birds the kingdom can produce. 
The coloured Borkinys, also, were numerous and highly 
meritorious, Capt. Hornby carrying oft' the principal prizes 
in all three classes. The Cochins had some good speci¬ 
mens, but we do not think that they were equal, in the 
whole, either to the Spanish or Borkinys. There were a few 
pens of good Malays, but nothing deserving especial notice. 
The Game classes did not muster so strong as we should 
have expected, but among them were some very fine spe¬ 
cimens of this truly English fowl,—in our opinion, the hand¬ 
somest to look at, and the best for the table, of all the 
varieties of our domestic poultry. The Hamburyhs came 
next, and were fairly represented ; but there was nothing 
very remarkable amongst them, if wo except the pen of 
silver-spangled chickens, to which tho first prize in their 
class was awarded and which were among the very best we 
ever saw. The Polands were both numerous and good, and 
some of the classes received the commendations of the 
.Judges collectively. Those attractive little favourites, the 
Bantams, were also in good force, and added their mite to 
the interest of the feathered fowl. A class which we do not 
remember to have seen before came next, being‘for “ a cock 
and hen more than one year old, of any variety," and in it 
no less than five prizes were offered. This brought together 
some very fine specimens of almost every variety, and re¬ 
sulted in the first prize being carried-off by a splendid pair 
of Capt. Hornby’s Spanish, the two next by Borkinys, the 
fourth by Dr. Gwynne’s Brahma Pootras, and the fifth by a 
fine pair of Andalusians. Tho next classes were for single 
cocks of the different varieties, and they brought together 
an assemblage of good, bad, and indifferent, in which the 
latter quality appeared to us to predominate. The Geese 
were not numerous, but there were a few good pens among 
them. The Backs exhibited nothing very remarkable in 
point of quality. There were some very fine Turkics, the 
three which obtained the first prize weighing together 54 lbs. 
A few good pens of “ extra stock," comprising several va¬ 
rieties, and including a pair of the finest Turkey Poults we 
ever remember to have seen, completed the list of 913 pens, 
367 i 
forming together an exhibition of which an older society 
might justly be proud. 
From a very competent Correspondent we have the fol¬ 
lowing additional notes •— 
“A new feature (and among the exhibitors of first-class 
birds it proved a most popular one) was the positive pro 
hibition of sticks, umbrellas, or parasols, in the hands ot 
visitors, all being left in the care of a party provided to 
take charge of them till the owners were about to leave; 
tho only exception being in favour of tho Judges. By this i 
arrangement the comforts of the imprisoned poultry were 
readily ensured, and not only was tho noise occasioned by , 
the screaming of alarmed fowls greatly lessened, but it was ! 
pleasing to see the air of quiet contentment that reigned 
tin ougli out; it would be well if tbe same course was adopted i 
generally, for much of the after indisposition, so much com- | 
plained of in fowls returned from exhibitions, no doubt ' 
proceeds from the constant state of irritation kept up by the 
Perpetual violence of thoughtless visitors. I must give 
the highest credit to the general management and peculiar 
cleanliness of the exhibition, and the really untiring efforts 
of all the committee to carry out all their plans with order 
and regularity. 
“In speaking of the different classes, the Spanish, as usual, 
took precedence on the catalogue; here, too, they did most 
undoubtedly take precedence of every collection of this 
variety that has competed at public exhibitions, tho rivalry 
and competition being very far beyond the aggregate ; the 
avenue appropriated to this variety seemed quite the most 
popular-, while many and urgent were the disquisitions here 
held on the individual merits of particular pens. When it 
is stated that the far-famed pens of Capt. Hornby, whose 
oft-repeated successes have been so frequently blazoned in 
the public prints, here had to doff their laurels to a new¬ 
comer, some little idea' of the severity of the struggle for 
mastery in this class may be imagined.* The first prize 
were, undoubtedly, the best-conditioned fowls we ever saw, 
and all the most fastidious could desire. In the Spanish, 
Capt Homby secured no less, however, than three first, a 
second, and a third prize; whilst in coloured Borkinys the 
superiority of that gentleman’s strain was fully apparent,— 
three first, three second, and a third prize being awarded. 
Of the coloured Borkinys it is impossible to speak more 
highly than their due, for not only were they in excellent 
condition, but tho most closely matched that we have yet 
seen. The While Borkinys were really but little worthy of 
admiration ; for though a few pens were exceedingly good 
fowls, they presented that “uncared-for” appearance, the 
very opposite of what should exist in birds where the com¬ 
petition is a good one, if their owners entertain reasonable - 
desire for success. I felt quite astonished at the obvious 
degeneracy of the Buff Cochins, for though in point of 
numbers there was nothing to complain of, I in vain 
looked for those especial favourites that were so deservedly 
coveted in former days; this it is difficult to account for, 
except from the fact of too great attention being given by 
breeders generally to colour, to the almost complete neglect 
of more essential characteristics. The Black class, too, was 
very indifferent, as also the Partridye-feuthered, and in each 
section many prizes were, therefore, withheld. In White ■ 
Cochins some very excellent pens were exhibited, and the i 
fowls of G. Peters, Esq., of Birmingham, were exceedingly 1 
successful. In the Game classes the competition was j 
necessarily very closely contended, this breed of fowls having ‘ 
been, for more than two centuries, the most carefully ma¬ 
naged in the surrounding districts of any part of the United 
Kingdom : “ the old Derby breed” (of black-breasted reds) 
having, in the days when the cruel practice of cock-fighting 
was in the ascendant, proved their capabilities in the cock¬ 
pit of superiority, as they now did in the exhibition-pen. 
Never were there more beautifully-feathered, highly-condi¬ 
tioned, or perfect specimens brought into competition. 
“ In Amateur Prizes (tho award being to a single cock), the 
specimens were deserving of all praise, and found ready 
purchasers at liberal prizes,—one twelve guineas,—on which 
a very considerable advance was afterwards offered to the 1 
purchaser, but refused. Several other single birds were also 1 
eagerly sought for by amateurs, so that most changed hands. 
* It is but fair to state that Capt. Hornby’s pen of best birds 
not there. 
were 
