THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— May 20,1850. 
indies in length, and about eighteen indies in breadth from 
tip to tip of the expanded wings ; the beak is long and thin, 
! measuring about three-quarters-of-an-inch, and dark horn- 
coloured ; the coverings of the nostrils reddish-white ; the 
irides of the eyes a bright orange-red, and the edges of the 
: eyelids form a reddish thread-like circle round the eyes ; the 
feet and toes are deep red, and the nails dull black. The 
j general colour of the plumage is a rufus-brown, having an 
I ashen-grey tinge in the male, and varying in depth of colour 
I in different parts of the body; on each side of the neck is 
l a square black spot, some of the feathers forming it have 
i white tips, which give it a pretty chequered appearance; 
the covert feathers of the wings, too, are black, bordered with 
rufus-brown, which also add to their beauty; the pinion 
feathers are dark; the tail long in proportion to the bird, 
the two centre feathers of a rufus-brown colour, the others 
of a slaty.black, tipped with white, the outer feathers having 
a white margin ; these large white spots form a half-circle 
on the spread tail as the bird ilies; the belly and under tail 
coverts are white. The young ones do not have the spots 
on the neck till the first moult, and are more of a uniform 
brown colour; the slender neck, round, plump form of body, 
and large tail, give the Turtle Dove an elegance of shape 
rarely surpassed by the domesticated Pigeons. 
The Turtle Dove is exceedingly shy and wary in its wild 
state ; they frequent the deep woods and thickets, preferring 
a Pine, or Fir tree to build on. The nest is formed of twigs, 
and lined with finer twigs or roots, and but slightly de¬ 
pressed in the centre ; it is often placed on a flat fir bough, 
covered by another; they lay two small white eggs, and 
sit about a fortnight; they feed on all kinds of small grain 
and seeds. Bechstein considers the seed of the Pine tree 
as their principal food. Although so shy in a state of 
nature, yet if the young are taken from the nest and reared 
by hand, or mouth, they become very tame, and will occa¬ 
sionally breed in confinement, and may be permitted to 
enjoy their liberty in summer; but care must be taken to 
confine them at the migratory season, or they will decamp 
without hope of returning the next spring. Their coo, or 
| call, is peculiar, being a prolonged mournful rattle, some- 
thing to the sound of Kour-ur-ur-r; the cock holding his 
! head low and swelling his throat utters his deep purring 
note to his mate, and usually remains still while playing to 
her. They breed freely with the Collared Turtle, or com- 
; mon cage Dove. Dr. Bechstein remarks that the hybrid 
progenies are prolific, and that the produce becomes larger 
| each cross. Their coo is peculiar, and differs from either of 
I the parents. 
I Latham speaks of a variety found in Buckinghamshire, 
which he calls the spotted necked Turtle, on account of the 
greater part of the neck being covered with black feathers, 
and spotted with white. Bechstein says, he has seen old 
cocks of the common Turtle in which the neck spots had 
become so large as to give this appearance. The flesh, 
particularly of the young, is wholesome and well-flavoured. 
Turtle Doves were among the things offered as sacrifices by 
the Ancient Jews.— B. P. Brent. 
Errata. —In the paper on the Ring Dove, German name, 
for Ringletaube, read Ringcltaube; for Beachmast, read 
Beechmast; and for a stack of wheat, read a shock of 
wheat (i.e., several sheaves placed together in the field). 
Prescot Poultry Show.— The day of exhibition is 
altered to July the 8th. 
LICE ON CHICKENS. 
In my runs at home, I have this year been breeding al¬ 
most exclusively from varieties that are not sitters, and have, 
consequently, had to obtain broody hens from other yards. 
For sitting away from their own homes, no fowls are supe¬ 
rior (if any are equal) to Cochins; they are very apt, how¬ 
ever, to abound with lice ; this renders them irritable when 
sitting, and, consequently, unsteady at times, and the lice 
are communicated to the chickens, producing, where they 
abound in great numbers, a degree of irritation which is in 
many cases fatal. Often have I observed chickens hatched 
under borrowed hens drooping without any evident cause, 
and slowly passing from bad to worse. On careful exami¬ 
nation, I have found nothing to account for the symptoms 
but a large number of lice, and, on destroying these pests, 
have been pleased to see the rapid restoration of the deli¬ 
cate patients. The remedy I employ is one which I have 
mentioned in The Cottage Gardener previously, but its 
effects on young chickens are so beneficial, that at this 
season of the year I do not hesitate to direct attention to it 
again. It is simply flour of sulphur placed in a common 
pepper or flour dredger, and dusted well into the feathers of 
the patient; in less than a quarter of an hour not a single 
insect will remain if the remedy has been properly applied. 
I have rather hesitated to employ the sulphur to hens 
whilst sitting, as it is possible that it might have an injurious 
effect on the eggs; but it unquestionably has none on the 
youngest chickens, even when applied in such profusion as to 
make white Polands look in colour like lemon-coloured 
Cochins.—W. B. Tegetmeier, Tottenham. 
MARKING EGGS FOR HATCHING. 
In marking eggs for hatching, I have found the following 
minutiae save, at times, a considerable degree of trouble and 
uncertainty'. It is desirable to use a pen and ink instead of 
pencil, as the latter is generally rubbed off before the end 
of the three weeks ; to mark those kept for hatching, as they 
are collected, with the initials of the variety and the date; 
and to write nearer the small end than the large, as the 
latter is thrown off in hatching, and it is troublesome to 
ascertain which eggs are hatched—of course, this is only im¬ 
portant when a sitting of various eggs is placed under the 
lien. 
When other hens can gain access to the nest of the sitting 
hens, there will often be found additions to the number, 
which it is important to be able to distinguish at first sight. 
This is readily accomplished by marking the eggs given to 
the hen with a ring or zone around each, so that in what¬ 
ever position they are placed the mark is visible, and un¬ 
marked ones are readily distinguished and may be at once 
removed. Although these minutiae may perhaps appear 
trivial, I have found attention to them save trouble and 
some amount of time in examining the nests.—W. B. 
Tegetsieier, Tottenham. 
CRAMP IN A TURKEY.—EFFECT OF GAS TAR 
ON FOWLS. 
I have a Turkey which has had the cramp in its feet for 
nearly three weeks, it cannot stand nor open its feet; can 
you tell me whakl should do with it? I have tried warm 
baths, and kept it in a warm place, but it does not seem to 
improve under my treatment. I should feel obliged by your 
informing me whether the odour of gas tar is injurious to 
fowls, as three of my hens died without any apparent cause, j 
Upon examination, I found a jar of tar on a shelf at the j 
top of the roosting house, which is about a yard and a 
quarter square and seven feet high ?—J. S. Fyssher. 
(It is difficult to reply satisfactorily to queries respecting j 
the diseases of birds unless the symptoms are rather fully 
detailed ; it is not stated whether the bird is old or young, 
whether the complaint arose apparently from cold, or from 
muscular weakness and inability to support the weight of 
the body. I should suggest a dry, warm lodging, some sti- ; 
ruulant, as pepper, in its food, and some iron daily, say five 
grains of the citrate of iron, or three grains of the sulphate 
of iron mixed with meal. 
Gas tar contains several volatile chemical substances of a 
deleterious character, and in a confined roosting-house of j 
one yard and a quarter square would be very likely to cause I 
disease.—IV. B. T.) 
SPARROW HAVING THE CANARY’S SONG. 
Will you allow me to suggest to Mr. E. Hewitt, that 
the Sparrow, with the Canary’s song, about which he is so ' 
