THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
The Creve-ceeurs, the national fowls of France, were re¬ 
presented better in numbers than in quality, the first prize 
being withheld; hardly any of the pens were uniform in 
colour, the French amateurs not being better at matching 
their birds than their English brethren. It seems very 
doubtful whether the Creve-coour will ever be well introduced 
here to take its stand at our shows, or in the yards of our 
agriculturists and amateurs, although the form of its 
body is admirably adapted for fattening and putting on a 
great deal of flesh, which is delicate and well-flavoured. It 
fats easily, and lays a great many eggs of large size. Against 
these good properties we have to place a constitution very 
ill-fitted for our climate, the beard and top-knot telling 
against it very much for a fowl that is to forage for its 
living in farm-yards, fields, and damp places. During the 
one very wet day of the show, these birds seemed to suffer 
more than any others. They are very subject to diseases of 
the eye, and for the table the greatest drawback is the uni¬ 
form black leg. 
In the Cochins there were many entries, comprising several 
very good pens. The first prize was taken by M. Vaissieres, 
with one of the best-shaped cocks we have ever seen, ac¬ 
companied by four very good hens, but not worthy of their 
mate. These birds had the good fortune to be purchased by 
the Empress. The second, third, fourth, and fifth were taken 
by Mr. Baker, M. Berger, the Countess de Flahault, and Lord 
de Blaquiere. We were sorry to see unnoticed a pen of Cinna¬ 
mons of unusual size and symmetry, belonging to Mr. Pun- 
chard. These birds, however, were purchased for a good 
price soon after the opening of the show. The Whites were 
very good, the prizes going to Mr. Baker, the Countess de 
Flahault, Mr. Fowler, of Aylesbury, Messrs. Bruzeau and 
Desremois. The Black Cochins do not appear in any num¬ 
bers anywhere, and here the competition was very small, the 
prizes, of which only two were awarded, going to Mr. Baker 
and the Countess de Flahault. The Grouse and Partridge 
birds are evidently not understood in Paris, the first prize 
being given to a Cinnamon cock and Grouse hens, belong¬ 
ing to Mr. Baker, the second and third going to Mr. Punchard 
and Lord de Blaquiere. His lordship also took a prize for 
some Cuckoo Cochins of great size. M. Gerard also took a 
fifth prize for dark birds. 
In the Dorkings the want of an English judge was sadly 
palpable. Mr. Loder took the first prize deservedly with a 
pen of splendid birds; the others were given to Messrs. 
Fowler, Philbrick, Baker, and Smith. 
There was a very good collection of Brahmas, and the 
light-coloured birds are in France decidedly preferred to the 
dark ones. The prizes went to Messrs. Baker, Beaufils, 
Gerard, Libel, and Gaudin. 
The Spanish were a poor class both in numbers and qua¬ 
lity; the prizes went to Messrs. Vallee, Morton, Shaw, and 
Pilter ; the hens in the latter gentleman’s pen were worthy 
of a much higher place in the prize-list. 
We were much struck with a Brown-rod Oame Cock, an 
English bird, and as fine a one as will be often seen; he 
was photographed during the show, but no one volunteered 
to handle him as he was very “ malin.” The other Game 
fowls did not appeal - at all to advantage. The Hamburghs 
are not admired much in France, and the birds shown were 
anything but first-rate. 
There were some large white-bearded fowls called Russian, 
but looking much more like Malays; they attracted little 
attention except by their ugliness. The Black Polands, 
or, as they are called here, “ Le3 Hollandaises," were not 
many in number, and we have seen better. The first prize 
was taken by M. Gerard, second by the Countess de Fla¬ 
hault, third and fourth by Messrs. Herewynn and Noome. 
The Golden, Silver, Yellow, White, and other Polands 
called “ Padoues,” were deservedly much admired, for they 
were very handsome. The first prize was taken by the 
Countess de Flahault, the others went to Messrs. Gerard, 
Vaissieres, Verger, and Deshameux. 
A prize was taken by M. Gerard for a pen of fowls called 
Houdans. They are principally black and white in colour, 
and top-knotted. They seem to attain great size, but are 
not handsome. 
Having heard so much of the “ Poularde da Mans," we 
were much disappointed in the birds shown in this class, 
they having but little to distinguish them from a cross-bred, 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— June 24, 185(5. 23.1 
common-looking fowl, something like a Poland in form, 
but much larger. The first prize for Bantams went to a 
splendid set of Silver-laced, the property, we believe, of the 
Jardins des Plants. The second was taken by the Hon. H. 
W. Vernon for a pen of three very showy Black ones in 
capital condition ; the other prizes in this class were with¬ 
held. In the class which always puzzles our English 
judges, viz., the “ various,” the prizes were awarded to 
Messrs. Gerard, Warwick, Bercus, and Marcais. 
In coming to the class for Turkeys, we were surprised 
and pleased to see the first prize taken by an Englishman. 
Mr. Warwick, of Colchester, was successful with a very fine 
pen of birds; Messrs. Gerard, Fontaine, and Corhieu 
carrying off the others. Those for Toulouse Geese were 
taken by Messrs. Gerard, Durecu, and Beaufils ; the latter 
for a pen of three very fine young birds. The Geese of the 
other varieties (andthey were many), were not noticed. In 
Aylesbury Ducks the competition was large, and some very 
fine birds shown. The first prize went to Mr. Baily, of 
London, and the second to Mr. Botham, of Slough. To 
an amateur, the greatest disappointment would have been 
the Rouen Duck class. There was not a bird shown that 
would not have been rejected at an English exhibition. 
The first prize was withheld, and the second and third went 
to Messrs. Gerard and Cothin. For the Ducks of any 
other variety, the Countess de Flahault took a first prize for 
a pen of Buenos Ayrean, beating three capital birds sent by 
Mr. Punchard, jun., of Blunt Hall. 
The show of Pigeons was very indifferent indeed, and 
the varieties badly represented. With the exception of a 
few bad Runts, there were only a collection of those 
Dresden and German varieties that all so nearly resemble 
one another. There were, as at most shows, a few pairs of 
Guinea Folds, looking very miserable indeed, and a few Pea 
Fowls. In the early part of the exhibition there was a 
large show of Phcasunts; but one of the largest contributors, 
not knowing the distinction between the eggs laid by his 
own birds and those of his neighbours, he himself was 
requested to retire, and all his birds were immediately re¬ 
turned to him. The only prize awarded here was to Mr. 
Baker, for a pair of Chinese Ring Pheasants. 
Many birds were sold at high prices by private contract, 
but the auction was a mistake—no one knew how, when, or 
where it was to take place, and, consequently, there were 
literally no bidders. 
In conclusion, we cannot sufficiently admire the liberal 
and cordial manner in which exhibitors and their stock were 
treated, and render our best thanks to M. le Minislre 
de l’Agriculture and his effective staff, particularly to M. 
Radouaut, the chief of this department. 
THE RING DOVE A ROBBER. 
In your volume for this year, at page 41, Mr. Brent 
speaks of the little harm comparatively done by the Ring 
Doves to the crops of grain, &c. I beg to send you an 
extract on this point from my “ Note Book.” 
“April 17, 1841.—Ring Dove. I shot one of these birds 
to-day, and took eighty-seven of the common horse-beans 
from its crop, quite whole. This was its evening meal. 
Now, supposing it took the same quantity in the morning, 
the whole number it would take in one day, would be 174, 
and the pair of birds would devour daily 348. What a 
prospect for the farmers to have a flight of these in their 
neighbourhood ! There was nothing else in its crop but 
a few particles of sand and minute shells.” 
If you think the above worth noticing, it is at your 
service. 
I see a correspondent says he has “no difficulty in raising 
Linum grandiflorum,’’ i.e. the crimson one. Perhaps he will 
tell me, and all the great gardeners, how he does it. It has 
beaten Beaton. I suspect he has got the common blue 
Linum grandiflorum, which any one can raise. I hope he 
will not be disappointed when it flowers.—A. R. 
