321 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
they he less stringent about the ages and the breeders of I 
poultry. There are but two ages—less than twelve months, 
; or exceeding that term: therein consists the difference 
! between chickens and adults. 
! It is utterly impracticable to keep the genealogies of fowls 
and ducks with the same correctness as those of bulls, horses, 
i pigs, or sheep. It may be done in chickens; but it is im- 
i i)ossible in the adult birds. There is another peculiarity 
in this Show: the Judges are desired, in every class, to 
I name a reserve, in order that, in the event of a successful 
! one being disqualified, a substitute may be ready without any 
re-judgment. 
Our business is with poultry only, but wo cannot forbear 
one word on the beauty of the scene, and the excellence of 
all the arrangements. The machinery in motion, the num¬ 
bers of beautiful animals of all breeds, and the novelty of 
foreigners as Judges, spectators, and attendants on cattle, 
formed a coup d’ccil that will not easily be forgotten. And 
the good town of Chelmsford was not behind in its testimony 
to the magnitude of the occasion. The Town Hall was 
brilliantly illuminated with gas ; arches of evergreens 
spanned the streets; and every flag that has appeared in 
London—Union Jack, tricolor, Turkish, Sardinian, allied, 
or others—did duty for the occasion. Acrobats, jugglers, 
musicians, vocalists, and performing animals filled the 
streets, and every one seemed to enjoy the meeting as a 
treat. 
The poultry, as usual, were in a long single row of pens, 
occupying the length of the ground, and the luxury of space 
was never more exemplified for the comfort of the spectators 
and the birds than it was here, siuce it enabled the authori¬ 
ties to place a strong barrier in front, thus insuring air to 
the fowls, and enabling visitors to see them much better 
than they could have done had they been pressed close to 
them. 
We begin with Dor/eiiujs. Captain Hornby took first in 
each class. We may here remark that this gentleman 
eclipsed himself. He sent four pens, and took four first 
prizes; and it was no mean triumph to overcome such an 
opponent as Mr. G. Botham, or the Rev. T. L. Eellowes. 
These gentlemen were second ; and we were very glad to see 
a thud prize awarded to a pen from Scotland. The chickens 
were declared to be a very good class, and the adults good. 
As we do not pretend to name every prize taken, seeing that 
s r pace will not allow it, we must confine ourselves to the 
more salient points, and refer our readers to the prize-list 
we published last week for details. There was close com¬ 
petition for the prizes for the best Dorking Cock. Mr. 
Akroyd, of Otley, was first; Mr. Fisher Hobbs, second. 
Captain Hornby’s Spanish’ were beautiful, gaining an easy 
victory, although a well known name, the Rev. Morton 
Shaw, was second. This latter gentleman took the prize 
for the single Spanish Cock. 
The Judges were again compelled to speak very highly 
of the Cochin China class. These birds are evidently re¬ 
gaining the ground they have lost. One of the early and 
best exhibitors, Mr. Punchard, was first, and the Rev. G. T. 
Hodson second. 
There was a large and excellent entry of Game Fowls, 
forming an exhibition in themselves. Captain Hornby was 
again first; and an idea of the competition may be formed 
when we say that the second prize went to Mr. Glover, 
Warwickshire; third to Mr. Adkins, Birmingham; and 
fourth to Mr. Thurnall, of Cambridge. 
The name of Mr. Dixon, of Bradford, is associated with 
success in Pencilled Hamhuryhs ; but in the Golden he was 
second to Mr. J. Lowe, of Birmingham; in Silver he was 
first, followed by the Rev. T. L. Fellowes. Had not Mr. 
Mapplebeck taken a second prize, Mr. Dixon would have 
swept all the Spangled classes. 
Three weH-known names took the first prizes for Polands, 
Messrs. Coleridge, Bush, and Adkins. Mr. Weston had all 
the honour of Aylesbury Ducks, and first for Rouens, fol¬ 
lowed by the Rev. T. L. Fellowes and Mr. Punchard. 
Every praise is due to Mr. Cooke, of Colchester, the steward 
of the poultry. 
The Judges were G. J. Andrews, Esq., Dorchester; and 
Mr. Daily, Loudon. 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.—Jn.v 20,1850. 
THE DOVE-HOUSE PIGEON. 
COLUMBA AGRESTIS. 
French. German. 
Pigeon Biset de Coi.ombiek. Die geiieine Feldtaube. j 
The chequered or dappled Dove-house Tigeon, the Co- j 
lumha ajjinis of Blytb, is the commonest and most widely i 
diffused of all the various kinds of Pigeons. They are found ! 
wild in most parts of the old world, and are by far the most j 
frequent occupants of the dovecots or pigeon-liouses in this I 
country, as well as other parts of Europe and Asia. The I 
fact of their being often found in a state of nature, haunting 
rocks and cliffs like the Blue Rock, is a frequent cause of 
their being mistaken for that Pigeon; but then - difference 
in plumage, and greater susceptibility of domestication, 
mark them as distinct. 
The Dove-house Pigeon is the sort most usually used for 
shooting-matches, and then rejoice in the inappropriate title 
of best Blue Rocks; they are also called Duffers and 
Hockeys, and are too well known to require a minute 
description. They may be taken as the standard size of 
Pigeons generally, most of the tame lands being rather 
larger. Their beaks are thin, dark horn coloured, and dove¬ 
shaped ; their eyes gravelly red; the feet smooth, scaled, 
and deep red coloured, though the young ones have the 
scales of the feet of a blackish shade, which is frequently 
the case in many other tame sorts; the general colour of 
their plumage is a blackish-slate colour, the greater wing 
coverts being tipped with bluish-slate, so as to give them 
the chequered or dappled appearance from which they 
derive their name, Dachschieferish, as the Germans call it; the 
necks are glossed with green and purple reflections; the 
rump and vent slate coloured; the tail banded with black, 
the external feather on each side has a bluish-white mark 
on the outer web. 
They are very prolific, often rearing, if well caved for, as 
many as eight, and even ten broods in the year. If the 
young are brought up by hand or mouth they can be made 
exceedingly tame : with the exception of the Tumbler, I know 
of no kind that is capable of being made so docile, the 
tamest Pigeons I have ever known being of this kind and of 
the Tumblers. 
Although so susceptible of domestication, these Pigeons 
are, in their untutored state, exceedingly wild and shy, 
which, combined with their quickness and great power of 
wing, causes them to be favourites with pigeon-shooters. 
Although, if much disturbed in their lodging, or their 
abode becomes uncomfortable from some other cause, they 
will occasionally desert it (but such occurrences are rare), 
these houseless Pigeons frequently join a neighbouring 
dovecot, where they feel more at ease; or, joined by any ; 
Pigeons that may have lost their home (probably some 
brought from a distance, and let out by some inexperienced 
pigeon-keeper before they have become acquainted with 
their new dwelling), they betake themselves to some 
ruin, tower, or steeple, or even to the eaves and cornices of 
some public building, where birds of this description may 
frequently be met with; or, in mountainous districts, they 
will betake themselves to the rocks, and join any colony of 
wild birds that may happen to be there. Although a natu¬ 
rally timid bird, the Dove-house Pigeon does not, like the 
Blue Rock, shun the abode of man. 
Naturalists ever endeavour to trace the different breeds of 
any one genus of our domesticated animals to one original 
source. The propriety of such a theory I shall not endea¬ 
vour to discuss; but in respect to Pigeons, I do not think it 
can be satisfactorily shown how all the varied breeds of fancy 
Pigeons could possibly have sprung from one common 
origin ; and it is stated on the authority of several German 
writers, that the Fantail and Barb, though they produce 
together, yet their young are. not fertile inter se, which at 
once proves their distinctness; but among the Toy Pigeons 
(whose only property is feather), there are many that appear 
to be direct descendants of the Dove-house Pigeon, the 
variations being, in their case, easily accounted for by the 
effects of domestication, or the mingling of other tame 
breeds. 
The common Runts, or Mongrels, Columbamiscella (Varro), 
are too numerous and too varied to admit of a description. 
