388 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 
Fkbruary 17. 
Gingeii mill Nankeen arc the old names for what are 
now called buffs. 
It may not l)e ont of place hero to remark, that if feathers 
arc pulled out it very often happens that those that come in 
their places will have white tips; and 1 have not unfre- 
(piently known a wing feather of a black or dark fowl to 
come white, if fhe one that previously occupied the place 
was lost by any unnatural means, more particularly if it 
was not full-grown at the time of its removal; and I have 
also noticed that, when a fowl has moulted unnaturally fast, 
the feathers are very much tipped witli white, where pre¬ 
viously not a white spot was to he seen.— B. P. Brent, 
Ticsscls (rreeii, iiciw Seven Oaks. 
[Mr. Brent has enclosed a variety of feathers for our 
inspection, as illustrating the marking of the ditferent 
varieties. In the paper explanatory of his views on this 
subject, he commences with the Spangled birds, of which 
there are two specimens sent, black and golden. It would 
seem that ho is as yet unwilling to abandon the old, and as 
so many think, confused system of nomenclature, and that 
under the name of Spangled Polands, he alludes to the 
Spangled Hamburghs. We had liopod, indeed, that Mr. 
Dixon's admirable work had sot this question at rest for 
ever, for inevitable confusion follows its resuscitation. N or 
cau we assent to the Spangle being “ a clear shinimj while 
spat ” on a dark ground. So far from this being the case, 
Mr. Dixon insists for a clear white or yeUow-ground colour 
in both varieties of Hamburghs, under which name he thus 
arranges tlie whole race of fowls that so perplexed the 
fancier of former days:— 
HAMBURGHS. 
Pencilled Fowls, I Spangled Fowls, 
WITH LIGHT HACKLE, _!_ WITH DARKER HACKLE, 
that isf that is. 
Kither pure 
White hackle. 
Chittaprat. 
Bolton Greys. 
Pencilled Dutch, 
Silver Haiu- 
hurgh. 
Creole, or Coral. 
[ 
J Clear unmixed 
° j OchreyYellow. 
Bolton Bays. 
Golden Ham* 
burgh. 
Either White | 
hackle, striped | 
in the centre [" 
with Blackj j 
Silver Spangled. 
,, Pheasant. 
,, Mooneys. 
,, Moss. 
N.B.— The 
Adult Cocks have 
in some fami¬ 
lies pure white 
hackle. 
1 Yellow hackle, 
striped in the 
centre with 
Black, Brown, 
or Green. 
Gold Spangled. 
,, Pheasant. 
,, Mooneys. 
Red Caps. 
Copper hloss. 
Tlio terms “ Silver ami Gold Pheasunt ” are admitted into 
this list, simply to point out what tltey are not; tlie sooner 
they are discarded the better. 
Speaking of tlie.se Hamh>mjhs, for it is evidently this bird 
to which Mr. Brent refers under another name, Mr. Bailey 
tells us, ‘‘ Ihere are two saris, the yalden and the silver ; they 
differ in. aiic respect only ; the Jaundalion colour of one is 
while, of the ollicr yellow; their bodies spoiled, or 2 >eneUled 
over wilh black.” 
The same ground colours, and the same black markings, 
are, moreover, always required in both Bolands and Ban¬ 
tams, the only other Spangled fowls of a distant breed, 
properly so called. 
The black and golden Spangled feathers, enclosed by Mr. 
Brent, do not, therefore, answer the description that judges 
would assign to the word Spanyle. 
Those marked yolden-pheasanled ai’o a much nearer ap¬ 
proach to the Spangle, which would, however, ho required 
ot a more oval form, and from the bright bay ground-colour 
of his yoldcndaced, they were talcen, if we mistake not, from 
Bolands, whose feathers, especially those on tlie breast, are 
often found more pointed at the extremity than is the case 
in otlier varieties. 
But let us keep the Spanyle, the Pencitliny, and the 
Luchaj, clear and distinct, and we are having engraved a 
good specimen of eacli, to enable our readers to steer clear 
ot much confusion. This is the more necessary, since day 
by day the hybrid inhabitants of our farm-yards are ex¬ 
hibiting more or less strongly the varied and oftentimes 
strangely blended plumage of their ditferent ancestors. 
PeneilUny wo must, of course, regard as limited to the 
Hamburghs, for we have never seen it tolerably developed 
in a barn-door fowl; and we do not despair of inducing Mr. 
Brent to assent to the classification now generally adopted, 
when we read his opinion that the Bolton Greys are only 
another variety of the Dutch Every-day Layers, whicli is 
one step in the right direction. His golden-pencilled 
feathers arc good, but the silver should he more distinct; 
tlie lacing should be carried far more round the margin of 
the feathers, keeping an even width, than we find in any of 
those now before us; but those from Serulalor’s Gold and 
Silver-laced Bolands are perfect, especially the latter. As 
to Phcasanlcd fowls, we think the less said the better; they 
are simply Golden-spangled Hamburghs. 
The Cuckoo feather is very good. This marking, Mr. 
Brent justly observes, is usually found in tlie mongrel 
breeds, bat when it is well-developed in the Dorking race, 
it is justly prized. Mr. Brent’s specimen is remarkably 
good, the alternate bauds being so delicately shaded one 
into anotlier. 
The specimens marked Grouse, reminds us how cautiously 
wo should speak of tlioso markings which are not strictly 
defined as the property and characteristic of some one dis¬ 
tinct family. Many Game fowls are seen thus attired ; and 
many more besides, of a parentage beyond the reach of 
inquiry. It will be sufficient, we think, for those who are 
interested in this research, if wo eventually attain accuracy 
in the recognised varieties, without regarding illegitimate 
offshoots, whose shoots and transformations, as to colour, 
must defy the regularity of any systematic arrangement. 
For Parlridye, what better than some of our dark Shang- 
haes of Mr. I’unchaid's stock ? 
The changes of colour that occur after moulting are 
attended with much uncertainty, especially with black 
Iioultry. Instances are on record, and quoted, if we re¬ 
member rightly, by Mowbray, of hens of the black Spanish 
breed becoming perf'ectly white. Fowls tliat have had a 
prolonged moulting, no less than an unnaturally fast one, 
are subject to the appearance of white feathers where pre¬ 
viously none existed.—W.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER'S PONY. 
(Conlinued from paye 370.) 
I HAVE often had to advise my friends on the propriety of 
keeping some sort of pony, one-horse chaise, phaeton, or 
other means of enjoying the countiy air. I liave found that 
nearly as many people try the experiment and fail (after 
being at great expense and trouble), as succeed in deriving 
any rational source of enjoyment from their stable. Others, 
again, carry tlieir fondness for horsetlesh to as great an 
excess as the young gentleman in Aristophanes— 
“By Neptune—the god of liorses,” passionately exclaimed 
the misguided youth. “ Say not so,” says tlie father bitterly, 
interrupting him; “ no god inspired you with the love of 
horses! ” A sentiment whicli most prudent fathers would 
agree in. 
The injunction “ not to multiply to yourselves horses,” 
has been, I think, justly considered by commentators to 
carry with it some tiling of the nature of a moral precept, as 
well as of a positive command; and much curious iiiforma- i 
tion has been brought to bear upon that point. Well, there 
is no doubt tliat the last European war convinced all good i 
soldiers that, in the long run, it is the infantry which ciu-ry 
all before them ; and that cavalry is an arm of strength but 
little to be depended on—a fact of which they might have 
fully informed themselves beforehand from a book whicli, [ 
am afraid, soldiers do not read as often as they should. 
It is my proposal to confine my remarks, as nearly as 
possible, to the most useful and least showy style of nag, 
which, without being an “uncoraraouly clean cob," a “well- 
seasoned hunter,” or a high-stepiier, or “ remarkably fast in 
liamess,” will yet supply most of the rea.sonable require¬ 
ments of country life—and those requirements are manifold. 
Except that we cannot get rid of a bad horse, by giving him 
“ a month’s wages, or a mouth’s wivrning,” and that tlie ex¬ 
pense of frequently changmg one’s nag involves one of tlie 
most serious drawbacks against keeping one, with this ex¬ 
ception, horses are not very unlike domestic servants—and 
the horse of which I have to write may be considered as a 
