Deoembkr 18. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION. 
207 
We wish the latter gentleman conhl match his matchless 
cock with true hens. 
Of the Oeese we give merely the weights of the suc- 
CB'-sful pens:—Wliite, first prize, three birds, OUhs.; 
second, isjlbs. ; tliird, -fSlbs Coloured, first jirizo, 
three birds, TO^bs.; second, (I2lbs.; third, OOlbs. 
Tlie class of AyJeshimj Dneh's was muisual, both for 
numbers and quality. The first-prize birds w'cighed 
29.Vlbs. ; second, 201bs.; third, 28,Ubs. If ever a class 
deserved general commendation, this did. Kouen Duckx, 
which formerly formed part of the “ any other distinct 
variety” class, here brought forty pens. We need not 
say many were e.Kcellent; hut we must add, snllicient 
pains are not taken in selecting Ducks with bills of the 
proper colour. No rule can be more simple. They 
should in all things resemble the wild Ducks. There 
w'ere but three prizes to distribute among a largo num¬ 
ber of good birds. In the varieties, IMiss Worrall, with 
Call Ducks —beautiful specimens of the Brown ; Mrs. 
'J’ennant, with Buenos Ayrean; and j\Ir. Ballance, with 
the same, were the distinguished trio 
The Turkeys were not numerous, but very good. An 
old and meritorious e.Khibitor, ISlrs. Henry Fookes, took 
the first prize, w'ith a pen weighing .95:Vlbs. As this 
lady knows when she has good birds, and intends to 
keep them, she put .£,200 as the price; had it been 
merely a large price they would have been sold. 
The ilev. H. Owen was at the head of young 'J'urkeys, 
Avith a splendid pen of Americans. 
With a few more remarks, and seeing we ahull be 
obliged to defer some particulars of this great meeting 
till next week, w'e will close for the present. 
We had fewer mistakes in lotting birds than usual. 
Many pens showed the difficulty of matching three hens. 
Thus, Lord de Blaquiere showed three Silver Cinnamon 
birds of remarkable beauty; but the fourth disqualified 
them from prize-taking. Among the strange things was 
a pen of White Dorkings exhibited in the name of the 
Duke of Sutherland. It contained a cock, two hens, 
and the most exaggerated specimen of a hen-cock we 
ever saw. Had it been exhibited by any humorous 
habitue of the Poultry Show', we should have said itw'as 
a quiet satire on the hen-feathered cocks, which we are 
happy to see disappearing. 
T'he sales were very numerous, although, from the 
altered price of birds, the amount taken is not so much 
increased as might be expected. Four years since, a pen 
of Cochins would make .£ to, now they sell for a fifth. 
A few' facts will, however, show that good birds will 
command good prices. The Countess of Chesterfield sold 
a Dorking cock for .ilia; Mr. Davies and the Rev. T. 
Donne each sold pens of Dorkings for T20; while sales 
of single birds, at from Ft to TO each, were common. 
iMrs. Herbert sold a pen of White Cochin chickens for 
.£10 10s.; and the numerous sold-tickets nailed on the 
fronts of the jiens showed the demand was on the in-, 
crease. The facilities afibrded to purchasers by the ncAV 
rule allowing the cock, or either of the hens, to be sold 
separately, proved advantageous to all parties. We 
must, seeing the length of our report, defer other re¬ 
marks till next week. 
(From another Ileporter.) 
The Olympic Game of the Poultry World—the Bir- 
minghanr Exhibition of IS.'i.o—has closed. In numbers, 
as compared with those of last year, the comjieting pons 
1851. 
1855. 
FoavIs, Ducks, Geese, and Turkeys 
1070 
1009 
Cottagers Poultry. 
4K 
Pigeons . 
127 
201 
1710 
1808 
With regard to the quality of the birds exhibited, 
although w'o differ in opinion with the judges, when 
they say the classes “ have never been equalled,” yet, 
beyond doubt, it was a show much above the average in 
the number of excellent specimens, and in almost 
every class good birds very generally ]>repondcrated 
We will begin with recording the only serious objection 
we bave to make to the show', namely, that the tenants 
of the low'er pens did not compete on equal terms with 
those of the upjier pens, owing to the great deficiency of 
light. This is the more to bo regretted, because, with 
the exercise of a very little ingenuity, it might be 
remedied. 
In Gohlen-pencilled Hamburyhs one defect greatly 
prevailed in the stains upon the hackle; but the white 
ear-lobe was singularly well developed. That there is 
an onward movement in the class is testified by the fact, 
that young birds took the cup in preference to tire old. 
Among the Oolden-spanyled Jlamburyhs there was a 
happy absence of hen-tails, but the ear lobe, so dis¬ 
tinguishing the Haniburghs, was in this class too usually 
defective. 
In the Silver-pencilled Hamburyhs we have to warn 
their breeders that the combs are becoming too coarse 
and large. 
Siher-spanyled Hamburyhs are getting too much j 
colour; the backs of many, instead of being sjiangled, 
w'ere entirely black. On the contrary, the tails of many 
of the cocks Averc perfectly spangled, even to the end of 
the sickle feathers. 
The Polands, black, with white topknots, were 
honestly shoAvn, for there was no instance of a dressing 
of the top-knots. An excellent pen lost its chance of 
success by one of the hens having a deformed foot. 
Of Golden Polands there Avere some very good pons; 
but Avhite feathers still too often appeared in the top- 
knots, and the spangling of the cock’s breasts w'as too 
often defective. The top-knots ought to he laced Avith 
a golden colour; black in the top-knot Ave consider very 
objectionable. 
In the Silver Polands, the pen 271, belonging to the 
Rev. 11. Gre,enall, Avas unqualifiedly excellent. The 
hens, perhaps, Avere rather better than the cock, though 
all were admirable in figure, marking, and top-knot. 
The Sptanisli did not exhibit such evidence of pro¬ 
gressing improvement as we expected. We should 
haA'e liked to have seen more size in the chicken class. ’ 
At the same time, there Avas almost an entire absence of I 
inferior specimens. 
The Coloured. Dorkinys were very satisfactory, both as 
to size and closeness of feather ; and in the 
White Dorkinys we Avere A'ery glad to notice a great 
improvement in both the size and substance of the 
cocks. 
Buff' Cochins Avere decidedly better than Ave have 
seen at other shows this year. We were glad to notice 
JMr. Sturgeon’s name again in this class. One of his 
pens w'lxs very superior, especially the cock (No. (172), 
but it Avas disqualified, by metal rings being round one 
of the legs of each of the birds. Marks of any kind 
are justly prohibited. Of other Cochins, the Partridge- 
coloured were moderate, and the While very good ; but 
of the Black, no more need ho said, than that the first 
and second prizes were withheld in adults. 
Of Brahma Pootras Ave entertain our formerly re¬ 
corded opinions. Coarse birds cannot attain to general ' 
favour. ! 
Among the single birds, pre-eminent among many ex- , 
cellent Avas Lady Chesterfield’s Coloured Dorking Cock. 
It Avas sold for Tl 5. 
The Spanish Cock (902), belonging to Mr. Alfred 
Crawther, Avas highly meritorious. 'The Game and 
Silver-pencilled Hamburgh Cocks Avere very good gene¬ 
rally. The Game classes, -especially the Black-breasted j 
