90 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 31. 
VARIATION IN THE COLOUR OF SHANGHAE 
CHICKEN. 
“ In the early part of last year, a sitting of eggs were 
procured from Birmingham, purporting to he from tine Buff 
Cochin birds. Two chicks were tho produce of the same; 
both proved cockerels; both were marked exactly alike; but 
when about full-grown one of them died. The other is now 
in my possession. I can hardly describe his colour; but it 
appears a sort of mixture of buff and grey — his breast, 
thighs, etc., being quite white. His shape and general 
appearance is that of a thorough-bred Cochin, having well- 
feathered yellow legs and yellow beak. Now, it so happened, 
that in the early part of the present season, a very fine 
j white Cochin hen and an equally fine white Dorking 
: cockerel were the sole inmates of a small enclosed yard, 
i But this grey cockerel managed to introduce himself into 
their company for a day or two, when he was detected and 
excluded. When the hen became broody, she was allowed 
to hatch her own eggs, sixteen in number, and she suc¬ 
ceeded, not only in hatching, but in rearing, sixteen chicks. 
With the exception of two chicks, they all proved puro white, 
and they all seemed to inherit, more or less, the characte¬ 
ristics of both parents. None, however, had cither the 
feathered-legs of the Shanghac nor the fifth toe of the 
Dorking. But to return to the two chicks, both pullets, 
with which I have principally to do. They were evidently 
Shanghae, or Cochin, all over, having well-feathered yellow 
legs, &c., and evidently the offspring of the grey cockerel. 
In colour, they at first appeared to be quite black, but they 
ultimately became regularly laced or spangled (I do not 
know which term to apply) ; — something like a variety ! 
of the Dorking which I have heard called the Cuckoo 
Fowl, only far more distinctly marked than anything^ of 
that sort that I have seen. In fact, as far as colour goes, 
I think them the most handsome Cochin pullets I have yet 
seen. I regret that they are not in my possession, as I , 
would enclose you some of their feathers; I, however, ; 
enclose you a few from the grey cockerel. 
“ Now, the questions I would beg respectfully to ask you, 
or some of your kind correspondents versed in poultry lore, 
are,— 
“1. What strain or cross do you suppose likely to have 
produced the grey cockerel ? 
“ 2. Should I again Treed from him and a white Cochin 
hen, and continue to breed from their progeny, would it be 
likely to originate a distinct and permanent breed or variety ? 
“ 3. Is it not singular for tho progeny of two birds, one 
white, the other nearly so, to bo so dark ? 
“ 4. Has a similar instance come under the observance of 
you or any of your correspondents ?—P.G.” 
[It would be hazardous to speak positively in reply to 
your queries, since mere descriptions are seldom of sufficient 
accuracy for definite conclusions on subjects such as these j 
to which you refer. 
1. It is quite possible that the partially-grey cockerel 
might have been the progeny of pure buff Shanghae parents, 1 
white being a colour that not unfrequently manifests itself 
more or less in that variety. 
2. Chicken bred from him and a white Shaghae hen 
would probably in time exhibit nearly all the colours that 
the Shanghae race has hitherto assumed. As to any “ per¬ 
manent and distinct variety being thus originated ,” there is an 
entire absence of analogical evidence that such would be the 
result. 
3. This question is best answered by a reference to the 
colour of chicken bred between white and buff Shangliaes. 
In such broods many are black, or approaching that colour, 
with, usually, a proportion of dark pencilled birds, such as 
you describe. 
i 4. This inquiry, we presume, refers to tho two dark pullets 
I exclusively, and is therefore answered under No. 3.—W.] 
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOLDEN -SI>ANGLED 
HAMBURGHS AND COLOURED DORKINGS. 
“ I shall be much obliged if you will inform mo what are 
the points required in good Gold-spangled Ilamburghs and 
coloured Dorkings, as regards colour, comb, Ac., both in 
cocks and hens.” 
[ Gold-spangled Hamburghs. — Cocks, a clear, bright, bay 
j ground colour, evenly spangled with lustrous black. In hackle 
and saddle, the nearer the approach to a spangle tho better. 
Tail deep black, in form ample; tho square hen-tail is 
sometimes (as we think) unwisely tolerated. The hen must 
be uniformly spangled throughout, the wing-coverts alone 
excepted, which, as in the cock, should be laced. 
In both sexes the comb should bo a full rose, placed 
evenly on the head without lopping on either side, the pike 
behind being slightly elevated. Ear lobes clear white, and 
well developed; legs slate-coloured. 
Coloured Dorkings. —Colour is of less importance with 
these than in the case of any other fowls, and provided the 
occupants of a pen are well matched in this respect, it 
would, perhaps, be difficult to find plumage of such an 
objectionable character as would outweigh other merits. The 
general rule is to show the grey, and other birds partaking 
more or less of that colour, with the black-breasted cocks of 
the same hue, reserving the spotted breasted male birds for 
the lighter shades of tho more silvery hens. 
The red male birds are matched with the rich brown hens. 
A clean head and neck, with a body both deep and broad, 
combs uniform in tho pen, but either single, rose, or oupped ; 
and white legs, with the fifth toe perfectly developed, are 
essential elements of success. 
Various minor details which would be advantageously 
studied by an intending exhibitor in either of these classes 
are beyond our present limit. But specific information on 
this head is always attainable in the pages of Tiie Poultry 
Book, and other works on that subject. Attention, moreover, 
is well bestowed on those points, since, from the increased 
and still increasing interest that has been gained for the 
poultry-yard, the pens at our exhibitions are usually of 
high excellence, and their merits oftentimes so evenly 
balanced, that a point, in itself of but secondary importance, 
is frequently found sufficient to turn the scale.—W.] 
WHAT CONSTITUTES OWNERSHIP IN A FOWL ? 
“ Last month (September) a friend offered to exchange a 
cock for two pullets. I accepted his offer, but told him he 
I must keep him until I had sent one of my cocks away, ns 
they might injure their plumage by fighting. Would such 
bird bo disqualified from being exhibited at Birmingham 
(under the two month’s ownership clause), ns I have not yet 
I fetched him home? or would he be considered as a bird out 
at walk ?— Alpha.” 
[We think you would be entitled to exhibit the cock. So 
soon as you had sent the pullets, the bird was paid for, and 
only remained at your friend's as a matter of convenience. 
If the cock died after you had agreed to the exchange, you 
would have been bound to send tho Pullets, and endure the 
loss.] 
WINTERING HALF-HARDY PLANTS. 
“ I have three places for keeping my plants in over 
winter, viz.,—-No. 1. A wood frame. No. 2. A cold brick 
pit. No. 3. Greenhouse heated by gas. I have, in plants, 
Geraniums, Heaths, Roses, Calceolarias, Cinerarias, Verbenas, 
Tansies, and Fuchsias, all in pots. Would you kindly inform 
mo, next week, which place would be best adapted for the 
plants in question ? I have a surface of ashes at the bottom 
of the frame and pit.— An Amatuer Subscriber.” 
[First of all fill your greenhouse, beginning with tho 
Geraniums at the farthest end from the door, the warmest 
end, and ending next the door with the Heaths; what room 
is left, if any in the middle, between the Geraniums and 
the Heaths, fill with Cinerarias next the Geraniums, and 
with Calceolarias next the Heaths. At any rate, whatever 
room you have, or fill, in house, pit, or frame, avoid the fatal 
and common error of mixing all manner of plants indis¬ 
criminately, as if you were setting off a show house to the 
best advantage. Calceolarias and Cinerarias will do well 
together, as both like moisture. The brick pit is next best 
for them after the greenhouse, but let the frame bo kept 
well aired day and night, if there is no frost. Ruses, Verbenas, 
and Pansies, will do very well indeed in the wooden frame ; 
the lights to be off every fine dry day; keep frost and rain 
from them, and no more. See that every pot is quite clean, 
and watered, and every bad leaf picked off before you place 
a plant. Then no watering to signify, or any disturbance 
among the plants, for tho first week ; all that time let every 
door, and window, and frame, he open day and night, unless 
it rains or freezes.] 
