13 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Octobek 2, I860. 
“First, Prominence of shoulders in excess, pointed or well 
chiselled on the top of pinions; hollow in the back, forming a 
cavity very much resembling a triangle immediately between the 
shoulders, and extending down the back and tapering off to the 
rump. 
“ Secondly, A finely-formed head, and long sleek neck, forward 
in a line almost parallel with his shoulders ; the chest prominent, 
the waist small and sharply compressed below the breast bone; 
legs long and slender, and when the bird is in position ought to 
be almost perpendicular with the shoulders. The bird must fall 
oft from the extreme of the shoulder in a rather sudden descent, 
inclining in some measure to semicircular, and ought to stand 
very similar, when in position, to a round-shouldered man, whom 
age is just bending downwards. The tail ought to be very fine 
and resembling a pipe-shank, and the more sleek the bird the 
more value it is. The length of this bird is not so material as 
position, averaging from five inches and a quai'ter to seven inches. 
The bird ought to be finely feathered, with the exception of the 
liearl upon the breast, and a slight frill upon the shoulders 
and our friend concludes by saying such as the “ one just de¬ 
scribed will bring from thirty to three hundred francs each.” 
Mr. Barnsby, also a fancier of this variety, gives the following 
* Points of the Debby and Nottingham Hooped Canaeies. 
“ 1st. Small, flat head. 
“ 2nd. Good neck, long and slender. 
“ 3rd. High square shoulders, vidture-like. 
“ 4th. Good circle, back well filled. 
“ 5th. Neatness, closeness, and length of tail, inclining in a 
circle with the back. 
“6th. Neatness, thinness, and length of bird. 
“7th. Legs and thighs for length, and erectness of. 
“ 8tli. Closeness of feather. 
“ 9th. Richness of colour. 
“ 10th. Best standard properties as a combined whole.” 
It now only remains for me to caution amateurs that there 
are a great number of intermediate Belgian birds which are, 
j however, of little value. Fanciers always go to extremes ; they 
do not admire indefinite properties. To be a good and valuable 
Belgian Canary it must be good of the kind, whether it is an 
Erect bird, a Roughed Belgian, or a Hooped Fancy. 
I have noticed, with much regret, that most of the schedules 
of Canary Shows do not specify which variety they intend to 
patronise, and it is mostly left to the Judge, who, perhaps, knows 
little or nothing about the various breeds of Belgian Canaries. 
I think at least the variety should be specified, in common fair¬ 
ness to exhibitors ; but far better would it be to give a class to 
each variety—namely, Erect, Rough, and Hooped Belgians. 
This would be much more satisfactory than dividing them into 
Jonquo and Mealy, Pied and Marked, as was done at the late 
Crystal Palace Show, 1859 ; and where, I was sorry to see, that 
neither the most erect, nor the best roughed, nor yet the most 
hooped received the prizes or even commendations, which, how¬ 
ever, fell to neat little birds of good colour, but no extreme 
properties. 
I hope I have dealt fairly with this vexed matter, and that I 
have been sufficiently explicit as to enable my readers to define 
the various breeds of Belgian Canaries.—B. P. Beent. 
(To be continued.) 
BRIDGNORTH EXHIBITION OF POULTRY. 
Few exhibitions have stood so highly in the estimation of the 
poultry world as those that for a series of years past have been 
held at Bridgnorth. They have invariably been well conducted, 
the premiums offered have been liberal, and though last, not 
least, the utmost possible care has been devoted by the acting 
Committee to the we'fare and comfort of the specimens thus 
confided to their temporary care. Such a combination of cir¬ 
cumstances naturally leads onward to continuous success, the 
■confidence of our best breeders and exhibitors is enlisted, and 
every succeeding meeting outvies its predecessors. The advance¬ 
ment of the just-closed Exhibition, however, quite outstrips any¬ 
thing we had anticipated; and when it is called to mind, that in 
every probability, ere another season, the railway communication 
to Bridgnorth will be complete, both for goods traffic and also 
that of passengers, we do not feel a doubt but that it will become 
greatly enlarged as to the amount of entries, although we arc at 
the same time somewhat sceptical whether any great advance- ! 
ment as to the quality of the poultry in future years can be I 
insured over most of the pens that were publicly exhibited last 
week. For many years past, taking a review of our local Poultry 
Meetings, we fail to call to mind a single instance in which a 
collection throughout was so good. There is scarcely a doubt, 
that a considerable portion of the emulation has been evoked 
by the offer of a silver cup for the be 3 t collection of poultry 
entered by any single competitor; the minimum of pens thus 
shown being six, the maximum, twelve pens, as laid down in the 
printed regulations. The plan pursued by the Committee is also 
a simple one, and has always worked most satisfactorily. “A 
first prize to count three points ; a second prize two points ; a 
high commendation one point; and a pen simply commended 
half a point. The cup thus to be disposed of this year was a 
most covetable-looking one, fit for any table in the kingdom, and 
also most modern in design. Five competitors strove their best 
for its future ownership, all these parties standing highly in 
poultry culture, and residing in widely diverse localities. The 
trial was no mean attainment; for, independently of the immediate 
rivals for the cup itself, a whole host of first-rate breeders com¬ 
peted also in the general classes for the money prizes—thus not 
unfrequently snatching away many premiums from those parties 
whose chief anxiety was to become the fortunate possessor of the 
plate. Even with this necessarily great drawback it will be seen 
the cup had to be hardly fought for, and the difficulty of winning 
it no slight one. The points finally determining the award will 
be interesting to our readers, and we therefore subjoin them :— 
Mr. .T. B. Chune, Coalbrookdale . . . 25^ points. 
Mr. G. Peters, Birmingham . . . . 18 „ 
Mr. J. Dixon, Bradford.17 „ 
Mr. J. Martin, Worcester . . . . 15£ „ 
Mr. H. Carter, Upperthong . ... 10 ,, 
Mr W. Harvey, Sheffield . . . . 9J „ 
Scarcely a single entry of any of these exhibitors was made 
that did not insure some remark or other in the prize list, and 
certainly no plate could be more enthusiastically coveted. 
As regards the fowls themselves, as classes the Buff Cochins 
were magnificent. The most palmy days of these birds never 
contributed better. The White Cochins were likewise first-rate. 
The Grey Dorkings were far a-liead of any such as have been 
before seen at Bridgnorth ; whilst the whole of the Game classes, 
save the Whites or Blacks, were really unexceptionable. To 
win even a single prize amid such a competition is, indeed, a 
triumph. The llamburghs were universally good throughout. 
It is remarkable that the Bridgnorth collection of these breeds 
stood much in advance of those recently shown in their native 
locality, Yorkshire. The Polands, Brahmas, and Silky Foivls , 
were perfect. The Bantams were barely so good as heretofore ; 
and, most singularly, not a solitary Sebright was entered. The 
question naturally arises, What is to become of these beautiful 
varieties—the most beautiful of any, and invaluable for the 
rearing of Game in cases where, during harvest, the eggs of either 
Pheasants or Partridges are unexpectedly laid bare ? 
The White Aylesbury Ducks were such as only Mrs. Seamons, 
of Aylesburyq or Mr. Fowler, of the same locality, can boast. 
Their townsman, Mr. Weston, appears to have been broken 
down and is missing. Mrs. Seamons here had it “all her own 
way her three pens were worthy of any show, scarcely a shade 
of difference existing among them, though far a-liead of all 
others. As being placed in the catalogue at a really moderate 
price, it appears probable they have paid their last visit to Ayles¬ 
bury. Miss Steele Perkins, of Sutton Coldfield, forwarded two 
capital pens of Ducks, of extra varieties (the White Calls and 
Buenos Ayrean). 
The early morning of exhibition was much dispiriting, the 
leaden clouds pouring forth a deluge of rain. By mid-day the 
aspect of things was, however, the very reverse—a fine, sunny 
sky enticing a goodly throng of visitors from many miles around ; 
whilst the liveliness of the scene was greatly increased by r the 
exertions of the brass brand belonging to the Local Rifles. 
Mr. Edward Hewitt, of Eden Cottage, Spark Brook, fulfilled 
the duties of Judge on this arduous occasion. 
Cochin-China (any colour except white or black).—First and Second, 
Messrs. G. and A. Peters, Birmingham. Commended, E. Tudman, Whit¬ 
church, Salop; G. Lamb, Compton, Wolverhampton ; W. Harvey, Sheffield. 
Cochin-China (White or Black).—Fiist, Messrs. G. and A. Peters, Bir¬ 
mingham. Secmd, G. Lamb, Compton, Wolverhampton. 
Dorkings. —First and Second, J. B. Chune, Coalbrookdale. Highly 
Commended, E. Tudman, Whitchurch, Salop. Commended, C. II. Wake- 
held, Malvern Wells; W. T. IliP, New Inn House, Claverley ; J. Martin, 
Claines, Worcester. 
Game (Black-breasted and other Beds).—First and Second, J. B. Chune, 
Coalbrookdale. Commended, J. Martin, Clainee, Worcester; W. Cher- 
rington. Allscot. 
