126 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, May 26, 1857. 
shades of green, are certainly to be classed as green legs, 
and, as I have before observed, should have a yellow ball to 
the foot. There is another colour of legs common here, 
“the carp legs,” which some breeders much approve of. 
They are nearly the colour of a carp s back, but X fancy aie 
crossed off the white legs. 
I have communicated with two other old breeders ot 
Game fowls in this neighbourhood as to the different 
original varieties of the Game fowls, and their ideas are as 
follow, but I cannot quite agree with either party 
No. 
1. Dark Reds (Brown Reds). 
A more correct term con¬ 
sidering the colour of the 
hens. 
2. Black-breasted Reds. 
3. Black - breasted Yelloiv 
Duckwings. 
1 . 
4 . 
5. 
6 . 
7. 
8 . 
Dark Berry Birchens. 
•Silver Black - breasted 
Duckwing Greys. 
Clear Mealy Greys. 
Dark Greys. 
Red Duns. 
No. 2. 
1. Black Reds. 
2. Silver Black - breasted 
Duckwings. 
3. Birchen Duckwings. 
4. Dark Greys. 
5. Mealy Greys. 
6. Blacks. 
7. Spangles. 
8. Furnaces. 
9. Polecats. 
10. Cuckoos. 
11. Gingers. 
12. Red Duns. 
13. Duns. 
14. Smoky Duns. 
All these varieties I have seen, but do not consider them 
all original. If they are all original, Whites and Blacks 
certainly must be. In both lists they omit the “ Whites,” 
and the first omits the “ Blacks,” and the last puts in far too 
many party-coloured birds—all the results of crosses. 
I have my birds all good as to shape; but it is difficult 
here to get a pure-bred Game fowl as to colour, as the 
breeders all cross with any particularly well-shaped bird 
they happen to take a fancy to, setting aside colour alto¬ 
gether. I have been trying for some years to get rid of the 
few white feathers occasionally shown in the wings of my 
Black-breasted yellow-legged Reds from the Pile cross, but 
have not yet succeeded in so doing. I have plenty of Black¬ 
breasted Reds, a few Brown Reds, and a few Duckwings; 
and if the “ North Country Amateur ” could procure me 
a cock and two hens, or a “ stag ” and two pullets, of pure 
dark Partridge-coloured Black-breasted Beds, yellow or willoiv- 
legged, I would send him any of my best fowls in exchange 
to cross with, cocks or hens, or purchase them of him, which¬ 
ever he pleased. I am perfectly aware that “green ” is not 
an original colour, being composed of “ yellow ” and “ blue,” 
as anybody may see by mixing paints together; but “green” 
in the legs of a fowl is, I< should say, as original as green in 
the feathers, which several varieties have of even the wild 
species.— Newmarket. 
P.S.—The wild varieties are, by naturalists, supposed to 
proceed from the Gallus giganteus of Sumatra, and the 
Gallus Bankiva of Java, both Red varieties. The latter are 
certainly the origin of Game Bantams, as can be distinctly 
seen, and beautiful little birds they are. 
Class 5.—PIGEONS WITH STRANGE VOICE. 
Variety 1 . —THE LAUGHER (Columba ridens). 
Of the Pigeons with peculiar and prolonged voice the so- 
called Laugher is the variety to which I shall first allude. 
There have been scarcely any of this breed in this country 
for many years, but two stocks have lately been re-imported 
which may be regarded as sub-varieties of each other. 
The first of these was, I understand, imported from 
Arabia about twenty years since; they closely resemble a 
chequered Dovehouse Pigeon, perhaps rather smaller, and 
very slightly feathered on the shanks. The only difference 
I could notice in the pair I had was a little fulness at the 
back of the neck just behind the head, and the edge of the 
eyelids was inclined to red, presenting a narrow red thread 
round the eyes something like that of the Turtle Dove. In 
plumage the cock was a dark chequered; the hen chequered, 
pied with white. 
The second family, I was told, was imported from India, 
there obtained from the Mahometans, who bring them from 
Mecca when they return from their pilgrimage, and by them 
are much esteemed. These have the same Dovehouse form, 
with the addition of very narrow turned crowns or little 
peaks at the back of the head. In plumage they are what 
fanciers call a light haggle, that is to say, something be¬ 
tween a grey mottle and a grizzle. Of this latter breed I 
have seen one blue. 
The great peculiarity of this variety of domestic Pigeon 
consists in their strange voice, which baffles description. It 
is prolonged, broken, and gurgling in utterance, not so 
sonorous as that of the Trumpeter, but more varied, some¬ 
times resembling what we might imagine an Almond 
Tumbler to say if he stammered, and, again, rather re¬ 
sembling the purring coo of the Turtle Dove. It is, too, 
often interrupted by one or more inspiratory “ ahs,” from 
which, perhaps, they obtain the name of Laughers. 
Mr. Moore, 1735, gives the following description : “ The 
Laugher. —This Pigeon is about the size of a middling Runt, 
and much of the same make, and I am informed has a very 
bright pearl eye, almost white. As for its feather, it is red 
mottled, and some tell me they have seen blues. They are 
said to come from the Holy Land, near Jerusalem. When 
the cock plays to his hen he has a hoarse coo, not unlike 
the guggling of a bottle of water when poured out, and 
then makes a noise which very much imitates a soft laughter, 
and from thence this bird has its name.”—B. P. Brent. 
OUR LETTER BON. 
Food for Short-faced Pigeons (T. W. Wrench). —The best 
mixture of food for Short-faced Pigeons is clean old tares, very small 
beans, and a little wheat. To make them profitable breed them 
accurately, but not too in-and-in, and sell them reasonably. Pigeon 
eggs, we believe, will keep good for hatching about ten days or a fort¬ 
night if not exposed to damp or kept too warm. We never heard of 
Rabbits bathing, blit see no reason why it should hurt them in fine 
weather.—B. P. B. 
Pigeon House.— A. Stonehouse does not say in what situation he 
is desirous of erecting a pigeon house. We would refer him to Mr. J. 
M. Eaton’s diagram of fitting up a pigeon house. We also intend our¬ 
selves giving a few directions in the course of our series on Pigeons,— 
B. P. B. 
Pigeon Clubs ( Henry Heinrichs). —There are two Pigeon Clubs of 
which we occasionally hear. The Philoperisteron, who hold their meetings 
at the Freemason’s Hall, is the most aristocratic; the Southwark 
Columbarian Society, Yorkshire Grey Tavern, of which Mr. J. M. 
Eaton is chairman. 
Dorking Chickens (An Old Subscriber). —If they have the gapes, 
and fumes of turpentine do not cure them, we know of nothing that 
will. If one of them dies open the windpipe, and examine if any worms 
are there. If they are not there, then the disease is not the gapes. The 
turpentine fumes should be inhaled as long as the chicken seems able to 
bear them. 
Trying Eggs in Warm Water (Gorton).— If not hotter than 95° 
it will not injure the eggs. Sods or turfs would do for the bottom of 
a hen house, but they would be troublesome to keep clean. Duck eggs 
require for hatching usually twenty-eight days, but those of the Muscovy 
Duck require thirty-five days. Buy “ The Poultry Book for the Many ; ” 
it is only sixpence. 
Tame Rabbits (S. Cook). —There is no good book upon keeping 
Rabbits. Mr. Boulton will say more about' them, and when completed we 
shall publish his notes, probably, as a “ Manual.” 
Capons (William Grey). —We know of no book upon this subject. 
Characteristics of Antwerp Carriers. —“I have a pair of 
young Antwerp Carriers about two months old, which are of a stone (or 
a mixture of red and slate) colour, rather small, scarcely any wattle. 
Could you tell me the characteristics of a good young pair ? Are they 
as good for flying as any other ? What are they mostly prized for ? 
T. G. 
[Antwerp Carriers are mostly prized for their sharp flying and ex¬ 
traordinary homing faculty, in which they excel all others. Pure 
Antwerps are very scarce. They resemble a small Rock Pigeon, thin beak, 
no wattle, forehead rather raised, eyes bolting, altogether a very wild 
appearance, plumage mealy or strawberry; black snatches are admired, 
The Short-faced Antwerps, or Liege Carriers (Pigeons Srnerles), are a 
cross from the former and the Owl or Turbit Pigeons, and they strongly 
resemble the Owd Pigeon. Their plumage is either mealy, blue, oi 
chequered. They are also first-rate homing birds. The cross-bred birds 
bred from the Short-faced Liege birds and the English Dragoon are 
much more common ; they are stouter than the foregoing, and have a 
little wattle; colour various. “ T. G.” will find trying his birds the 
best test of their goodness.— B. P. Brent.] 
London: Printed by Hugh Barclay, Winchester High-street, ir 
the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published for the Proprietor: 
at The Cottage Gardener Office, No. 20, Paternoster Row, ir 
the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.—May 26 , 1857. 
