THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION, August 25, 185^ 
337 
class, for the best pen of chickens, cross-bred or otherwise, 
considered exclusively with reference to table purposes. —W. B. 
Tisgetmeier, Tottenham. 
TCEBIT PIGEONS. 
I trust that Mr. Brent will not think I am stepping 
beyond my proper sphere in offering a few remarks on his 
paper on Turbits ; but as an admirer of the variety, and as 
the possessor of some exceedingly good specimens, I am 
anxious to say a few words respecting them. Of the correct¬ 
ness of the description given of the form of the bird, of its 
frill, gullet, head, eyes, and beak, there can be but one 
opinion. I am glad to see Mr. Brent lays so much stress 
on the gullet, a point often wanting in otherwise good birds. 
In the list of colours the Silver-shouldered, a very beautiful 
variety, are not mentioned, although alluded to in a pre¬ 
vious part of the paper. The fact that Turbits had formerly 
coloured tails to match the shoulders is stated. To this I 
have an interesting addition, namely, that some strains ai’e 
now throwing back to the original character, and producing 
dark-tailed young ones. Thus the birds shown as Meeves by 
Mr. Harrison Weir may be described as Black-tailed White 
Turbits. Mr. Summerhayes informed me that he had some 
produced in his stock, and in some very good Silver-shouldered 
birds that I possess about half are bred with a greater or less 
number of dark tail feathers. This reproduction of a character 
that has been some time in abeyance is of much interest iu a 
scientific point of view. 
I hardly agree with Mr. Brent regarding the White Turbits. 
I have birds of that colour that certainly are Turbits, and 
not Owls. Moreover, the old writers described other Turbits 
of an entire colour, as Blues and Blacks. Of the first of these 
I also have specimens. 
As fliers I can readily believe the old account of their 
flying as high as Tumblers, for three or four of mine will 
often start off, and ascend till I nearly lose sight of them. 
I have tried some of these as homing birds; but, although 
they will fly home a few miles, they are a long time on the 
jotirnev, frequently in the first instance going out of sight in 
the wrong direction. As breeders I have found them pro¬ 
ductive. One very good pair have given me a nest of young 
ones every six weeks for the last ten months. 
The next important point in which I differ from Mr. 
Brent is respecting the turn crown. I regard its presence 
as essential to success in competition, and I am quite sure 
that nineteen-twentieths of the Pigeon Judges are of the same 
opinion, and therefore caution my readers against sending 
out any Turbits to a show in which there is not either a 
turn crown or a point at the back of the head.—W. B. 
Tegetmeier, Tottenham. 
GLASGOW POULTRY SHOW. 
The annual Exhibition of Poultry, in connection with 
the Agricultural Society of Scotland’s Show, was held this 
year at Glasgow on the 4th, 5th, and 6th days of August. 
I believe that this Society was the first in Scotland to offer 
premiums for poultry; and, to judge from the quantity and 
quality of the fowls exhibited on this occasion, one would 
say that the unusual competition for their handsome silver 
medals has not been unproductive of good. 
The Dorkings came first on the list, and I have seldom 
seen so good a show of adult birds. They were brought 
from all parts of Scotland, and several came from “ over the 
Border.” 
Spanish were nowise inferior, and the two prize pens 
were really good birds. The hens in the second prize pen 
were very near perfection. There was an indifferent show 
of Turkeys , three very good pens of Geese, and some good 
Aylesbury Ducks. The first and second prizes in the 
“promiscuous” class were awarded to old. Scotch fowls— 
grey-speckled birds, resembling Cuckoo Dorkings minus 
the fifth toe. In all there were 143 pens. 
That most necessary adjunct to the enjoyment and 
success of an open air show, fine "weather, was not wanting, 
and in the three days it is calculated that about 50,000 
people visited the grounds. On Wednesday the lords of 
the creation mustered strongly, and there was in all respects 
a fair sprinkling of the gentler sex, to whom, of course, the 
poultry pens were the centre of attraction. 
But Thursday was the day. By rail and road the crowds 
came in, till the pavements of the usually busy, bustling city 
were q.uite thronged; and, as I became part of that elongated 
line of human beings, I fully realised with Byron what it is 
to be “ a link (though not, perhaps, reluctant ) in a human 
chain.” 
The Queen of the Netherlands on this day visited the 
Show-yard, accompanied by the Duchess of Baden-Baden, 
and escorted by the Dukes of Athol, Hamilton, and 
Montrose, the former of "whom had a large retinue of 
Highlanders in full costume.— Gallus. 
The following is a list of the prizes awarded :— 
Dorkings (Coloured).—First, G. Baillie, jun., Mellerstain, Kelso. 
Second, A. Cuningham, Craigends, Johnstone. Commended, H. Hayes, 
Springfield House, Barrhead. 
Dorkings (White).—First, R. Russell, 80, Canal Street, Paisley. 
Second, R. Westbrook, Brookall, Paisley. 
Cochin-Chinas (Coloured).—First, M. Buist, Tyninghame, Pres- 
tonkirk. Second, D. Stratton, road surveyor, Airdrie. Commended, 
Mrs. Fergusson Biair, of Balthayock, Inchmartine, Inchture. 
Cochin-Chinas (White). — First, A. Patterson, wright, Airdrie. 
Second, Mrs. Fergusson Blair, of Balthayock, Inchmartine, Inchture. 
Commended, J. Sharp, Johnstone. * 
Brahma Pootras. —First and Second, Mrs. Fergusson Blair, of 
Balthayock, Inchmartine, Inchture. 
Spanish. —First, J. F. Burnside, Mugdock, Strathblane. Second, 
H. Donald, engineer, Johnstone. Commended, J. Young, Condorrit, 
Cumbernauld. 
Hamburghs (Golden).—First, A. L. M‘Murtrie, innkeeper, Miln- 
gavie. Second, T. Caldwell, Coldstream, Beith. Commended, M. 
Buist, Tyninghame, East Lothian. 
Hamburghs (Silver).—First, M. Buist, Tyninghame. Second, A. 
L. M'Murtrie, innkeeper, Milngavie. Commended, T. Caldwell, Cold¬ 
stream, Beith. 
Polands. —First, A. Ferguson, Stewarton. Second, J. Davie, Kirk- 
shaws, Old Monkland. 
Game. —First, A. L. M‘Murtrie, innkeeper, Milngavie. Second, J. 
Cunningham, West Arthurlie, Barrhead. Commended, A. Graham, 
Capellie, Barrhead. 
Any other breed. —First, R. Westbrook, Brookall, Paisley (old 
Scotch). Second, W. Paterson, East Kilbride (old Scotch). Com¬ 
mended, W» Gilmour, 127, St- Vincent Street, Glasgow (old Scotch). 
Bantams. — First, G. Baillie, jun., Mellerstain, Kelso. Second, 
R. Aitken, Blantyre Works. Commended, J. G. T. Sinclair, Benmore. 
Ducks (White Aylesbury).—First, J. Young, Castle Glen, Busby. 
Second, A. Cuninghame, Craigends, Johnstone. Commended, A. 
Young, Kirkton Mills, Neilston. 
Ducks (Rouen).—First, A. M'Murtrie, innkeeper, Milngavie. Second, 
G. Baillie, jun,, Mellerstain. Commended, Miss Moffatt, Grassmarket, 
Edinburgh. 
Any other breed. — First, J. Pollock, West Morton, Mearns. 
Second, W. Gilmour, 127, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow. 
Turkeys (Black Norfolk).—Prize, T. Caldwell, Coldstream, Beith. 
Turkeys (any other breed).—Prize, Mrs. Fergusson Blair, Inch¬ 
martine, Inchture. 
Geese. —First, J. F. Burnside, Mugdock, Strathblane (Embden), 
Second, G. Baillie, jun., Mellerstain, Kelso (Toulouse). Commended, 
T. Caldwell, Coldstream, Beith (White Embden). 
Class 7.—FRILLED PIGEONS. 
Variety 3.—THE OWL PIGEON ( Columba bubo 
nominata, Mo ore ). 
Belgian. German. 
Les Pigeons Smerles. Lutticher brief trager. 
The Owl Pigeon has long been held by English fanciers 
as a distinct variety from the Turbit, although to a casual 
observer there appears but little difference except in colour, 
namely, that while the Turbit is pied or white with dark or 
coloured shoulders, the Owl is whole-coloured, generally 
blue or silver. But if the properties of true-bred birds of 
each variety are compared other points of difference will be 
apparent, though to a certain extent the two varieties are 
very similar; and, as both breeds have been much neglected, 
the difference is not so great in the common run of birds 
bearing these names. Bearing in mind the points of a | 
