u 
THE 
COTTAGE GARDENER AND 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October G, 1857. 
Presidents. The Secretary, Mr. Towse, opened the pro¬ 
ceedings hy reading his report upon the condition of the 
Society, which was unanimously considered to he most 
Satisfactory. Five members were elected, and some other 
important business was transacted. The pens, which were 
built by Mr. Rogers, of the City Road, appeared to meet 
with general approval, and the birds were considered to be 
very good for this season of the year, many being now moult¬ 
ing. It may he expected that the next Show (to be held 
on October 27th) will be larger, and that the birds will be 
in better trim.—G. 
PIGEONS. 
Class 11.—MESSENGER PIGEONS. 
Variety 2. THE SHORT-FACED ANTWERP ( Columba 
tabellaria Belyicce ). 
French. German. 
Pigeons Smerles, Courts Biscs, LuttichE r Briee-Trager. 
de la Province de Liege. 
The Liege Carriers, or as they are more commonly known 
in this country as Short-faced Antwerps, were, I believe, 
originally bretf in and about the town of Liege, in Belgium, 
where the Turbit and Owl Pigeons have been long used in 
flying Pigeon races or matches, for which the inhabitants ot 
the low countries are as much noted as the English are for 
horse-racing, or were for cock-fighting. Their origin is 
undoubtedly from the Turbit or Owl Pigeon, not improbably 
crossed with some other flying variety. They bear most 
resemblance to a degenerate Owl Pigeon, some of them 
having respectable frills and gullets like the Turbit. They 
are whole-coloured, mostly mealy; but many are blue, and 
others blue-chequered, or smoky blues. They are excellent 
homing birds, hut not so wild and intractable as the true 
Antwerp Carrier, and with care and patience can be settled 
to a new abode, consequently they are much better known 
in this country. 
The cross-bred birds, Pigeons croi-Semens de Smerles, 
crossed with the English Carrier, or more frequently with 
the Dragoon Pigeon, are a much stouter and somewhat 
larger variety. They are much more common in England 
than the other varieties miscalled Antwerps, and are more 
frequently used for short journeys, as being more certain, 
the pure Antwerps being, as it is alleged, apt to overfly their 
homes in short journeys. 
M. A. Lejeune, of the Place de Spectacle at Verviers, 
Belgium, says of the Pigeons Smerles of the province of 
Liege, that in calm weather they perform the journey from 
Bordeaux to Verviers in twelve hours, or a journey of one 
hundred and fifty leagues, as from Tours, Poictiers, or Cha- 
tellerault, in eight hours, from which assertion some idea of 
their powers of flight may be obtained. 
Formerly many such Pigeons were kept at Dover, where I 
had many opportunities of observing them. These birds were 
used for carrying the stock-brokers information between Lon¬ 
don and Paris before the opening of the electric telegraph. 
When the flights were out for exercise their movements 
were very varied and irregular — not flying in a compact 
body, but crossing, recrossing, and straggling, then joining 
in a compact mass, circling round, and again dividing and 
reuniting. I have heard that Capt. Gouland, who was so 
very successful in taking smuggling prizes off Dover, was 
much indebted to his Pigeons, of which he kept a large 
flight, and had agents on the Continent, who despatched 
his birds with the intelligence when cargoes of contraband 
goods might be expected. This having been practised for 
some time the smugglers’procured hawks to kill the Pigeons 
when let off, thus destroying many of his birds. 
Variety 0. THE SKINNUM PIGEON ( Columba label. 
laria vulgaris). 
The innate propensity of all Pigeons to return to their 
home has caused men to make use of their powers of flight 
to send intelligence to their friends at home. Even the 
Romans and many ancient nations in the East availed them¬ 
selves of this property, and Pliny informs us that in his time 
the Romans built fine houses for their Pigeons, and that very 
high prices were often paid for them. The Turks also kept 
up large establishments of Carriers (Bagatins), by which 
means the Sultan could receive intelligence from distant 
parts of the empire. Most countries have used certain 
breeds for this purpose. In England, perhaps, the Skinnum 
has been and still is most extensively used. They are a 
cross between the common Tumbler and Dragoon Pigeons; 
in colour mostly blue, sometimes with white flights and 
even white tails. As flying Pigeons they are useful, but in 
every other respect they are no better than other common 
mongrels. In France les Pigeons Voluns are in general use, 
they being a cross between' their common Tumblers and 
the Dovehouse Pigeons (Biset). In colour these are mostly 
white with some red intermixed, strawberry, or mealy. Hol¬ 
land and the Netherlands also abound with common Mes¬ 
senger Pigeons of almost every form and colour, numbers of 
which nondescripts find their way hither, and are palmed off 
as real Antwerp Carriers. They are generally_ very wild, 
and many of them good fliers, but have nothing else to 
recommend them, being, like the Skinnum and Volans, the 
very lowest of the Pigeon fancy.—B. P. Brent. 
OUR, LETTER BOX. 
Food for Young Rabbits (Aloha). — In answer to yours of the 
](Rh inst., the best food lor young rabbits is a stiff mash of linseed 
and sharps every day. If required for showing purposes they should be 
kept in a very warm house, and the young should be brought up by 
good milking does. Rabbits will breed in winter, but not with much 
success, as the cold would stop the growth of the young. — Percy 
Boulton. 
Game Cock Trimmed. —“Would a Game cock having his spurs 
sawn otf as when they are intended for the pit tend to disqualify him 
for prize taking ?”—A Subscriber. 
[Certainly not. It is a common occurrence. Such things only art as 
disqualifications when it is evident they are done to conceal defects.] 
Comb of Spanish Hen. —“ We will suppose a case. There are two 
pens of these fowls at an exhibition. The Judges agree that the hens 
are in every point equal and precisely similar, but the combs of the 
female birds in one pen are nearly perfectly upright, and like that of the 
cock’s comb. In the other pen the combs of the female birds are quite 
pendent, gradually sloping from the top of the head, but they are well 
serrated. Now, the question is simply this—To which of these pens 
would the Judges award the prize, supposing, as we have done, that 
they were equally meritorious in every other point of view?”— John 
Chappell. 
[We cannot say what Judges would do in the case, but we have not 
the slightest hesitation in saying what they ought to do. The advan¬ 
tage would be so manifestly in favour of the drooping combs, thev 
would take the prize easily. An upright, or, as it is called, a prick comb 
in a Spanish hen, is almost as great a defect as a lop comb in a cock.] 
Spanish Cockerel without a Toe-nail. — “I have a Black 
Spanish cockerel which has had the misfortune to have the middle toe¬ 
nail trodden off, and the nail is now blunt. Will it be any detriment to 
his success as a show bird?”—T. P. Y. 
[No. Whatever is plainly accidental, and of as little importance as 
the loss of a nail to a Spanish cock, will not interfere with the hope of 
success. It cannot be made a disqualification, as the bird is barely 
blemished by it, certainly not diminished in value, and it could not be 
done with a view to augmenting his chances of distinction.] 
LONDON MARKETS.— October 5th. 
COVENT GARDEN. 
No falling off, but abundance of every description of produce ; and to 
our continental arrivals may be added heavy consignments of Dutch 
Grapes, black and white, varying from 8d. to Is. 2d. per lb. 
POULTRY. 
We have nothing to note save that Pheasants are in season since we 
last sent our quotations. Trade remains very dull. 
Large fowls 4s. Gd. to 5s. Od.each. 
Smaller do. 3s. 6d. to 4s. od. ,, 
Chickens.. 2s. Od. to 2s. 6d. ,, 
Geese .... p's. Od. to/s. Gd. ,, 
Ducks .... 2s. 9d. to 3s. Od. ,, 
Hares.3s. od. to 3s. Gd. ,, 
Grouse .... 3s. 6d. to 4s. Od.each. 
Pigeons . 8d. to 9d. ,, 
Rabbits ., ls.4d.to Is. 5d. ,, 
Wild ditto.. 10d. to la. od. ,, 
Pheasants .3s. Gd. „ 
Partridges.. Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. ,, 
London: Printed hy Hugh Barclay, Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published for the Proprietors 
at The Cottage Gardener Office, No. 20, Paternoster Row, in 
the Parish of Christ Church, City of Loudon.—October 6, 1857. 
