30 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 13, 18ft/. 
PIGEONS. 
SECOND DIVISION. 
TOY PIGEONS. 
Under this head I shall include all those varieties of 
domestic Pigeons whose value consists in their beautiful 
plumage and accurate marking, feather being their only 
property; and if this property is lost they at once lose caste, 
and become nothing more than mere mongrels. They 
appear to owe their origin principally to the Dovehouse 
Pigeon, and in some cases to crosses from the fancy 
varieties previously described. Many of them have turned 
crowns, and others feathered feet; but these additions only 
bespeak a mixture of some of the foregoing sorts, and are 
rarely constant in the variety. Very little attention has 
been bestowed on them in this country, though a few of the 
varieties have been long known and are widely diffused, 
while others are local or of recent introduction. I have 
failed in an endeavour to classify them in any regular order. 
The German writer, Gottlob Neumeister, classes them a& 
white Pigeons with dark markings, and dark ones with white 
marks; and, as colour is their only property, this would be 
a good method were it not that we find Pigeons reversing 
this arrangement, that cannot properly be separated; there- 
j fore I think it best to leave classification out of the question, 
I or rather, enumerate all 1 know of in one division as Toys. 
: Many of them are very beautiful in plumage. Most of 
I them are good breeders, and well adapted to the country 
I amateur who wishes to have a stock of pretty and productive 
j Pigeons, in which he can keep up a standard of excellence 
I without giving himself much trouble about the more par- 
| ticular points of the higher fancy kinds. A mere tyro can 
select the more correctly marked birds as stock, and ap- 
| propriate the remainder to the cuisine. 
The first I shall call attention to in this division are 
i 
THE SPANGLED PIGEONS. 
Variety 1.—THE SUABIAN SPANGLED PIGEON 
(Columbu bracleata Suevice). 
French. German. 
Pigeon coquille Square. Schwaben Tauben. 
placed side by side on the Pigeon’s body present a novel 
and pleasing appearance, which has been compared to a 
beautiful enamel. The pinion feathers have a small white 
spot at the extremity of each, like the spots on the wings o j 
the goldfinch; the tail is slate-coloured, barred with black; 
the feet clean and red ; the eye gravel-coloured. They are 
shy, restless birds. The nestlings of this variety have the 
scales of the feet very dark while young, and in their first 
plumage they are reddish brown or brindled on those parts, 
which at the moult become almost white; but, as Pigeons 
do not change all the secondary wing feathers at the first 
moult, so in these a reddish brown spot remains till the 
ensuing summer, when they attain their full beauty. 
Sub-varieties of this Pigeon are bred with the top of the 
head clear Avliite, including the upper mandible, and cross¬ 
ing the cheeks in a line with the eyes, in which case the 
irides are often dark or broken in colour. Some few have 
also white flights. Another sub-variety is where the ground 
colour is red; but in these the beautiful marking is not so 
distinct, having a more marbled or network appearance. 
I am strongly of opinion that the Suabian Pigeon is the 
original of all the Spangled Toys, known as Porcelains, 
Hyacinths, Victorias, &c.—B. P. Brent. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Dubbing Game Cocks.—Ear-lobe of Dorkings.—“ I have some 
Game fowls hatched on the 30th of March last. Are the cocks of suffi¬ 
cient age, and is this a proper season for performing the operation of 
dubbing upon them? Is it necessary that Dorkings should have the 
ear-lobes white?”— Mary M'Duff. 
[The Game cocks might have been dubbed before this. It should he 
done at once, as it is a favourable time of year. The white deaf ear in a 
Dorking cock is immaterial, and, so far from being necessary, it is not 
desirable.] 
Cochins for Laying. —“ In your Mo. 469, under the head of ‘ Sell 
your Surplus Stock,’ your correspondent recommends Cochins for winter 
laying. Does he consider it essential to have a male bird of the same 
class? I have another breed .of poultry, and if I procured some Cochins 
would rather exclude the cock bird.”— A Constant Reader. 
[It is quite unnecessary to have a Cochin-China cock ; indeed, a 
Dorking would be far better, because the chickens would be much better 
birds for table.] 
Preserving Bird-skins (S. C.).—Rub the fleshy side wdtli amixture 
of equal quantities of common salt and pow'dered alum; then dry the 
skins thoroughly. 
Ducks (J. V. G .)—If they are common barn-yard Ducks sell them to 
the nearest higgler. None but pure-bred, first-class birds fetch high 
prices. 
Loss of an Eye in an Exhibited Bird. —“ Will you inform me 
whether the loss of an eye in a Hamburgh cock or Spanish cock through 
fighting or otherwise will disqualify him for a prize, or seriously injure 
his chances of success? At the late Gloucester Show Mr. Fryer’s Cochin 
cock was defective in one of his eyes, and yet he took a third prize.”— 
J. K. B. v 
[A defective eye is a serious drawback. One that plainly shows it is 
caused by an accident is a disadvantage, hut not a disqualification. It 
is a disadvantage inasmuch as, if two pens were in every other respect 
equal, even this accidental defect would turn the scale. Much depends 
on the competition; but we would not send a bird with an injured eye if 
W'e had another nearly as good.] 
LONDON MARKETS.— October 12th. 
COVENT GARDEN. 
Very trifling alterations since our last. The fruit trade is heavy in all 
its branches, and the northern markets being pretty well stocked, it is 
only in very few instances that dealers are able to clear out. Pears now 
comprise Gansel’s Bergamot, Marie Louise, Louise Bonne, Brown Beurre, 
Duchesse d'Angouleme, Crusunne, and Belle de Flanders. Potatoes 
still come to hand much affected with the blight, which appears, both by 
report and by sample, to prevail almost everywhere more or less. 
This Pigeon derives its name from the beautiful and 
peculiar spotting or spangling of its plumage, and from its 
first coming from Suabia, a large territory of Germany. In 
general form, habits, and manners they closely resemble a 
common chequered Dovehouse Pigeon, with the addition of 
a turned crown like a Nun Pigeon. The ground colour of 
the plumage is also of a dull slaty black or chequered. 
Their value and the great beauty consist in the curious 
spangling or marking of the feathers. Those on the top of 
the head and down the neck are all tipped with a soft 
creamy white, and the scapular and covert feathers of the 
wings have also two large spots of this soft, almost colour¬ 
less shade, one on either side of the feather shaft, Avhich 
cover nearly the whole of, the feather vanes, and when 
POULTRY. 
We have a moderate supply and dull trade. We may except Partridges, 
of which there are still more than can find a sale. Pheasants are very 
plentiful. 
Large fowls 4s. 6d. to 5s. Od.each. 
Smaller do. 3 S . od. to 3s. 6d. „ 
Chickens.. Is. 9d. to 2s. 6d. „ 
Geese - 6s. Od. to 7s. Od. ,, 
Ducks- 2s. 6d. to 3s. Od. ,, 
Hares.2s. 6d. to 3s. Od. ,, 
Grouse .... 3s. Od. to 3s. 6d.each 
Pigeons . 7d. to 8d. ,, 
Rabbits.. Is. 4d. to Is. 5d. ,, 
Wild ditto.. 10d.tols.0d. ,, 
Pheasants .. 2s. 6d. to 3s. 3d. ,, 
Partridges .... 6d. to Is. Cd. „ 
London: Printed by Hugh Barclay, Winchester High-street, in 
the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published for the Proprietor* 
at The Cottage Gardener Office, No. 20, Paternoster Row, in 
the Parish of Christ Church, City of London,—October 13, 1857. 
