THE COTTAGE GAUGE NEK AND COUN TUT GENTLEMAN. 
Oct ojj eh 
20, 1857. 
ENTRY CHARGES AND SALE PRICES. 
• 
Although really good fowls are now become plentiful at 
all our exhibitions, yet w’herever better birds than common 
are shown, and the prices affixed to them are not abso¬ 
lutely prohibitory, they immediately find purchasers. We 
I have always held that the sale of fowls at very large prices, 
! say T'50 or ATOO for a pen of a cock and two liens, is rather 
injurious than otherwise to the pursuit; but we like to see 
such as Mrs. Pettat’s Dorkings at Worcester sell for T15 ; 
Mr. Francis’s Game, TTO 10s.; Mr. Donne’s Dorkings at the 
Crystal Palace, T15; the first prize pen of Gold-pencilled 
Hainburghs at the same place, T10 10s. We like to see 
i these sold—it helps all parties in every way. The seller 
l gets a remunerating price for his birds, and the buyer gets 
an unquestionably good pen without giving an extravagant 
price. Those that distance all competitors should make a 
j good sum, and, while such encourage breeders, they also 
i promote the attendance of purchasers. 
We have been led to make these remarks by the fact of 
two Chicken Shows having recently failed to get the number 
of entries they had anticipated. In each case the entrance 
money was higher than usual, and it will be matter for con¬ 
sideration with those wffio delight in these meetings 
■whether this had not the effect of lessening the number of 
competitors. Many will send two pens at 5s. each who will 
hesitate to pay AT. Again, the number of entries is 
somewhat influenced by the increased knowledge of the 
subject that is now almost general. Practised exhibitors 
can form a tolerably good guess as to the position they are 
likely to occupy, but there is yet one point where they are 
blind to their own interest. Those who deal in live poultry 
know that at this season of the year almost every large 
breeder has lots of extra stock for sale, and those who have 
attended recent shows know equally well it is useless to go 
for the purpose of buying. Nearly every good thing is put 
at a prohibitory price : of course there are some exceptions. 
It seems to us that exhibitors are neglecting their in¬ 
terests and losing their best markets, if they have birds to 
spare, by entering so few. There is no place where there 
is a sale at good prices so readily as at a show. We 
do not for an instant wish it to be understood that birds 
likely to take a first prize should not be protected by a 
large price; nor have we a word to say to those who 
follow the pursuit as a recreation only, and do not wish to 
be troubled with sales; but to those who desire to realise 
we say, enter four pens instead of one, protect your best, or 
your best two as you will, but send two more of average 
merit at selling prices. Sometimes they may return, but 
they will mostly be sold, and the effect will be seen in your 
poultry account at the end of the year. Nothing helps a 
show so much as this. It increases the entries, augments 
the trade, and gives life to the show, and it encourages the 
attendance of buyers, who are fast being discouraged. 
This is one reason why our poultry mother, Birmingham, 
is so well supported. It is only one, because the perfect 
good faith she has always kept with exhibitors, her Bingley 
Hall, and the respect every one feels for her, will always 
support her; but one reason why she is so supported, and 
! why her first day is so well attended, spite of its being the 
! most expensive, is that every one goes to buy, because 
almost every one sends to sell. Exhibitors are very few at 
Birmingham who send but one or two pens, and all those 
who put moderate prices on average birds sell them. The 
same thing is seen at the Crystal Palace, which entries 
j prove to be a rising and popular Show. Sales are very 
numerous there. 
The experiment of heavy entries and corresponding first 
prizes has hitherto failed, and we think it will fail where 
numbers are required. We think three moderate prizes in 
each class and a lower rate of entry will be found more 
attractive and more profitable. In this as in other things 
the number pays, and twenty prizes making in all T40 will 
bring more entries than four of T'10 each. Even in com¬ 
petition for national monuments and buildings it is neces- 
i sary to offer several smaller sums besides the one great prize 
as the reward of success, or competitors would be very few. 
Failure often teaches a more useful lesson than success, 
and a medium offers security when both extremes are full 
j of danger. 
15 
PIGEONS. , . 
TOYS. 
Vabiety 2.—THE HYACINTH PIGEON (Cohnnba 
maculata variegata). 
French. —Pigeon Maille JacinthE. 
The Hyacinth-spangled Pigeon is a French variety, and 
supposed to owe its origin to a cross with the Short-legged 
Continental Powter. They are rather large Pigeons, and 
very productive, and have the power of slightly inflating 
their throats or crops. As to plumage there are two sub- 
varieties, namely, the whole-coloured and those with wffiite 
flights; in other respects they are alike. The head and 
tail are slate-coloured, the mantle being of a clear blue, 
chequered, spangled with white, or, in other words, a black 
and a blue bar on all the feathers, the outer side of the blue 
bar having a white spot or spangle, which gives the beau¬ 
tiful spangled appearance to the bird for which they are so *■ 
much admired. They are smooth-headed and bare-footed. 
I am not aware of a German breed of this sort, but the 
peculiar marking is very frequently introduced among many 
of the German Toys, and is there known by the appellation 
of karpfen-schuppen-artigen, which means marked after the 
manner of carp scales. 
THE PORCELAIN PIGEON. 
The Porcelains and Victorias are simply sub-varieties of 
the preceding, being slightly darker in plumage; the 
spangling, instead of being white, is coloured. MM. Boitard 
and Corbie enumerate three shades of marking : Pigeon 
Maille Pecker , or peach - coloured; Pigeon Maille couleur 
de Feu, red, or fire-coloured; and Pigeon Maille Noyer, 
the colour of walnut wood. They seem to regard the Red- 
