THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 19 1858 
spection of the catalogue, or even the prize list, will show that 
all the best yards in England sent their birds. 
There were 197 entries of Dorkings in the various classes : 
and here the condition of all the birds was remarkably good. 
| It will become a serious consideration whether more prizes 
must not be allotted to classes, which, like this, contribute so 
1 many entries. Forty-six appear in the list of awards, but 
only fifteen of them are prizes. It would far exceed our limits 
j to mention separately all that were deserving of it. The first 
prizes in the two principal classes were taken by the lion, 
i W. W. Vernon and Capt. Hornby, with rose-combed birds in 
both cases. They were both remarkable pens, not only for 
size and beauty, but for condition. The Rev. G. Hustler 
came southward, and took a second prize with an excellent 
lot. The Rev. S. Donne took a third prize. The new names 
among the successful were Mr. E. Archer, Miss Franklin, and 
Mr. Lingwood. All our best Dorking breeders are among the 
High Commendations. It is impossible to speak too highly 
of these classes. The White also showed well; Capt. Beard- 
more taking two prizes. Messrs. Lingwood and Fisher Hobbs 
were first and second, and Mrs. Brooke third for single cocks. 
All these birds were of remarkable weight. Here, again, the 
Commendations were very numerous. 
The adult Duff Cochins were very good, especially the hens. 
Manv of the cocks had falling combs : and it cannot be too 
strongly impressed on exhibitors that such cannot be success¬ 
ful. The county once so famous for this breed—Dorsetshire, 
represented by Mrs. H. Fookes and Mr. Crane, took first and 
third. The Rev. Mr. Gilbert did the same in chickens : and 
. Mr. Stretch was second in each. These classes are much 
improved. The Grouse birds were good, but do not call for 
! especial notice. The White were unusually good—almost 
j faultless. Messrs. Dawson and Chase had the honours of the 
| adults ; and Mr. Loe deservedly took all prizes for chickens, 
j Nothing can exceed the beauty of the young cocks shown by 
this gentleman. Although the entries were numerous for 
Cochin China cocks, and the prize and commended birds 
excellent, yet they were not equal to those shown with pullets, 
if we except those mentioned in the awards. 
Forty-five pens of Brahma Bootras made an excellent show 
| of these useful birds. Messrs. Botham, Thursby, Vernon, and 
Teebay were the successful. Mr. J. K. Fowler was obliged to 
be content with High Commendations. Mr. Vernon’s prize 
single cock weighed 1 j lbs. 
The Judges had next to encounter 202 pens of Game in the 
different classes. Among these, again, there was scattering of 
prizes and the appearance of new names. In the White and 
Piles, the chickens of which were very good, Mr. Mousey 
took both the first, and the Rev. G. S. Cruwys both the 
second prizes. In the classes for Black-breasted Reds the 
competition was very close ; and the names of most of the 
successful will be a guarantee that the honours were deserved. 
Captain Hornby took two prizes ; Messrs. Ballard, Buncombe, 
Dr. Sewell, and Mr. Cox, of Brailsford, divided the others. 
The Blacks and Brassy-winged were the weakest of all these 
classes ; and the Judges withheld the first prize in the adult 
j class. The Duck wings made amends. We have never in our 
| experience seen so good an exhibition of these beautiful birds : 
and the awards of the Judges were endorsed by the immediate 
sale of all those that were not put at prohibitory prices. 
Messrs. Burgess and Ballard, and indeed all the prizetakers, 
may be proud of their birds. Mr. J. Martin took the prize 
for the best Game cock in a class of thirty-three entries. Mr. 
Mousey and Dr. Sewell were second and third. It was re¬ 
marked, that, in this class, the Black-breasted Reds were far 
better than any others. 
The Golden-pencilled Hamburghs were numerous, showing 
thirty-three entries. Mr. Clayton, who took the first prize at 
the last Crystal Palace Show, was here again successful with 
1 excellent chickens; but Mr. Hawksley beat him in adults. 
Mr. James, of Fareham, also showed some good birds; but, 
as a class, this was not one of the best in the Exhibition. 
Need we say that in the Silvers Mr. Archer was successful- 
first for adults, all the prizes for chickens, and second for 
single cocks. Mr. Fellowes, who had beaten him in the last 
class, showed a beautiful Golden bird; and in the chickens, 
the Highly Commended pens were very meritorious. The 
adults, however, prove, everywhere, that, in this breed, as in 
j Cochins, more especially with hens, beauty belongs to youth. 
Ihe elderly ladies lose the freshness and regularity of mark- 
ing, that are the properties ol the pullets ; and they make a 
sorry appearance by the side of them. 
The Golden-spangled Hamburghs were good; and here, if 
we except that their combs are not so fresh, the hens are quite ! 
as good as the pullets. Mr. Lane’s birds were very good ; as 
were those of JVIessrs. Brooke and Fellowes ; the former gen¬ 
tleman wants, however, more spangling on the breast of his 
cocks. There were many faulty combs in the chicken class ; 
and this seems to be a growing fault: it is a fatal one to suc¬ 
cess. Mrs. Pettat was again successful in the Silver chickens j 
and the cock in the prize-pen has the most perfect tail ever 
yet seen. But, as we have to remark as we go on, for the in¬ 
formation of some, and the amusement of others, we must : 
notice that, with the clear tails now required, there is, cer¬ 
tainly, a loss of barring and lacing on the wing, just in the ! 
same way that in the Pencilled breeds, pencilled tails bring | 
spotted hackles. Faulty combs were also seen among the 1 
Silver-spangled chickens ; Messrs. Boswell and Swan’s birds 
being exceptions. The first-prize adults, belonging to Mr. 
Botham, are, we believe, the parents of Mrs. Pettat’s birds. 
The Black Bolands with white crests were an average class, i 
without attaining the high degree of merit we sometimes have 
to record. Messrs. Edwards, G. S. Fox, and Battue, showed 
the best birds. 
The J udges declared the Golden Bolands to be a very good 
class. Both the first prizes w r ere awarded to Mr. Greenall I 
for beautiful birds; and the victory will be understood to 
have been well disputed, wdien we say, the other prizetakers 
were Mrs. Pettat and Messrs. Coleridge, Conyers, and Churchill. 
The Silvers afforded another triumph in old birds to Mr. j 
Greenall; and to Mr. P. Jones in chickens. Mrs. Pettat 
also took two prizes. All these birds were excellent; but the 
pen running Mr. Greenall most closely, was one the property 
of Mr. Adkins. The two most successful exhibitors in the 
other classes, Mr. Greenall and Mrs. Pettat, gained the 
honours of the Single Cock class. 
Malays are always strong at the Crystal Palace; and there I 
w r ere twenty-five pens, many of them excellent. We must 
especially notice the first-prize birds of Messrs. Man field and 
Riunsey, and those of Messrs. Leighton and Burrow s. 
The Various class w as unusually rich. The Creve Conn's I 
were not very good; the Silkies were excellent; the Black 
Hamburghs good ; the Sultans very good. The same may be 
said of the Andalusians , White Bolish , and White Spanish': j 
but, in the latter, the colour of the face, so beautifid in the 
Black breed, gives a tame expression to the bird. 
The Gold-laced Bantams were good; Messrs. Lcno and r 
the Rev. G. F. Hodson showing the best, but hard run by the ! 
Hon. Miss Russell. 
The Silvers were good Bantams ; but there are no Silvers 
now-a-days. Messrs. Spary and Conyers had the prizes. 
There were some beautiful White Bantams , and they added 
another to the many triumphs of Mr. T. P. Mew in this 
breed. The pen belonging to the Rev. Mr. Cruwys was also 
a very good one. The Blacks were an excellent class ; and 
seven pens appear in the list of prizes. We are bound to j 
speak in highest praise of those shown by Messrs. Hawksley j 
and Ridgway. It may be well to notice here that in these 
classes the cocks must have long flowing tails. The Game 
Bantams bid fair to become the most numerous class, and 
furnished twenty pens. Mr. Crosland took the first prize ; and ! 
Mr. Forrest, with his celebrated Duck wings, took the second - 
prize ; w T hile all his other pens were highly commended. 
There were some rose-combed birds shown : this is a mistake { 
as fatal as single combs would be to Sebrights. 
The Geese, although good, were not numerous ; showing, in : 
the two classes but nine entries. The best pen was undoubt¬ 
edly that belonging to Mr. Fowler : but one of the Geese was 
injured so as to be disqualified. The White weighed, re¬ 
spectively, 59 lbs., 58 lbs., and 49 lbs. The Grey, 473 lbs., 
and 47 lbs. Thus the Whites average nine birds of more than 
18 lbs. each. 
Formerly, Aylesbury Ducks were thought good if they 
weighed 6 lbs. each ; but we now think little of them, if they 
do not reach 8 lbs. The successful were here 22^ lbs., 22£ lbs., 
and 22 lbs. We have never seen a class where the bills were 
so uniformly good as in this. 
We are bound to speak highly of the Bouens , they were , 
