220 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Jft.y 12. 1859. 
near I.eeils. Second, II, Worrall, Spring Grove, West Derby, near Liver¬ 
pool. Third, T. II. D. Bayley, Ickvrell House, near Biggleswade. 
Gf.ere. —First, J. K. Fowler, Prebendal Farm, Aylesbury. Second, J. 
Price, Londonderry, Bedale, Yorkshire. 
Duck# (White Aylesbury).—First, Mrs. M. Seamons, Hartwell, Ayles¬ 
bury. Second and Third, J. K. Fowler, Prebendal Farm, Aylesbury. 
•Commended, Mrs. M. Seamons. 
Ducks (Rouen).—First, Second, and Third, J. K. Fowler, Prebendal 
Farm, Aylesbury. 
Ducks (Black East Indian). — First, Miss S. Perkins, the Cottage, 
Sntton Coldfield. Second, S. Burn, 1, East Terrace, Whitby. Third, R. 
Baines, Bow Street, Sheffield. 
Ducks (any other variety).—First and Second, J. Dixon, North Park, 
Bradford. Third, W. Dawson, Hopton Mirfield. 
Turkeys.— First, J- Dixon, North Park, Bradford. Second, C. Laugh¬ 
ton, Sutton, Chesterfield. 
Gasie Cocks.— First, Capt. Hornby, Knowsley Cottage, Prescot. Second, 
E. Archer, Malvern. Third, G. W. Moss, the' Beach) Aighburtli, Liver¬ 
pool. Four.h, W. Mellows, Carburton, near Ollerton. Fifth. J. Sumner, 
North Bar Street, Beverley. Highly Commended, G. W. Moss; Capt. 
Hornby; J. Hindson, Barton House, Everton, Liverpool. Commended, 
G. 3. Cruwys, Tiverton, Devon. 
THE BERMONDSEY ROLLER PIGEON. 
In your paper of the 22nd ult. Mr. Brent ashed for a description 
of the “Roller,” or “ Bermondsey Roller,” as he terms it. Now, 
though I am not a professional writer, and I may be considered 
presumptuous to offer informatipn to such an authority as Mr. 
Firent, still, a9 I have kept and bred every variety of the Tumbler, 
including the Roller, my remarks may not be uninteresting to 
some of your numerous readers. 
The Roller is, strictly speaking, a Tumbler; and any one who 
keeps a large sto .tk of these birds has one or more Rollers in 
the flight. Their distinguishing characteristics are that they do 
not, a9 Mr. Brent says, “ throw a clear summersault, one at a 
time,” but fifteen or twenty times in one continuous “ roll 
hence their name. This rolling, as we term it here iu Stafford¬ 
shire, quite incapacitates the bird for high flying, as it is astonish¬ 
ing the quantity of ground, or rather air, a bird which is a good 
Roller will lose. In fact, I have seen birds which could not fly 
from one building to another without rolling ; and I iiave never 
seen one of these birds rise higher than a church-spire ; and some 
will roll so low as to fall on any wall or low building; and this, 
in the eye of a fancier, is considered a grand point in the bird’s 
favour. The bird itself is about the size, or, if anything, rather 
smaller than the common Tumbler, and of every variety of colour ; 
neat-looking birds, but head and beak almost as long as the 
common House Pigeon. The breast is very prominent, back 
short, and feet small and neat, sometimes feathered, but this is 
quite accidental. The tail is rather shorter than that of most 
other Pigeons, which may account for their rolling. 
In the iron district of South Staffordshire, and in and near 
Birmingham, they are very common, and pass under the names 
of Cut-tails, Rollers, and Spinners. Many fanciers keep very 
select flights of them. They require a little judgment in the 
selection of young ones for store; as, although common Tumblers 
will “throw” Rollers, still a pair of valuable Rollers will most 
likely “ throw ” five-sixths of their young ones good for nothing. 
Good ones command high prices. 
I will just add an instance which has come under my notice 
to show you the instinct of Pigeons. On going into my Pigeon¬ 
loft. this morning, I observed that a pair of Almond Tumblers 
had thrown one of their eggs out of the nest which was placed on 
the floor. The birds had sat about fourteen days ; and, although 
the egg was cold, I placed it in the nest to give it a chance of 
hatching. On going by the nest ten minutes after, I saw that the 
egg was again on the floor. Eaneying it was accidental, I again 
put it in the nest; but judge of my surprise, on entering the loft 
an hour or two afterwards, to see the egg carried a yard and a 
half from the nest, and that over a piece of timber six or eight 
inches high. How it was carried I do not know; but on ex¬ 
amining it, it proved to be addled or unimpregnated, whilst the 
other contains a young one.— Andy Handy. 
UNITING SWARMS. 
I had a first swarm come off about a week ago, which was 
hived. A second swarm from another hive came off five days 
after, which was hived, placed on a piece of perforated zinc, and 
put on the top of the first swarm ; the slides were withdrawn, 
and it was allowed to stand till a quarter past nine next night. 
It was then dashed out on a table, and the first swarm placed 
over it; but they fought till they had killed about four ounces of 
bees. Now, had both been chloroformed would they have united 
better? They say sprinkling bees with sugar, dissolved iu ale or 
water, sticks them together, and makes them fight more; and 
they, therefore, in this part (nortli), dust them with flour. Is 
this a good plan ? 
When bees hang out two or three days, but do not swarm, ! 
woidd it not be better to drive them, and so save the trouble of 
watching ? 
The little book by Payne you publish recommends chloroform. 
It i3 much easier used than the puff-balls. Is it generally con¬ 
sidered better ? or does it kill more than puff-balls ? 
1 hived a first swarm into one of the new observatory hires 
sixteen days since, and they have nearly filled it with comb and 
honey. Should I put a glass or anything on ? 
What is the cause of a swarm going back to its parent hive ? 
Recently I had a first swarm go back, and to-day I have had a 
second swarm do the same. 
Is it a good plan to kill some of the drones after twice swarm¬ 
ing ? as one of my hives that has swarmed twice has a very large 
number.—A. B. 
[There is not much difficulty in uniting families of bees at 
swarming time, provided only a few days intervene, but the un¬ 
certainty is much increased where the first hived bees have 
remained long enough to make a good many combs. For in¬ 
structions as to the mode of accomplishing the business you had 
better refer to some practical work on the subject. In Taylor’s ; 
“Bee-keeper’s Manual,” published by Groombridge and Co.. 
London, you will find, at the cost of 4.?., detailed information as 
regards this and other points on which you need to be instructed, i 
We are not friendly to the use of chloroform in bee management. 
There is nothing very unusual in the return of the queen bee to 
the original hive on swarming ; but generally there is a re-issue at 
no very long interval. As to killing supernumerary drones, you 
had better not attempt it in any piecemeal way. In the book we 
have recommended for your guidance this subject is remarked 
upon.] 
SHIFTING BEES WITH THEIR COMBS. 
I have a common straw hive full of bees, so much so that the : 
hive can hardly hold them. No swarm has taken place as yet; 
and as the season is too far advanced, I do not wish to see a 
swarm now; but I desire to shift the whole colony into one of 
Taylor’s hives, with three glasses on the top, how must I 
proceed ?— H. M. Liverpool. 
[The question you put to us as to the expediency of shifting 
an old full stock of bees, with their combs, into another hive, has 
often been discussed in our columns. Wo have never counts- -j 
nanced such a proceeding at any time ; hut at this season of the , 
year the attempt would assuredly end in a sad mess, if not the 
total destruction of the stock. An experienced apiarian has 
given, in one of our recent numbers (page 173), the details of a 
mode of stocking a new hive in the spring by driving, from which 
you might probably derive some useful ideas ; but any extraordi- ; 
nary operation oi the kind should only be attempted by an 
experienced hand.] 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Spanish Cock. —“My best Spanish cock has been Ill for the last fort¬ 
night, and does not appear to he getting any better. One side of his face 
is excessively swelled with matter coming from it. His eye is quite closed 
up. He seems drooping and dull. What can be done for him Anna. 
[We fear this is a hopeless case. It is one peculiar to Spanish fowls, and 
we have never seen a cure. Purging, giving daily one grain of sulphate of 
copper in soft food, and washing the tape with cold vinegar and water are 
the only remedies that we can suggest.] 
LONDON MARKETS.— July 11. 
POULTRY. 
Prices remain much as last week. The heat of the weather causes 
fluctuations, but the average has not changed much. 
Each— s. 
a. 
5 . 
d. i 
Each- 
~s. 
A. 
8. 
A. 
Large Fowls.. 
0 to 
c 
0 
Turkeys. 
. Q 
0 to 
0 
0 
Smaller ditto 
. 3 
G „ 
4 
6 
Pigeons . 
0 
8 .1 
0 
9 
Chickens . 
. 2 
3 „ 
3 
0 
Guinea Fowls . 
fi 
o .. 
0 
0 
Geese. 
. 6 
0 
6 
6 
Rabbits . 
1 
4 „ 
1 
5 
Ducklings 
. 3 
0 „ 
3 
3 j 
Wild ditto. 
. 0 
8 „ 
0 
9 
