THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, December 1C, 1856. 193 
2200, it became necessary to devise some plan which should 
lessen the entries without interfering with the excellence of 
the Show. It was then decided that no member should 
enter more than four pens. Seeing, however, that it has 
passed into a proverb, that it is easy to drive a coach and 
four through an Act of Parliament, it will not be thought 
astonishing that this arrangement was evaded. It was then 
made a rule that each pen should be paid for, and this 
brought the entries within moderate compass—1210 pens, 
independently of Pigeons. 
The wisdom of this arrangement was manifest. All the 
pens contained good birds only. Now, indifferent birds, 
when sent, merely increase the number of entries, without in 
any way adding to the merit of the Show; yet they greatly 
add to the labour of receiving and sending off, as the worst 
pen must go through the same routine as the best. 
We will now proceed to tbe description of the different 
classes, merely mentioning such pens as claim separate 
notice, and referring to the prize-list, published last week, 
for the list of successful. Let us, however, repeat, this 
was the best collection of poultry ever seen in the world, and 
tbe honours and successes must be meted accordingly. 
The first two classes were for Golden-pencilled Hamburghs, 
and we can with pleasure report an improvement in both 
as compared with last year. The Judges declared them 
“very good,’’ and Messrs. Worrall and J. Lowe, both good 
names, contested “ the Cup; ” the latter gentleman 
gained it. Mr. Worrall again took the first prize for 
Golden-spungled Hamburghs; but the Cup was taken by Mr. 
Kershaw. These gentlemen were hard run by Lord Ber¬ 
wick. The Silver-pencilled have not improved since last 
year, nor do we think, as a whole, they were as good as we 
have seen of late. The old “ king of the castle ” in this 
breed vindicated his claim to the title, i. e ., Mr. Archer took 
a first prize, as did the Rev. T. L. Fellowes. These gentlemen 
are identified with this class. The Silver-spangles are not 
so good as the Golden. 
All the Polands improve, more especially the Silver- 
spangled. There were numerous birds in these classes of 
surprising beauty. The third-class bii’ds of 1850 would 
have carried off the Cup of 1853 with ease. Here it re¬ 
mained in Birmingham with a deservedly popular exhibitor, 
Mr. G. C. Adkins, of Edgbaston. Few can boast of as much 
success as Mr. Greenall, who, we believe, was successful with 
every pen he sent. 
Then came such a class as was never before seen, viz., the 
Spanish. We are not inexperienced in these matters, and 
we endeavour to view them coolly; but we were not prepared 
for such an Exhibition. Even in good Shows we have heard 
from Judges that it was difficult to find a really meritorious 
fourth prize pen ; but here many of the highly commended 
were birds of uncommon merit. Our readers may imagine, 
then, the merits of the prize pens belonging to Messrs. Davies 
and Rake. Comfort may be taken by the unsuccessful from 
the note appended to each class by the Judges. There is 
a great lesson to be learned from them. Every point that 
was required in a first-class pen a few years since is now 
common to the birds exhibited. 
The next claimants for notice were 126 pens of Dorkings. 
The Judges said they could not speak too highly of this class, 
nor can we. Messrs. Donne and Wright were the heads of 
the two classes; but the former took the Silver Cup. Mr. 
Wright’s birds were not shown in their usual good condition. 
There appears to be a mistake among some of our exhibitors 
in feeding these birds, as many of them were shown in such 
a state of fatness as to preclude all hope of success at a 
Show, and to be injurious to the birds themselves. In¬ 
judicious feeding has also the effect of interfering with 
moulting. This was very visible in a prize pen belonging to 
the Hon. W. Vernon, which were in deep moult, or from 
their size they would be dangerous antagonists. We cannot 
help thinking meat is largely used by many, yet nothing 
is more detrimental to the fowls. 
We were pleased with the Cochin-Chinas, as we thought 
them improving, and we were also glad to see that good 
birds found a ready sale at from £2 to £Z 10s. each. Every 
one was pleased that Mr. Punchard, who was the first who 
showed them at Birmingham, took the Cup this year. The 
Rev. G. Gilbert took two prizes with birds bred from his 
brother’s celebrated old stock. The Grouse birds claimed 
one pre-eminence—they had two Silver Cups, and the com¬ 
petition was animated for them. The Rev. Mr. Hodson 
and Mr. Bridges won them. The Whites were good, 
though not so good as we have seen. The Blacks were, as 
usual, a poor lot. We think this class might be profitably 
expunged. 
There was little competition for the adult Brahma prize; 
but there were excellent chickens. Mr. Botham was 
successful in both classes. 
The single cock classes were among the most interesting, 
and did not appear to weaken the pens entered for general 
competition. 
We were glad to see a good entry of Malays, and good 
birds among them. The prizes went, of course, to Messrs. 
Leighton and Manfield. 
The Game classes were never so strong in really first- 
class birds, nor were the prizes ever so scattered about. 
Many of those who have hitherto appeared, in some form or 
other, in every class are this year absent from the prize-list; 
but it will be seen that it has been a characteristic of this 
Show, that the prizes have been more scattered than they 
ever were before. 
The Bantams were excellent, and the Cups w'ent to the 
Hon. Miss Russell for Golden, and Mr. Forrest for Duck¬ 
wing Game. 
Let the weights of the prize Geese speak. Three birds in 
the first pen, 67 lbs.; in the second, 64 lbs.; in the third, 
59 lbs. 
The prize Aylesbury Ducks weighed 30 lbs., 29 lbs., and 
28 lbs. The JRouens, 24 lbs., 23 lbs., and 21 lbs. 
Three Turkeys weighed 55 lbs., 53 lbs., and 47 lbs. 
Class L— WATTLED PIGEONS. 
Six Sub-varieties. 
The sub-varieties of the Wattled or Warted Pigeons are 
numerous, and may be looked upon as crosses from some of 
the foregoing established varieties. 
The Horseman, as it is known to the London fanciers 
and dealers, is only an inferior Carrier. Often it has more 
wattle than that noble bird, but it is less elegant in shape, 
the beak being frequently rather bent, the neck more arched, 
and the pinions much shorter, in this case showing more 
resemblance to the Scandaroon. The Pouting Horseman is 
a cross between the Horseman or Dragoon and a Pouter. 
These are fine large Pigeons, very merry, and productive, 
and, according as they have more Horseman blood, so they 
have more wattle; or, if they are oftener bred over to the 
Pouter, so they have larger crops. The Germans breed a 
similar variety, which they call Ritter Taube, or Knight 
Pigeons ; and the French, also, have a like cross, which they 
designate Pigeon Cavalier. 
Our Dragoon Pigeons, so commonly used in this country 
for flying matches, are also considered to have originated in 
a cross from the Carrier with the common Tumbler or the 
Rock, and, according as they are oftener bred over to the 
Carrier, they become stouter and more wattled. They are 
rather smaller and more compact than the Carrier, being 
less in all their properties, though often having much wattle, 
particularly if aged. They have long been an established 
breed in this country, are very productive, and excellent 
nurses. Their chief colour is blue, though there are also 
blacks, chequereds, duns, silvers, whites, and pieds. The 
whites have generally the blemish of dark eyes, and reds 
and yellows are only esteemed for their rarity. When they 
are bred with long, straight, lean heads, they are called 
Shear Dragoons, and much esteemed for flying. If bred over 
to the Tumbler till they lose all wattle, they are then 
called Skinnums, and are of no value except as sharp fliers. 
Probably several of the so-called Runts, such as the 
Roman, may belong to the class of Wattled Pigeons. Aldro- 
vandus calls some of this class Columba vulgo Cretensis dicta. 
The Runts, properly speaking, are not Wattled Pigeons; 
but the large Pigeons, whether they belong to the class of 
large, unwattled Pigeons, Columba domeslica gigantea, or the 
large-wattled varieties included in this class, Columba tuber¬ 
culosa, are too little known in this country for me to enu¬ 
merate them all, or admit of my classifying them satisfac¬ 
torily.— B. P. Brent. 
