THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
73 Polish, 20 Malay, 33 Distinct Varieties, 68 Bantams, 18 
Geese, 68 Ducks, 21 Turkeys, 1 Guinea Fowl, 171 Pigeons, 
44 Rabbits. On the first day of the Show (Saturday, Janu¬ 
ary 10th) the Palace will open at ten o’clock instead of 
twelve, as usual on Saturdays. 
PERTH ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY’S 
COMPETITION & EXHIBITION. 
The first Exhibition and competition of the Perth Or¬ 
nithological Society in Poultry, Pigeons, and Canary birds, 
took place in the City Hall, December 10th. We ventured 
to predict, when the Society extended its sphere by the con¬ 
nection of Poultry with their Canary birds, that the com¬ 
petition and Exhibition would prove not only of a much more 
useful, but of a more generally interesting kind. Our pre¬ 
diction has been fully verified. The most sanguine of the 
promoters of the extended display have had their expecta¬ 
tions more than realised. Perhaps, had the arrangements 
of the Society been earlier matured, the Exhibition would 
have been even superior to what it was. As a beginning, 
however, and under all circumstances, it was eminently suc¬ 
cessful, and certainly it augured well for the future success 
of the Society in that highly interesting branch of study. 
Nothing was omitted, on the part of the Committee, in the 
erection of pens, &c., for the proper arrangement of the 
various descriptions of Poultry : and, considering that on the 
morning of the day of exhibition the door of the City Hall 
was besieged with carts filled with hampers, everything was 
got up with an alacrity and correctness which were surprising. 
The pens of Poultry and Pigeons numbered about a hun¬ 
dred, and the cages of the Canary birds nearly the same. In 
all we considered that nearly five hundred birds of every 
kind were presented. The pens and cages stretched from 
one end of the large hall to the other, and were so nicely 
arranged that no visitor had the slightest difficulty in find¬ 
ing and getting a full inspection of any class of the fea¬ 
thered tribes he wanted to examine. The Pigeons were few, 
but they were beautiful birds. Two Geese, from Lord Kin- 
naird, were particular objects of attraction, as was also a 
Turkey cock, from Mrs. Blair, of Inchmartine, which was 
really a princely fellow, and seemed to delight in displaying 
his rich and glossy plumage before the visitors. It would 
be impossible to describe all the different birds which at¬ 
tracted particular notice; but there was one for which no 
classification was allotted, a hybrid between a common Barn¬ 
door hen and a Pheasant, a remarkably beautiful creature, 
sent by Graham Reid Mercer, Esq., of Tulchan. We have 
no hesitation in concluding our notice of this Exhibition in 
stating, in the language of the Judges, whose names we give, 
that in the various exhibitions of the same kind which they 
had witnessed, they had never seen a display in the quality 
and beauty of the birds equal to it. The Judges’ decisions 
gave universal satisfaction. At the close of the Exhibition 
some of the birds were sold at very high prices. A Spanish 
cock we heard seven guineas asked for, and five offered and 
refused ; ten pounds for a pair of Powters belonging to Mr. 
Ure, of Dundee, were quietly pushed aside, and five pounds 
for a pair of Carriers. We had almost omitted to mention 
that Messrs. J. Duncan and D. Stewart, of Perth, excelled in 
their specimens of Canary birds. The Judges for the Poultry 
were — Mr. Little, Glasgow; Mr. Ritchie, Glasgow; Mr. 
M'Farren, Parkhead; and Mr. Brown, Perth : those for the 
Canary birds were — Mr. Haddow, Glasgow; Mr. Scott, 
Paisley; Mr. Cunningham, Anstruther; and Mr. Bennie, 
Perth. The following is the list of the prizes awarded : — 
POULTRY. 
Old Spanish.— First, Mr. Thomas Ross, Perth. Second, Mr. David 
Henry, Almondbank. Third, Mr. Alex. BI'Gregor, Scone. 
Young Spanish. — First, Mr. John M'Dougall, Perth. Second, Mr. 
Andrew Croll, Perth. Third, Mrs. Blair, Inchmartine. 
Cochin-China. —First, Miss Bell, Rashiehall. Second and Third, 
Mrs. Blair, Inchmartine. Highly Commended.—Miss Bell. 
Dorkings. —First and Second, Mrs. Blair, Inchmartine. Third, Mr. 
Alexander BI'Gregor, Inch. 
Barn-yard Fowls. — First, Mr. John Carmichael, Perth. Second, 
Mr. Alex. BI'Gregor, Inch. Third, Mr. John M'Dougall, Perth. 
Silver-spangled Hambdrghs. —First, John Robertson, Burnside. 
Second, Mr. Johnston, St. Martins. Third, Mr. H. Meldrum, l)um- 
fries-shire. 
No old Scotch breed presented. 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, January G, 1857. 247 
Cross Breed. —First, Mr. James Suttie, Inchture. Second, Lord 
Kinnaird. Third, Mrs. Blair, Inchmartine. 
Bantams. — First and Second, Mr. H. Meldrum, Dunfermline. 
Third, Mr. George Ure, Dundee. Highly Commended.— Hon. Miss 
Kinnsird. 
Common Geese. —First, Lord Kinnaird. Second arid Third, Sir 
Thomas BloncreiGV. 
Ducks. —First, Lord Kinnaird. Second, Sir Thomas Blonereiffc. 
Third, Mrs. Blair, Inchmartine. 
Turkeys. —First, Mrs. Blair, Inchmartine. Second and Third, Loid 
Kinnaird. 
PIGEONS. 
Powters. —First and Second, Mr. George Ure, Dundee. Third, Mr. 
Alex. Cochrane, Perth. 
Carriers. —Mr. George Ure, Dundee. 
Fantails.— First and Second, Mr. Alex. Cochrane, Perth. 
Ruffs. —First and Second, Mr. H. Meldrum, Dunfermline. Third, 
Mr. Alex. Cochrane, Perth. 
CANARY BIRDS. 
Yellow Cocks.— First and Second, Mr. Daniel Stewart, Perth. 
Third, Mr. Jas. Robertson, Kirkcaldy. 
Buff Cocks — First, Mr. H. Meldrum, Dunfermline. Second, Mr. 
-D. Stewart, Perth. Third, Mr. John Mitchell, Perth. 
Yellow Hens. — First, Mr. D. Stewart, Perth. Second and Third, 
Mr. James Robertson, Kirkcaldy. 
Buff Hens. — First, Mr. John Mitchell, Perth. Second, Mr. D. 
Stewart, Perth. Third, Mr. James Robertson, Kirkcaldy. 
Buff or Yellow Piebald Cocks. —First and Second, Mr. J. 
Duncan, Perth. Third, Mr. I-I. Childrum, Dunfermline. 
—(Perthshire Courier .) 
[It is not in unison with the good Scottish love of the 
useful, to give 20s. for the best cock Canary, and only 10s. 
for the best pen of Dorkings.—E d. C. G.] 
ESSEX POULTRY EXHIBITION. 
This was held at Colchester, on the 31st of December 
and three following days. The following are the awards of 
prizes :— 
The Colchester Cup (a Piece of Plate, value Twenty Guineas), 
For the hest General Collection of Domestic Poultry, sent for competition 
for the General Prizes, consisting of not less than Ten Pens and Five 
Varieties, shown by any amateur exhibitor resident in the United 
Kingdom. Mr. George Botham, Wexham Court, Slough, Bucks. 
The County’s Cup (a Piece of Plate, value Ten Guineas), for the 
hest Collection of Poultry (not less than Six Pens and Three Varieties) 
shown by any amateur exhibitor for general competition. Mr. John 
Kersley Fonder, Prebendal Farm, Aylesbury. 
A Piece of Plate (value Five Guineas), offered by William Fisher 
Hobbs, Esq., for the best General Collection of Domestic Poultry, con¬ 
sisting of not less than Six Pens, shown by any amateur exhibitor re¬ 
siding in Essex or Suffolk. Mr. Charles Punchard, Blunt’s Hall, 
Haverhill. 
A Silver Medal, offered by Joseph Cooke, Esq., Colchester, for the 
best General Collection of Pigeons, consisting of not less than Five 
Pens, shown by any amateur exhibitor resident in the United Kingdom. 
Mr. Twose, Bridgewater. 
A Bronze Medal, offered by the Hon. Secretaries of the Society, 
for the best Game Cock, of any age or colour. Mr. William Bagg, 
jun., Colchester. 
A Bronze Medal, offered by the- Hon. Secretaries of the Society, 
fur the heaviest Pen of three Turkeys, not exceeding nine months old on 
January 6th, 1857. Rev. Thomas Lyon Fellowes, Beighton Rectory. 
Dorking (Coloured).—First, Mr. G. Botham, Wexham Court, Slough, 
Bocks. Second, Mrs. Parkinson,Knaptliorpe, Newark. Third, Hon. Wm. 
Warren-Vernon, Wolseley Hall. Highly Commended.—Mrs. Henry 
Fookes, Whitrehurch, Blandford, Dorset. Mrs. Parkinson, Knapthorpe, 
Newark. Mr. Richard Postans, Shelly Priory, Hadleigh, Suffolk. 
Commended.—Mr. Henry Robert Sexton, Thorrington Hall, Wherstead, 
Suffolk. Mr. William Fisher Hobbs, Boxted Lodge. (An unusually 
good class.) Chickens of 1S56.—First, Mr. F. A. Read, Romford, 
Essex. Second, Mr. Charles Punchard, Blunt’s Hall, Haverhill, 
Suffolk. Third, Rev. Thomas L. Fellowes, Beighton Rectory, Norfolk. 
Highly Commended. — Mr. Henry Robert Sexton, Thorrington Hall, 
Wherstead, Suffolk. Mr. John Kersley Fowler, Prebendal Farm, Ayles¬ 
bury, Bucks. Mr. Henry Robert Sexton, Thorrington Hall, Suffolk. 
Mr. W. B. Rouse, Wickham Market, Suffolk. The Right Hon. Lord 
Robert Grosvenor, M.P., Moor Park, Rickmanswortli. Commended. 
—Mr. George Round, Colchester. Mrs. Parkinson, Knapthorpe, 
Newark. (A better class could not well be exhibited.) 
Dorking (White). — First, Sir. H. Lingvvood, Needham Slarket, 
Suffolk. Second, Rev. G. F. Hodson, North Petherton, Somerset. 
Chickens of 1856.—First, Sir. H. Lingwood, Needham Slarket, Suffolk. 
Second, Sirs. Henry Fookes, Whitechurcli, Blandford, Dorset. 
Dorking (for the best Cock, of any age or colour. Shown singly).— 
First, Sir. John Herman Braikenridge, ChewSIagna, Somerset. Second, 
Sir. W. Fisher Hobbs, Boxted Lodge. Highly Commended.—Sir. John 
Herman Braikenridge, Chew Slagna, Somerset. (The competition ex¬ 
cellent.) 
Spanish. —First, Sir. G. Botham, Wexham Court, Slough, Bucks. 
! Second, Sir. John Buncombe, Wellington, Somerset. Third, Mr. Arthur 
Geo. Brooke, Woodbridge, Suffolk. Highly Commended.—Mrs. Par¬ 
kinson, Knapthorpe, Newark, Chickens of 1856.—First, Hon. William 
Warren-Vernon, Wolseley Hall, Rugeley. Second, Sir. John Kersley 
Fowler, Prebendal Farm, Aylesbury, Bucks. Third, Sir. Richard Posians, 
Shelly Priory, Iladleigh, Suffolk. Highly Commended, — Sir. G. 
