16 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTBY GENTLEMAN, October 5, 1858. 
in it3 course upwards. Each operation should he performed 
in six or eight seconds of time. It is not absolutely necessary 
to remove every worm from the windpipe. Coarse hairs are 
better than fine ones for the purpose.—N. D. E., American 
Country Gentleman. 
MIND YOUR POCKETS ! 
I lately advertised some Pigeons for sale in The Cottage 
Gardener, and two or three days afterwards received a letter, 
of which the following is a copy :— 
“ Dear Sir,—Having seen your advertisement in The 
Cottage Gardener, that you have several pairs of very 
good Pigeons for sale, I will thank you to send me word the 
lowest price for lot you have for sale. Your answer per return 
will oblige, “ Yours truly, 
“ "William Gardner.” 
To this I replied that I had several pairs for sale, and gave 
a list, with prices attached. In a few days I received the fol¬ 
lowing :— 
“ Dear Sir,—Your favour of the 8th inst. came duly to 
hand. In reply, I should have answer it before, but I was 
out shooting, and did not return till yesterday. I have 
looked over your list you sent, respecting the Pigeons and the 
price. Now, if you like, I will give you £10 for the lot, 
which, I think, is a fair price. If thes terms suit, you can 
forward them at once, and, on receipt of the birds, I will remit 
you a draft for the amount. As we here strangers, I beg to 
refer you to the inclose adress as to my standing here. Wetting 
your reply, “ I am, &c., 
“ William Gardner.” 
The “ inclose adress ” was a printed scrap of paper, as 
follows:— 
“ Sold by T. B. Prosser, chemist, Tatlock Street, Vauxhall 
Boad, Liverpool.” 
Of course, I did not send my Pigeons, but told Mr. 
Gardner that I should want the money before I parted with 
them. I also referred him to a gentleman in Liverpool, to 
whom I wrote at the same time, to ask if he knew anything 
about Mr. Gardner, or T. B. Prosser; but the reply was 
that I had acted properly in not parting with the Pigeons, as 
neither parties were known to him, nor were their names to 
be found in the directory. I was not at all surprised at this 
reply, but quite expected it.— George Boothby, Holme 
Cottage , Louth, Lincolnshire. 
WATERFORD FARMING SOCIETY SHOW. 
This was held September 22nd. The following prizes were 
awarded: — 
Spanish. —-No entry. 
Cochin. —A Medal, C. N. Bolton, Brook Lodge, Waterford. 
Dorking. —A Medal, W. Joyce, Abbey Farm, Waterford. 
Hamburgh. —A Medal, E. Strangman, Kilcop, Waterford. 
Ducks (Aylesbury).—A Medal, C. N. Bolton, Brook Lodge. Highly 
Commended, Major Quentin, Old Court. 
Rouen (or other variety),—A Medal, C. N. Bolton (black East 
Indian). 
Fanct Chickens. —A Medal, W. Joyce (Dorkings). 
PIGEONS. 
I have again to thank Mr. Paton for his courteous reply 
to my further questions respecting the House Tumblers. 
Since his first notice of them, I have made some inquiries re¬ 
specting the origin of the breed, and I am informed, that in 
India a breed exists known as Lowtani or Ground Tumblers, 
which are supposed to be identical with those described by Mr. 
Paton. The Scotch birds most likely owe their origin to 
imported stock. 
As to the length of the beak, it is evident (as he says they 
are coarse compared to the Short-faced Tumblers), that he has 
a different method of measuring, the London fanciers con¬ 
sidering five-eighths of an inch a short beak; but then it is 
measured from the iris of the eye to the end of the quick of 
the beak. But Mr. Paton has equally astonished me with 
the accounts of his Air or Plying Tumblers, forty times in a 
minute at clear intervals of five yards, without sulking. These 
points far exceed anything I have seen or heard of before, and 
I hope that gentleman will oblige me again, by saying if these 
Air Tumblers continue on the wing long; if they fly in a 
compact flight; and if they soar high, or ever rise out of sight. 
I do not clearly understand what he means, when he says, they 
go on tumbling at regular intervals until they drop. Does he 
imply until they settle, or till they drop from exhaustion ? 
Note on Turbit Pigeons. —The London head and beak 
fanciers seem to wish to breed this Pigeon to the Tumbler 
standard. This I object to, as the head of the really good 
Turbit is very peculiar,—the occipital ridge is much raised, and 
the gullet, or dewlap, is a striking feature. The best model I 
can direct the Turbit fanciers to is the head of a frog. M. M. 
Boitard and Corbie, the French writers, say,—“ Lt lew tete 
crapautee .” 
I fancy the Pigeons referred to by your correspondent, 
“ Samuel Gilson, jun.,” in The Cottage Gardener, 
of May 25th, as known in Italy by the name of “ Columba 
Scintillata,” is, most probably, a spangled-shouldered sub- 
variety of the feather-footed Shield, described in The Cottage 
Gardener, April 13 th, 1858. It is not uncommon for the 
Shields to have white wing-bars, but I have not seen any with 
the shoulders wholly spangled, which, doubtlessly, adds to 
their beauty. 
I should feel obliged for any descriptions of those varieties 
which I have omitted through want of knowledge. 
Note on Pigeon Parasites. —The fly I there mentioned 
as producing a tick on Pigeons, not knowing its proper name, 
is, I am informed, the Ornithomya, a very peculiar form of 
parasite on many birds, more especially on Swallows. It is 
allied to Hippolosce, or New Forest fly, which so torments 
horses.— B. P. Brent. • 
OUR LETTER EOX. 
Pigeons ( Win. D. Paine). —Pigeons thrive best when kept clean, and 
they should have then- nests and house cleaned out as often as practic¬ 
able, without disturbing the sitting birds. Much will depend on the 
docility of the occupants. Blue Rocks are very wild, and do not ap¬ 
prove of being much interfered with. But are the birds in question 
really Blue Rocks 2 because the Chequered Dove-house Pigeons often 
pass for such. I do not recognise the Runts by the name of “ White 
Egyptians.” Are they large ? If so, I do not think it advisable to 
reduce the size of the nests. Twelve pairs of nests are, however, 
scarcely sufficient for twelve pairs of Pigeons. I should rather advise 
Mr. Paine to leave the nests as they are for the Runts, and in the space, 
two feet high, between the top of these nests and the alighting shelf, 
to erect a double row of nests, eleven inches and a half square, with 
alighting boards six inches in front, and partitions dividing these into 
pairs; thus, he will get eighteen pairs of nests for the Pocks. The 
Pigeons are, at present, much too numerous for the number of the 
nests, as each pair must be provided with at least one pair of nests ; 
and it is far better to reduce the number of birds below the amount of 
nest places, than to allow any excess. As insufficient breeding room 
causes the birds to quarrel, when the produce will he small, all super¬ 
numerary cocks should be removed, as they are great disturbers of the 
general weal.—B. P. B. 
Partridge Game Fowl. — About a twelvemonth since, your cor¬ 
respondent, “Newmarket,” inquired for some pure-bred Partridge 
Game. I have one lien bred from such stock, yellow-legged, and if he 
likes to accept her, he may have her, if he thinks her worth the 
carriage.—B. P. Brent, Dallington, Sussex. 
Cinnamon Cock Canaries. —I was not aware that Cinnamon cook 
Canaries were as rare as tortoiseshell Tom eats. I once had a hand¬ 
some turned-crowned cock, that sang beautifully : his head and wings 
were cinnamon coloured, and the body lemon. The dealer I bought 
him of, at St. Omer, told me he once had one all cinnamon, turned- 
crowned, and frilled down the neck like a Jacobin Pigeon.—B. P. 
Brent. 
Guinea Fowls Dying. —I would suggest to your Old Subscriber, 
that the debility and death of his young Guinea Fowls may proceed 
from the attacks of parasites. If such is the case (which he may de¬ 
termine on examination), I would advise him to mix some white pre¬ 
cipitate powder in hog’s-lard, and anoint any hare places he may find 
under the wings, behind the thighs, or on the abdomen, and it will 
destroy the insects, when I have little doubt the chickens will recover. 
—B. P. B. 
MoTTLKD-BnEASTED Red Game (A. B.). —The term Mottled-breasted 
Red is almost too indefinite to enable us to give an opinion as to the 
proper marking of the hens. There can, however, be no doubt they 
are eligible for prizes in theclass for “Black-breasted and other Reds." 
We should think a dark hen with light golden hackle the proper match. 
LONDON MARKETS. —October 4th. 
POULTRY. 
There has been but a scanty supply of poultry during the week, and 
prices have somewhat improved in consequence. 
Each. 
Large Fowls ... 4s. Grf. to 5s. 0 d. 
Small ditto. 3 0 ,, 3 G 
Chickens. 2 0 ,,2 6 
Geese . 6 0 ,,8 0 
Ducks . 2 3 ,,2 9 
Pigeons.. 
Each. 
Hares. 2s. Gd. to 3s. 0 d. 
Partridges. 0 4 ,, 0 9 
Grouse. 3 0 ,, 3 6 
Rabbits . 1 3 ,, 1 4 
Wild ditto. 0 8 „ 0 9 
.. 8 d. to 9 d. 
