206 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AM) COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 28, 1858. 
display at tlie last Birmingham exhibition, it numbered only 220. 
A liner exhibition of this beautiful bird than that at Halifax 
could scarcely be expected. 
The Halifax Eancy Pigeon Association, which was “ open to 
all England,” was formed in March last, and we may congratu¬ 
late the Association on this its first Exhibition, which reflects 
great credit upon it and the town. 
It will be observed, from the subjoined list of prizes, that the 
Halifax competitors came off very creditably. Mrs. W. Smith, 
of Kent House, had a close run for the silver cup for the best 
three pens of Carriers , Powters, and Almond Tumblers , which 
was won by a Birmingham competitor. In other classes, W. 
Smith, Esq., of Kent House, Halifax, President of the Association, 
gained several prizes, as also did Mr. John Eirth, Lily Lane, 
Halifax, several other Halifax competitors being highly com¬ 
mended. The number of competitors was seventy-three, of whom 
about twenty reside in Halifax and neighbourhood. To show 
the interest taken in the Exhibition, we may observe, that some of 
the competitors sent Pigeons from Dundee, London, Manchester, 
Birmingham, Sunderland, Liverpool, Surrey, Lincolnshire, Shef¬ 
field, &c. 
The Judges appointed were—Harrison Weir, Esq., Pecltham, 
Surrey; Dean Wolstenliolme, Esq., Gray’s Inn Road, London; 
and Thomas James Cottle, Esq., Cheltenham. The following is 
the prize list:— 
Silver Cur, value £5 5s., presented by J. H. Charnock, Esq.., Halifax, 
for the best three pens of Pigeons, of the following varieties : — Carriers, 
Powters, and Almond Tumblers, G. C. Adkins, near Birmingham. Highly 
Commended, Mrs. AV. Smith, Kent House, Halifax; E. A. Lingard, near 
Birmingham. 
Carriers. —Black Cocks. —First, G. Morgan, Manchester. Second, A. 
Wrigley, Nottingham. Commended, G. Morgan, Manchester; G. C. 
Adkins, Birmingham. Black Hens. ■— First and Second, G. Morgan. 
Highly Commended, J. Percival, Birmingham; E. Middleton, Oldham; 
G. C. Adkins. Commended, A. Wrigley. Bun Cocks.- —First, G. Morgan. 
Second, T. Coley, Sheffield. Highly Commended, H. Prince, Nantwich; 
A. Wrigley. Bun Hens .—First and Second, T. Coley. Highly Commended, 
J. Percival; E. A. Lingard. Commended, J. Bairstow, Skircoat. Blue 
Cocks. —First, J. Firth, Lily Lane, Halifax. Second, T. Coley. Highly 
Commended, T. Coley. Blue Hens .—First and Second, T. Coley. Com¬ 
mended, J. Percival, Walworth. White Cocks. —First, S. Summerhayes, 
Taunton. Second, J. Firth. Highly Commended, J. Bairstow. White 
Hens .—First and Second, S. Summerhayes. 
Powters. —Yellow Cocks. —First, Messrs. Bird and Beldon, Eceleshill 
Moor, Bradford. Second, W. Smith. Commended, Master J. Holdswortli, 
Halifax. Yellow Hens. —First, W. Smith. Second, E. A. Lingard. Highly' 
Commended, M. Greenwood, Burnley'. Bed Cocks. —First, W. Smith. 
Second, W. B. Akers, Halifax. Highly Commended, W. Smith. Com¬ 
mended, J. Firth. Red Hens. —First, J. Firth. Second, J. M. Eaton, 
London. Highly Commended, W. B. Akers. Blue Cocks .—First and 
Second, W. Smith. Highly Commended, W. B. Akers. Blue Hens. —First, 
H. Simpson, York. Second, E. A. Lingard. Commended, W. Smith. 
Black Cocks. —First, E. A. Lingard. Second, J. Firth. Highly Com¬ 
mended, G. C. Adkins ; W. Smith. Black Hens. —First, G. XJre, Dundee. 
Second, AY. Smith. Commended. E. A. Lingard; W. Smith; J. Swift, 
Sportsman Inn, Halifax. White Cocks.— First, G. Ure. Second, AA r . 
Smith. Commended, J. Smith, London. 
Short-faced Tumblers.— First and Second, G. Morgan. Highly Com¬ 
mended, E. Fielding, Rochdale. Commended, E. A. Lingard’;' J. M. 
Eaton, London ; G. Morgan. Kites. —First, E. Fielding. Second, G. 
Morgan. Commended, J. Percival. Mottles.— First, E. A. Lingard. 
Second, F. Esquilant, London. Highly Commended, J. M. Eaton; A. 
AVrigley. Balds and Beards. —First, E. A. Lingard. Second, F. Esquilant. 
Highly Commended, E. A. Lingard. Commended, J. Smith. Self Colours. 
—First, AY. Smith. Second, Messrs. Bird and Beldon. Commended, J. 
Percival. 
Common Tumblers. — Mottles. —First, G. Morgan. Second, J. Choyce, 
jun., Atherstone. Commended, G. Morgan. Balds and Beards. —First, 
E. A. Lingard. Second, E. T.. Archer, Surrey. Highly Commended, 
L. J. Crossley, Manor Heath, Halifax. Commended, E. T. Archer; G. C. 
Adkins; J.'AY. Edge, Birmingham. Self Colours. — First, J. Mills, 
Ovenden. Second, It. Davison, Gateshead. Highly Commended, T. 
ltoper, Halifax. 
Jacobins.— First, G. C. Adkins. Second, J. Percival. Highly Com¬ 
mended, J. T. Lawrence, Liverpool, Commended, AV. Taylor, Sheffield; 
F. Esquilant. 
Owls. —First, G. Morgan. Second, G. C. Adkins. Highly Commended, 
G. C. Adkins ; E. Fielding. 
Nuns. —First, Mrs. Parkinson, Sleaford. Second, G. C. Adkins. Com¬ 
mended, G. C. Adkins. 
Turbits. —First, G. Goore, Liverpool. Second, Mrs. Parkinson. Com¬ 
mended, M. Greenwood; J. Morrell, Sunderland. 
Fantaii.s. — First, G. Goore. Second, G. C. Adkins. Commended, 
J.T. Lawrence; G. Ure; H. Simpson. 
Trumpeters. — First, I. Monkhouse, Kendal. Second, II. Simpson. 
Highly Commended, I. Monkhouse. Commended, Messrs. Lay-land and 
Sons, Warrington. 
Barbs.— First, J. T. Lawrence. Second, AV. Smith. Highly Commended, 
S. C. Baker, Chelsea; P. II. Jones, London. Commended, C. S. Baker; 
H. Simpson, 
Archangels.— First, G. C. Adkins. Second, E. A. Lingard. 
Runts. —First, E. A. Lingard. Second, P. II. Jones. Highly Com¬ 
mended, M. Greenwood. Commended, Airs. Parkinson. 
Dragoons. —First, S. Summerhayes. Second, E. Middleton. Highly 
Commended, S. Summerhayes; G. C. Adkins; E. A. Lingard. 
Antiverps. —First, P. II. Jones. Second, E. Fielding. Commended, J. 
Firth. 
Common Pigeons. —First, J. Swift. Second, S. Ambler, Ovenden. Com¬ 
mended, E. Ingham, Dunkirk, Halifax ; J. Bairstow. 
Ant New or Distinct A’ariety. — First, G. AY. Boothby, Louth. 
Second, S. Summerhayes. Third, AV. Smith. Fourth, G. C. Adkins. 
—(Halifax Guardian.) 
THE TURNED CROWN IN PIGEONS. 
In The Cottage Gardener of December 14th, in your 
notice of the Pigeons at Birmingham, I notice the following :— 
“ Pant ails are an exceedingly good class. Pen 1,419, which is 
commended by the Judges, appears to have lost the prize from 
one of the birds having a turned head ” (which I take to mean 
the feathers turned up at the back of the head) ; “ and great di¬ 
versity of opinion seems to prevail as to whether turned heads 
are admissible or otherwise: some persons are of opinion they 
form a point of merit, while other fanciers consider it a disquali¬ 
fication. It would, therefore, be advisable, that some competent 
authority should settle the matter by laying down a definitive rule.” 
In reply to the above suggestion, I should consider the turned 
crown on a Fantail more as a sign of impurity, than as a merit. 
Pantails are generally smooth headed; and, I believe, as a rule, 
all the best English and French Pantails are plain headed. In 
Germany, many Fantails—perhaps the majority—have turned 
crowns ; but they have likewise thicker beaks and shorter necks, 
which are also blemishes, and I have no doubt but the turned 
crown of the German Pantail is derived from some cross. They 
seem to care less about the purity of the breed, than the addition 
of some new feature. Thus, they breed the Carrier and Powter 
with turned crowns. I have met with Tumblers with turned 
crowns, and, I believe, Birmingham has also produced turned 
crowns on Tumblers by crossing. There is no accounting for 
tastes : as I said before, the Germans, who care little for the 
purity of race, havo long tried to produce, by crossing, a Fantail 
with the eye of the Barb and frill of the Turbit. 
Among the fancy Pigeons, the turned crown belongs to the 
Jacobin and the Trumpeter, and I consider it an advantage on 
a Laugher or Frillback ; but on a Carrier, a Tumbler, a Powter, 
a Fantail, a Barb, a Turbit, or an Owl, I regard it as a bar 
sinister on their escutcheon. 
In Toys, whose only property is feather, it may be regarded 
as a merit whenever it appears. 
Doubtless, many fanciers may differ from me, especially as the 
Barb and Turbit are so frequently turned-crowned, and have been 
so for a long time. Nevertheless, they were, undoubtedly, ori¬ 
ginally smooth-headed breeds ; and the turned crown, no matter 
how long it has been introduced, is a departure from the true 
type of the variety. I believe it is mainly owing to the introduc¬ 
tion of the turned crown on the Turbit, that its characteristic 
raised orbits, or occipital ridges, like the frog’s head, is now so 
rarely seen. 
Again, it is said, that, in Trumpeters, white birds have no 
chance against splashed ones. This is decidedly wrong (unless 
by splashed mottles are meant?), for wherever colour, or mark¬ 
ing, is made a point, it must be defined. A splashed bird is 
an irregular mixture to which a pure white is far preferable; 
but a mottle is a definite colour—the ten flight feathers in each 
Aving, and the twelve quill feathers in the tail, must be black, or 
coloured, and the body also dark, mottled with white. Some 
fanciers go so far as to say, that there must only be white on the 
head, neck, chest, and shoulders, and any white below the wings 
they account as a blemish. I wish the leading shows would re¬ 
arrange their lists of Pigeons, and not put such Toys as Nuns, 
Archangels, and Magpies, before Turbits, Barbs, Runts, Laced, 
and Frillbacks. Toys of only one property are not fit company 
for fancy birds of many points. They are all very well and very 
pretty in their place. But I have so recently sent you my ideas 
on the classification of Pigeons, that I will not trouble you 
further on this subject.— B. P. Brent. 
OUR LETTER EOX. 
Crewe Poultry Show. — Mr. W. Chatting and Mr. Price informs 
us that they cannot obtain the prizes awarded at this Show, nor yet any 
answer from the Secretary. These are the third and fourth complaints. Let 
those who are thus treated subscribe together, and sue the Secretary upon 
one case in the County Court. Succeeding in that, they will have no 
trouble about the others. 
Diseased Spanish Fowls [J. S. W.). — The ulcerated lungs are in¬ 
curable. Spanish fowls are more susceptible of injury from cold than any 
other breed. Are you in a cold situation ; or on a wet, ill-drained soil? 
These induce diseased lungs. The complaint is not infectious. AYe keep 
Fantail Pigeons for their beauty, and Runts for the table. A work such as 
you need we shall publish in a month or two. 
