374 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March, 15, 1859. 
As to her performance, she cannot fly, for the attempt to spring 
up causes tier to throw a summersault. Even should site, when 
let out from her pen, stretch her wings (as Pigeons often do 
dancing), rise a foot or eighteen inches from tho ground, over 
she goes ; if raised slightly hv hand, or frightened so as to cause 
her to attempt to fly, she will tumble as often as it is repeated. 
Her feet are unfeathered. 
Mr. Paton has also sent me one of his Air Tumblers, which, 
he expressed his opinion, would tumble forty times in a minute. 
Not having flown her as yet, I am unable to report on her 
prowess. I have paired her with, a middling, red-agate, short- 
laced Tumbler cook. He weighs 10:} ozs.; and measures in face 
six-eighths of an inch. 
The Air Tumbler hen is small, only weighing 9 ozs.; but 
measures in face a full inch. Her eye is beautifully clear pearly 
white ; her feet unfeathered ; her forehead is low, giving her a 
very mousy look; and her colour is a red agate—that is, white, 
irregularly mottled with red. In flying in the loft, I have seen 
her at three different times, in flying to an upper beam, throw a 
quick, clear summersault, and instantly drop on the floor’, appa¬ 
rently losing command of herself; which, I fear, does not augur 
well for her performance when she is to be let out. 
Such is the best description I can give of these two interesting 
Scotch breeds of Tumblers; but, it will be remembered, it only 
refers to these two individuals.—B. P. Brent. 
THE BRAHMA CONTROVERSY. 
I dtd not iirtend to have written anything more on the above- 
mentioned subject, but your correspondent “Salop,” charges I 
those who differ from him in opinion, on this question, with | 
“animosity” to the Brahmas. I certainly must disclaim any such ' 
feeling towards them, as I believe they are a valuable variety | 
of poultry; but I still think, after further examination of dif¬ 
ferent specimens since I last wrote, that they are cross-bred birds. 
It is disclaimed that they ever produce a fifth toe any other 
colour than the different shades of grey, or a rose comb. But 
do not pea-combed Brahmas sometimes throw single-combed 
ones ? The only pair of imported birds I saw, had single combs. 
Whence, then, come the pea combs? and others like enlarged 
Malay combs ? The only other variety that do not produce their 
like, invariably, in the comb, are Dorkings, and they are acknow¬ 
ledged to be the result of a cross. It is said by’ the Brahma 
defenders, that a cross throws back to one of the originals. Can 
anyone inform me whether mulattos ever produce offspring which 
axe perfectly white, or perfectly black ?— Alpha. 
PIGEONS. 
POINTS OE THE VARIETIES IN ACCORDANCE 
WITH THE PROPOSED PRIZE LISTS. 
( Continued from page 288.) 
Second Division. Fancy Pigeons generally (fifteen kinds ). 
I. The Fantail. —The five points are :—1st, carriage; 2nd, 
number of feathers in the tail; 3rd, neck long and slender ; 4th, 
trembling; 5th, plumage : no appendages. Four classes for 
varieties :—1st, White; 2nd, Black; 3rd, Blue; 4th, any other 
colour. 
II. The Jacobin. —Tho five points are1st, tho hood; 2nd, 
the chain ; 3rd, the eye ; 4th, shape ; 5tli, plumage. Four classes 
for varieties :—1st, Black Baldheaded ; 2nd, Red Baldheaded; 
3rd, Yellow Baldheaded ; 4th, White, or any other colour. 
Shape may include short beak, small size, and long pinions. 
Heavily-feathered feet are not objectionable. 
III. The Trumpeted. —The five points are :—1st, tho purl or 
moustache; 2nd, the eye; 3rd, the hood; 4th, the slippers; 
5tli, plumago. Three classes for the varieties (or they may bo ; 
increased, if found necessary) :—1st, White; 2nd, Black Mottled; | 
3rd, any other colour. 
The voice is, perhaps, the most valuable point of all; but I do ; 
not see how it is to be satisfactorily judged in the show pen. 
IV. The Laughed. —A class should be given to this breed; 
and, when better known, the points may be laid down, which I am 
not able to do, only knowing them by their very peculiar voice. 
V. — The Barb. —The five points are :—1st, the eye ; 2nd 
the head ; 3rd, the beak; 4th, shape; 5th, plumage, Four, 
classes for the varieties:—1st, Black; 2nd, White; 3rd, Dun; 
4th, any other colour. 
In shape, I consider a slender nock and long pinion ns good 
qualities; but I should regard a hood, or frill, objectionable in 
Black, White, or Dun. 
VI. TnE Turbit. —The five points are: — 1st, the occipital 
ridge; 2nd, the gullet or dewlap; 3rd, the frill; 4tli, shape; 
5th, plumage. Four classes for the varieties :—1st, Elue-slioul- 
dered ; 2nd, Rcd-shoiddered ; 3rd, Yellow-shouldered; 4th, with 
any- other coloured shoulders. 
I regard the appendage of a hood, or point, rather objectionable 
than otherwise. 
Dark tails in Blue, Silver, Chequered, Black, or Dun-shouldered, 
are not objectionable. The Turbit is a very pretty variety of 
Pigeon, small, neat, and very round in shape. 
VII. The Owl. —The five points are :—1st, the hooked beak ; 
2nd, the eye ; 3rd, the gullet; 4th, the rose-breast; 5th, plumage. 
Four classes for the varieties :—1st, Blue; 2nd, Silver; 3rd, any 
other whole colour ; 4th, for the subvariety called Meeves. 
The hooked beak and bolting-eyed wild look, are marked 
features of the Owl. 
The name Meeves seems to be a corruption of the German word 
Me re, or Gull. The Turbit derives its German name of Mcve- 
clien, or Movechen, from a fancied resemblance to the Kittiwake, 
Lams rissa, and this Meve, to tho Blaclc-lieaded Gull ( Larus 
ridibvndits), they probably owe their origin to a cross between a 
White Owl and a Helmeted Tumbler. Their form is between 
that of the Owl and the Tumbler. Plumage, white; the top of 
the head and tail being coloured, and they have a frill on the 
breast. They have been recently introduced, and I am not aware 
that their points have been worked up to a standard. 
VIII. The Mahomet. —The points are:—Black wattle and 
cere ; sooty skin and down ; seam on the breast; soft silver colour. 
No harm in offering a class, but I fear the bird is extinct, 
IX. The Frillback.— The points are:— 1st, the mantle, best, 
deepest, and most evenly goffered ; 2nd, the rest of the plumage 
best crimped or curled ; 3rd, best and largest hood ; (4th, eye ?) ; 
5th, colour. One class is sufficient at present. 
Feathered feet I regard as no objection. 
X. Lace, or Silky .—The point is :—The best and most com¬ 
plete separation of the fibres, or filaments, of the feathers in the 
whole plumage. One class. 
I am not sure, but I think the Fantail is the real form of this 
sort, — B, P. Brent. 
{To be continued .) 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Tub 1’rizf.s at Devizes and Crewe.— “ Can you, or any of your readers, 
inform me why the prizes awarded at the Devizes Poultry Show have 
not been paid ! I think it high time something was done in it. The same 
question I ask of the Crewe Show ; the prizes of which have not yet made 
their appearance.”— G. 11. 
Addled Eaos ( T. T .).—Our correspondent says, “All the eggs (ducks’ 
and hens’) which I have set this spring have proved addled.” Keeping 
them in bran, until you had a sufficient number, could not have been the 
cause; for we have always done the same without any such result. We 
think your nests must have been badly made, and in a place exposed to cold 
draughts. Straw uncut is the worst of materials : if cut into inch-lengths 
it is one of the best. You call the present season “ spring,” but it is vet 
winter; and the nests should be prepared and sheltered accordingly, 
rienty of cut straw on the ground, surrounded by close sides, and, chore 
all, only a few eggs in each nest. We put nine under a large hen, and 
seven under a small hen. Some persons never put more than live or six at 
this season. 
White Feathers in Spanish. —“ I have a good black Spanish hen with 
a white feather in the wing, and a feather or two in the tail tipped with 
white. Will these white feathers disqualify her, or a pen in which she 
might be 1 ”—A Constant Subscriber. 
[The white feather in the wing and the white-tipped feathers in the 
tail of a Spanish hen would disqualify her, and, consequently, the pen in 
which she was. It is, however, common to many of our best strains, and 
general among chickens. She will, very likely, lose them in moulting.] 
LONDON MARKETS. —March 14. 
POULTRY. 
We have an average trade, and a moderate supply. Aylesbury ducklings 
are scarcer than they have been of late years. 
Each. t Each. 
Large Fowls . 5s. 0<Z. to fis. 0<l, | Goslings . Gs. Grf. to 7s G d 
Small ditto. 4 0 „ 4 6 Ducklings . 4 G „ 6 'g 
Chickens. 2 9 „ 3 G Rabbits . 15 16 
Turkeys . 5 0 „ 10 0 j Wild ditto. 0 9 , 0 10 
Guinea Fowls ,,,2 6 „ 3 3 I Pigeons . 0 9 „ o lo 
