THE COTTAGE GARDE NEE AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 12, 1860. 
173 
“ 2nd. The Cap should terminate by a clean-edged horizontal 
line, coming to the beak in front to the back of the head behind. 
“3rd. Neck. Short, thickly spangled, commencing with 
minute spangles from the back of the cap, and gradually increas¬ 
ing in size downwards towards the centre of the back. 
“4th. The Back. Wide across, thickly and clearly spangled, 
the largest spangles being in the centre, and the size of the others 
gradually decreasing from thence towards the sides, neck, and 
upper tail-coverts. 
“ 5th. Wings. Pinion-feathers above the lesser covert-feathers. 
(This sentence seems to me not very clear, as ho cannot mean the 
pinion-feathers, as they are included in the eighteen (light-feathers. 
I conclude he means the larger wing-coverts.) “ Black in stalk, 
having distinct black ticks on the centre near the tips, encircled 
by dark green or grey, and fringed with orange or white according 
to the class. The eighteen flight feathers, black in stalk and web, 
tlie latter being fringed with yellow or buff. 
“6th. Throat, breast and belly. Under surface from beak to 
tail clear yellow or buff. 
“ 7th. Chest. Wide. 
“ 8th. Body. Tho longer and larger the better. 
“ 9th. Tail. Piped, black in stalk and web, the latter very 
slightly fringed with yellow or buff. 
“ 10th. Legs and feet. Very dark, approaching to blackness. 
“ lltli. Feather, Close, compact, entire, and not deficient or 
pied. 
“ 12th. Colour. Rich in the Golden-spangled, the under flue 
or down feathers are blue black. The under flue in the Silver- 
spangled are dark grey. In the Golden-spangled the brighter 
and deeper the orango colour the better. In the Silver-spangled 
all the buff portions of the plumage should be the colour of new 
virgin silver.” 
After such an excellent description of the fancy points of the 
breed, but lit tie remains to be added. At the Exhibition of 
birds at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, in November, 1859, there 
were no less than thirty-six Lizard Canaries exhibited, but 
nearly all were very deficient in spangling, though good in many 
other respects ; and I am of opinion that the breed might be 
much improved in this respect by a cross with a strong-coloured 
London Fancy bird- 
In the above list of points, I perceive no notice is made of the 
spangles at the end of the wing and tail-feathers, an evident 
omission ; and point the 6th, I think, gives tho idea of too light a 
bird. I would say, under surface from beak to tail, clear 
greenish-yellow, or mealy tinged with grey ; for if the birds are 
bred too light in body, they will soon be undistinguishable from 
the London Fancy.—B. P. Brent. 
{To he continued.) 
SITTING- NESTS. 
In page 46 of this volume, No. 603, you inserted some remarks 
of mine on sitting nests. “The proof of the pudding is in the 
! eatingand these do not seem to succeed, and I have been obliged 
- to give them up. 
When I removed the hens to the sitting-house, which I did 
late in the evening, they seemed generally uneasy at first, at the 
change of locality, not finding their way back readily to their 
own nest, and mistaking another nest for their own, &c. Then, 
again, they seemed to want a little run in the morning for ten 
minutes when they feed, and I have no run attached to the out¬ 
house 1 used as a sitting-house, which is at a distance from the 
yard. 
As these objections would seem to tell against the whole system 
of removing hens to a sitting-house which you advocate in your 
pages, I should be much obliged to you for a few remarks, point- 
out the fault of my arrangement. 
I observe in the “Poultry Book for the Many,” that the 
sitting-house is within the house for hens and chickens; but I 
cannot make out whether the communication with the yard is 
open at all times. 
I need hardly remark, that farmers’ wives (who generally suc¬ 
ceed pretty well with chickens), have no sitting-house. 
The subject is worth inquiry, for really it is quite amusing to 
see how a hen is sometimes persecuted in a populous hen-house. 
A peaceable man is no match, against a club of quarrelsome ones ; 
and a hen, whose great aim in life is to sit still for three weeks, is 
no match for a turbulent cock on one hand, and a persevering 
lieu on the other, who is trying to squeeze her out of her nest 
that she may have the morbid pleasure of laying her own egg in 
the midst of it.— 0. R. 
[You say well, “ the proof of the pudding is in the eating,” and 
we will, therefore, answer your letter by telling you what we 
have successfully done this year. We are always experimentalists 
in poultry, and, therefore, this year determined every hen should 
sit in the same house. As it is not used for any other purpose, 
each was, of course, moved to it. Those that were very broody 
were put at once on nests which they could leave when they 
liked ; those that were fickle and apparently dissatisfied with the 
change, were shut in some boxes we had made. They were about 
eighteen inches high, the same square, they had no bottoms, and 
the lops and fronts were of wire-work. Some straw was put in 
them, and a turf, and the eggs placed thereon. The hen would look 
shy for a time, but she always ended by settling down quietly. 
No other fowls had access to this house which wo3 tenanted by 
sitters. The middle of it was covered with loose, clean gravel and 
sand, and there were meal and water to be had always by the 
hens that could get out at will, the uncertain ones were taken off 
every morning and replaced. We spoiled only one nest of eggs. 
This sitting-house is away from the roosting-place. 
It is true, farmers’ wives have no sitting-house, and it is, 
perhaps, all the better for the fowls that they have not ; but, it 
must be borne in mind, they have a hundred comfortable places 
for a sitting-hen, that they liavo not who have no farm-buildings. 
It is essential that sitting-hens should have a place to themselves, 
and it should be away from the haunts of the fowls that are not 
so engaged.] 
BATH AND WEST OF ENGLAND POULTRY 
SHOW. 
This took place at Dorchester, on the 6th, 7th, and 8th inst. 
We will publish our comments next week. 
The following prizes were awarded :— 
Spanish. —First, Miss M. L. Rake, Brandon Ilill, Bristol. Second, R. 
Wright, 2, Porter’s Place, Holloway, London. Third, J. K. Fowler, Pre- 
bendal Farm, Aylesbury, Bucks. Highly Commended, J. Langdon, Grcen- 
liill, Sherborne, Dorset. 
Dorking (Coloured or White).—First, The Most Hon. the Marchioness 
of Winchester, Amport St. Mary’s, Andover, Hampshire. Second, C. H. 
Wakefield, Malvern Wells, Worcestershire. Third, Mrs. II. Fookcs, 
Wliitechurch, Blandford, Dorset. Highly Commended, Tho Most Hon. 
the Marchioness of Winchester; J. Beardmore, Uplands, near Farcham, 
Hampshire. Commended, G. Chadwin, Tollard Royal, Salisbury, Wilts. 
CocniN-CniNA (Cinnamon, Buff, or Lemon). — First, II. Tomlinson, 
Balsall Heath Road, Birmingham. Second and Third, Mrs. Fookes, 
Whitechurh, Blandford, Dorset. Highly Commended, W. Carman, 
Adolphus Street, Bradford, Yorkshire. 
Cochin-China (Brown, Partridge, and Grouse. White or Black).—First, 
B. J. Ford, Countess Weir, near Exeter. Second, Mrs. Fookes, White- 
church, Blandford, Dorset. (Third prize withheld.) 
Game (White and Piles, Blacks and Brassy-winged).-—First, W. Dawson, 
Selly Oak. Birmingham. Second, S. Matthew, Chilton Hall, Stowmarket, 
Suffolk. Third, Rev. G. S. Cruwys, Cruwys Morchard Court, Tiverton, 
Devon. 
Game (Black-breasted and other Reds).—First, W. D. Braginton, Knapp, 
Bideford, Devon. Second, S. Matthew, Chilton Hall, Stowmarket, Suffolk. 
Third, Rev G. S. Cruwys, Cruwys Morchard Court, Tiverton, Devon. 
Highly Commended, W. Rogers, Woodbridge, Suffolk. 
Game (Duckwings, and other Greys and Blues).—First, H. E. Porter, 
Eland House, Hampstead. Second, J. Crane, Tolpuddle, Dorset. Third, 
W. Long, Belle Vue House, Devizes, Wiltshire. Highly Commended, 
J T. Ensor, Dorchester ; R. Tate, Driffield. 
Malay. —First, A. G. Brooke, Cumberland Street, Woodbridge, Suffolk. 
Second and Third, W. Manfield, jun., Dorchester. Highly Commended, 
A. G. Brooke ; C. Ballancc, 5, Mount Terrace, Taunton, Somerset. Com¬ 
mended, W. Manfield, jun. 
Hamburgh (Golden and Silver-pencilled).—First and Second, W. H. 
Iverr, London Road, Woicester. Third, The Most Hon. the Marchioness 
of Winchester, Amport St. lyiary’s, Andover, Hampshire. Highly Com¬ 
mended, W. II. Kerr. 
IIamburcii (Golden and Silver-spangled).—First, W. R. Lane, Bristol 
Road, Birmingham. Second, W. C. Worrall, Rice House, Knotty Ash, 
near Liverpool. Third, W. R. Elliott, 5, Windsor Villas, Plymouth. 
Highly Commended, Mrs. Pettat, Ashe Rectory, near Miclieldever, Hamp¬ 
shire. 
Polanhs (Black with White Crests).—First and Third, T. r. Edwards, 
Lyndhurst, Hants. Second, W. Cannan, Adolphus Street, Bradford, 
Yorkshire. 
Polanbs (Gold and Silver-spangled).—First, G. C. Adkins, the Light- 
woods, near Birmingham. Second, W. Cannan, Adolphus Street, Brad¬ 
ford, Yorkshire. Third, Mrs. Mills, Bisternc Park, Ringwood, Hants. 
Commended, Mrs. Pettat, Ashe Rectory, near Micheldever, Hampshire. 
Any variety not comprised in trf. before-mentioned Classes.— 
First, It, Everett, Gibraltar Cottage, Monmouth (Silkies). Second, W. 
Manfield, jun., Dorchester (Rumpless). Third, W. R. Lane, Bristol Road, 
Birmingham (Black Hamburghs). Highly Commended, J. n. Craigie, 
Woodlands, Chigwell, Essex (Brahma Pootra) ; J. K. Fowler, Prebendal 
