192 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 19, 1800. 
see the prizes more evenly divided—such as, 1st prize, £3 ; 2nd 
prize, £2 ; 3rd prize, £1, like the Crystal Palace. What a 
manifest disparity between £4 and £1! There is also great 
room for improvement in the catalogues. The numbers of the 
pens are not given in the prize list.— An Exhibitor. 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES. 
Being anxious to have some of these beautiful birds about 
small grounds, and pleasure gardens, we are told on inquiry they 
will not remain in any of the northern or western counties. Can 
any of our renders give us any information ? 
THE VIRGINIAN NIGHTINGALE—VIRGINIAN 
QUAIL—LIGURIAN BEES. 
In common with a large portion of your readers, I see with 
great pleasure that you have lately opened your columns to 
questions on natural history, more especially to those connected 
with ornithology. This is a great boon to many, who, like 
myself, love the country and its pursuits, and who are com¬ 
pelled by business and other “ circumstances over which they 
have no control,” to reside in town. To such your weekly ap¬ 
pearance is a strong link binding them to all their early tastes 
and predilections, and forming on the Wednesday morning’s 
breakfast-table not the least pleasant part of the spread. 
One of your correspondents has lately written advocating the 
claims of the Virginian Nightingale. On reading his letter I 
purchased a pair, and was much pleased with them. I am 
afraid, from wliat I have as yet noticed of them, that they are 
not suited to our country and climate sufficiently ever to be¬ 
come naturalised here. Their plumage is much softer than 
any of our wild birds, and they appear delicate, and very sus¬ 
ceptible of disease of the lungs. I am told a large portion of 
those imported die during their first winter. However, it must 
be admitted they are handsome, sprightly birds, and for an 
aviary they have one great merit—they are seldom or never 
seen crouching about, but are generally flying backwards and 
forwards, and up and down, from perch to perch. 
A stranger, whose claims upon our notice I am inclined to 
support, is the Virginian Quail, a bird but little known, but 
which only requires to be known to be appreciated—easily 
domesticated, a free breeder, delicious eating, and neat in 
plumage ; in size rather larger and longer on the leg than the 
common Quail; plumage a chocolate brown on the back, with 
the breast-feathers delicately pencilled in black aud white. 
The male has a black stvipe running the length of the head on j 
each cheek. The female has it in yellow. They lay freely, j 
and as a proof that they are easily reared, I may mention that 1 
in the Zoological Gardens at Antwerp there were a good many 
reared last year, and also some the produce of a hen Virginian 
and cock Californian Quail. They are hardy and free feeders, 
not at all particular as to diet, and stand our winters well. They 
fly very swiftly, and have a very peculiar and melodious call, 
which, however, you seldom hear, except when there is a change 
in the weather. Just before a storm or fall of rain these birds 
will stand with neck outstretched and call loudly, seeming all 
the time restless and excited. I think they have been known to 
breed in a wild state in the Lothians, but of this I am not sure. 
Leaving the birds for the bees. I was told about a month 
since at Weimar, by an old bee-keeper, that in two generations 
after the introduction of the Ligurian queen all traces of the 
cross would be lost, and that the produce would return to the 
old stock. Can any of your readers say if this is so, and oblige? 
—Rosemary. 
HYBRIDISING OE BEES. 
There has been some discussion in these pages on the 
hybridising of honey bees by mixing different species of the 
insects. Those who have spoken on the subject seem to think 
that this can be done with as much ease as gardeners rear new 
varieties of Calceolarias; but they appear to overlook the fact 
that the offspring of two animals of different species, and 
perhaps plants of distinct species, are, like mules, invariably 
unproductive. It may be superfluous to mention that this is 
the grand check, most wisely ordained to prevent the confusion 
of the species; which fact alone suffices to refute the erroneous 
theory of the transformation of the species, which led to the 
conclusion of man having been originally a monkey. No. The 
same unerring law that governs the higher class of animals is 
equally true in the lower, even in the most minute insect: there¬ 
fore it is useless to talk of new species of honey bees being 
bred by their queens, or females, meeting with drones, or males, 
of other distinct species. Otherwise, how is it that none of our 
wild bees ever mix or produce new ones? Their habits are 
similar to each other, as those of the honey bee are to those of 
the Italian or Alp ones, of which so much has been said of late ; 
but, as far as I have traced the schemes adopted to introduce 
them, they seem to have no practical result. However, as some 
of the writers alluded to profess to deal in fecundated foreign 
queen bees, it is but natural for any one before purchasing to 
require some proof or warrant. This may also help to throw 
some new light upon the hidden part of the history of the 
insects. I may further remark, that if, according to the common 
belief, this happens in the air, it would be useless to purchase 
an Italian queen bee which had not been the head of a stock or 
of a fresh swarm.—J. Wighton. 
[Tf Mr. Wighton were in Devonshire I should have much 
pleasure in showing him working bees of every gradation of 
colour, from the purest Ligurian, so yellow as easily to be mis¬ 
taken for a wasp by a casual observer, down to the very dark 
brown of the ordinary honey bee. I could also prove to him 
that there is little or no enmity between the two species, but 
that on the contrary they readily fraternise and dwell peaceably 
together in the same hive. Taking these facts in conjunction 
with the testimony of Dzierzon and the apiarians of Germany, 
as well as the positive evidence of M. Hermann, I fear there is 
no room for doubt that the Ligurian will only too readily 
hybridise with the common bee, and that queens thus hybridised 
are perfectly capable of propagating a mixed race. I have cer¬ 
tainly spoken of this cross-breeding as being likely to produce a 
new variety of the honey bee; but I have never hinted at the 
production of “ new species.” 
Whilst on this subject I may mention a doubt which has 
often occurred to me, and which I should be glad to have 
resolved by some of the scientific correspondents of The Cot¬ 
tage Gardener :— Is Apis Lignstica really entitled to rank as 
a distinct species from Apis mellijica, or should it not rather be 
considered merely a variety of the same species ? 
Although Mr. Wighton requires some “ proof or warrant ” 
that my Ligurian queens will really be fecundated, I fear I can 
only repeat what I have before stated—that none will be de¬ 
spatched until they have proved themselves fertile by actual 
egg-laying, and that no precaution which may tend to insure 
their being impregnated by true Ligurian drones will be omitted 
by—A Devonshire Bee-keeper.] 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Loxia CAr.DixAi.is.—I was induced, by an article in No. G08, page 12G, 
of Tun Cottage Gardener, signed “ H. T.,” to apply in London for one 
of the birds which he recommended; but upon my asking for it under its 
scientific name, Loxia Cardinalis, or Cardinal Grosbeak, and again speak¬ 
ing of it as the “ Virginian Nightingale,” the dealer assured me I was in 
error, that they were distinct birds, both of which he had (and showed me), 
the one had a bright scarlet breast, and the other was a much duller colour ; 
one has a crest, the other not. Perhaps your correspondent would kindly 
relieve me from this difficulty which prevented my purchase. I may 
add, that I applied to a dealer in foreign birds, in the Pantheon, Oxford 
Street, and the price asked for each bird was £2. Is there a cheaper 
market ?—A Subscriber. 
Sprig on side op Spanish Cock’s Comb (R. S. B.). —The sprig should 
be cut off at once. It should be done with a razor, or an instrument 
equally sharp. It should be cut downwards from the top of the comb. If 
carefully done, there is little or no scar left, and it is not, consequently, a 
disqualification. We shall be glad to hear from you about keeping fowls 
in a confined space. 
Commencing Bee-keeping (Brahma).— Now is the time. Stewarton 
hives are simple and good, You may obtain them by writing to Mr. 
Eaglesham, Stewarton, N.B. There is'no difficulty in raising a fawn if 
you have a good supply of milk ; but it is not worth the trouble, unless to 
turn into some park to join a herd. 
Coverings for Hives (Apimania). —You will have seen what has been 
said in our pages recently, relative to Roman cement. No hive ought to 
remain unpiotected through the winter. The combs are sure to become 
mouldy and the bees diseased. We like your idea of covering a straw hive 
with another straw hive of larger dimensions, painted outside. You must 
have it fastened to the stand, or storms will upset it. Oblige us by detail¬ 
ing your arrangements, and what such covers cost. They might be made 
to cover wooden hives ; for, though these are square or octagon, the cover 
might be circular. 
Working Bees Laying Eggs. —In reply to Kensington (page 17G), Mr. 
Shirley Ilibbcrd informs us that ‘‘ the cells were not exhibited as 1 a now 
discovery,’ or in any other way than for whatever interest the fact, as a 
fact, might be worth.” 
