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THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, JriT 17, 1860. 
are swollen slightly, and their feathers appear dull and loose.— 
D. Simpson. 
[It is more than likely your fowls are suffering from roup; 
they sometimes get this disorder when in confinement. There is 
nothing to cause it in the feeding you mention; but is their 
roosting-liouse well ventilated ? Have they a grass run ? Is 
the flooring of their house an earthen one? because if board, 
brick, or stone, they cannot be well; neither can they thrive if 
they roost in a close place. Give them as much liberty as you 
can, a run on grass, with plenty of loose dust on the floor of the 
house and run. Eeed them sufficiently on ground oats, but do not 
overfeed. While sickly give them bread soaked in strong ale, 
and they will soon get over their ailments.] 
SITUATION OF SITTING NESTS. 
In answer to T. S. Brooke, I have to observe that very often 
at this time of the year the hens are sat in a very dry place, of 
which nothing cau be worse, for the want of moisture is sure to 
spoil the best of eggs. I sent two sittings to a friend in my 
neighbourhood, and they were non-productive. Two other 
sittings sent to a next-door neighbour, every egg hatched. On 
inquiry, I found one sat in a barn on the straw, being very dry , 
and the other in a hedge, bottom sometimes drenched with rain. 
It is my firm belief that want of moisture in the nest is the cause 
of many unfertile eggs (so called). — John Hartley, Great 
Crosby. 
LOXIA CARDINALIS—ACCLIMATING BIRDS. 
Your correspondent, “T. S.,” wishes for information as to the 
address of some of the London dealers hr foreign birds, in re¬ 
ference to the subject of the Yirginian Nightingales, as recently 
discussed in your pages. A reference to the “ Post-office 
Directory,” under the head, “ Birds, dealers in,” will give a list; 
hut., I believe, as respects foreign birds, the principal ones are:— 
Andrews, 17, Old Compton Street, Soho (an exhibitor at the 
Pantheon, Oxford Street), and Marriott, 54, King William Street, 
near London Bridge. Erom the latter I have heard, since my 
last communication, that the birds in question are at this time 
extremely scarce, he possessing but one; and, moreover, that of 
late years the arrivals have much fallen off. They are seldom 
sent after September or October. From what passed, his opinion 
appeared to correspond with my own, that these birds are very 
hardy. I was once informed at the same shop, that many years 
ago they were engaged to ship to America, by some English 
purchasers of estates there, a number of English song birds, as 
Thrushes, Blackbirds, Larks, &c.; with what result I could not 
learn, all the parties being now dead. At this time, many of 
the same description of songsters were shipped to Australia 
with varied success, some of them, however, arrive safe, and it 
is to be hoped are establishing themselves at the antipodes,,. 
With such examples to stimulate us, we ought not to grudge a 
little expense in pursuing a similar path at home. I may just 
allude to the fact, as I think it, that since the abolition, some few 
years ago, of the absurb customs duty on foreign singing-birds, 
they have become much more scarce and dear. Whether, after 
the pleasurable stimulus of smuggling had ceased to operate, the 
inducement amongst sailors to bring them from abroad was 
lessened, I can only surmise; but I have observed that this case 
is but one of many others where the abolition of all obstruction 
to free importation is followed by higher demands in price, and 
less certainty of supply.—II. T. 
AGE OP QUEEN BEES—SWARMS RETURNING 
TO THE PARENT HIVE. 
For certain reasons I am particularly desirous of knowing the 
age of the queen of a particular swarm which I have had this 
summer. Perhaps you will kindly assist me in determining it, as 
I am somewhat at a loss. 
About the 17th ult., the swarm in question (a first one) issued 
from a stock having an old queen, as I suppose, since it was 
itself a first swarm of 1859, and settled in the usual manner upon 
a tree, where it remained some little time; but before it could be 
hived the bees began to return to the parent stock, where they 
remained for several days. On the 29th, however, the swarm re¬ 
issued, and teas hived ; but two days afterwards I discovered a 
queen, apparently a young one, judging from its size and ap¬ 
pearance, on the ground in front of the hive, dead. From this 
circumstance I am induced to believe that upon first issuing the 
old queen was lost; that upon its second issue two young queens 
accompanied it, as is not uncommon in the case of second swarms. 
But the issue and return of first swarms in my neighbourhood 
have been so common an occurrence this season, that I cannot 
think the casualty of losing the queen can have been the cause in 
all the instances which have fallen under my notice, and, con¬ 
sequently, I am a little in doubt in my own case.—R. 
[The frequent instances of the returning home of prime swarms, 
and subsequent re-issuing, during the late season, appear only 
explicable on the score of weather, of course, influencing pro¬ 
ceedings in the case of old queens, much more than in later issues, 
where young ones are concerned. In your own instance we can 
do no more than offer a surmise. An interval of twelve days 
elapsed between the first issue and the re-issue, probably most of 
the intervening weather bad. No proof can be had as to any 
mishap to the original queen, which you suspect; but in the 
natural order of events young queens would, in the interim, have 
come to maturity, in some way to be disposed of. Of these the 
one you found dead on the ground two days after the second 
time your swarm- took flight, might, without you being aware of 
it, either have met its fate from the parent queen before her de¬ 
parture, or have resulted from a combat between two or more 
rival competitors for the throne immediately after it becamo 
vacant. You would have done more wisely had you without any 
delay hived the first issue, instead of allowing the swarm to 
“ remain upon the tree some little time,” a practice never ad¬ 
visable, particularly in uncertain weather.] 
MIGRATIONS OF A STOCK OF BEES. 
The following extract from a letter just received from a 
Lancashire friend may be deemed interesting:— 
“ On the 10th of June I examined my hive, when I found it 
exceedingly light; and the bees, although they were regularly 
fed, looked miserable. The day being tolerably fine, I fed them 
outside the hive, and they enjoyed it amazingly. The next 
evening, on getting home, my wife met me, and in great glee 
said that the bees had swarmed, and that with the help of a 
servant and one of my neighbours they were shaken from a tree 
and safely hived. The thing seemed utterly impossible to me, 
and I could not believe it. However, I examined the new hive, 
but found it perfectly empty, and the old hive untenanted; so 
I came to the conclusion that the queen must have died. Of 
course I was disgusted with bee-keeping; but I left the old 
hive on the stand, and troubled myself no more about it. 
On the 24th June I accidentally observed a few bees near the 
hive; and on the following evening, to my no small astonish¬ 
ment, the bees were flying in great numbers. No sooner did I 
perceive this, than, without waiting to put on a bee-dress, I 
lifted the hive, and found it at least twice as heavy as before the 
old bees took their departure. On my reversing it, it was full 
of bees, apparently in a very good condition.”—II. M. 
A very similar circumstance is related by Dr. Bevan in “ The 
Honey-Bee,” p. 171.—A Devonshire Bee-keeper. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Canary Polling Out its own Feat-hem (Brahma). — I fear your 
Canary has been fed on too much hemp or rape seed and sugar, and after 
being fattened too much haB now become unhealthy, the skin irritable, 
and the feathers come out at the slightest pull. If such is the case, you 
should reduce your bird’s condition by low feeding. Avoid hemp or rape 
seed ; indeed, any other oily seed, as well as sugar and sweet cake. Give 
the bird good, clean canary seed, millet, and shelled oats, and plenty of 
green meat—as groundsel, chiekweed, lettuce, and watercress. Let the 
bird be kept clean, and have frequent access to the bath. A drop of castor 
oil will also be beneficial.—B. P. B. 
LONDON MARKETS.— July 16. 
POULTRY. 
As the London season draws to a close the trade decreases; hut the con¬ 
tinued scarcity of good poultry causes prices to be maintained. 
Each— s. d. s. d. 
Large Fowls. 6 0 to G 6 
Smaller Fowls. 4 0 ,, 4 G 
Chickens . 2 G ,, 3 6 
Geese. 5 6 „ 6 0 
Goslings . 0 0 „ 0 0 
Ducks . 0 0 ,, 0 0 
Ducklings. 3 0 „ 3 G 
Each—s. d. s. d. 
Turkeys. 0 0 to 0 0 
Guinea Fowls. 3 0 „ 3 6 
Pigeons. 0 9 „ 0 10 
Hares. 0 0 ,, 0 0 
Leverets .. 3 G ,, 4 6 
Rabbits. 1 4 ,, 1 5 
AVild ditto. 0 8 ,, 0 9 
