* 
FANCIERS JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
263 

ody, but the entire tune. Teaching Bullfinches to pipe well 
is an art almost entirely confined to the Continent, and well- 
drilled birds realize high prices. Many can pipe a simple 
air almost to its close, but when they come to the last bar, 
they finish with a cadence scarcely more melodious than the 
fag end of a Cochin cock’s melancholy crow.—W. A. BLaK- 
STON, in Journal of Horticulture. 
pa@s> A Mapras Fisa Srory.—The coroner has held an 
inquest at the General Hospital, Madras, respecting the death 
of a native man who is reported to have died from suffocation 
by a fish accidentally jumping into his throat. It appeared 
that the deceased was catching fish in a shallow tank with 
his hands, and having caught one about six inches long and 
one and a half inches thick, he placed the head of it in his 
mouth and bit it, as the fish was troublesome and wiggled 
about. While thus employed one of the sharp points in the 
back fin stuck in his hand, and on opening his mouth and 
crying out for help, the fish jumped into his throat and stuck 
there. The deceased tried to remove the fish, but was 
unable to do so. He was taken to the General Hospital, and 
the fish was removed by small pieces. Dr. Paul stated that 
he tried to remove the fish, but was unable to do so, and 
found that the only means of removing the fish from the 
man’s throat was by making an opening in the neck. The 
deceased was much exhausted, and died as soon as the fish 
was removed, the following day at 10 a.m. The jury in 
their verdict found that the deceased died from suffocation 
by a fish accidentally sticking in his throat.—Madras 
Atheneum. 



Gorrvespondence. 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
Epitor FANCIERS’ JOURNAL. 
Dear Sir: Can you tell me what is the matter with 
pigeons when they sit moping around in corners, lose all 
appetite, and eventually die. I have lost dozens of pigeons by 
this disease, and not knowing what to do to help them, have 
had to have their necks wrung. If you can answer the 
above, and give a remedy for it, I will be much obliged. 
Please answer through the columns of your valuable paper. 
, LW Vie Vinn cs 
SAVANNAH, Ga., April 7th, 1874. 


(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
A LIBERAL OFFER. 
Jos. M. Wane, Esq. 
I highly value your paper, and desire that it may add 
many fold to its already large circulation, and in order to 
lend my aid to that end, I will give two sittings of Brown 
Leghorn eggs to the first person sending you five new sub- 
seribers, accompanied with the cash, before May Ist. Eggs 
from my pedigree stock, fresh and well packed, and deliv- 
ered to express. Respectfully, 
Tuomas. H. WALTON, 
DoYLEstTown, Pa., April 13, 1874. 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
Mr. Jos. M. WADE. 
Dear Sir: It may benefit some of your readers to know 
an easy and safe way of packing eggs that I have adopted 
this season. I take a sheet of soft wrapping or tissue 



paper about twenty by sixteen inches, fold it into four the 
long way, which gives me a four-inch strip twenty inches 
long, into which I roll the egg tightly, without mashing 
the edges of the strip down to the egg ; then I take a string 
and tie it around the paper as close to the butt end of the 
egg as I can, which will be about an inch from the edge of 
the paper; then I shape the end out so that I have just the 
shape of an egg cup, and that will stand up just as an egg 
| cup, and strong enough to prevent anything touching the 
butt end of the egg. The sides will be sixteen thicknesses of 
paper around each egg. I then take a basket six and a half 
inches deep by eight inches inside measure, into which I 
put about two inches of uncut hay boiled down, into which 
I set my egg cups with their eggs, and then fill in between 
and on top with cut hay, so that the corn goes in closely, 
and find that the eggs carry safely and well. 
Hoping that this will help some that cannot get any pat- 
ent arrangement, I am Yours truly, 
Jno. D. OAKFORD. 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
Mr. Jos. M. Wapz. 
Dear Sir: The weekly visits of your valuable paper have 
long ago become fondly anticipated, and I hope for you the 
largest show of success, as the results of your labors in pro- 
ducing a poultry weekly. My papers are becoming well 
worn in circulating them, and very likely shall ask you to 
send me some back numbers to complete my file, which I 
wish to preserve for binding. 
FLOORS OF POULTRY HOUSES. 
I have noticed several articles in your paper, in regard 
to the best method of preparing and preserving floors in poul- 
try houses, and would like to mention to you my plan: 
In building, I first set short posts in the ground, boarding 
them up on both sides and filling with sand and tan bark be- 
tween the walls, and laying my sills on top of the posts; 
then filling up the entire space inclosed with, at first, small 
stones, then coarse gravel, and last fine gravel, nearly as 
high as the sills; then I make divisions for pens, leaving floor 
a deep gravel bed, always dry, and by having the top fine 
the hens need no other dusting material. Every fall I take 
off as deep as it has become foul, and add new gravel. With 
a little care in gathering the droppings once a day, it will 
never become very foul, and the hens seem to enjoy scratch- 
ing and picking it over. I believe such a floor is less 
likely to be troubled with vermin than when made of 
boards; in fact I have never been troubled at all. 
Yours very truly, 
J. D. HamMMonp. 


(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
Jos. M. WADE. 
Dear Sir: Can any of your readers inform me the cause 
of different hens, of the same breed, in the same yard, laying 
eggs the shells of which are different colors? Some of my 
hens lay eggs the shells of which are very dark brown, some 
a dark buff, and others between the two. I-makea specialty 
of Light Brahmas, and they all have the same care, so I 
cannot account for the difference in color. Can any one 
also tell me whether or no there should be any definite color 
for Light Brahma eggs? 
Yours respectfully, 
Erin, Pa., April 4, 1874. 
Evan Lee Ke 
