610 
FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
THE ANNUAL ZOOLOGICAL SALE AT 
ANTWERP. 
Antwerp with its churches, shipping, pictures, and wood- 
carvings is known to many of us, but it is almost as well 
known for its Zoological Gardens, where each year at this 
time the unwearied and successful Director invites all 
comers to attend the public sale of its spare specimens, and 
has invariably a surprise in store for its visitors. Highly 
successful in acclimatization and breeding, each successive 
introduction of Pheasants and Game birds has found its 
home in the little gardens at Antwerp. 
Last week the auctioneer had a pleasing although a long 
and tedious task. On Tuesday and Wednesday birds, 
beasts, and reptiles under his hammer were adjudged to so- 
cieties, amateurs, and dealers from all parts of Europe. 
Some idea of the variety of objects offered may be formed, 
when we say that the list comprised an elephant, giraffes, 
and lions, and ended with serpents and seals. 
On Tuesday, soon after ten in the morning, the sale com- 
menced with small foreign birds, which found ready pur- 
chasers at prices slightly in advance of those of .our retail 
bird dealers. It was surprising to see the number of Java 
Sparrows and Budgrigars that found purchasers. Some of 
the earlier lots of White Java Sparrows brought long- 
prices. Turquoisines, Cockateels, the different varieties of 
Cockatoos followed. One handsome Masked Parrot was a 
great bargain to the Gardens at Amsterdam, at £9; a pair 
of Black Cochin fowls that would not have been thought 
much of by us went at a good prices to Berlin, as did a pen 
of very good adult Spanish. Silkies of indifferent quality 
sold well, as did Dorkings and Houdans. A pair of Blue- 
cheeked Guinea Fowls made £4 4s. ; a pair of Crowned 
ditto, £9. A pair cf Argus Pheasants 27001’., and an un- 
usually fine pair 3000f. A pair of Polyplectron Germanix, 
bred in the Gardens, made llOOf. , one pair Chinquis 850f. 
These were bought for the Zoological Gardens of Cologne. 
One pair of Temmincks Tagropans brought for the same 
made 825f. One cock and two hens Vieillottii (the hens 
faulty), 410f. One pair of rare Pheasants, Deardigallus 
proclatus, made 16001'., for Paris ; and a second pair 1400f., 
for Amsterdam. Dr. Evans became the possessor of a pair 
of Tragopans for 1450f Reeves’s Pheasants varied, good 
pairs making 300f. and 825f. Swinhoes 210f. One pair of 
the now scarce Gallus furcatus, bought by Mr. Baily of 
London for 150f. , was resold for Paris. Curious among 
birds, but most amusing in their quaint waddling gait and 
comical expression of eye, were eight or nine Penguins. 
They stood in their inclosure and watched the proceedings 
narrowly, so tame that they would feed from the hand. 
Two fetched 450f., for Cologne; one 2301’., for Berlin; one 
223f. , for. Amsterdam. One pair of Bennett’s Kangaroos in 
excellent condition was purchased for the Zoological Gar- 
dens at Frankfort. The Cranes were very beautiful and in 
great variety, but the demand slow. A pair of Demoiselles 
made 300f. Black-necked Swans, Black Swans, and young 
Trumpeter Swans all found ready purchasers ; as did the 
beautiful little Ducks, of which a great many were sold at 
good prices.' But the choicest birds, with the exception of 
the Arcuata, were bought for Continental collections. The 
gems among the Ducks were one pair of Kasarka variegata, 
which made 3’25f. ; one pair of small Teal, Querquedula 
formosa, 210f. ; and one pair, said to be from the Cape, 280f. 
The different varieties of Whistling Ducks mustered in 
force and were in favor. One, the little Arcuata from 
India, is likely to become a favorite with us. Mandarins, 
Carolinas, Shell Ducks, and Shovellers made full prices. 
Some Bar-headed Geese made from 200f. to 240f. a pair. 
Gold and Silver Pheasants sold as usual ; but some Chinese 
(a Collier), made great prices. Three young Bears made 
nearly £40 ; a Porcupine 150f. ; Rhesus Monkey 35f. 
The beautiful varieties of foreign Pigeons attracted great 
attention, and they made full prices on both days. The 
greatest attraction was a pair of Bleeding-heart Pigeons. 
These were bought by Messrs. Baily, of London, for ■ J . 
The Nicobar Pigeon with its metallic plumage and hackled 
neck was much sought after for France, as it breeds well. 
There the price was about 130f. to I40f. per pair. The ele- 
gant Crested Lophotes about 75f. Some Blue Jacobins, 30f. 
to 4-5f. Montaubans, 60f. to 90f. An almost endless variety 
and sequence of little Doves, and plumage cage birds. 
Among them Whydahs, Cut-throats, Military Starlings, 
Cow-birds, Rice-birds, and Thrushes from America, Scar- 
let and Blue Tanagers. Returning to larger things we may 
notice a new feature, one we suppose introduced by the 
Director in emulation of our English Short-horn sales. A 
Bull, two Cows, and four Calves, imported Short-horns, 
made 56001'. A Zebra, bought by Mr. Montgomery for 
Dublin, I800f. ; and a second, bought for Paris, 1560f. The 
young Elephants and Giraffes were put up but were bought 
in. Several pairs of Seals were sold at the apparently low 
price of lOOf. and 120f. the pair. 
The company was large from the beginning to the close of 
the sale, the arrangements good, and the conditions of the 
birds and animals wonderfully good. The Zoological Soci- 
eties of all the principal cities of Europe (London excepted), 
were represented, and many amateur buyers from Italy, 
Paris, and Germany, Belgium and Holland were strongly 
supported. The principal buyers from England were 
Messrs. Jamrack, Baily, Montgomery, Castang, etc. — 
Journal of Horticulture. 
REPLY TO THE “WORLD’S” STRICTURES. 
The editor of the “ Poultry World” seems to have got a bil- 
ious attack in New York, last July, and to have gone home 
very choleric. We should have felt a great sympathy for 
him, had he not shown himself so splenetic against those 
“ ostentatious triflers ,” whom the Executive Committee of 
the “’American Poultry Association ” greeted so cordially ; 
listened to so attentively ; and granted their request so gra- 
ciously. It seems to me not very complimentary in the 
“ World’s ” editor, to assert that the Committee should come 
so far, and at so much expense, to entertain triflers , and 
to listen to a few “ ostentatious ” individuals, who only met 
to make a “splurge.” We formed a better idea of the 
Committee, and was not disappointed in their manly and 
magnanimous deportment. After the very hearty, and ap- 
parently friendly greeting, the editor of the World gave us 
at the rooms of the Committee, in New York, I must say 
we were not prepared for the welcome we have received 
in its editorial columns. A paper in its decline must always 
get up some sort of excitement to keep up the interest of its 
readers; and it is sometimes considered a good ruse to com- 
mence “ belaboring ” some one, to arouse the indifference of 
its readers; and if this fails, to try the other alternative of 
turning their paper into an illustrated primer. We con- 
gratulate the World on its last device — since its pictures are 
