THE FEATHER FANCY

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 264, 31 July 1908, Page 11

THE FEATHER FANCY

[Notes dy ," Domino."] . At a .meeting of the Christchurch Pigeon ' Club . last. week, it was decided that ''all birds :ih"certified working' homer classes must bo rung with' a 'recognised: ring.'' Tito object , pf. this : mot ion is; toensuro the exhibit being ■ what;-it.'is clairij«l,'to be:, Rings are issued by tho various homing clubs at a certain-period each year, the number of tiieso rings being recorded, and should any question arise as to tho identity of : a : certain bird it should bo zan easy;:uiatter '"to settle tho point if a cor- , i rqct,-.record is kept. : This .is. certainly a step . in tho iright direction, and I ' should ' like to '■ EBojVifc ■"■•eh'acted. ■ .-that"> iill pigeons; including ! i; fancy ivaneties, competing ,• at. shown should ' 'wear.a..recognised ring. The Wellington Society .jthis ' year were. bold . enough to stipulate'.that i all magpies competing at their : show, should a recognised'ring, with the result',that the innovation has i-already. boriio ; * Sfiodr'fruitj ; inasmuch, as it brought to light • ' on£ or, two:inconsistencies"that baro been iin /■ tHe'-past. a sourco of aniioyancc. .■ ; , ': : I''might mention that..rings.;aro .used by fanciers,ias a- means of-marking their birds, >j and ; -to;, assist :them in' identifying -tliem for. • \breeding; purposes. It .is also, or should be, . 'a""prdof- of age," .as- each ring, bears 'the < ygar .number, in-addition to tho ring numJYhen ,it. iß...ccin|uilsory; ; to use rings thp;' : <3xhib!tor''' j,s" 'fairly' secure;:'''birds'- being - 'shown in : ,classes for'whjch;they arc,' eligible. ' • uilrung birds arc slifiwh, it is lio' uiidommOii: thing to 'young.'"birds in . adult -.r. classes, -and vico- versa. Herico tho aim of .thoV^ ; Wdlington. A ahd,,;Christchuroh.. St-'cietics ; to put matters right.: Still, it is a pity that such ,safeguards; should bo necessary, and' 0110 has,: billy, : to. look back upon tho *p:ist season. tO-see-.thatrit is-qp. j -Even with' this prcc.-ui-: ration- birds havo been-noticed at moro'thaii »•» one show-wearing a-very juvenile appearance. • yet';adorned : _witli f ;'a ; two'-.and. thrco year, old'l ring,;--:. This is": no' doubt brought about : by usingvold' rings;.''on young. birds.; But- tho keen- ' '.;-ey?s. of - fanciers;..have, iioticed it, . and thevo' look' for it• in future. 1 '.'

-Ahother; thing -'that, (lid not 'escape the eye ■of"Domino" and others at recent shows was ■ that'_ : of iridulgiihce in* tho'-irutfj and un-.'- '' fan6ieHil;b/ |,! pra'ctießi ; :-: known,' - ''making Tacei."-'To the uninitiated' this ■ may. seem,:liko ; a; joke, but to the fancier and tho poor bird it Js ,a-;seriou3 : matter. The art of "making' faces" belongs to/the. old 'school of fanciers, and Irregret that-thero aro still to.be found: arffevy scholars the fancy.;-The bull-dog fancmr _ knows' 'what making a face is, biit when' upon; an innocent': ' shortfaced (-pigeon,-it-;is; 'deplorable.; The modus :i operandi .repeated..pressure : to ' beaf' -upon' 'the 'face "of' tho bird to prevent a .'nitural^formation','.'arid ito causo. the face to have .a -short', and .stout appearance, caus- .. ing,;tlie : hfeacr : t6.oxpand aiid Jook : more bold, . fchali;it; would -naturally/.The/result often .is that-iihes upper mandible (pr-beak), being forced against the -.lower' one,' the' latter' becomes > Rooked and; unnatural, and it is by. ■ this''^means. i ;that; , the practice is-discovered:: ' Tnitters w'i]l';;be., watched .'for.' nest sea- ' son','(for fanciers generally aro nothing if . not . humane,'.'and, from this standpoint alone, I would-;implore-judges to bo on.the alert and crush. it °ut before tho seed is sown too , deeply an-.tho.'Dpniinion.,/-... . Arthur Clarkson, late treasurer to the j ChriStcHufcK ■ P.P. and C. Club, passed < Wellington last week on his return from America,' whither lie. has been on business'bent.:. .-. ' v/At.tlie Greymotfth' Show- Mr: J. Steer won the golden'wyandotte championship, and Mr. R-. J-. Thompson the Plymouth Rock championship. •;. '• Ai Gramty cjiampipnships were woiijby.Jlr. A. Hardie: (brown leghorns); and Mr. J. Hopkins (minorca). - ■■/ :'v ;- ■ • - There sMms- somelittlo rtiistnideT i st.aildirig as to.'who :really- won the' North Island' championship for Brown .Leghorns r at the recent Wanjjjanui 'Show:;;; It appears : ;'that two - chani- . ionshipsrwere .'awarded,-one to r .tbe. male 'and ..one; ; to the female section/.As there is, only i one NorthTsland; championship, the question is, which, of., the two. birds-is-entitled to thchonour. Probably our-' AVanganui friends will shed a'little light on'the : matter. • >■ '

.;, At .the recent! Paisley. (Scotland) Show £100 ~ .was.paid t ' for., the-;ivinning Scotch fancy. 'Our . Dominion. fanciers think they are launching . out .in when they pay a tenth of .: this/siiin'foi';a pair of canaries. •- ': At.the Blenheim Show last v.-eek, Mr. Geo. .Woodward, th'ejudgi, had something to say ..! abouti ; the... penning ; birds for; competition, ■ andihad; occasiori.'to remark upon the mariner in. .which., somo .; of; the birds. in -the -utility ' classes iw;ei-e.;shcwn, • and. thought-" it might ' be impressed upon exhibitors that although the birds were for : utility purposes stlll 'thoy : should ,l)e.put in tlie peris in show condition." ; These remarks might also.'be applied to. other than utility exhibitors,, as many birds . penned - this-seaspn by fanciers in the.diforentishows . were:,m .anything but. show/condition, r and it iß?.a Question Whether some bf: these: should . not;have'b6en-rejected. '••• • i. ■ 1 1; clip tho following interesting paragraph from the "New Zealand Poultry Journal " , . "iLady, Bhcktail," ; Mr. .E. J. Fallu's dainty' ■ little.i'Afriqan hen, has a rather interesting history. v $he was giVen to her present.owner by that well -known-."-Frill" devotee of Sydney,;Mr;. J; Noblej. in tho-full-belief that she ' was a cock.- On arrival* in New Zealand- sho mated -to two hens, and her owner had no that , she _was ; of tho sterner sex. Hov.'Gvei, 'after a - month.- or- two sho : t'red masculine game,' paired up to a .cock;' .:and in duo' course . laid.. r Mr! Fallu thereupon jiromptly offered ito restore,her to . pointing out that ho would hardly ha vo parted with .such a beautiful specimen had he known it to bo'a hen. Tho pretty.' part of the story; is that .Mr. Noble just as promptly and emphaticaHy refused' to entertain for a moment the idea of-her being returned'to .him, insisting that Mr. Fallu ; should 'reap' the full benefit, of the -gift,. and the lucky;chango_of ses. Truly a'ffne thorough fancier spirit is. displayed here.