IMPORTED BIRDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2593, 17 July 1876, Page 3

IMPORTED BIRDS.

A large importation of valuable pigeons has reoontly been made by a Christ. ohuroh fanoier, and a tew partioularß concerning them will doubtless bo of interest, mote espeoially as the annual exhibition will shortly he held. As a rule, the introduction of new stook belonging to the feathered tribe, does not meet with suooess. The risk and trouble inseparable from it are very great, yet fanciers generally expeot fco purchase at prices whioh would do little moro than covor expenses^ which naturally tends to oheck importations. In this case, however, ifc is gratifying to know that the efforts of the importer have been fully approoiated, and that noarly all the birds changed hands in a vory short time after arrival. They were imported from Melbourne, and chiefly oonsisted of Antwerps and dragoon, tho balance being barbs, shortfaced tumblers, owls, and one blaok oarrier hon, The owls are a very pretty pair of woll matched silvers (English), and wore bred by Mr Pemwoll, a well-known Sydney fancier. They have good hoads and frills, are in fine featherand ought to take a good plaoe at the forthcoming exhibition. The black oarrier hen was pioked up by a mere ohanoe, and is supposed to have been raised by Mr Hawe, of Hobartown. She is a little over twelve months old, has a splendid narrow hoad, long and tapering neok, a flue large oyo, wattle aud good colour, giving all the appearance of developing into a splendid bird. The tumblers aro two very nioe kite hens, and a light almond oook, Theso are well headed birds, with good goldfinch beaks, broad forehead, and beautiful olear pearl eyes. They are rather large, but will oome in very handy for tbo breeding season, as they were purohasod purely on account of their head properties. ' The barbs oonsist of a pair of yollow and blaoks. The yellows are young birds, with a beautiful sound colour, nioe heads, and very good oye wattlo. Thoy will be a novelty here, and tho best of their kind we have seen. The blaoks are older birds, and suffered more from the trip down, consequently tboy aro not in good feather, Tlio oook is a splendid headed bird, with large eye wattlo. Tho hen is not quito oo good, hut both aro a capital colour, and shown as a pair they will take a lot of beating. The dragoons consist of two pair of blues and ono of white. Tho blues are nioe, atrong, square-headed birds, with short nooks, They are powerfully built, and are a good colour. One pair is for the Ashburton, and the other was purohaßod by a Ohriatohuroh fanoior. The white pair are young birds of great promise, showing any amount of brooding, and, with age, will develop into a fine pair. Theao were purchased for Mr James Wood of Akaroa, who also bought a pair of Antworps, and we understand has entered the ranks of the ily ing fanoy. The Antwerps oonsist of blues, blue chequers and ashes, or reds. The bluosaro fancied very muoh ; they are a good, sound colour, with bright blaok bars, and are in capital feather. The whole of them lookod liko flyers. Ihe ohequers appeared in capital oondition. They are well marked and particularly strong birds. The reds appear to havo suflered by the trip down most ; two of them seemed very seedy. The rest were all right. They aro not so attractive as the first two colours, but have e\l the appearance of making good workors. They aro all strong, largo built birda, and there is a peoultar restless look about them whioh speaks for itself, and woo-bofcido tho unlucky owner that lets one esoape,as it would probably be the last time he would ever boo it. Considering the exceptionally bad passage tho birds had (thoy were several times Bwampod with water) the lot looked very well ; a little loose and dirty in feather, but a olean bath and good food will soon mend matters. All the flying birds are from the bost stook in Melbourne, and were specially pioked, bo that we may hope, with luok, ore long to hear of their stook doing the Ashburton under the hour. Ohristohuroh is indebted to one of its most ardent f anoiers for this lot of birds, and his contemporaries in the oity ought to bo grateful for the opportunity ho has givon them of obtaining some new blood of a high olass.