The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-12 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

Another phase in the capabilities of this magnificent
building was developed on Saturday by the inauguratio❑
of the first poultry exhibition—the most perfect, we be-
lieve, ever yet seen in England. The show consisted of
1.055 pens of birds, inc'uding fowl, ducks, geese, turkeys,
an guinea fowl, ranged under 59 classes. There were
classes of pigeons and nine of rabbits. The show of
game birds was unusually good. The first prize-bird in
the class of game cooks was awarded to Mr. Sewell, of
Bridgwater, Somerset, and its price marked at 101. 10s.
The second prize was awarded to a remarkably fine
bird, the property of Mr. W. M. de Rothschild, of
Gnnnersbury Park. Next to the game birds the Dor-
kings deserve notice. They were divided into the white
and coloured varieties, and some magnificent birds were
shown in each of the classes. The principal exhibitors
of the Dorking were Lady Eleanor Cathcart, Lady
Dacre, Lady Margaret Macdonald, Lord R. Grosvenor,
Mr. Fisher Hobbs, Captain Squire, and the Rev. John
Farmer. The coloured Dorkings formed a very excellent
class, and a cock and two pullets, eight months old, be-
longing to Mr. Wakefield. of the Malvern Hills, were
most remarkable specimens of early maturity. The
Cochin Chinas, classed according to colour, were toler.
ably good and sufficientlynuoaerous, there being 127 pens.
A cock and two pullets, exhibited by the Rev. G. F.
Hodson, of North Petherton, batched last April, were
priced at 501. Mr. Rothschild appeared desirous of hav-
ing the honour of asking the highest price for his birds,
having marked two pens of cinnamon and buff Cochin at

500/. the pen. This fancy price was, however, topped
by Mr. John Wood, of Dorking, who marked his pen of
three white Dorkings at 1,0001. ; and two pens of game
birds, shown by the Rev. Thomas Lyon Fellowes, were
also ticketed at 1,0001. the pen ; one of gold and one of
silver pencilled Homburgs, oae of golden spangled, one
of silver spangled Homburgs, one of silver spangled pul-
lets, and one of Hamburg cocks, were also priced at
1,0001. each ; so that the value set upon this score of
birds was not less than 8,0001.
• The Spanish fowls were unusually good, espe-
cially the young birds, and the pen shown by
Miss Rake, of Brandon-hill, Bristol, to which the
first prize was awarded, consisted of three fault-
less fowls, remarkable for their high condition,
beauty of plumage and purity of breed. The first prize
for a Spanish cock was given to Master Rake, and it
has the honour, it would appear, of being the sire of the
youthful trio in the previous class. The different classes
of Homburgs are well represented, there being 149
specimens, many of them of rare beauty ; one pen of
young silver pencilled, belonging to Mrs. Henry Sharp,
of Mill-lane, Bradford, the winner of the first prize,
was exceedingly pretty. There were 108 pens of the
different varieties of Polish fowl, which attracted a very
large share of the attention of the visitors, on account of
their magnificent tufts, some of which were of unusual
size.

The show of geese, though not numerous, was very
good, and the finer specimens exhibited that rotundity
of form and general symmetry which it is so desirable to
witness. The ducks, especially the lylesburys, were
good, and there were some magnificent turkeys—among
others, a cock and two hens, shown by the Rev. Thomas
Fellowes, of Beighton Rectory, deserved the prize
awarded to them.

The pigeons formed a very interesting feature of the
show, and included pouters, carriers, dragons, almond
tumblers, short-faced mottolei, short-faced baldheads,
short-faced beards, short-faced tumblers, jacobines, owlq,
nuns, turbits, fantails, barbs, magpie., trumpeters, large
Spanish runts, large Leghorn runts, porcelains, and
other varieties known to fanciers. There was a novel
feature in the show in the presence of rabbits, many of
which were of the highest order, and attracted the
greatest attention. Mr. Houghton had the superintend-
ence of the show, which was most admirably conducted,
and we believe there is no judge who will disagree with
regard to the decisions of the judges, who warded the
prizes as follow :