24 The cMiry. 



known amongst poultry, as will be seen from our illus- 

 tration. Their distinguishing characteristic consists in 

 having the crown of the head, either pure white or 

 yellow, like the tonsure of a Cistercian monk, whilst 

 the rest of the upper part of their bodies are covered 

 all over with regular black spots on a clear grey or 

 bright orange, after the manner of the fowls above 

 alluded to. The tail, wings, and feet should be of a 

 uniform dark hue, without any admixture of white, 

 while the throat and breast should be of a lighter shade 

 and approach more nearly the colour of the head. 



It so happened that in the cage before us were some 

 particularly good specimens of the kind, and I need 

 hardly say we were delighted with our visit. As yet, 

 however, we had no idea of making a purchase, believing 

 them to be altogether out of our reach, and so we told 

 the dealer at once, and were about to pass on. This, 

 however, he would not hear of, no doubt thinking that, 

 like the clockmaker and his clocks, if he could only 

 gain a hearing, he might safely trust to human nature 

 to finish the bargain. So taking a slight wand in his 

 hand, he soon separated from out of some twenty or 

 thirty others one of the finest birds he had in the 

 room. Placing him in a jet black cage upon the table, 

 with the rays of the morning sun shining brightly on 

 his plumage, he required no Yankee soft sawder to 

 commend him in our eyes. Judy was enchanted, I was 

 delighted. What could we do? One of the most 

 splendid coloured and regularly-marked birds our eyes 

 liad ever beheld, now sat proudly on his perch, and 

 demanded at our hands the homage he evidently felt 



