132 VARIETIES OF THE 



continued laying until the cold weather set in early the present 

 month. 



As regards the appearance of these Fowls, I am not inclined 

 to say a great deal, being fully convinced that your Artist, Mr. 

 Croome, will do justice to their fine proportions in the engraving 

 he is about to make. 



To casual observers, their general appearance is not widely 

 different from the SHANGHAE Fowl, but, when closely exa- 

 mined, the body of the Pullet is longer than any I have seen of 

 its more northern relative (for related, and closely too, they 

 certainly are). There is less offal, the legs being shorter, and 

 one of my Pullets, the older of the two, has a deeper and bet- 

 ter developed breast, and greater breadth of back than any of 

 my Shanghae Fowls. 



The Grower is a very handsome Fowl, with beautiful bright 

 plumage, the feathers soft and fine as down. He has a fine, 

 erect carriage, bright eye, great breadth of back, full chest and 

 deep in the quarter. His comb is single and serrated, thin 

 wattles, and legs feathered. The colour of the legs of these 

 Fowls is uniform alight flesh-colour, while those of the Dub- 

 lin stock are varied. I have a Pullet of the latter stock, with 

 legs almost black, and I am informed others are green, yellow, 

 &c. &c. Although Mr. Nolan's (the Dublin) stock, may 

 " have taken a premium at a late fair at the side of the Queen's 

 Fowls," it could not have been for pure breeding, or else the 

 theory " that uniformity in the colour of the legs is the very 

 best evidence of pure and careful breeding/' is an exploded 

 idea ; and this latter I do not believe. 



These Fowls are very quiet and peaceable, but the Stag does 

 not lack courage. They are always ready to take their food, but 

 are satisfied with a much smaller quantity than the Shanghaes. 

 I was a little fearful our cold winters might affect them un- 

 favourably, but we have already had some pretty cold days, 

 and they have shown no symptoms of feeling the change. 



