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CHAPTER X. 



THE GUELDERLAND FOWL. 



THIS Fowl would seem to be quite an original one. There 

 is still less development of comb than in the true Malay; the 

 wattles, however, are more freely developed than in the latter. 



A gentleman of Boston, who has some fine specimens in his 

 possession, writes me, concerning them, as follows : t( The 

 Gruelderlands, about which you inquire, are a breed of Fowls 

 introduced into this section by Captain John Devereux, a 

 brother of the Mr. D. who visited you a few days since. This 

 breed is of a jet-black plumage, without combs, the Cock some- 

 times showing two small red warts. The wattles are small, 

 particularly so in the Hen ; the body is short and plump ; the 

 legs are very long, compared with the body, and are thinly , 

 covered, on the front and outside, with thick and stiff quill- 

 feathers, extending to the toes. The Eggs are large, white, 

 and oval in shape, and are very rich and palatable. The Hens 

 are not great layers nor sitters ; at least, they have not proved 

 so with me. The flesh I have not tried." 



I have also been kindly furnished, by H. L. Devereux, Esq., 

 of .Dedham, Mass., with the following account. He says, 

 " This splendid breed of pure black Fowls has never, to my 

 knowledge, been described in any of the poultry-books pub- 

 lished in England or this country. They were imported from 



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