182 THE GUELPERLA.ND FOWL. 



the north of Holland, in the month of May, 1842, by Captain 

 John Devereux, of Marblehead, Mass., in the ship Dromo, on 

 his voyage from Amsterdam to Boston ; and, since that time, 

 have been bred by him at his place in that town, entirely dis- 

 tinct from any other breed. They are supposed to have origin- 

 ated in the north part of Holland. The plumage is of a 

 beautiful black, tinged with blue, of very rich appearance, and 

 bearing a brilliant gloss. They have no comb, but a small 

 indented, hard, bony substance instead, and large red wattles. 

 Their legs are of a shining black, smooth, and without feathers, 

 except in a very few instances. Dr. B., in his work, is by somo 

 means led into error; where the legs are " heavily feathered," 

 I am inclined to believe they have been crossed with the Shang- 

 hae; such crosses I have seen. Out of a flock of some twenty 

 or thirty, you may perhaps see some two or three slightly 

 feathered upon the legs. Such is the fact with regard to those 

 bred in our yard from the old imported Fowls. Their flesh is 

 white, tender, and juicy ; they are of good size, great layers, 

 seldom inclining to sit, bright active birds, and are not sur- 

 passed, in point of beauty or utility, by any breed known in 

 this country. The uniform aspect which is observable in their 

 progeny is a proof of the purity of the breed/' 



The portraits were obligingly furnished by H. L. Devereux, 

 Esq., and represent a pair of these beautiful Fowls now in his 

 possession. He says, " The proof-impression of the Guelder- 

 lands I send you, is as good as can be done in Boston, and is, 

 I think, quite correct, except the feathered legs, which ought, 

 to answer the true description, be smooth." 



