HAMBURGH FOWLS. 291 



the tail consisted of feathers that were partly green, partly 

 black, some also half-green, some half-black. His whole Kody 

 was exquisitely adorned with lines, that were sometimes golden, 

 and sometimes silver, Und it is wonderful what a beautiful 

 offect this produced. His legs and feet were tinged with blue. 

 The Hen, which, in like manner, was called Turkish, was all 

 white, sprinkled over with black spots ; the feet tinged with 

 blue : the wattles were short, when compared with those of 

 the male. The next Hen would seem the same, except that 

 her neck was yellowish, and she had a sharp point on the top 

 of her head, her feet altogether blue, and an immaculate tail. 



" I have observed another Hen of this kind, whose feet were 

 entirely blue, spotted in the same manner as the foregoing, 

 with black and white; but behind its fleshy crest, it had 

 another of white feathers, like a Lark, and that part of the 

 neck and shoulders, which in the other is black, in this changing 

 from ash-colour to dirty yellow." 



It is a pity the description is not more precise. It ts not 

 clear whether the gold and silver lines are intended to be in 

 the same or different birds. The reader may question the cor- 

 rectness of my translation ' } but Aldrovandi's large wood-cuts 

 remove all doubt as to the variety intended. The figures given 

 are evidently the Hamburghs, the Hens, one Grolden and one 

 Silver. The very peculiar form of the comb, so recognisable 

 at the present time, is clearly marked in these old wood-cuts. 

 The fleshy rose comb of the Hamburghs terminating in a sharp 

 point behind, like the corner of a cocked hat turning upwards, 

 and which is seen in no other variety of Fowl, is well described 

 by "apicem in vtrtice gerit." The smaller, and occasionally 

 more semicircular comb of the Silver Hamburgh Hens, is well 

 delineated in the Turkish Hen. 



have written to Mr. M. to look out for a white-breasted Cock, but I 

 begged him to send you a black-breasted one, if possible. J. S. W. 



