HAMBURGH FOWLS. 295 



equivocal and often false. [We have had Fowls sent us from 

 long distances to convince us of the amalgamation of Phasianic 

 with Gallic blood, when, la! the specimens, on jumping out 

 of their hamper, were very handsome " Moss Fowls/'] But the 

 Fowl known in this neighbourhood and in the Northern Coun- 

 ties under that term, of both colours, Silver and Golden, I be- 

 lieve to be as permanent as any variety we have, and their 

 qualifications equal, if not superior to any Fowl I have ever met 

 with; therefore I am anxious that they should be as accu- 

 rately described as the Bolton Bays and Bolton Grays, for I can 

 assure you that in the Midland Counties, and northwards, they 

 have been, and still are, more extensively kept and more highly 

 prized than all the other varieties of fancy Fowl put together; 

 and almost universally has there been the inquiry why they 

 have not found a place in the classification of Domestic Poultry 

 by the various writers upon the subject. 



" You appear to have thought that the name of Moonies 

 was attached to the Silver ram-Pheasants only, and that of 

 Moss to the Golden ??on-Pheasants only, whereas both these 

 names are applied to either variety ; as, for example, the same 

 birds are called Silver Moss and Silver Moonies, and if the 

 colour be golden, they are called Copper Moss and Golden 

 Moonies the terms Moss and Moonies being synonymous, and 

 as applicable to the Silver as the Golden-spangled variety. 

 There can be but one opinion as to dividing them into the two 

 distinct varieties of colour, viz., Golden Hamburghs and Silver 

 Hamburghs, and we shall find the characteristics of the Ham- 

 burgh breeds, whereby we distinguish them from . all other 

 varieties, as uniform and true of the one colour as the 

 other, and will always be distinct and apparent in the sub- 

 varieties. 



" All Hamburghs must possess a very neat, florid rose or 

 double comb, not too large and bulky, which terminates in a 

 fine upward-tending point at the back of the head, which 



