78 A MEXICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION 



Shelton, Conn., Sept. 18, 1901. 

 Editors, Farm Poultry. 



Dear Sirs: Yours in reference to Black Cochins at Philadelphia, 

 1868, come to hand. Black Cochins were exhibited at that time by 

 Mr. John Clapp of Philadelphia, A. M. Halstead, Bye, N. Y., Mr. Gilbert, 

 Pennsylvania. Yours, 



(Signed) C. P. NETTLETON. 

 Shelton, Conn., Sept. 18, 1901. 



Editors, Farm Poultry. 



Dear Sirs: Let me tell you about Black Cochins as I knew about 

 them long ago. 



I first bought some, as I called them, Black Cochins, in 1868. 

 They were commonly called by most people Black Javas, had feathered 

 legs, but scant feathering, hardly a bird having any feathers on the 

 middle toe. I worked at them for five or six years to get the feathers 

 on the middle toe. About this time P. Williams took them up, and 

 P. Williams and myself were the most prominent exhibitors for some 

 time of Black Cochins. Where Mr. Williams got his from at first I 

 never knew. 



Most all parties who spoke of these black birds, as long ago as 

 1868, called them Black Javas. Some of these kind of fowls were 

 shown at the New York show held in Barnum's Museum long before 

 that time (1868). 



Perhaps Mr. Williams can tell you something about them. My 

 memory don't serve me as I wish it did. 



Will send you a copy of that Plymouth Rock item soon. 

 Yours truly, 



(Signed) C. P. NETTLETON. 



The show at Barnum's Museum which Mr. Nettleton referred 

 to was held during February, 1854. According to this, Black 

 Cochins were found in America in ample season to become one 

 of the foundations of Plymouth Rocks. 



We copy the following paragraph from "The China Fowl," 

 by G. P. Burnham, as further proof of their presence in America 

 at an even earlier date : 



"The Black Shanghae is less common among us than any 

 other variety. In 1850, at the time we obtained through William 

 T. Porter from Shanghae our second lot of Light Gray birds, 

 we found an excellent trio (cock and two hens) of the Black 

 variety which, with the five Light Grays then obtained, and a 

 splendid trio of Dark Brown birds, we took to Melrose to breed. 

 The Black ones bred true to the originals and were of the best 

 color (for their dusky metallic hue) that we ever saw. We did 

 not fancy them greatly, however, and bred them only one or two 

 seasons. We give portaits of the Black birds here ; and it will be 



