VARIETIES OF DOMESTIC FOWL. 29 



somewhat above the average, however. * * * The skin 

 and meat of these fowls is delicately white ; which is dif- 

 ferent, you observe, from the yellow-legged and light yellow- 

 plumed Great Malay fowls, in the vicinity of New York ; and 

 which weigh, so far as I can judge from observation, about 

 sixteen to eighteen pounds per pair, at full maturity." Such 

 is the description furnished Mr. Burnham by the importer of 

 his specimens of Chittagongs. 



These fowls exceed in weight all known varieties. Mr. 

 Rugg says, in a letter to the author, respecting his own stock, 

 " Those from which I have been and still am breeding are 

 rather heavier than the weight given ; and although the stock 

 has been in this country from six to ten years, I can distinctly 

 trace the offspring to the original stock." 



Mr. Burnham says of the weight of the particular pair whose 

 portraits are here given : 



" The two fowls above shown were hatched on the 4th day 

 of June, 1849, and are consequently seven months old, this 

 present week. These are specimens of my breeding stock, and 

 I weighed them on Saturday last, in presence of a member of 

 the committee of the late fowl show. The rooster draws ten 

 and a half pounds, the pullet weighs eight and a half pounds, 

 strong. This being over nineteen pounds for a pair of last 

 summer's chickens, I think I may safely ask, ' Can it be 

 jraat?'" 



The parents of these fowls, now in possession of Mr. Rugg, 

 who is, beyond dispute, one of the best fowl breeders in Amer- 

 ica, weigh, when in condition, the cock, fourteen pounds, and 

 the hen, thirteen pounds and four ounces. I procured from this 

 stock three fowls, which are now owned by Mr. Joseph A. 

 Sampson, of Duxbury, of the following weights and ages. The 

 cock, which was a last May chick, weighs nine and a half 

 3* 



