AQUATIC FOWLS. 105 



coombs of oats daily, exclusive of other food. On 

 walking round the premises of these gentlemen, in 

 the spring of the present year (1829) the writer was 

 shown above twelve hundred of that handsome bird 

 the pintada, or guinea-hen, which unites, in some 

 respects, the character of the pheasant and turkey, 

 possessing the delicate shape of the former, and the 

 bare head of the latter. 



" From the improvement in our roads, and the 

 consequent increased facility of communication, vast 

 quantities of poultry are now fattened and killed in 

 the country : the trade of the London feeder there- 

 fore has fallen off in a ratio corresponding with the 

 increase of that of the provincial dealer ; not that the 

 public are benefited, or that the countryman derives 

 more profit. The salesman steps in with a proffer 

 of services ; but he must be paid, and the money, of 

 course, comes from the pockets of the public at 

 large." 



I shall only remark on the conclusion of this valu- 

 able communication that, " the labourer is worthy of 

 his hire," and that middle-men, or salesmen are in- 

 dispensable. 



AQUATIC FOWLS. 



Under a regular system, it would be preferable to 

 separate entirely the aquatic from the other poultry, 

 the former to have their houses ranged along the 

 banks of a piece of water, with a fence, and suffi- 

 ciently capacious walks in front ; access to the water 

 by doors to be closed at will. Should the water be 

 of considerable extent, a small boat would be neces- 



F5 



