THE BRAHMA POOTRA FOWL. 29 



Connecticut, says he has a pair, same stock as Hatch's, which he has 

 "weighed: cock, thirteen pounds; hen, nine pounds six ounces; but 

 he refuses to sell them That is a fine breed of fowls and must beat 

 all others." _ Dr. Wight is one of the best amateur breeders and 

 most extensive importers in this country, and I regard his opinion 

 as paramount. 



Mr. Samuel 0. Hatch, of Connecticut, in a letter to the author, of 

 Feb. 13th, 1852, writes: "People here are better acquainted with 

 these Brahma Pootra fowls, than your eastern fowl breeders. I can't 

 sell the Forbes or Marsh stock of Shanghaes for over $3 a pair, best 

 samples; whereas the Brahma Pootras sell readily for from $10 to $40 

 a pair, according to their age, and I have sold one pair at $50. The 

 usual price is from $12 to $35 a pair. As layers they are unsurpassed 

 by any breed." 



The committee of judges on the different classes of fowls exhibited 

 at the late Annual Exhibition of the "New England Society for the 

 Improvement of Domestic Poultry," held in the hall over the Fitch- 

 burg Railroad Depot, on the llth, 12th, 13th and 14th days of Novem- 

 ber, 1851, in speaking of the Brahma Pootra fowls, say: "Some 

 mammoth items of this variety were shown by Dr. Bennett, S. O. 

 Hatch, and J. Parkinson, each possessing great merit. Mr. Hatch's 

 lot was entered under the head of grey Chittagongs, but were really 

 pure Brahma Pootras, and decidedly better fowls than any Chittagongs 

 in. America. They are better layers, lighter in color, have shorter 

 legs, more compact forms, larger ear-lobes, and smaller combs and 

 w r attles; and, in every respect, are vastly superior to the Chittagongs. 

 As the judges desire that every variety of fowl should be called'by its 

 right name, they cannot sanction the. application of the title Chitta- 

 gong, to this excellent stock, when, in reality, they are perfect Brah- 

 ma Pootras. B. F. Beal, R. "W. Fuller, and J. H. Penniman, showed 

 some very handsome fowls of the same variety. Dr. Bennett pur- 

 chased Mr. Hatch's lot at a very high price." 



I purchased very extensively of Messrs. Cornish and Hatch, and 

 find the stock identical. Most magnificent samples have been for- 

 warded to me by both of those gentlemen. 



In relation to the last nine pair of Brahma Pootra fowls, purchased by 

 Col. Mark Noble, of New Hampshire, and myself, of Mr. Cornish, the 

 last named gentlemen, in a letter of February 25th, 1852, says: "I 

 have now nine pairs of Brahma Pootra fowls. The weight I give in 

 a schedule below. Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 5, were hatched the first of 

 July last, and Nos. 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9, on the first of September that 

 is the cocks ; the pullets, some of them, a little older late July 

 chickens. They are all good fowls. Nos. 1, 2, and 3, I think are equal to 

 my old pair, which were so much admired. Their weight is equal to 

 that of the old pair at the same age. I shall be disappointed if the 

 cocks do not come up fully to thirteen pounds each, when fully grown, 

 and the pullets in proportion. I have no doubt they will go above 

 that figure. They are now decidedly the three best pairs of fowls 

 that can be produced in this section of the country. The others 

 are equally good of their age. 



