86 THE BRAHMA POOTRA FOWL. 



under the auspices of the New England Poultry Society, the 

 dispute in regard to the name of these fowls was submitted to 

 the judges for their decision. The committee consisted of Dr. 

 Bennett, and Messrs. Burnham, Andrews, Balch, and Fussel. 

 The following is their decision : 



"The Committee are unanimously of the opinion that those marked 

 * Chittagongs,' are not of that breed ; it is clearly a misnomer and 

 the only question is, whether they are ' grey Shanghaes' or 'Brahma 

 Pootras ' from China or India ; and as the arguments of Mr. Burn- 

 ham on the one side, and Dr. Bennett on the other, are before the 

 public, we submit the question." 



By this decision the question is settled that this breed of 

 fowls is not identical with Chittagongs, and to persist in calling 

 them grey Shanghaes seems to be a gross misnomer, because 

 they are not grey, but white, or nearly so, generally. Occasion- 

 ally we see one with the usual neck hackles extending nearly 

 over the entire body, giving the fowl a beautiful appearance, 

 yet quite distinct in color from all other fowls. Marquis F. 

 Moore, of Massachusetts, in a letter to me, dated September 3, 

 1852, says : 



"The Brahma Pootra fowl are very dark in many instances. Yours 

 may be almost white, but that is no sign that all are light-colored. I 

 prefer no fowl above this breed, and I now have a pair that fifty dol- 

 lars will not buy." 



I am inclined to infer that Mr. Moore's stock is not direct 

 from the original pair from which Dr. Bennett's has sprung, 

 but I may be in error. I have, however, heard of no dark- 

 colored Brahma Pootra fowls from any other source. Mr. 

 Moore also says that they do not always have a pea-comb. I 

 admit it, but Dr. Bennett's stock generally do. 



Without desiring to extol these fowls beyond their merits, 

 I annex the opinions of gentlemen in different parts of the 

 country, to be taken for what they are worth, but I can assure 

 my readers that what they say was not prompted from interested 

 motives; because their opinions were given in private letters, 

 and not for the press : 



The Brahma pullet I have is drooping, but I hope with care to 

 restore her. I would not lose her for any amount. This breed is de- 

 cidedly the handsomest and finest fowls I have ever seen. 



B. BIGNOX, 



Georgia. 



Tour article on the Brahma Pootra fowls, published in the North 

 ern Farmer, for May, corresponds generally with my own experience 



