52 SHANGHAI FOWLS. 



" The appearance of these birds is attractive, and exceedingly majes- 

 tic. The color of the cocks is generally red and brown, and the hens 

 are usually dark yellow. They bear large, single combs, and the wat- 

 tles are large, also. The cheeks, or ear lobes, are large, and of a 

 clear red. They have long necks and legs, and the legs are usually 

 yellow, and frequently feathered, though some of the best specimens 

 are without feathers, and are dark. 



"They have four toes on each foot, and these are of extraordinary 

 length. The wings and tails are very short, like those of the Cochin 

 China fowl, and the plume feathers are of a beautiful green. The 

 chickens feather slowly, but are very strong and healthy. They are 

 seldom affected by disease, even when other breeds in the same, yard 

 are feeble and sickly. Though it may seem strange that birds which 

 feather so slowly, should endure the rigors of a northern climate, yet 

 these are among the most vigorous chickens, and stand the cold better 

 than those which feather at an early age. 



" The weight of these fowls is a remarkable characteristic. The im- 

 ported pair are said to have weighed twenty-three pounds; the cock 

 weighing xipwards of thirteen pounds. I have one, eleven months 

 old, from imported stock, which weighs a trifle over eleven and a half 

 pounds. 



" The difference in weight between the cocks and hens of this breed, 

 is very great in fact, they are rather disproportioned. For instance, 

 a cockerel of mine, six months and fifteen days old, weighed nine 

 poxinds, strong, while the best pullet of the same brood, only weighed 

 five pounds, at the same age. At the same time, I weighed a pair of my 

 Brahma Pootras, five months and twenty-one days old the cockerel 

 drew eight pounds, and the pullet five pounds and a half a much 

 Letter proportion. On the whole, the Imperial Chinese are fully equal 

 in size to the best specimens of grey Chittagong fowls, but are superior 

 in fineness of flesh, and are decidedly better layers. 



"The eggs of these fowls are of a medium size, and tinged with a 

 salmon-color. There are no fowls more prolific. The imported hen, 

 the mother of my fowls, laid 135 eggs in 147 consecutive days, and 

 another of Mr. Marsh's hens, of this" breed, laid 86 eggs in 91 consec- 

 utive days. They begin to lay early, usually at five months old, and 

 lay continuously. 



" Mr. Marsh says, under date of April 26, 1850, that he has 'a pul- 

 let hatched Dec. 23d, which began to lay April 23d.' One of mine, 

 hatched April 10th, began to lay August 25th. In another letter, 

 dated May 4th, 1850, Mr. Marsh says, 'one hen that has laid almost 

 daily for the last seven months, has but lately evinced a desire to sit.' 



"The committee of the Poultry and Bird Exhibition, at the Fitch- 

 burg Depot, Boston, on the 2d, 3d, and 4th of October, 1850, in 



the committee say, ' The Imperial Chinese fowls, contributed by Dr. 

 Bennett, were splendid birds. The crower and pullet ehown, were 

 six and a half months old, [this is an error they lacked eight days of 

 being six months old,] and were very large the cock weighing over 



