COCHIN CHINA FOWLS. 85 



Here you have about all that can be said of importance, in 

 regard to the " Cochin Chinas." The testimony is in rendei 

 your own verdict These fowls sell at all prices, from $3 up, 

 and it is said that Mr. Burnham paid $100 for the pair of pre- 

 mium " Cochin China " fowls at the poultry fair in Boston, 

 November, 1852 ! 



They have some good specimens in England, as appears from 

 the following extract from the London " Mark Lane Express " : 



" One of the most interesting sales we have ever witnessed, came 

 off under the able auspices of Mr. Strafford, auctioneer, at the Bazaar 

 in Baker street ; and we hope it is a prelude to something better, for 

 with the growing feeling in favor of poultry, both as an amusement, 

 and an important feature in our domestic economy, we must have a 

 metropolitan show of poultry, and no longer oblige their admirers to 

 travel far into the country for an opportunity to compare their speci- 

 mens. We are led to the foregoing observations from noticing what has 

 taken place at the above yard in November last, in the sale of Mr. 

 Sturgeon's Cochin China fowls, and again on Thursday and Friday in 

 last week ; there cannot be a second opinion but that the Bazaar is the 

 best place for such an exhibition. At the sale of Mr. Sturgeon's splen- 

 did fowls, wet as the day was, the place was filled, and all were much 

 delighted with the sight as a show, and a first-rate one too, and sur- 

 prised that 170 almost faultless specimens could be produced in one 

 yard. 



" Of the sale itself, there seemed to be but one opinion admiration 

 of the fowls, and among the uninitiated, surprise at the prices ; and 

 certainly we must consider it one of the most extraordinary sales that 

 ever took place, and there must have been much confidence in the 

 breeder, quality in the birds, and emulation amongst those in attend- 

 ance, to have produced 609 for 170 chickens! It is true that Mr. 

 Sturgeon's breed stands at present unrivalled ; but superior as his 

 birds unquestionably are, an average of 3 11s. is what we were not 

 prepared for. Aradhgst those present, we noticed Lord Ducie, Mr. 

 Wakeley, Sir Eneas M'Donald, Messrs. Punchard, Johnson, Gilbert, 

 Steggal, Fletcher, Catlin, Ambler, Reynolds, <fec., <fcc. A curious fact 

 occurred at the. sale of lot 12; when the hammer fell at 7 ; a foreign 

 gentleman present exclaimed, " Seven pounds can that be for v on 

 hen?" The highest price was 12 10s., gi'ven by Mr. Hodginson for 

 a cockerel by "Jerry," hatched the first week in April last." 



CHITTAGONGS. 



A few individuals who are raising this breed of fowls, would 

 make it appear that they are identical with the BRAHMA Poo- 

 TRAS. The Brahmas selling at so much higher rates than the 

 Chittagongs, renders it to the interest of these gentlemen to 

 merge the two breeds in one ; but I shall block that game at 

 the outset. Mr. G. P. Burnham, of Mass., who is laboring to 



