92 HOANG HO FOWLS. 



The following letter was received with the fowls. My 

 readers will please to note that Dr. Bennett goes to Fort des 

 Moines, Iowa, as soon as navigation opens, to reside perma- 

 nently, and all communications to be addressed to him at that 

 place : 



. GREAT FALLS, K H., Jan. 31, 1853. 



Friend Miner, I have only time to say that I forward you a pair 

 of Imported Hong Konrts, just from England, as a present from Charles 

 C. Plaistecl, Esq., of this place. They are splendid birds, and the only 

 pair ever imported FROM ENGLAND. They are PERFECTLY IDENTICAL 

 with Mr. Plaisted's stock he had of me, as to color and every general 

 characteristic. I took them out of the coop they came in, as they 

 were too much cramped for room, and are suffering for liberty. 



In the other end of the coop, I send you three Wild Indian Moun- 

 tain Fowls, a cock, (yellowish,) and two hens, (black,) and they are 

 one of the best breeds in the world. 



Yours truly, 



J. C. BENNETT. 



HOANG HO FOWLS. 



This is a variety of fowls of great merit. It has been 

 asserted that these fowls originated in a cross between a Hong 

 Kong cock, and a black Shanghae hen, but Dr. Bennett affirms 

 that he imported them, and that they do not possess a particle 

 of Hong Kong or Shanghae blood. Be that as it may, they 

 are a fine fowl. They may be described as follows : Cocks, a 

 bright chestnut color ; short legs, sometimes feathered, and fre- 

 quently smooth ; head, erect ; comb, single and serrated ; eye, 

 large, and very dark, with little or no visible iris ; weight of best 

 samples at two years old, twelve pounds ; a peculiar crow, 

 advancing in the act, and continuing the sound longer than is 

 natural in other fowls. 



The pullets are uniformly either a rich, glossy black not a 

 perfect jet with a slight penciling of chestnut neck hackles, 

 or a variegated, penciled brown ; form, that of the best mod- 

 eled Shanghaes ; compact, short legs, dark color, feathered 

 generally, but not always , short tail ; eye dark, of a snaky 

 look, with no perceptible iris (outer ring usually red,) at a few 

 feet distance. The pullets are larger, in proportion to cocks 

 generally, than other breeds, frequently drawing ten pounds. I 

 have six pullets of this breed, that were hatched in June last, 



