POULTRY. 191 



that no one need fear to keep them on account of their warlike 

 propensities. Those who indulge in the barbarous amusement 

 of cock fighting usually breed them to weigh, not to exceed, 

 four and a half to five lbs., it being difficult, they say, to match 

 them at heavy weights. There is no difficulty, however, in 

 bringing them to an average weight of five and a half to six 

 lbs. by judiciously crossing of difierent strains. One of the cocks 

 (a cross of the Derby and Sefton,) exhibited by Mr. Rodman, 

 weighed seven and a half lbs., while the hens average over five 

 lbs. This is, however, an extreme weight. A Game cock will 

 improve greatly the stock of any yard where there is need of 

 fresh blood. 



The Bernicle and Brent geese are capable of being domesti- 

 cated, and Audubon thinks there is no reason why the Eider 

 duck, so valuable on account of its down, should not also be 

 successfully reared in confinement, as it feeds readily upon corn 

 and different grains. Great numbers of these are annually shot, 

 under the name of " Isle of Shoals duck," every winter or 

 spring, on Martha's Vineyard. We have no doubt that some of 

 the enterprising sportsmen of that island might trap some of 

 these without much trouble. They would, no doubt, prove a 

 most valuable addition to our poultry. 



COOPS. 



Your Committee remark some improvement in the style of 

 coops this year, but there is room for much more. Some of the 

 coops, containing very fine birds, were apparently contrived with 

 the express purpose of preventing the awarding of premiums to 

 their occupants. This defect is always noticeable in the case of 

 the largest birds, such as turkeys, geese, &c. The difficulty of 

 transporting coops large enough to show these to advantage is 

 obvious. Your Committee would renew the recommendation 

 made last year, that a few large sized coops be purchased by the 

 society. They can readily be made principally of wire netting, 

 so as to fold up in a small compass. Any quantity of these 

 might be stored in the hall of the society, to be brought out at our 

 annual exhibitions. Their average cost is about $3.00 per coop. 

 If the society provide accommodations for the larger kinds of 

 poultry, as it does for its annual show of sheep, swine, &c., we 



