CHESTED FOWLS. 



109 



have been produced. The hens of the Silver- 

 spangled Top-knots are much more ornament- 

 al than the cocks ; though even they are sure 

 to attract notice. They may certainly be ranked 

 among the very choicest and most beautiful of 

 fowls, whether we consider their beauty or their 

 rarity. They lay medium-sized white eggs, 

 much pointed at one end, in tolerable abund- 

 ance, and when they sit, acquit themselves, re- 

 spectably. 



The newly-hatched chickens are very pretty, 

 creamy-white, interspersed with slaty-dun on 

 the back, head, and neck, marked with longi- 

 tudinal stripes down the back, with black eyes, 

 light lead-colored legs, and a swelling of down 

 on the crown of the head, indicative of the fu- 

 ture top-knot, which is exactly the color of a 

 powdered wig, and, indeed, gives the chick the 

 appearance of wearing one. At a very early 

 age they acquire their peculiar distinctive feat- 

 ures, and are then the most elegant little min- 

 iature fowls it is possible to imagine. The dis- 

 tinction of sex, like the Golden, is not very man- 

 ifest till they are nearly full grown, the first ob- 

 servable indication being in the tail. That of 

 the pullet is carried uprightly, as it should be ; 

 but in the cockerel it remains depressed. 



PTAKMIGAN FOWL. 



This curious, unique, and very interesting va- 

 riety of domestic fowl was first introduced to no- 

 tice at a Poultry Show, held at the Baker Street 

 Bazaar, in London. In the Cottage Gardener, 

 of August 4th, 1853, we find the following : 

 "The greatest novelty here were the Ptarmi- 

 gans, exhibited by Dr. Burney, of Brockhurst 

 Lodge. The old birds are almost as small as the 

 Dumpies ; white, with slightly-colored hackle ; 

 white crests, and remarkably well feathered or 

 booted legs. The combs are cupped, and the 

 cock's tail is well sickled. 



" The chickens exhibited of this breed were 

 eminently attractive; they are of the purest 

 white, light and sylphid in form, remarkably 

 deeply vulture-hocked and booted. They were 

 rapid and gliding in their movements, and tim- 

 id, we should think, from being so repeatedly 

 hunted up by the visitors to show themselves, 

 for the parents are sufficiently sedate. 



"Dr. Burney informed us that they did not 

 care for corn and the usual food of chickens, 

 but preferred ants' eggs, and the insect food of 

 a pasture. 



" However partial the domestic fowl may be 

 to food of this description, it rarely happens that 

 their usual granivorous habits are laid aside to 

 the degree that is represented as qpcurring in 

 this case. This circumstance, in conjunction 

 with their singular combination of top-knot and 

 booted legs features that hitherto have rarely, 

 if ever, been sanctioned by public taste induced 

 us to apply to Dr. Burney for any further inform- 

 ation that he might be able to afford us relative 

 to these curious birds. In answer to our inqui- 

 ries, the following communication has most 

 kindly been sent to us by that gentleman: 'In 

 reply to your letter respecting the Ptarmigan 

 fowls, I have much pleasure in giving you all 

 the information that I am possessed of, which 

 amounts to this that a gentleman in his trav- 

 els, I believe in the north of Europe, brought 

 home a couple of these birds, and gave them to 

 a connection of mine, from whom they passed 

 into my possession. 



" ' I did not at the time place much value on 

 them ; since, from their confinement and moult- 

 ing, their beauty was for some months unob- 

 served ; but being kept by themselves, their first 

 clutch of chickens elicited the admiration of my 

 neighbors, and induced me to pay more atten- 

 tion to their merits, so that I have now no hesi- 

 tation in stating my opinion that they will prove 

 a most valuable addition to the domestic fowls 

 of this country. They are elegant in their form, 

 and graceful in their movements ; excellent lay- 

 ers, and of hardy constitutions. Their habits 

 and, in part, their appearance, resemble those 

 of the Ptarmigan berries and insects being 

 preferred by them when allowed to roam in the 

 woods which surrounded my residence; still, 

 when confined to a yard, they manifested no 

 discontent, and the extreme beauty of their ap- 

 pearance, their form and color, their splendid 

 top-knots and profusely -feathered legs and feet, 

 have gained them many admirers among the 

 best judges of the poultry -yard.' " 



A writer in the Poultry Chronicle says: "My im- 

 pression of that account is, that Dr. Burney was 



