170 



THE AMERICAN POULTERER'S COMPANION. 



uncertain whence he had first obtained them ; 

 but that he had kept them for several years, 

 and had found them hardy, prolific layers, and 

 good table-birds ; and that from their shape, 

 active habits, fondness for insects and such oth- 

 er food as they could themselves discover, and 

 because of the profusion of feathers on their 

 legs, extending to the points of their toes, he 

 named them Ptarmigans. 



" As Ptarmigans they were shown at several 

 exhibitions, and had prizes awarded ; and being 

 in shape, carriage, and in color (silver- white), 

 very attractive birds, and, from their activity of 

 leg and wing, admirably adapted to ornament 

 the lawn and pleasure-grounds, considerable at- 

 tention was given them. Many pens were 

 bought at long prices, and eggs were sold at 

 five guineas the sitting. 



"The mystery as to their origin and the 

 country from whence they had come, does not 

 seem to have been taken to and petted by the 

 public, as mysteries sometimes are ; and after 

 some months little or nothing was said about 

 the Ptarmigans, except by the few who had 

 kept and admired them, not less for their use- 

 ful than their pleasing qualities. 



"Early in September, 1853, a pen of fowls 

 were shown at the exhibition of the Devon and 

 Cornwall Poultry Society, as Turkey fowls, by 

 Mr. Snow, the gardener to the Earl of Morley. 

 The judge on the occasion, the Rev. W. W. 

 Wingfield, thought these birds had some affinity 

 to the Ptarmigans, although in many respects 

 unlike them. Shortly after this a gentleman, 

 who had bought some chickens of Dr. Burney, 

 brought them to Plymouth, and they were seen 

 by me ; the result being inquiries which led 

 to the discovery of fowls of the same breed in 

 the neighborhood of Plymouth, and that Dr. 

 Burney's fowls were obtained from the same 

 stock as those shown by Mr. Snow as ' Turkey 

 fowls.' 



" Further inquiries have furnished the reason 

 of their being called Turkey fowls. It appears 

 that some twelve or fourteen years since, W. 

 Soady, R.N., asked his friend, J. E. Elworthy, 

 Esq., if his son, who was then at Galatz, could 

 bring home any thing from that country for him. 

 Mr. Elworthy, being a poultry-fancier, replied, 



that if he could obtain for him any white-legged 

 fowls he should be obliged. Some months after 

 this, a seaman brought to Mount Plym three odd- 

 looking creatures, almost without feathers ; the 

 color of the few left being very uncertain, by rea- 

 son of the dirty state they were in. Mr. Elworthy 

 was not at home at the time, and when he came, 

 having forgot his request to Mr. Soady, was 

 puzzled as to whence and how this new impor- 

 tation could have been made. The conversa- 

 tion with his friend was subsequently brought 

 to his mind. The birds soon got feathers, and 

 looked very handsome. On seeing Mr. Soady, 

 he learnt that they were bought in Constanti- 

 nople market, and that during a rough passage 

 home the fowls had been a good deal kicked 

 about, the cock having been washed overboard 

 and recovered in the Mediterranean. 



" They proved favorites with their new own- 

 er, and evidently prospered in this country. 

 He found them good layers, and but seldom 

 disposed to sit ; but having raised some chick- 

 ens, he presented the imported birds to Sir 

 W. Burnett. Some of the fowls subsequently 

 passed into the possession of Colonel J. Elliott, 

 G. T. Shortland, Esq., of Lipson, and others. 



" At Lipson the breed has been kept pure to 

 the present time. From Lipson some chickens 

 were taken to Glassbrook, Devon, by Mr. Lowe, 

 and others, their produce, presented to Mrs. Dr. 

 Burney, now some years since. For several 

 years they ran about Dr. Burney's house, but 

 little talked about, or perhaps noticed, until 

 some keen poultry-fancier made an offer to pur- 

 chase the stock, that induced the Doctor to open 

 his eyes, in surprise, at their value. This, I pre- 

 sume, will be thought sufficient to settle the fact 

 of Dr. Burney's Ptarmigans being the descend- 

 ants of the fowls brought from Turkey by young 

 Mr. Soady some thirteen or fourteen years since ; 

 but if any doubt be possible, add another fact : 

 when Dr. Burney was aroused to the value of 

 his fowls, he applied to Mr. Stanly Lowe, from 

 whose family they had come to the Doctor's 

 hands, to buy him up all the sort he could, and, 

 as I am told, offered a high price for his own 

 stock. Mr. Lowe let the Doctor have his own 

 stock, four birds, but could not induce Mr. 

 Shortland to part with his. 



