CRESTED FOWLS. 



173 



and his long, clogged tail hanging round one 

 side. 



" We wrote directly for another importation, 

 especially for a cock, and to ask the name they 

 had at home. In answer to the first request, 

 we found that good fowls of the kind are diffi- 

 cult to get there; our friends have ever since 

 been trying to get us two or three more; but 

 can not succeed either in Constantinople or oth- 

 er parts of Turkey ; the first he can meet with 

 will be sent. With regard to the name, he told 

 us they were called ' Serai Taook :' Serai, as is 

 known by every reader of Eastern lore, is the 

 name of the Sultan's palace. Taook is Turkish 

 for fowl; the simplest translation of this is 

 ' Sultan's Fowls,' or ' Fowls of the Sultan ;' a 

 name which has the double advantage of being 

 the nearest to be found to that by which they 

 have been known in their own country from 

 which they came. 



" Time very soon restored the fowls to perfect 

 health and partial cleanliness; but it was not un- 

 til after th* moulting season that they showed 

 themselves as the ' Bellissimi gatti Beanchi,' de- 

 scribed by our Constantinople friend. 



" They are superor to the Ptarmigan in gen- 

 eral character, resembling rather our White 

 Polands, but with more abundant furnishing, 

 and shorter legs, which are vulture-hocked, and 

 feathered to the toes. 



" In general habits they are much like other 

 fowls, brisk, and happy-tempered ; but not kept 

 in as easily as Cochin Chinas. They are very 

 good layers; their eggs are large and white; 

 they are non-sitters and small eaters. A grass 

 run with them will remain green long after the 

 crop would have been cleared by either Brah- 

 mas or Cochins, and with scattered food they 

 soon become satisfied and walk away. 



"They are the size of our English Poland 

 fowls ; but it seems likely that the young ones 

 will be rather larger. Their plumage is white 

 and flowing. They have a full-sized, compact 

 Poland tuft on the head; are muffled, have a 

 good flowing tail, short, well-feathered legs, and 

 five toes upon each foot. One fowl, which came 

 over with them, was exactly like the Ptarmi- 

 gan ; we have met with a very few such from 

 Constantinople, but never saw any of exactly 

 the same kind as our own Serai Taook." 



