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FANCIERS' JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



by Mr. Chamberlin, on account of their resemblance to the 

 fowls then in the country called by that name," &c. 



This letter forms the basis of Dr. Bennett's theory also, 

 and he certainly named the fowls " Brahma." Mr. Cham- 

 berlin and Mr. Cornish named them " Chittagong," as Mr. 

 Cornish states above. Dr. Kerr sold Mr. Burnham his first 

 gray fowls from Philadelphia, which, in September, 1849 

 (three years earlier), Dr. K. called "Chittagong." Dr. 

 Bennett, in bis " Poultry Book," published in 1851-'52, at 

 Boston, describes the " Chittagong " fowl fully, but does not 

 mention the " Brahma- Pootras " at all; and Dr. B. gives 

 two illustrations in that book, " from life," of Mr. Burn- 

 ham's Philadelphia gray birds as " Chittagongs," which 

 very strongly resemble the Light Brahmas, as any one may 

 see by consulting that work. We do not see but that all 

 these birds are admitted by all the first owners — to wit, Mr. 

 Cornish, Chamberlin, Hatch, Dr. Kerr, Burnham, Bennett, 

 and all — to be Chittagongs at the start, wherever they came 

 from. And it is also certain that all these gentlemen, except 

 Mr. Burnham, who called them Gray Shanghais (as the 

 official report of the exhibition shows, in 1852, at Boston), 

 then entered all these fowls as " Chittagongs," or "Gray 

 Chittagongs" Mr. Cornish did not, at that time, as his 

 letter above evinces, know " which name they should be 

 called by." 



Perhaps Mr. Burnham, upon reading this article, will, in 

 a future number, "rise to explain." "We shall cheerfully 

 afford him the opportunity if he desires to do so. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



HOW ARE YOU "BLACK RUSSIANS?" 



Mr. Editor. 



I had a good laugh over "A. N. R.'s " honest description 

 of, and his good-humored expression of ill luck with the 

 " Black Russian " fowl, which, four years ago, I had occa- 

 sion to write a brief article about, and which I see the new 

 American Standard of Excellence recognizes among its 

 " varieties." 



In 1870, I said " This is another new breed recently put 

 in market, and the possessors of it claim that it is 'a won- 

 derful layer of large eggs.' Though the fowl is not over- 

 sized, its plumage is very showy and brilliant back, and it 

 will very shortly become one of our leading varieties for 

 the fancy, no doubt, through real intrinsic merit," etc. 



I remember that my old friend, Dr. Eben "Wright, of 

 Dedham, Mass., had informed us as much as thirty years 

 ago, that he had imported from Moscow a brace of these 

 birds — then called Russian or Siberian fowl — with feathered 

 legs, which are quilled, and which latter they will probably 

 lose in the next generation, our climate being so much 

 milder than that at Moscow. The Doctor gave his impor- 

 ted Black Russians away, I recollect, a few months after he 

 received them. They would neither lay eggs, or come to 

 any satisfactory size. He had them one season, and became 

 greatly disgusted with them. The party he presented his 

 whole stock to (a gentleman in Albany, New York), tried 

 his hand with them, on account of their novelty at that 

 time, and he announced the same year he got them that 

 notwithstanding he sent them to the country in charge of 

 a faithful person, where they had plenty of room and fresh 

 air, all was to no purpose; they dropped off, one after 

 another died, and thus ended this importation of " Rus- 

 sian fowls." 



I hardly think "A. N. R." will find a customer for his 

 fowls, after his late description of them in your columns ; 

 yet his experience is but that of one amongst many who 

 have been similarly deceived by appearances, not particu- 

 larly with this "new breed," but by scores of similar 

 impositions among the cross-bred mongrels, put forth by 

 novices and hucksters, who, on their part, have first been 

 deceived, perhaps, by the more knowing ones. Will this 

 hummery never cease ? Ancient. 



Cor\r\ESpOfJDEflCE. 



LETTER FROM A BOY. 



Dear Sir: Please send me the Fanciers' Journal for one 

 year, which I like the best of any paper I have seen yet. I 

 advise any one who wants to keep pigeons to subscribe for 

 it. I think it will do me a great deal of good. I have 

 as handsome a lot of pigeons and chickens as I ever saw — 

 but I am a boy yet. 



GTOTNEA PIGS V. RATS. 



About guinea pigs killing rats — I do not think they will, 

 for the following reason : I had a splendid pair given to 

 me, for which I made a cat-proof cage, and locked the 

 door securely, and one morning I went into the barn, and 

 not hearing them as usual on my entrance, I looked into 

 the cage and found them killed and half eaten, apparently 

 by rats, as cats could not get into the cage. I had not 

 thought of rats killing them, as I had often heard that they 

 killed the rats. If any of your readers have had a similar 

 experience I would like to know of it. 



Truly yours, Jas. R. Dedrick. 



Green, Chenango Co., N. Y. 



Our experience is similar to the above. Some years ago, 

 while in the bird and fowl business, and at a time when the 

 store was well stocked with everything pertaining to a store 

 of this kind, the rats gained access during the night, and 

 although there were all kinds of birds, pigeons, rabbits, 

 &c, within easy reach, the guinea pigs were the only ani- 

 mals killed — an entrance being made into the cage or box 

 for that purpose. — Ed.] 



IMPORTATION. 



Mr. Editor. 



Dear Sir : I have just received from Mr. John K. Fow- 

 ler, of Aylesbury, England, a lot of eggs, as follows: 13 

 Black Spanish, 13 Crevecoeur, 13 Golden Penciled Ham- 

 burg, 13 White Cochin, 13 Houdan, and 12 Aylesbury 

 Duck. They arrived in fine order, and I will report success 

 in due time. Yours truly, J. Y. Bicknell. 



Westmoreland, N. Y., May 13, 1874. 



IMPORTATION. 



Friend Wade : Geo. Furness, of Auburn, New York, 

 received by Steamer "Celtic," on the 6th instant, from 

 Henry Beldon, of Bingley, Yorkshire England, one trio of 

 Black Hamburgs — splendid birds for exhibition and breed- 

 ing. Geo. Gilfuss, of Auburn, New York, received by 

 same steamer, and at same time, one trio of Silver Spangled 

 Polish — most superior birds. Henry Beldon says of them : 

 " They are beautiful birds ; the cock is clear-tailed, and in 

 this respect not to be excelled in England." 



Yours truly, E. S. Ongley. 



Auburn, N. Y., May 18, 1874. 



