CHAPTER IV. 



HOW " PODLTRT-BOOKS " ARE MADE. 



Soon after this, I learned that one Asa Rugg, of Peui- 

 sylvania (a nom de guerre)^ was in the possession of a 

 breed of fowls that challenged all comparison for size and 

 weight. They were called the Chittagong fowl, and were 

 thus described in the poultry-books published in 18ou : 



" The fowl thus alluded to has been imported, within 

 the last two or three years, into Pennsylvania, and ranks 

 at the head of the list, in that region, for all the good qual- 

 ities desirable in a domestic bird. The color is a streaked 

 grey, rather than otherwise, and the portraits below " (my 

 birds) " are fine samples of this great stock. They are 

 designated as the Gket Chittagongs." 



"Asa Rugg," in his letter to me, described this stock as 

 being at the head of the races of poultry, having " the 

 largest blood in them of any variety of fowl with which he 

 was acquainted." The pair he first sent me were light-grey 

 and streaked, and " at less than seven months old weighed 

 over nineteen pounds." 



