THE HISTORY OF IHE HEN FEVER. 59 



he conversed technically and learnedly ; but as to his 

 knowledge of the different varieties and breeds of domestic 

 poultry then current,, and their characteristics, it was evi- 

 dently warped and very limited. 



But Mr. Howard had been connected for some months 

 with a small monthly publication in New York State, and, 

 like myself, I presume, among the board (God knows who 

 they were, but I don't, and never did !) who originally 

 chose this " Committee," he had "a friend at court," and 

 was made chau'tnan of the committee too, — how, I never 

 knew, either. 



In their Report, the Committee observe, again, that 

 ^^ never in this country, if in the world, was there collected 

 together so large a number of domestic fowls and birds as 

 were sent to this exhibition, probably; and, though the 

 most liberal arrangements were made in advance, it was 

 found that the accommodations, calculated for ten thousand 

 specimens, were entirely insufficient. The Committee 

 merely allude to this fact to show the actual extent of this 

 enterprise, and the importance which the undertaking 

 has assumed, in a single year from the birth of the 

 Association. 



" According to the records of the Secretary, there were 

 contributed to the Society's exhiiition of 1850 some four 

 hundred and eighty coops and cages. Tliiere were in all 

 over three hundred and fifty contributors ; in addition to 



