THE HISTORY OF THS HEN FEVER. 91 



from beginning to end, even in the notorious hum of the 

 hen-trade. There -was absolutely nothing whatever in it, 

 about it, or connected with it, that possessed the first shade 

 of substance to recommend it, saving its name. And this 

 could not have saved it, but from the fact that nobody (not 

 even the originator of the unpronounceable cognomen him- 

 self) was ever able to write or spell it twice in the same 

 manner. 



The variety of fowl itself was the Giey Chittagong, to 

 ■which allusion has already been made, and the first samples 

 of which I obtained from "Asa Rugg" (Dr. Kerr), of 

 Philadelphia, in 1850. Of this no one now entertains a 

 doubt. They were the identical fowl, all over, — size, 

 plumage and characteristics. 



But my friend the Doctor wanted to put forth something 

 that would take better than his " Plymouth Bocks ; " and 

 so he consulted me as to a name for a brace of grey fowls 

 I saw in his yard. I always objected to the multiplying of 

 titles ; but he insisted, and finally entered them at our 

 FJtchburg Depot Show as " Burrampooters" all the way 

 from India. 



These three fowls were bred from Asa Rugg's Grey Chit- 

 tagong cock, with a yellow Shanghae hen, in Plymouth, 

 Mass. They were an evident cross, all three of them hav- 

 ing a top-knot! But, n'importe. They were then " Bur- 

 rampooters." 



