THH HEN FBVBR. 115 



specimens being knocked down at more tlian j£12, and very 

 many producing j£4, £5, and £Q each." 



The attention, at this sale, devoted to the pedigree of tho 

 birds, -was amusing to a mere observer ; one fowl would bo 

 described as a cockerel by Patriarch, another as a pullet 

 by Jerry, whilst a third was recommended as being the oflf- 

 spring of Sam. Had the sale been one of horses, more care 

 could hardly have been taken in describing their pedigrees 

 or their qualifications. Many were praised by the auction- 

 eer as being particularly clever birds, although in what 

 their cleverness consisted did not appear. The fancy had 

 evidently extended to all ranks in society. The peerage 

 sent its representatives, who bought what they wanted, re- 

 gardless of price. Nor was the lower house without its 

 delegates ; a well-known metropolitan ex-member seems to 

 have changed his constituency of voters for one of Cochins ; 

 and we can only hope that it may not be his duty to hold 

 an inquest on any that perish by a violent or unnatural 

 death. The sums obtained for these birds depended on 

 their being in strict accordance with the then taste of the 

 fancy. They were magnificent in size, docile in behavior, 

 intelligent in expression, and most of them were very finely 

 bred. 



And while the hen fever was thus at its height, almost, in 

 England, we were following close upon the footsteps of 

 John Bull in the United States. At the Boston Fowl 



