THE HISTORY OF THE HEN FEVER. 181 



of having good, or, perhaps, the beat birds — this fever proved 

 an expensive matter. I have known amateurs Avho willing- 

 ly paid twenty, fifty, or a hundred dollars, and even more, 

 for a pair, or a trio, of what were considered very choice 

 Shanghaes. These fowls, after the first few weeks or months 

 of the purchaser's excitement had passed by, could be 

 bought of him for five or ten dollars a pair ! Yet, his next- 

 door neighbor, who would not now take these identical birds 

 for a gift, scarcely, would pay to a stranger a similarly 

 exti-avagant amount to that which had a hundred times been 

 paid by others before him, for something, perhaps, inferior 

 in quality, but which chanced to be called by the most pop- 

 ular name current at the moment. 



Thus, for a time, bubble number one, the Cochin- Chinas, 

 prevailed. The eggs of these fowls sold at a dollar each, 

 for a long period. -Then came the Shanghaes, of different 

 colors, — as the yellow, the white, the buff, or the black, — 

 and took their turn. Many thousands of these were disposed 

 of, at round rates. The smooth-legged birds at first com- 

 manded the best price;' then the feathered-legged. And, 

 finally, came the Grey Shanghaes, or " Chittagongs," or 

 "Brahmas," as they were differently termed; and this 

 proved bubble number two, in earnest. 



Everybody wanted them, and everybody had to pay for 

 them, too ! They were large, heavy fowls, of China blood, 

 plainly, but, with some few exceptions, were indifferent 

 14* 



