THB HEN FEVER. 805 



make it a business by itself, I repeat it, a mass of domestio 

 and aquatic fowls cannot be kept together to any advan- 

 tage whatever, their produce to be disposed of at ordinary 

 ma;rket value. 



The fever for the " fancy " stock broke out at a time when 

 money was plenty, and when there was no other speculation 

 rife in which every one, almost, could easily participate. 

 The prices for fowls increased with astonishing rapidity. 

 The whole community rushed into the breeding of poultry, 

 without the slightest consideration, and the mania was by 

 no means confined to any particular class of individuals — 

 though there was not a little shyness among certain circles 

 who were attacked at first ; but this feeling soon gave way, 

 and our first men, at home and abroad, were soon deeply 

 and riotously engaged in the subject of henology. 



Meantime, in England they were doing up the matter 

 somewhat more earnestly than with us on this side of the 

 water. To show how even the nobility never "put their 

 hand to the plough and look back " when anything in this 

 line is to come ofi", and the better to prove how fully the 

 poultry interests were looked after in England, I would 

 point to the names of those who, from 1849 to 1855, 

 patronized the London and Birmingham associations for the 

 improvement of domestic poultry. 



The Great Annual Show, at Bingley Hall, was got up 

 under the sanction of His Royal Highness Prince Albert, 

 26* 



