36 POULTRY BREEDING 
If the Brown Leghorn was introduced as early as 1835, 
as some claim, it is strange that Bement did not mention 
them in his “American Poulterer’s Companion,” pub- 
lished in New York in 1847. In 1850 “The American 
Fowl Breeder’ was published in Boston, as the work of 
“An Association of Practical Breeders,’ who it seems 
should have been familiar with what was being done 
around Boston; yet this book does not mention Leghorns, 
although it notes the presence of Spanish and Italian 
fowls at a poultry show held in Boston in November, 
1849. In 1860 “The American Poultry Yard” by D. J. 
Browne was published in New York, and at that late day 
no mention is made even of fowls from Italy, although a 
long list of breeds is given. It is certain that the first 
Brown Leghorn fowls ever seen in England were sent 
over from this country in 1872, when Lewis Wright, 
author of a very voluminous work on poultry, imported 
some in order to have them portrayed to illustrate his 
book. The first reference to the Leghorn in American 
literature is found in “Saunder’s Domestic Poultry,” pub- 
lished in 1866. 
We have for several years been inclined to think that 
Mr. Halstead’s Red Leghorns were the first importations 
that made an effective impression on Americar poultry 
culture. No doubt Italian fowls were brought to this 
country before he secured his, but they seem to have been 
absorbed without leaving any distinctive trace of them- 
selves. If a breed as attractive and as prolific as the 
Brown Leghorn had been introduced as early as 1835 it 
seems to us that it would have become known to at least 
one of the three authors of exhaustive poultry books pub- 
lished in this country previous to 1866. \Whateyer may 
have been its origin, or whenever its time of introduction 
