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An Avian Romance

  It has long been known, of course, that animals
not specifically related and perhaps very unlike sometimes
become strongly attached to each other especially when in
captivity and rather closely confined. An interesting instance
of this first came to my notice upwards of a year ago.
It resulted indirectly from chance perusal of a dealer's
catalogue wherein "fancy fowls" in bewildering variety
and of apparently rare attractiveness or remarkable utility,
were alluringly pictured and described. There were also
so-called "settings" of their eggs. Being particularly tempted
by the latter I purchased rather many - at appropriately
"fancy" prices. Plymouth Rock hens incubated them at
our farm in Concord with admirable fidelity but
not much success. Of the few that hatched one produced
a gosling said to have originated from an "African Goose",
another a guinea-fowl chick - each sole representation
of its kind then and there brought into the world.
(An alternative beginning, which might perhaps serve
better than the other in case of publication)