186 



ON THE CHANGE OF 



After the completion of this change of plumage, she 

 discontinued to lay eggs ; and lived no very consi- 

 derable time to enjoy her recently acquired, but 

 splendid costume. She was found dead one morning 

 under her roost, from which she had fallen. 



The novelty of the fact, induced Mr Corham to 

 have the hen stuffed ; and the person who prepared 

 the specimen, informed me, that he found within 

 the body three consolidated eggs. 



The truth of this history cannot be questioned ; 

 for the hen was well known throughout Mr Cor- 

 ham's family, and the change is exactly described by 

 them all. Mr Corham had never observed nor heard 

 of such an instance before ; but he never kept any 

 fowl to so great an age as this. The specimen ig 

 now at Plymouth in my collection. 



Mrs Adams of Bowdon near Totness, hearing of 

 this circumstance, very obligingly sent to me one of 

 her hens, which had partly assumed the cock's plum- 

 age. 



Although the change in this hen was quite decid- 

 ed, not only in the arched feathers of the tail, but also 

 in the comb and spurs, which had sprouted out, yet 

 I thought that the male feathers might come out in 

 greater perfection, provided that the hen could be 

 kept over another moulting season ; and I, there- 

 fore, returned her to Mrs Adams, making that re- 

 quest. Unfortunately, however, a turkey-cock took 

 such a dislike to this hen after her return, that he 



