252 
The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
In the second place, Mr. Burnham states that Dr. Bennett’s “ Poultry Book ' was published in 
1850 and 1851, and in another place that a second edition came out in 1851 ; and asks why 
Dr. Bennett did not mention Brahmas in it, if they were known ? It is sufficient, in reply, to state, 
that Dr. Bennett’s book was published in 1850 ; that there is no document or other information in 
it later than March of that year, when no one pretends he knew anything of Brahmas ; and that 
no second edition was ever published at all. This last fact we have seen stated in Dr. Bennett’s 
own handwriting to Miss Watts, and also in an old letter from Mr. Plaisted, then his partner, to the 
same lady. 
Mr. Burnham’s third argument, founded on an old letter by Dr. Gwynne, which we had 
never seen, it is best to give in his own words. Both paragraphs are from the same published 
letter : — 
“The fowls recently presented to her Majesty by Mr. Geo. P. Burnham, under the name of Grey Shanghaes, are admitted by 
Dr. Bennett to be precisely similar to his own, and Mr. Burnham assures me that the original stock from which the ‘ Grey 
Shanghaes’ presented to her Majesty were bred was imported by himself, through Dr. Kerr, of Philadelphia direct from 
Shanghae.” Did Mr. Lewis Wright find it coxrvenient or useful to place this square, clear evidence about me and my fowls 
(written by Dr. Gwynne in 1852) in his “Poultry Book?” Not much! 
Mr. Cornish first called his fowls Chittagong, as he himself states in his letter ; and Dr. Bennett (who called his fowls 
“ Brahma-Pootras ” then) finding my stock so popular, at once declares to Dr. Gwynne that his fowls and Mr. Burnham’s, of the 
United States ( not Cornish’s), are precisely similar ; a fact occurring at about the time when Mr. Cornish’s letter appears, which I 
think explains itself. 
It will be seen how the second paragraph improves on the first, and entirely misrepresents 
Dr. Bennett’s original statement. Dr. Bennett had not said that “ Mr. Burnham’s” stock and his 
were similar ; but simply that the stock sent to the Queen were similar to his own. And 
Dr. Bennett, we find, always gave as his reason for this statement, the fact as known to him and 
notorious in America, that the birds sent to the Oueen, were birds from the Cornish strain , 
purchased by Burnham from a Mr. Smith, of Rhode Island. From various letters of Dr. 
Bennett’s, kindly furnished us by Miss Watts, we take the following few extracts on this 
point : — 
Mr. George P. Burnham’s “Grey Shanghaes” are no more like your Brahmas than an owl is like a turkey. Those he 
sent to the Queen were Brahmas purchased by him of George Smith, of Rhode Island, and were not his Grey Shanghaes.— 
Nov. 8, 1853. 
I have taken the initiative to procure you the proof of the origin of the fowls sent to your Queen, for the benefit of English 
amateurs. If the men to whom I have written will reply (for they are generally afraid of Burnham’s blackguardism), I will furnish 
you with the most satisfactory evidence.- — Dec. 18, 1853. 
I think Burnham got Baily’s Brahmas of George Smith, and several of your stock came from him, Smith. Smith got his stock 
from Connecticut, and I got my stock in Connecticut, and Smith’s stock and mine are identical. They all came from Chahiberlin’s 
pair.— Feb. 13, 1854. 
The fowls sent to your Queen were from, the stock of George Smith, as stated in The Northern Farmer, which I sent you. 
This is certain; I know it, and so does Mr. Miner, Mr. Plaisted, and a hundred others.— Dec. 17, 1853. 
I had mine of Cornish and Hatch. George Smith had his of Hatch. And Burnham had his of Hatch and Smith.— 
Dec. 17, 1853. 
The evidence promised in the second extract followed at full length. All these particular 
letters were first published by us in November, 1874: but the same charges were published over 
and over again in an American paper called The Northern Farmer in 1855, and never denied by 
Burnham. Indeed, out of his own mouth the same thing can be proved by putting different 
statements together. Thus, he stated in the New England Cultivator that he had purchased two 
pairs of fowls from a friend in Rhode Island, which he sold to Lord Northby for 300 dollars. 
That this friend was George Smith is proved by a letter of the latter to Mr. Miner, stating that 
Mr. Burnham had bought the fowls of him, and their price. And, finally, Mr. Burnham again 
states in the Cultivator for February 5, 1853, that the Queen’s birds “ were from the same stock as 
those lately sent to Lord Northby, of Aldsborough.” Comment is superfluous. 
We would now ask the reader to compare the following statements, all from “ The China 
Fowl,” by Ml Burnham, concerning Dr. Bennett and Mr. Cornish : — 
