4.26 
The I llustrated Book of Poultry. 
their ^ase at least the name is appropriate enough. Of this fact we have not the slightest question, 
having had it confirmed from numerous American correspondents, who testify to having seen birds 
recently imported either from Leghorn or other ports in Italy ; but as to another point named 
b^ ^■ r ’ Kinney, the original colour of the ear-lobe, there seems to be a great difference of opinion 
among American fanciers — Mr. Halsted and some others believing that the deaf-ears on the 
earlier importations were red, while Mr. A. Beard, Mr. W. E. Bonney, and other breeders, say the 
early birds had white ears. The natural supposition would be that both were imported. 
The first Brown Leghorns ever received in England were sent to ourselves, by the kind- 
ness of Mr. A. M. Halsted, then prominent in poultry circles. They arrived on June 17th, 1872, 
one hen again being unfortunately injured in some way, bleeding profusely from the beak, and 
dying a few hours after receipt. The other hen laid next morning, and continued for a few days, 
when she stopped ; this fact, as in the White birds sent us, showing well the laying qualities of 
the breed. We might describe the birds very briefly as combining the Spanish comb and type 
of head and body, with the colour or plumage of Black-red Game of a rather darkish type ; the 
cock being a black-breasted bird, with hackles orange-red striped with black, and the hen salmon- 
breasted, with rest of the plumage partridge-marked, or brown finely pencilled over with dark 
markings. They were then somewhat larger than White Leghorns, and rather shorter on the leg 
averaging about half a pound heavier in the opinion of American breeders. 
Being anxious to test the stock, and having some suspicion the birds might have been created 
by crossing White Leghorns with Game, we hatched a brood of chicks on the 1st August. 
Except one or two broken, every egg hatched, and not a chick died. We know no fowls which 
feather so quickly, except Houdans and Andalusians. Being very short of room and 
accommodation, owing to a recent removal, the chicks had an open shed to roost in, but grew up 
perfectly hardy, and with no care whatever, in spite of the very late date of hatching. They 
were very uniform in colour in their first feathers, but in their second or adult plumage two of 
the cockerels moulted black, all but some reddish feathers on the hackle and wfings. The pullets 
varied little, two being just like the mother, and the rest of the same type, but darker, somewhat 
like darkish grey Dorkings. One cockerel was just like the father, and a fourth brown- breasted. 
On the whole, and considering the want of what English fanciers consider careful breeding in 
nearly all American stock, we were surprised by the degree of uniformity thus apparent, and 
fully convinced that the breed was genuine, or a really distinct race. We shortly afterwards 
disposed of the whole to Mr. R. J. Walker, of Edgworth, Bolton, who unfortunately lost the hen 
a month or two after, through her swallowing a sharp-pointed piece of glass, but who gave the 
following account of the progeny (dated May 28th, 1873) : — 
“ As regards laying, I find that, taking the five pullets together, I have had an average of 
five and a quarter eggs per bird per week. No. 1 began to lay on February 17th, No. 2 on 
February 19th, No. 3 on March 6th, No. 4 on March nth, and No. 5 on March 27th. No. 5 is 
not so good as the others in number of eggs, but lays far larger ones. I find the eggs average 
about eight to the pound from the pullets ; those I got from the old hen were larger. They do 
not seem much influenced by change of weather in regard to laying, keeping on much as usual 
through the bitter east winds we had. I have only nine chicks from them, three of which were 
hatched March 26th (two of which were from eggs of the old hen) and six on May 6th. They are 
as hardy as it is possible for chicks to be ; I have not lost one, and have had no trouble with 
them. They feather very rapidly. Mine have always been under a coop open to the south, and 
have had free range at all times. 1 may add that the three earlier ones were left by the hen 
when five weeks old, but they did not seem any the worse for it.” Since this letter we heard from 
