58 
THE POULTRY BOOK. 
When these birds first came over and were in demand, those who had grey 
Cochins immediately proceeded to utilize them, and numerous birds were bred 
from grey imported hens that had previously been regarded as valueless. The light 
Brahmas with pure white or cream coloured bodies and elegantly pencilled hackles 
were in great favour ; they were universally admired for their beauty and esteemed 
for their good qualities, when suddenly a new variety sprang upon the scene. 
A pair of birds were shown at Birmingham which were said to have been sold for 
100 guineas ; these were dark in colour, and very different in general character ; 
they were the first dark Brahmas seen in this country. For their history let us 
turn again to Mr. Burnham, who states : — 
“ By one of the British steamers, in the summer of 1853, the express of 
Edwards, Sanford & Co., took out to Europe from my stock, for Messrs. Baker, of 
Chelsea, Baily, of London, Floyd, of Huddersfield, Deming, of Brighton, Simons, 
of Birmingham, and Miss Watts, Hampstead, six cages of these extraordinary 
birds. The best of the hens weighed nine to nine and a half pounds each, and 
three of the cocks drew over twelve pounds each ! There were forty-two birds 
in all, which, together, could not be equalled, probably, at that time, in America 
or England, for size, beauty and uniformity of colour. The sum paid me for this 
lot of Greys was eight hundred and seventy dollars. 
** Of the three fowls sent to Mr. John Baily (above mentioned), and which he 
exhibited in the fall of that year in England, the following account reached me, 
subsequently : — 
“ Mr. Geo. P. Burnham, of Melrose, sent out to England, last fall, to Mr. John 
Baily, of London, a cage of his fine ‘ Grey Shanghaes,’ which were exhibited 
at the late Birmingham Show. The London Field of Dec. 24th, says that ‘ one 
pair of these fowls, from Mr. Burnham, of the United States, the property of 
Mr. Baily, of Mount- street, were shown among the extra stock, and were purchased 
from him, during the exhibition, by Mr. Taylor, of Shepherd’s Bush, at one hun- 
dred guineas.* 
“ This was the biggest figure ever paid for two fowls, I imagine ! Mr. Baily 
paid me twenty pounds sterling for the trio, and I thought that fair pay, I 
remember.’* 
These birds were subsequently figured in the Field, having been drawn by Mr. 
Harrison Weir, and we have also to express our thanks to the proprietors of that 
paper for their kind permission to reproduce the portraits. 
On comparing these two plates of the birds sent over by Mr. Burnham, it will be 
seen that the fowls are essentially distinct in their characteristics. The origin of 
the light birds has already been given ; of the dark breeds Mr. Burnham states that 
they were grey Chittagongs crossed with Cochins. Of this, he says, ‘‘no one 
now entertains a doubt ; they were the identical fowls all over — size, plumage and 
characteristics.” 
If further proof were wanting respecting the close approximation of Brahmas and 
Cochins it may be discovered in their osteological characters and anatomical 
