THE POULTRY BOOK. 
197 
thing like a system in poultry-breeding in France at all approaching to that we are 
about to carry out, it cannot be denied that I have obtained very valuable infor- 
mation, which will no doubt prove of great advantage to our Company ; moreover, 
I observed such startling novelties connected with poultry-breeding in France, 
that I deemed it to the interest of our Society that at least two of the Directors 
should come there also, to enable them to corroborate this report, which otheiwise 
might have borne the appearance of exaggeration in many respects, and perhaps 
have still left a doubt in the minds of many persons whether I really made all 
possible inquiries into the truth of the reported existence of Grallinocultural 
establishments in France. 
^‘1 will now briefly relate the steps I have taken to inquire into this matter. 
At the Jardin des Plantes of Paris, which corresponds to our Zoological Society 
in Eegent’s Park, also at the Acclimatation Society in the Bois de Boulogne, 
where the various breeds of poultry form an important object, the existence of any 
such Gallinocultural establishments in France was totally unknown, and they 
observed very justly that if any such really were to exist they would be the first to 
know of it. Next I called three consecutive market days at the wholesale poultry 
market, La Vallee, Paris, where ail the poultry, dead or alive, forwarded from the 
various parts of France, is sold by auction, from 5 till 9 o’clock in the morning. 
Several agents and poulterers made inquiries for me of poultry merchants from the 
different parts of France, but with the same result. I made further inquiries at 
the dead poultry market at the Halles Centrales, also of a number of fancy poultry 
dealers, but all to no purpose. A few days later, on calling again at the Jardin 
d’Acclimatation, Monsieur A. Geoffroy St. Hilaire, the director, told me that a 
friend of his had informed him that such an establishment really did exist at 
Mouy, near Beauvais in Picardie ; and he gave me his card, and the following in 
writing, adding, however, that he did not believe in it, and that he should feel 
obliged by my communicating to him the result of my investigation : — 
‘ On m’a affirme qu’il existe a Mouy pres de Beauvais un grand etablissement 
de Gallinoculture — M. de Sora, si toutefois mes renseignements sent exacts, entre- 
tiendrait a Mouy (12,000) douze mille volailles, avec lesquels il approvisionne les 
marches de Paris.’ 
^‘1 then at once telegraphed the following: — ^ De Sora, Mouy (expres), 
Beauvais, Avez vous un etablissement de Gallinoculture? Keponse payee 
bureau restant. ^ Geyelin.’ 
At the same time I posted a letter to the same effect and asking permission to 
visit the establishment. The reply to the telegram was — not knoivn ; the letter 
as yet has not been returned. But to make the inquiry triply sure, I started 
myself for Mouy ; arrived at Keil Junction, I was informed that such an establish- 
ment really did exist at Mouy, and within half a mile of the railway station ; 
which news delighted me — to know that my journey was not like a wild goose 
chase. Therefore, on arriving at Mouy, I proceeded at once to the poultry establish- 
