1871 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
133 
Hybrids among Domestic Poultry. 
At the recent Poultry Pairs at Philadelphia, 
New York, and elsewhere, several interesting 
hybrids have been exhibited. Two of these we 
have had drawn and engraved. They are shown 
in the accompanying picture, and, with quite a 
large class of similar 
origin, form a sub¬ 
ject which will re¬ 
pay the close study 
of naturalists. The 
curious fowl in the 
background is a 
cross betw r een the 
'Turkey - hen and 
Guinea - cock. Its 
■appearance is so 
totally dissimilar to 
that of either parent, 
that strong efforts 
were made to throw 
a doubt upon this 
statement of its ori¬ 
gin ; but after a 
close canvassing of 
the testimony, we 
see no reason to 
doubt the truth of 
the breeder’s asser¬ 
tion, especially as it 
was confirmed in a 
singular and con¬ 
clusive manner by a 
gentleman from Kansas, who recognized the 
fowl at once as the product of this cross, from 
having seen similar ones at the Par West. In 
this bird we have a style of plumage much like 
that of the barn-door fowl. The body somewhat 
like the Turkey, but more like the former. The 
shape of the head is also more like the barn-door 
fowl than the Turkey, and totally dissimilar to 
the Guinea-hen. There is, however, a caruncu- 
lated ring about the eyes, and a pendant curtain- 
like appendage which hangs below the bill, not 
unlike that of the 
Turkey, but cover¬ 
ed with feather, as 
is the -whole head. 
The tail is much 
like that of the hen, 
but set drooping; 
and we regard the 
fact, that the legs 
are considerably 
feathered, to be, on 
the whole, the most 
remarkable feature 
of this strange ani¬ 
mal ; neither of 
the parents have 
feathered legs, nor, 
so far as we know, 
have ever shown 
any tendency to 
feathering upon the 
legs. With the ex¬ 
ception of its curi¬ 
ous form and dis¬ 
similarities to its 
parents, this bird 
is totally uninterest¬ 
ing, being shy and wild, and apparently foolish, 
and uttering a peculiar sharp,startled cry,not like 
that of any of our domestic poultry. In sexual 
character it is a true mule. A Turkey-hen was left 
solitary upon the farm where this bird was bred, 
and accepted a Guinea-cock for her mate. She 
laid several eggs, which hatched; but this, we 
believe, was the only bird which was raised. 
Tiie pair of beautiful ducks shown in the en¬ 
graving, are as comely as their companion is 
the reverse. They were bred by crossing the 
Musk-drake upon common ducks. These are 
mules also, but of symmetrical form ; and we 
believe others like them have not unfrequently 
i bred with one or the other of the parent breeds, 
as do also the mongrel geese, which are bred 
between the China or African and the common 
geese. The valuable characteristic of these 
“mongrel” ducks, as well as geese, is their ex¬ 
cellence for the table. They grow rapidly to a 
large size, fatten very easily, and are of excel¬ 
lent flavor, without the musky odor of one of 
the parent species. These bird’s always bring 
a good price in market, and it is rather re¬ 
markable that more of them are not raised. 
Those who fish for “pot” resort to means 
of capture that the regular sportsman looks 
upon with contempt. One of the ways of 
taking fish in an unsportsmanlike manner is by 
shooting them. Mr. R. E. Robinson, of Ver¬ 
mont, sends us a sketch of the manner of hunt¬ 
ing for pickerel, and the following account: 
“ When the ice thaws out in the marshes of 
Lake Champlain and the more sluggish of its 
tributaries, the pickerel come in great numbers 
into the shallow water, lying basking in warm, 
sheltered places, or, in bright still days, playing, 
with their back fins 
just breaking the 
surface of the water. 
I do not know 
whether they come 
to spawn, but con¬ 
clude so from the 
fact that there are 
almost always two 
or more together, a 
female and male, or 
a female and several 
males. With many, 
shooting them at 
this season is a fa¬ 
vorite sport. The 
fowling - piece is 
most used, though 
some prefer the 
rifle. The sports¬ 
man, if so he may be 
called, walks slowly 
along the shore, or 
wades cautiously in 
the shallow water; 
or, what is better, is 
paddled in a light- 
boat by the skillful hand of a companion, and ex¬ 
amines closely every place in which fish are like¬ 
ly to lie in, and watches for the ripple of a fin on 
the glassy surface. When a fish is discovered, he 
approaches it with the utmost caution as closely 
as he can without disturbing it, for it is useless 
to fire at a fish at a greater distance than ten or 
twelve yards; nor even at that, unless it is very 
near the surface. Having come as close as may 
be, the hunter aims low, to allow for refraction, 
and fires. If lie is near enough, and has aimed 
correctly, ho is re¬ 
warded by seeing 
the gleaming bell}', 
or bellies, of one, 
two, three, some¬ 
times as many as 
eight or nine picker¬ 
el, turned up, shin¬ 
ned and motionless. 
Now he must bestir 
himself with all 
speed to secure 
them, or such fish 
as are not killed 
outright—and they 
seldom are —- will 
come to their senses 
and be off like light¬ 
ning. If the sports¬ 
man shoots from a 
boat, lie should have 
a spear, gaff, or land¬ 
ing net for this pur¬ 
pose ; but if on foot, 
he must trust to his 
hands alone. Some¬ 
times, all the condi¬ 
tions being favorable, great numbers of fish 
are taken in the manner we have described, 
and the sport is very exciting. Now and then 
a monster pickerel, of fifteen or twenty pounds’ 
weight is killed, but the average weight is from 
two to six pounds. Very large fish are sel¬ 
dom taken, as they are scarce, and-* very wild.” 
MONGREL DUCKS—GUINEA-FOWL AND TURKEY HYBRID. 
PICKEREL SHOOTING. 
Pickerel Shooting. 
