Tcnras: 
>@3.00 PER YEAR, 
f biiiglt; ft'o., Eight Cunt*. 
NEW YOKE CITY AND ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
OFFICES: \ 
41 Pnrlt Knw, 
HU l.nlliilo 81,, 
New York. 
Rochester. 
YDL. XXL NO. 18. 
FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, APRIL 30,1870. 
WHOLE NO. 1058. 
f I'.ntoroa accordi hk to Act of CongreBa. In tne year 18T0. ny I). I). T. Mooiik, in tin- Clerk’s Office o( the District Court of the Drtltad States for the Southern District Of New York.] 
but the ground color of the body (except the 
middle of the breast, which is dark brown tip¬ 
ped with green) is it pale, grayish cream color, 
and it is this which gives to the bird its dis¬ 
tinctive appearance. The feathers on the 
hind part of the hack are dull, pale green. 
The hill is pale greenish yellow, rather light¬ 
er than that of the common bird, and the 
feet are light, gray. 
In size the Bohemian pheasant varies 
somewhat; but it is fully equal to the ordi¬ 
nary breed. Its dimensions may be taken 
ns follows:—Extreme length from bill to 
tail, thirty-five or thirty-six inches, of which 
the tail is twenty-one; greatest extent of 
wings, thirty-two inches; but these measure¬ 
ments vary somewhat in different individ¬ 
uals. In the female, as in the common va¬ 
riety, the length is about twenty-six inches; 
the extent of wings thirty inches. 
The upper figure represents a hybrid be¬ 
tween the Reeves or barred-tail pheasant 
and a Bohemian hen. It has been very care¬ 
fully drawn from a living specimen at Mi’. 
Lkno’s pheasantries by Mr. T. W. Wood. 
Tlie form of the bird is well shown. In size 
it is larger than tlie common species, and 
the carriage Is somewhat, different. The 
white markings on the head and neck closely 
resemble those of the male parent, and the 
tail is intermediate in length between the 
two species. In coloration the wonderful 
beauty of the Reeves is almost lost; tlie 
general tint of the body being a very bright 
rich chesnut. Tlie bird is evidently strong 
and vigorous, and shows the effect of an in¬ 
fusion of new blood in producing size and 
hardihood. 
cus. Wc think that, as tlie markings more 
closely correspond, some magnificent hy¬ 
brids might result.” 
comb, similar to black Spanish, short, plump 
and thickset body; legs dark and short; 
wattles are large and brilliant. 
In many respects these fowls resemble the 
Dorking in build, and arc said to lie a very 
hardy fowl, and easy keepers. Why they 
should he ignored for inferior breeds, is more 
than we can imagine, unless the change lias 
been made merely for I lie sake of change. 
They are reputed to lie good layers and 
mothers, and equal to the Dorking for the 
tabic. Will some of our Bucks county read¬ 
ers enlighten us more upon this subject ?—r,. 
BUCKS COUNTY FOWLS 
PHEASANTS. 
Tins fowl is known under several aliases, 
such us the Ostrich or “ Booby fowl.” Why 
it is called so we are unable to learn. Tlie 
common name, and the one under which it 
is known by breeders, is tlie “ Bucks county 
fowl of Pennsylvania.” As requested by our 
correspondent, we herewith give an illustra¬ 
tion of these fowls, which, however, are now 
nearly obsolete. At one time they wore a 
noted breed among the farmers of old Bucks, 
hut like everything else, they have been re¬ 
placed by new Importations of other, and in 
many respects, inferior birds. 
Dr. Eurn Wight was at one time an ex¬ 
tensive breeder of the Bucks county fowls, 
and claimed that they laid eggs weighing 
four ounces avoirdupois. Tlie weight of the 
fowls, when dressed, was from live to seven 
pounds. 
The cock is of a dark blue-black color, 
ends of the feathers tipped with white; 
wings are tinged with gold or dark yellow ; 
dark, glossy-blue hackles; double or rose 
COtnb; large wattles; legs dark; lively, bold 
and upright carriage, and majestic walk. 
Tlie hens do not differ in form or color ma¬ 
terially from the cocks, they have a single 
Itohi-mlnn and llylniil Kri-vc* I’lirnunntH, 
\Yk copy the following, with accompany¬ 
ing illustration, from the London Field of a 
recent date;—“ In common language tlie 
term pheasant is made to include birds be¬ 
longing to several distinct groups, many of 
which are not more closely allied to the true 
pheasants than is the common fowl. Among 
these, are the Gold and the Amherst Pheas¬ 
ants, belonging to the, genus T /muma/ta; 
the Silver Pheasant, which is a Euplocamus ; 
the l/>phophoru* itr Impeyun Pheasant; the 
Eared Pheasant, UrossopUlon, &c, 
" The true pheasants, belonging to the 
restricted genus Phntriitnun , arc remarkable 
for tin! facility with which they interbreed 
with one another, and for the circumstance 
that tlie cross-bred progeny, are perfectly 
fertile. Tlie old theory that was so fondly 
clung to by many, that mules of all kinds 
are sterile, and that this arrangement had 
linen ordained hi order to preserve intact the 
distinction of different species, is rapidly 
being exploded- The pheasants are a re¬ 
markable example of its fallacy : they inter¬ 
mix so readily that no less u naturalist than 
Mr. Goumj has expressed his opinion that 
before many years are 
passed pure - bred 
pheasants of any spe- 
cies may possibly bo 
dillicult to find in this 
country, except in pro- ^^ 
serves where they are 
carefully protected 
from admixture. To 
those naturalists who 
adopt, more or less in 
its entirely, tlie Dnr- 
winian theory, the fact 
is of easy explanation ; 
hut others must fain 
modily their old no- 
lions respecting the W ' ' ,Jfijpfl 
sterility of hybrids. 
“Of the two figures 
MANAGEMENT OF DUCKS. 
As I have raised several breeds of ducks 
for four or six years with great success, 
perhaps I can make plain my method to 
those interested. First, with regards the 
duck house. Many standard works on 
poultry, advise a ground or brick floor in 
preference to one of planks. 1 have tried 
both ways, and find that the ground ora brick 
floor in a duck-house will bring on paralysis, 
rheumatism, and many other complaints, I 
have the floor of my own duck house made of 
inch plank raised one foot or more from the 
ground on stone hutments. This plan en¬ 
ables a terrier to clean out the rats which 
would otherwise live under the floor. I 
have large windows on the south and cast 
and the doors open to the west. In winter I 
cover the floor with a 
r thin bedding of bay, 
but in summer nothing 
is necessary. When 
it becomes foul I clean 
it with hot water, I 
raise the Rouen, Mus¬ 
covy and common 
Many poultry breed¬ 
ers maintain that a 
pond, brook, or spring 
is of the greatest im¬ 
portance. I have found 
in my own case that a 
pan of water is suf¬ 
ficient. With this treat¬ 
ment my Muscovy 
ducks have weighed, 
->■- viz: male, twelve and 
, n-lialf pounds, and fe¬ 
male nine pounds, and 
received the first pre¬ 
mium at the Con uectl- 
~~ cut State Poultry So¬ 
ciety, in 1809. 
The best egg - pro¬ 
ducing food is another 
/ inquiry of the “ Rural 
Reader.” I have tried 
, many varieties of grain 
M •, and find that yato will 
g produce large numbers 
r \ of eggs whore all other 
food has failed, and 
lr would advise all who 
ips-v;!-. want profitable fowls, 
IHijJ'’- to feed them exclu¬ 
sively. 
" 'Xjg-— Different breeds of 
>.- ducks vary in the time 
■''v. required to hatch their 
\ eggs. Rouen, Cayuga, 
s fe vj‘v.. j Aylesbury and com- 
- - mon dliek eggs will 
-- . _-^ hatch iu four weeks, 
while those of t he Mus- 
. covy (properly Musk) 
will take Jive weeks. 
Duck eggs should gen 
or;ll| y set, under 
hens, and Brahmas are 
beat for this purpose, 
^ being more steady slt- 
“ v . tors and better mothers. 
Tlie first food of duck¬ 
lings when hatched, 
should he the yolk of 
UUCK8 COUNTY FOWLS. 
It xvill he exceedingly interesting to note 
the character of the produce of this bird 
with hens of the different species. Some 
very remarkable results may be expected, 
and wc hope that Mr. Lino will cross it with 
lions of tlie Chinese atard upauese, as well as 
those of the common species. Were wo the 
fortunate possessors of a male Reeves we 
should certainty endeavor to rear some hy¬ 
brids with tlie Chinese species, in preference 
to selecting liens of the versicolor or colclii- 
represented 
graving, one, the Bo¬ 
hemian, would on all 
hands he regarded as a 
mere variety, which, 
like all variations, may 
at any time recur with¬ 
out any evident cause, 
it is undoubtedly de¬ 
rived from the com¬ 
mon species, which it 
resembles In all re¬ 
spects except color. 
As in most varieties, 
the coloration differs 
somewhat in different, 
individuals; hut gen¬ 
erally tlie upper part 
of the head is gray; tlie 
upper part of the neck 
and remainder of the 
head arc chirk, green¬ 
ish - blue, though far 
less brilliant than in 
the common pheasant. 
The feathers of tho 
breast, sides, and low¬ 
er part of Hie neck 
have a deep margin of 
blackish blue, and 
those on the back of 
the neck have a narrow 
dark edge, with a cen¬ 
tral spot of black. The 
markings of tlie back, 
and the crossbars on 
the long feathers of the 
tail, are the same as 
the common pheasant; 
brant 
