266 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Aug. 
are called Malay fowls in the vicinity of New York, 
degenerate varieties.” But the reader will perhaps 
be surprised to find that notwithstanding the degen¬ 
eracy of what are called Malay fowls about New 
York, Dr. Bennett, in describing the “ Great Java 
fowl,” refers to specimens in the possession of two 
persons which he deems “ among the most valuable 
fowls in the country”—the cock weighing at one 
year old ten pounds, and the pullet nine pounds and 
a quarter—which were, he says, “purchased in New 
York as Malays.” Thus the Malay fowls about New 
York degenerate into “Grefct Javas”! 
In regard to the color of these fowls, we are told 
by Dr. Bennett, in his usual dogmatical style, that 
“like all other pure Java fowls, they are of a black 
or dark auburn color!” But who does not know 
that fowls from Java comprise almost all varieties 
of color? 
But as we proceed in the examination of Dr. 
Bennett’s book, we are more and more impressed 
with his extraordinary genius. His skill extends 
even to the restoration of varieties of fowls which 
liaye been long extinct; such as the Shakebag, and 
the crested fowl with white plumage on the body, 
and a large black top-knot. 
The Shakebag fowl was brought into notice in 
England about eighty years ago, but according to 
Martin, Dixon, and all late English writers, has not 
been seen for many years. But Dr. Bennett has 
borrowed a couple of figures, which he pretends are 
original delineations of Shakebag fowls imported 
by Mr. Tucker of the Tremont House, Boston! His 
description of this resuscitated Shakebag, with some 
of the circumstances connected with it may amuse 
the reader. He begins by saying—“This fowl has 
so many points of affinity with the Malay tribe that 
there can be no impropriety in associating it with 
them. It is more beautiful than most of the variety— 
[what 11 variety” —the Malay, which he has just 
called a 11 tribe ?”] the plumage of the cock being 
extremely brilliant and gaudy.” 
He then goes on thus—“The fowls delineated 
here, were imported by Mr. John L.Tucker, of the 
Tremont House, Boston, and were drawn from the 
birds [now] in possession of Mr. James S. Parker, 
of the Samoset House, Plymouth. A glance at the 
portraits will show that they are magnificent birds. 
They are exceedingly rare in this country , this be¬ 
ing the only importation of which I have kowl- 
edge.” 
The description of the plumage, &c., of these 
pretended Shakebags is added; but before inserting 
this, it is necessary, in order to render the subject 
fully intelligible, to introduce some collateral illus¬ 
trations. It will be shown that the pair of fowls 
above alluded to, described by Dr. Bennett in his 
book, pp. 54 to 56, as Shakebags, were described by 
him in the Boston Cultivator of August —, 1849, as 
“ Great Malays,” accompanied by a cut of the Ma¬ 
lay Fowl, copied from Mr. Bement’s work! In 
the latter article he complains that the Malay fowl 
in this country, has “ degenerated by ‘close breed¬ 
ing,’ until a vestige of the pure Malay can scarcely 
be traced.” (It is rather queer that “close breed¬ 
ing” should destroy the “purity” of the breed, what¬ 
ever it§ disadvantages in other respects.) But he 
continues—“Some of those [Malays] of the purest 
blood were imported by Mr. Tucker of the Tremont 
House, Boston, under the name of ‘Dorkings,’ and 
were presented by him to Mr. Parker, of the Sa¬ 
moset House, Plymouth.” It will be observed that 
the “habitations and names” of persons agree with 
those given by Dr. Bennett when speaking of the 
Shakebag. The particular description, given in one 
case as that of the Shakebag, and in the other as 
that of the Great Malay, will doubtless be read with 
interest. It is as follows: 
Dr. Bennett's description of the Dr. Bennett V description of the 
Shakebagj “ Poultry Book 7 ' page Great Malay , in the Boston CuVti- 
56. vator. 
The plumage of the male is “ The plumage of the male is 
brilliant in the extreme, being of brilliant in the extreme, being of 
a bright red and glossy yellow, a bright red and glossy yellow 
beautifully blended, and shaded beautifully blended, and shaded 
with black, so as to present a most with black, so as to present a 
beautiful and captivating appear- most beautiful and captivating 
ance. The hackles of the rump appearance. The hackles of the 
are long and drooping, and of a rump are long aid drooping, and 
golden-reddish color. The comb of a golden reddish color. The 
and wattles are large and single ; comb and wattles are large and 
legs large, yellow, and destitute of single ; legs large, yellow, and 
feathers; tail long and drooping, destitute of feathers; tail long and 
with rich glossy plumage. The drooping, with rich glossy plu- 
gait is lively and majestic; in a mage. ' The gait is lively andr 
word, it is the handsomest of any majestic ; in a word, it is the 
of the large breeds, and should be handsomest of any of the large 
classed with the best varieties, breeds, and should be classed with 
The hens are of a bright yellow the best varieties. The hens are- 
and glossy brown, good layers, of a bright yellow awl glossy 
good nurses, and very domestic, brown, good layers, good nurses. 
The eggs are rather large, well- and very domestic. The eggs 
flavored, and of a pale-reddish are rather large, well-flavored, 
color. Their flesh is very fine, for and of a pale reddish color. Their 
so large a fowl, flesh is very fine, for so large a 
fowl.” 
Of game fowls, Dr. B. claims to have produced 
a new and superior breed, which he denominates the 
“ Yankee game fowl.” He gives of this “breed”' 
what he calls a “portrait taken from life.” He 
says, “this fowl was originally produced between 
the Plymouth Rock and Indian Game hen.” As 
some may inquire—what is the Plymouth Rock fowl? 
I give Dr. B.’s account of its origin. “The Ply- 
month Rock fowl is in reality, one half Cochin-Chi¬ 
na, one-fourth Fawn-colored Dorking, one-eighth 
Great Malay, and one-eighth Wild Indian; having 
five primitive bloods, Shanghae, Malay, Game, 
Turkish, and Indian.” [page 77.] Will he tell us 
the proportion of these “ primitive bloods,” and 
other blood in the “ Yankee Game breed?” 
But does Dr. Bennett mean that the fowls to 
which he applies the term “primitive” are really an 
original, distinct, and pure stock ? This certainly 
would be a legitimate inference from the term. But 
if we turn to the chapter on “Breeding Fowls,” 
page 194, we find it stated, point-blank, that—■“ All 
the breeds in this country are crosses produced by 
accident or design .” 
A variety of fowls is described by Dr. Bennett, 
accompanied by a cut, as the “English Raven fowl.” 
I have never before seen or heard of any variety of 
fowls under this name. Like the fabulous Shakebags, 
the white fowl with a black top-knot, and all the 
new-fangled imaginary varieties, “the pure bloods” 
we are told “arc very rare.” 
In regard to the Dorking fowl, Dr. Bennett has 
formerly talked of there being several breeds; thus 
in his “Essay on the Domestic Fowl, written exclu¬ 
sively for the Boston Cultivator”—and which con¬ 
stituted the chief ground-work of his “Poultry 
Book,” he spoke of the “Pearl-white Dorking,” 
the “Fawn colored Dorking/’ ‘‘Dappled Dorking,” 
&e; but in his hook, though he gives a cut and 
description of the “Fawn-colored Dorking,” he 
comes to the conclusion that “it is really a misno¬ 
mer,” and that the “white and speckled are the only 
pure varieties”—all others being “hybirds.” He 
gives us the authority of L. F. Allen, that the Dork¬ 
ings have “both double and single combs,” but a few 
pages further along says for himself, “ it should be 
remembered that all pure Dorkings have rose 
combs ” &c. 
Passing over Dr. B/s description of several vari 
eties, without stopping to comment on many of his 
vague and undefineable ideas, we come to the Po- 
