FANCIERS JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 

293 

grains more, and at fourteen days three pennyweights and 
eighteen grains more. At twenty-one days three penny- 
weights and twenty grains. It did not hatch until the 
twenty-fourth day. I weighed it again as the chick was 
ready to leave the shell, and it had lost twelve grains more 
during the last four days; amounting in all to ten penny- 
weights or one-half an ounce, leaving the chick and shell 
one and three-quarters ounces—showing that the egg when 
fresh is heavier than the chick. W. J. PYLE. 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
A MARYLAND FOWL THIEF. « 
WAVERLY is a suburb of Baltimore, and is a thriving 
town, and, like other thriving towns, has an eccentric or 
characteristic individual. But in this case, instead of the 
residents, as is usual in such cases, boasting of their wonder- 
ful genius, this Waverly eccentric is considered a most ‘‘ fowl ”’ 
individual. For months past the residents have had frequent 
mysterious disappearances of their poultry. One gentleman 
lost seventy-five, another one hundred and fifty, among 
which were some valued at $25 per pair, and many others 
were also losers. At last it got to be too much of a good 
thing, and the services of the city detectives were engaged ; 
yet, notwithstanding their watchfulness, the depredations 
still continued. One Jas. Harker was suspected and watched. 
He was seen to leave his house every night, but was not 
seen to return. Finally some of the residents concluded to 
assist the detectives, and with them went on guard. Being 
secreted near Harker’s house, after midnight, they saw him 
come out with a bag and a long jimmy. He was followed 
but soon lost sight of, but forming an ambuscade they waited 
his return. About 2 a.m. he came, whistling a lively tune. 
The surprise was complete. He was stopped by the party, 
who found in his possession five freshly killed hens, and a 
live game cock in the bag. His house was searched, and in 
a vacant room was found feathers which evidently were 
plucked from no less than five hundred fowls; some of the 
feathers being readily recognized as coming from blooded 
stock. The heads of over one hundred fowls were found in 
a partly finished building near Harker’s house. 
It is estimated that the fowls stolen cannot be replaced for 
$1500. In one instance where Harker secured sixty fowls, 
he dispatched ¢wo valuable dogs with poison. Harker, about 
a year ago, kept a cock pit near Waverly, his establishment 
being known as the ‘‘ McDonald House,”’ but the sign bear- 
ing the name of a former wealthy and respected resident of 
the vicinity, he was compelled to remove it. This Harker 
now rests in the County jail. This is a fowl report from 
Maryland—who can beat it? Next. G. O. B. 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
HEATHWOOD GAMES. 
Epitror Fanciers’ JOURNAL. 
Agreeable to your request I send you a short history of 
the Heathwood Games: 
In the winter of 1861 or 1862 Mr. Heathwood was the 
recipient of a young rooster and pullet from William Wal- 
ton, and a Pile hen, an importation from Ireland. He 
soon after procured a Brown hen, having a remarkably 
high comb; to which stock he added a Claiborne rooster 
and two hens, bred by Mr. Stone for Mr. Claiborne, from 
whom he purchased them. He predicted that they could 
not be crossed to produce a fowl superior to themselves. 


However, the result showed a better fowl. The Claiborne 
is as good a fowl as stands for game, but he is better fitted 
to fight with long heels than what is known as pit-heels. 
To the above varieties was added the son of an imported 
Derby ; and from this combination the result was successful. 
The aim was to retain as much of the make-up of the Derby 
as possible. This progeny—the Heathwood—seldom if 
ever run, and generally win the battle. One of them 
fought half an hour after being coupled, and having both 
| his eyes out was the winner in fighting against one of the 
Troy white tails. They have more propelling -power, so to 
speak, than any other fowl. A well-built specimen has as 
much strength at five pounds as others at five and a half 
pounds. They are rapid and methodical fighters, and 
altogether they are the best stock I ever saw. When Mr. 
Heathwood left for Missouri he left with me four old hens, 
second to none. Both the cocks and hens have all passed 
through my hands at some time, and I know their qualities 
well, and claim that I have all there are this side of Mis- 
souri. 
I will now describe a pair of Heathwoods as they gene- 
rally run, yet, having come from different kinds, they do 
not breed very uniformly. A good male specimen I have 
before me. The back and upper part of wing are dark red ; 
saddle feathers long and of a rich shade, a fine fluff; at root 
of tail a pure white; bar of steel-blue on the wing; the 
outside of the primary feathers a rich dark chestnut color ; 
sickle feathers long, and edged with white; head medium, 
strong bill, eyes large, with a red circle about them ; breast 
a rich greenish-black, with a slight touch of chestnut toward 
the shoulders; legs clear yellow; toes long and well spread; 
heels low on the leg, fine and sharp; body broad, and flat 
on the back; breast medium height; stands on legs firmly 
and straight; deep in the chest; neck strong; tail a little 
drooping. This is a general description of the Reds, which I 
prefer to the PileGame. The hen has a back of fine par- 
tridge color; neck feathers of a deep yellowish color, pen- 
ciled with black, shaded off near the head; breast brown or 
chestnut; wing primaries black, edged with chestnut; eyes 
and head like the cock; tail black; legs yellow, sometimes 
willow or hazel (but the cock always yellow). The pair I 
have described, and still in my possession, will weigh ten 
pounds. It is a fair outline of two as good fowls as exist of 
the Heathwood Game. NEIL THOMPSON. 
Dracut, MAss. 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
WORDS OF COMFORT. 
In almost every number of every poultry paper that comes 
to hand, the Jowrnal included, there is a large amount of 
correspondence from a class of persons who it appears were 
born to be ‘bit’ by sharpers. These men are continually 
crying down low prices, and thus increasing their chances 
for getting ‘‘sold”’ at ‘ fancy figures,”’ for there are enough 
who are willing to ‘sell’ them for a ‘ good price” as soon 
or sooner than a low one. 
I believe there are as honorable and as honest dealers who 
will sell fowls or eggs at a reasonable prices as those who ask 
such exorbitant prices, as many dealers do. I find those 
who are the victims of swindlers are the ones who pay a 
large price for their fowls and their experience. Poultry is 
often advertised at from ten to thirty dollars per pair that is 
not worth one farthing more that those which are to be had 
