




FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
469 

and the thousands of visitors. who thronged the alleys of the 
great hall, during an entire week, were delighted. 
The position of the committee of judges at these exhibi- 
tions is, as a rule, an onerous and unenviable one. Where 
such a display of really good stock is placed together.in com- 
petition, contributed by men from every quarter, who have 
tried their best to produce what they deem a trifle finer, 
heavier, better plumed, or more desirable than their neigh- 
bors, the decisions of the umpires rarely give universal satis- 
faction. And it is not an easy matter, oftentimes, to come to 
the just conclusion as to general merit in many cases. Thus, 
those who fail to obtain the prizes they aim for are disap- 
pointed, and are apt to consider themselves wronged. 
It has always been so from the commencement of fowl 
exhibitions in America. In the old days, when the first 
New England Association flourished, the same difficulties 
existed, and similar dissatisfaction followed the distribution 
of awards as is current at the present day. In too frequent 
instances the judges were not then, any more than they are 
now, competent, disinterested, honorable, and fair in their 
-decisions. It is difficult to find such committees of gentle- 
men who are willing to serve in this thankless capacity; 
hence the cause of the criticism of those who, in the judges’ 
opinions, are second, third, or fourth best, as it turns out. 
In the instance of the late Boston show, the committees 
of judges were average good men, and, generally speaking, 
the awards made were accepted and acceptable. Nobody 
questioned that Sturtevant Brothers, of Framingham, showed 
the finest Light Brahmas there, the largest, the best feath- 
ered and colored, and the handsomest formed, both old and 
young. They were awarded first premium for fowls and 
second for chickens. Now, the choicest two trios of Light 
Brahma chickens in the hall were Sturtevant’s. They were 
bred from the old (first prize) birds, and were really superb 
specimens. But some other contributor took the first for 
young stock, which, though fine, was not so good as those to 
which were awarded the second prize, and every breeder in 
the hall knew this. 
Among the best stock shown at Boston, were the new 
style ‘Plymouth Rocks.’’ This name for fowls originated 
twenty-five years since, with Dr. J. C. Bennett, who in his 
work on poultry, published by Phillips & Sampson a quarter 
of a century ago, describes this variety briefly thus: ‘‘ The 
Plymouth Rock fowl is produced from a Cochin China cock 
with a hen crossed between a fawn-colored Dorking, Malay, 
and Wild Indian.’’? The cocks were speckled red and dun, 
the hens dark brown, and some of them Dominique. I 
never saw half a dozen alike in color, however, among the 
originals. They were first bred at Plymouth, Mass. 
The Plymouth Rocks of to-day are an entirely different 
bird. They are bred, I judge, from crossing the Dominique 
with the China fowl. In color they are uniformly Domi- 
nique, but are generally smooth-legged, and those exhibited 
this season were very fine, stately, showy birds. They are 
duly classed in the standard, are bred largely in Essex 
County, Mass., and have many admirers. It is claimed for 
this variety that the new strain mature earlier, are excellent 
layers, come to good size, the chicks are hardy, and alto- 
gether they are an acquisition to our American poultry, this 
last cross being a judicious one, as the good qualities of both 
the China and the Dominique fowl are well known. The 
name adopted by the originators of this late variety is a good | 
one, but Dr. Bennett started it years ago for a very different 
kind of fowl. 

The ‘* Wild Indian’’ hen above alluded to (in Dr. Ben- 
nett’s ‘‘ Plymouth Rocks’’), was unquestionably a Malay 
fowl. The Doctor procured her from a ship at Boston from 
Calcutta, and she was a very remarkable specimen; a gen- 
uine virago in temperament, and of most pugnacious quali- 
ties, fighting and vanquishing any other fowl in his yards, 
male or female, that came in her way. He produced a 
very superior strain of Games from this hen, crossing her 
to an Irish or Earl of Derby cock subsequently, to which he 
gave the name “ Wild Indian Games.’”’ The old hen was 
finally sold for one hundred dollars to a Mr. Griggs, of 
South Carolina. 
The original ‘* Plymouth Rocks” run out long ago. The 
new variety is a better sized and shaped bird, and having 
only two distinct strains of true blood in their composition, 
promise fairly to prove a valuable addition to Americanized 
poultry. Though an acknowledged Yankee manufacture, I 
notice that they are recognized as a “breed’’ in the new 
American standard. 
+ om > 
“BUFF COCHINS” FROM “PURE” BRAHMAS. 
Mr. Eprror: 

I notice a long article in the Poultry World for June, by 
a writer who claims to be ‘‘the oldest breeder of Light 
Brahmas in America,’”’ in which he states, that certain 
‘‘ Brahmas were shipped to England,” in the early days, he 
‘knows for a certainty, are the fowls which Lewis Wright 
has described as Dr. Bennett’s pure Brahmas.’”’ And, ‘in 
breeding these, many different shades of color were produced, 
the most objectionable being pure buff! as fine a color as we 
see to day among Buff Cochins.” ... . ‘I had more fear 
of the Buff showing itself from this stock sent to England 
by us,’”’ (Bennett and him), ‘than of anything else! ”’ 
Now I bred several years (1851 to 1856) the Light and 
Dark Brahmas, from stock obtained from G. P. Burnham of 
Melrose, Mass. (which this same writer declares ‘* Wright 
calls Burnham’s Mongrels’”’), and I assure you I never once 
saw a buff chicken bred out of Burnham’s ‘Gray Shanghai’’ 
stock in my life. They did come Light and Dark, at times, 
but never, in my experience, otherwise than clear, clean, 
black and white, from that stock. By whatever name any 
of these breeders then called their stock, it is certain that 
Buff Cochins (or Shanghai) or Brahmas, never showed 
themselves with me. 
I do think, that, on this question, Burnham was clearly 
ahead in ‘date of origin” in this variety, and the admis- 
sions of this late writer, on this important point of breeding 
buffs out of his lauded ‘ Pure Stock,’ is a decided mark 
against his assumed theory, in my judgment. 
Yours, &. B. HaRTwett. 
ALBANY, N. Y., June, 1874. 
ye@s> Tue French expedition which has been exploring 
Tierra del Fuego, reports the finding of a large lake in the 
interior, 15 miles in circumference, surrounded by luxu- 
riant vegetation, and literally covered by an army of wild 
fowl; among which the most abundant were ducks and 
geese, These regions are inhabited by rude but hospitable 
tribes; the women especially are very affable and obliging. 
One of them, in exchange for some pieces of sugar and a 
common handkerchief, gave the leader of the expedition an 
object to which she attached an immense value, and which 
she preserved as a relic—the lid of a sardine box. 
