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AGRIC. 
LIBRARY 


THE 

AMERICAN  POULTRY  YARD; 

COMPRISING   THE 

ORIGIN,  HISTORY,  AND  DESCRIPTION 

OF  THE  DIFFERENT  BREEDS 

OF 

DOMESTIC    POULTRY; 

WITH 

. 

COMPLETE    DIRECTIONS    FOR   THEIR  BREEDING,  CROSSING,  REARING 
FATTENING,  AND  PREPARATION  FOR  MARKET;  INCLUDING  SPE- 
CIFIC DIRECTIONS   FOR  CAPONISING   FOWLS,   AND  FOR 
THE  TREATMENT  OF  THE   PRINCIPAL  DISEASES  TO 
WHICH  THEY  ARE  SUBJECT;  DRAWN  FROM 
AUTHENTIC     SOURCES    AND     PER- 
SONAL OBSERVATION; 

ILLUSTRATED  WITH  NUMEROUS  ENGRAVINGS. 

B  Y    D  .    J  .    B  R  O  W  N  E  .•••:--,  ;" 

AUTHOR   OF   THE    SYLVA   AMERICANA. 


WITH 


AN  APPENDtl, 

EMBRACING    THE    COMPARATIVE    MERITS    OF    DIFFERENT 
BREEDS    OF    FOWLS, 

BY  SAMUEL  ALLEN. 


NEW  YORK : 

PUBLISHED    BY    C.    M.    SAXT^DN. 
1850. 


SF- 

*T"5 


AGRIC. 
LiBBAWT 


MAIN  LIBRARY  AGRIC.  DEFT. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1849,  by 

EPHRAIM    BLANCHARD, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New  York. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


THE  "American  Poultry  Yard"  being  now  completed,  the  publisher  has  thought 
proper  to  offer-  a  few  preliminary  remarks  on  its  design  and  the  manner  in  which  it 
has  been  got  up. 

Actuated  by  the  most  liberal  motives,  he  has,  in  the  first  place,  endeavored  to  keep 
pace  with  the  improvements  of  the  age,  in  obtaining  the  best  information  on  the  sub- 
ject, that  could  be  procured,  suited  to  the  general  reader,  and  answering,  at  the  same 
time,  the  pin-poses  of  practice  and  economy. 

Mr.  Browne,  the  ostensible  author  of  this  work,  was  bred  and  brought  up  a  practical 
farmer,  and  was  favorably  known  as  editor  of  "  The  Naturalist,"  a  monthly  periodical, 
published  in  Boston  some  twenty  years  ago,  and  more  recently  as  a  civil  engineer  on 
our  public  works,  and  as  the  writer  of  a  treatise  on  American  trees.  He  is  an  enthu- 
siastic devotee  to  the  natural  and  exact  sciences,  particularly  to  agriculture  and  rural 
economy,  having  travelled  and  resided  for  a  considerable  time  in  various  parts  of 
North  and  South  America,  the  West  Indies,  Europe,  and  Western  Africa,  with  the 
express  object  of  practically  investigating  the  agriculture  and  natural  features  of  those 
countries.  From  his  intimate  knowledge  of  the  history  and  habits  of  our  domestic 
animals,  having  devoted,  probably,  more  attention  to  the  subject,  as  a  whole,  by  read- 
ing and  observation,  than  any  other  individual  in  the  country,  the  task  of  preparing 
this  work  was  assigned  to  him. 

Mr.  Allen,  who  has  very  generously  looked  over  the  proof  sheets,  and  favored  the 
public  witli  a  valuable  Apppendix,  is  well  known  as  the  father  and  co-laborer  of  the 
editors  of  the  "  American  Agriculturist,"  and  as  an  experienced  and  successful  breeder 
of  stock,  as  well  as  of  the  choicer  varieties  of  domestic  fowls. 

The  publisher,  therefore  confidently  presents  the  "American  Poultry  Yard"  to 
tho  public  with  the  full  belief  that  it  combines  the  utmost  economy  and  utility,  united, 
at  the  same  time,  with  elegance  and  the  facility  of  obtaining  the  desired  end. 

C.  M.  SAXTON. 


NEW  YORK,  January  2,  1850. 


M118063 


PREFACE. 


THE  scope  and  intention  of  the  present  treatise,  perhaps,  is  sufficiently  declared  in 
the  title  page.  Therefore,  to  waste  the  reader's  time  by  further  details  would  be  as 
Impertinent  as  unnecessary.  The  hasty  manner  in  which  these  pages  have  been  com- 
piled, the  want  of  a  more  intimate  knowledge  of  the  history  and  pedigree  of  the  vari- 
ous breeds  of  our  domestic  birds,  of  which  but  few  records  are  to  be  found,  together 
with  the  limited  nature  of  the  work  itself,  are  the  only  apologies  the  author  has  to 
offer  for  any  errors  and  deficiencies  with  which  he  doubtless  may  be  charged.  With- 
out great  aid  from  those  who  have  written  before  him,  the  volume,  though  not 
large,  never  could  have  appeared ;  yet,  most  of  the  current  books  on  poultry  are  but 
compilations  of  matter,  valuable  only  to  those  practically  acquainted  with  the  sub- 
ject, and  many  of  them  unsuited  to  our  economy  as  well  as  to  our  climate,  and  full 
of  errors  and  confusion,  that  would  be  obvious  to  the  attentive  reader,  even  though 
he  never  had  seen  a  fowl  in  his  life. 

In  order  to  write  a  perfect  work  on  poultry,  two  important  desiderata  would  bo 
required  for  its  attainment ;  one  or  the  other  of  them  would  be  indispensable— the 
first,  a  complete  set  of  full-sized  colored  figures  of  every  variety,  giving  both  the 
male  and  female,  the  egg,  and  the  newly-hatched  chick,  with  accurate  and  technical 
descriptions  of  their  plumage  and  their  characteristic  properties ;  the  second,  a  col- 
lection of  stuffed  specimens  of  the  representatives  of  every  breed  for  comparison  and 
reference.  The  first  of  these  might  be  accomplished  by  a  person,  or  an  association  of 
persons  of  fortune,  by  procuring  a  complete  collection  of  all  the  varieties  whose 
characters  are  decidedly  distinct,  both  of  this  country  and  from  abroad,  and  breeding 
them  in-and-in  for  a  series  of  years,  as  well  as  by  judicious  crossing  with  one  an- 
other. An  enterprise  of  this  kind,  conducted  with  proper  intelligence  and  experi- 
ence, however  trivial  it  may  appear  in  the  eyes  of  many,  would  be  worth  millions  to 
the  country,  and  prove  a  boon  to  mankind. 

In  order  that  he  may  not  be  accused  of  the  reproach  of  "  strutting  in  borrowed 
plumes,"  the  author  has  the  candor  to  confess  that  he  has  made  a  free  use  of  the 
labors  of  Pliny,  Columella,  Cuba,  Aldrovandi,  Mascall,  Reaumur,  Moubray,  Par- 
inentier,  Flourens,  W.  B.  Dickson,  J.  J.  Nolan,  W.  C.  L.  Mai-tin,  and  the  Ilev.  Edmund 
S.  Dixon,  particularly  of  those  of  the  four  gentlemen  last  named,  without  giving 
them,  in  numerous  instances,  such  credit  as  the  punctilious  critic  would  seem  t  > 
demand.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  author  has  endeavored  not  to  deviate  from  estab- 
lished custom,  except  in  caaes  where  he  deemed  it  expedient  to  change  the  language, 
in  part,  for  the  sake  of  brevity,  elucidation,  or  Americanising'  the  subject,  or  adapting 
it  to  our  climate,  economy,  and  social  condition.  Much  of  the  matter,  however,  and 
beveral  of  the  illustrations,  he  claims  to  be  original.  With  this  avowal,  he  will  de- 
clare no  more  than  his  full  trust  in  a  candid  consideration  of  whatever  merit  hia 
book  may  deserve.  D.  J.  B. 

Jfno  York,  December  26tA,  1849. 


THE   DOMESTIC   FOWL 


ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY. 


fowls  were  prepared  for  me,  and  also  onco 

in  ten  days,  store  of  all  sorts  of  wine." 

HOLT  WRIT. 


THE  COMMON  FOWL,  as  well  as  the  pea  fowl,  are  of 
Indian  >  origin,  and  we  learn  nothing  respecting  them 
till  within  a  comparatively  recent  epoch.  It  will  natu- 
rally be  asked,  What  is  the  earliest  date  of  poultry- 
keeping  ?  Nobody  knows.  It  is  thought  by  some  to 
be  coeval  with  the  keeping  of  sheep  by  Abel,  and  the 
tilling  of  the  ground  by  Cain — a  supposition  which 
cannot  be  far  from  probability,  if  there  is  any  founda- 
tion for  the  legend  that  G-omer,  the  eldest  son  of 
Japhet,  took  a  surname  from  the  cock.  Indeed,  it 
would  be  to  him  that  Western  Europe  stands  indebted 
for  a  stock  of  fowls  from  the  ark  itself.  For,  it  is 
supposed  by  the  erudite,  and  shown  by  at  least  probable 
arguments,  that  the  descendants  of  Gromer  settled  in 
the  northern  parts  of  Asia  Minor,  and  then  spread  into 
the  Cimmerian  Bosphorus  and  the  adjacent  regions, 
and  that  from  them  the  numerous  tribes  of  the  Grauls, 
Germans,  Celts,  and  Cimbrians  descended.  It  is  true 
that  there  is  no  mention  of  fowls  by  name  in  the  Old 
Testament,  except  a  doubtful  allusion  in  the  Vulgate 


BOMESTIC    FOWL. 


translation  of  the  book  of  Proverbs,  (xxx.  31,)  which 
is  lost  in  the  authorised  version.  There  is  another 
equally  disputable  passage  in  Ecclesiastes,  xii.  4. 
"  And  the  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets,  when  the 
sound  of  the  grinding  is  low,  and  he  shall  rise  up  at 
the  voice  of  the  bird,  (that  is,  at  cock-crowing,)  and  all 
the  daughters  of  music  shall  be  brought  low."  A  still 
less  certain  evidence  occurs  in  the  book  of  Job,  xxxviii. 
36.  "  Who  hath  put  wisdom  in  the  inward  parts  ?  or 
who  hath  given  understanding  to  the  heart  ?" 

The  apparent  omission  of  the  name  of  the  domestic, 
fowl  from  the  Old  Testament  may  possibly  have  arisen 
from  this  cause,  namely,  that  tending  them  would  be 
the  occupation  of  women,  whose  domestic  employments 
are  less  prominently  brought  forward  by  oriental 
writers  than  the  active  enterprises  of  men  ;  and,  also, 
that  the  birds  specially  named  there  are  the  unclean 
birds,  which  are  to  be  avoided,  whereas  those  which 
may  be  eaten  are  classed  in  a  lump  as  "  clean."  See 
Leviticus,  xi.  13,  and  Deuteronomy,  xiv.  11. 

That  the  fowl  was  domesticated  and  extensively 
spread  at  a  very  remote  period,  is  very  evident;  but 
it  does  not  seem  clear  whether  it  was  possessed  by  the 
Israelites  before  the  consolidation  of  the  nation  under 
Solomon,  when  commerce  began  to  flourish,  and  the 
arts  of  life  to  be  strenuously  cultivated.  After  the 
Babylonish  captivity,  we  cannot  doubt  that  the  fowl 
was  among  the  domestic  animals  of  Palestine,  and  it 
is  to  this  bird,  most  probably,  that  Nehemiah,  (B.C. 
445,)  alludes,  when  in  his  rebuke  he  says,  "  Now  that 
which  was  prepared  for  me  daily  was  one  ox,  and  six 
choice  sheep,  also  fowls  were  prepared  for  me,  and  also 
once  in  ten  days,  store  of  all  sorts  of  wine"  (v.  18). 
Antecedently  to  this  period,  the  fowl  was  abundant  in 
Persia.  Thus  Peisthetserus  relates  why  the  cock  is 
called  the  "  Persian  bird,"  and  how  it  reigned  over 
that  country  before  Darius  and  Megabazus  (B.C.  521). 
Not  only  do  the  classic  poets  and  historians  speak  of 
'he  high  antiquity  of  the  fowl,  but  medals  and  coins 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  7 

proclaim  the  same,  and  bear  its  figure  stamped  upon 
them.  Nor  is  its  delineation  -  absent  on  other  relics  of 
remote  periods.  In  Camparini's  "  Etruscan  Tombs," 
we  see  several  persons  reclined  on  a  sort  of  couch, 
taking  wine  and  bread  after  the  burial  of  some  friend. 
Under  one  of  the  tables  a  cock  and  hen  are  depicted, 
and  under  another  a  cat  is  seen  insidiously  creeping 
towards  them.  Figures  of  the  domestic  fowl  are  carved 
in  relief  on  the  marbles  lately  brought  into  England 
from  Lycia,  in  Asia  Minor,  by  Sir  C.  Fellows,  and 
their  outlines  are  represented  to  be  remarkable  for 
accuracy. 

Among  the  Greeks  and  Romans  the  fowl  figured  in 
the  public  shows.  It  was  dedicated  to  Apollo,  to 
Mercury,  to  ^Esculapius,  and  to  Mars  ;  and  its  courage 
and  watchfulness  were  well  appreciated.  The  Rhodian 
fowls,  and  those  of  Delos,  Chalcis,  Media,  and  Persia, 
were  celebrated  for  their  superiority  in  fight,  and  for 
the  excellence  and  delicacy  of  their  flesh.  Cock-fight- 
ing, as  might  be  expected,  was  a  diversion  in  conson- 
ance with  the  tastes  of  the  Romans,  and  they  were  as 
much  devoted  to  it  as  the  Malays  of  the  present  day, 
who  will  stake  all  upon  the  issue  of  the  battle.  To 
the  rearing  of  these  birds  for  the  table,  the  greatest 
attention  was  paid  by  the  luxurious.  They  had  their 
gallinaria,  and  were  accustomed  to  cram  their  fowls 
with  meal,  and  keep  them  in  the  dark  that  they  might 
the  more  readily  fatten ;  nor  were  the  capon,  (gallus 
spado,)  and  the  poularde,  (gallina  spadonia,)  unknown, 

Herodotus  does  not  mention  the  fowl  as  among  the 
domestic  birds  of  Egypt,  though  he  speaks  of  the  goose, 
the  vulpanser,  or  chenalopex,  the  duck,  the  quail, 
small  birds,  and  two  sorts  of  ibis  ;  neither  does  it  occur 
on  any  of  the  ancient  monuments  of  that  country. 

Aristotle,  who  wrote  about  350  years  before  Christ, 
speaks  of  them  as  familiarly  as  a  natural  historian 
of  the  present  day  would.  It  is  unnecessary  more  than 
to  allude  to  the  beautiful  comparisons  taken  from  them 
in  the  New  Testament.  The  Roman  authors  of  tho 


8  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

commencement  of  the  Christian  era  record  that  they 
were  classed  into  such  a  number  of  distinct  varieties 
as  could  only  have  been  the  result  of  long  cultivation. 
Whether  we  suppose  that  different  breeds  were  col- 
lected and  imported  from  different  native  stations,  or 
assume  that  the  differences  of  those  breeds  were  the 
artificial  result  of  domestication, — whichever  case  we 
take,  domestic  fowls  must  have  been  held  in  familiar 
esteem  for  many,  many  ages  before  we  have  any  clear 
record  of  them.  Either  supposition  attaches  to  them 
a  highly  interesting  and  quite  mysterious  degree  of 
antiquity. 

When  the  Romans,  under  Julius  Caesar,  invaded  the 
shores  of  Britain,  they  found  both  the  fowl  and  the 
goose  in  a  state  of  domestication ;  but  these,  as  well 
as  the  hare,  were  forbidden  as  food.  "  They  deemed  it 
not  lawful  to  eat  the  hare,  the  fowl,  and  the  goose  ; 
nevertheless,  they  bred  these  animals  for  the  sake  of 
fancy  and  pleasure.'7  Through  what  channel,  it  may 
be  asked,  did  the  fowl  reach  this  ultima  Thule? 

At  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  the  American  continent 
by  Europeans,  the  domestic  fowl  was  not  found  in  any 
part  of  it,  neither  was  it  found  on  any  of  the  Atlantic 
Isles,  although  the  Canaries,  the  supposed  Fortunate 
Islands  of  the  ancfents,  were  inhabited  by  a  half-civil- 
ized people,  who  held  in  subjugation  sheep,  goats, 
hogs,  and  dogs. 

Dr.  Kidd,  in  his  "  Bridgewater  Treatise,"  doubts 
whether  the  camel  ever  existed  in  a  wild  and  inde- 
pendent state.  But  others  do  not  go  quite  so  far  as 
that  in  scepticism  in  the  case  of  fowls,  but  still  believe 
that  those,  who,  at  this  epoch,  hunt  for  cocks  and  hens 
of  the  same  species  as  our  tame  ones,  either  on  the 
continent  of  Asia,  or  throughout  the  whole  inhabited 
vast  Indian  Archipelago,  will  have  undertaken  but  a 
fruitless  search.  For  certain  writers  have  been  at 
great  pains,  for  some  years  past,  with  but  little  suc- 
cess, except  in  their  own  conceit,  to  pitch  upon  the 
wild  origin  of  our  domestic  fowls.  The  first  decided 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  9 

attempts  to  do  this,  appear  to  have  been  made  by  Son- 
nerat,  and  to  have  been  followed  up  by  succeeding 
French  writers,  whose  errors  are  glaring,  and  in  whose 
praise  little  can  be  said.  Reaumur,  whose  writings  are 
really  philosophical  and  valuable,  devoted  his  inquiries 
to  more  practical  objects,  but  Sonnerat  was  merely  a 
blind  leader  of  the  blind,  if  there  is  justice  in  the 
criticism  of  Mr.  Swainson,  who  pronounces  that  "  Son- 
nerat's  works,  although  often  cited  by  the  French 
authors,  are  very  poor  ;  the  descriptions  vague,  and 
the  figures,  particularly  of  the  birds,  below  mediocrity." 
Buffon,  who  did  not  die  till  1788,  had  therefore  an 
opportunity  of  adopting  Sonnerat's  jungle  fowl  as  the 
parent  of  cocks  and  hens,  and  his  vivid  imagination 
made  him  very  likely  to  have  adopted  so  apparently 
clear  an  account,  ready  telegraphed  for  his  reception. 
But  instead  of  that,  he  speaks  hesitatingly  and  doubt- 
fully of  the  derivation  of  our  domestic  fowls  from  wild 
cocks,  and  seems  to  despair  of  indicating  their  origin. 
He  says,  "Amidst  the  immense  number  of  different 
breeds  of  the  gallinaceous  tribe,  how  shall  we  deter- 
mine the  original  stock  ?  So  many  circumstances  have 
operated,  so  many  accidents  have  concurred  ;  the 
attention,  and  even  the  whim  of  man  have  so  much 
multiplied  the  varieties,  that  it  appears  extremely  dif- 
ficult to  trace  them  to  their  source." 

A  difficulty,  which  speaks  volumes,  is,  that  those 
birds  which  have  been  pointed  out  as  the  most  pro- 
bable ancestors  of  the  domestic  fowl,  do  not  appear  to 
be  more  tameable  than  the  partridge,  the  American 
grouse,  or  the  golden  pheasant ;  moreover,  so  remark- 
able an  appendage  as  the  horny  expansion  of  the  feather 
stem,  as  seen  in  Sonnerat's  cqpk,  would,  according  to 
what  is  generally  supposed  to  take  place,  be  increased 
rather  than  diminished  and  obliterated  by  domestica- 
tion ;  and  even  if  got  rid  of  by  any  course  of  breeding 
for  a  few  generations,  would  be  sure,  ultimately,  to 
reappear. 

Still,  our  own  cocks  and  hens  must  have  had  some 
1* 


10  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

progenitors,  and  if  an  opinion  may  be  offered,  it  is 
this  :  that  the  wild  race,  that  which  once  ranged 
the  primeval  Woods  and  jungles,  unsubdued  />y  man, 
is  now  extinct,  for  ever  gone,  with  the  Dodos  and  the 
Deinornithes.  Such  an  idea  quite  agrees  with  what 
we  now  see  going  on  in  the  world.  At  no  very  distant 
period,  the  turkey  will  be  in  exactly  the  same  position 
in  which  we  are  supposing  our  cocks  and  hens  to  be 
now  placed.  The  race  will  continue  to  survive,  only 
from  having  submitted  itself  to  the  dominion  of  man. 
Wild  turkeys  are  becoming  every  year  more  and  more 
scarce  with  us,  and  as  population  increases,  and  pene- 
trates deeper  into  the  wilds,  till  the  whole  face  of  the 
country  is  overspread,  occupied,  and  cultivated,  this 
bird  must  share  the  fate  of  the  bustard  in  England ; 
and  where  shall  we  find  it  then,  except  under  the 
same  circumstances  as  we  now  see  our  domestic 
fowls  ?  How  long  existing  literature  will  endure  it  is 
impossible  to  say  ;  but  should  it  be  swept  away  by 
any  social  convulsion,  our  descendants,  two  thousand 
years  hence,  will  have  as  much  difficulty  in  determin- 
ing the  origin  of  the  turkey,  as  we  have  in  deciding 
upon  that  of  the  cocks  and  hens. 

Man  has  the  power  of  trampling  under  foot,  and  sweep- 
ing  every  living  thing  before  him  in  his  progress  ;  but  in 
some  cases,  at  least,  he  is  likely,  for  his  own  sake,  to  res- 
cue the  most  valuable  part  of  the  spoil  from  destruction, 
if  it  will  only  submit  to  be  rescued,  and  not  refuse  to  ac- 
cept a  continued  existence  on  such  conditions.  A  family 
of  savages  would  soon  consume  and  destroy  a  whole 
province  of  wild  cocks  and  hens,  if  it  were  ever  so  well 
stocked  ;  but  civilised  man  can  see  his  interest  in  their 
preservation,  and  it  is  lucky  for  fowls  that  their  des- 
tiny threw  them  in  contact  with  the  Caucasian  race 
instead  of  Australian  aborigines.  But  the  increase  of 
knowledge  and  humanity  may  even  yet  do  something 
to  extend  a  merciful  and  forbearing  conduct  toward 
existing  animals. 

But  the  common  hen  has  one  peculiar  habit,  which 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  11 

would  alone  ensure  the  destruction  of  her  progeny  in 
an  unprotected  state,  in  spite  of  all  her  fruitfulness 
and  her  great  maternal  virtues.  Her  delight  at  having 
laid  an  egg,  expressed  by  loud  cackling,  which  is  joined 
in  by  all  her  companions  that  are  at  hand,  would,  by 
itself,  be  sufficient  to  prevent  much  increase  of  her 
young.  How  the  squaws  and  their  picaninnies  would 
chuckle  to  have  wild  birds  abounding  around  them, 
that  not  only  produced  an  excellent  egg  every  day,  but 
told  them  where  to  find  it !  „ 

The  habit  which  so  large  a  bird  as  the  fowl  has 
of  retiring  to  roost  by  daylight,  too,  and  compos- 
ing itself  to  repose  before  it  is  hidden  and  protec- 
ted by  the  shades  of  night,  would  also  be  a  cer- 
tain source  of  danger  in  a  wild  state.  The  craving 
hunter  who  wanted  a  meal,  need  not  fatigue  himself 
by  a  search  during  the  noontide  heats.  He  would 
have  but  to  bear  the  pangs  of  appetite  till  evening 
approached,  and  then  stealing  with  no  great  caution 
under  the  outstretched  branches,  he  would  find  a  ready 
prey  distinctly  apparent  between  himself  and  the  ruddy 
glare  of  sunset.  No  wild  race  could  survive  a  few 
years  of  such  facile,  such  tempting  capture.  Those 
who  would  reply  by  saying  that  when  cocks  and  hens 
were  wild  they  had  not  fallen  into  the  imprudent 
fashion  of  roosting  before  dark,  and  cackling  when 
they  dropped  an  egg,  beg  the  question  which  we  are 
not  disposed  to  grant  them,  unless  they  can  positively 
establish  their  claim. 

The  common  cock,  (Gallus  gallinaceus,)  would  at 
first  sight  appear  to  have  received  one  or  two  remark- 
able changes  of  form  subsequent  to  its  having  been 
saved  from  annihilation  by  becoming  dependent  on  the 
care  of  man,  if  we  can  believe  domestication  to  be 
capable  of  producing  such  changes.  The  crest  of 
feathers  on  the  head  is  an  extraordinary  metamorphosis 
to  have  occurred  from  an  original  fleshy  comb.  There 
is  no  instance,  that  I  arn  aware,  of  any  wild-crested 
breed.  Aristotle  makes  such  a  pointed  and  so  clear  a 


12  TiiK    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

distinction  between  the  feathered  crests  of  birds  in 
general,  and  the  combs  of  cocks,  as  to  lead  to  a  strong 
suspicion  that  he  was  unacquainted  with  fowls  with 
topknots ;  which  he  could  hardly  have  avoided  seeing 
m  the  course  of  his  unequalled  opportunities  for 
research,  had  they  existed  in  his  day.  "  Certain  birds," 
says  he,'  "have. a  crest;  in  some  consisting  of  actual 
feathers;  but  that  of  cocks  alone  is  peculiar,  being 
neither  flesh,  nor  yet  very  different  from  flesh  in  its 
nature."  Neither  can  there  be  found  a  passage  in  the 
classical  authors  which  implies  that  the  cocks  and 
hens  of  their  day  bore  a  feathered  topknot.  Cirrus  is 
the  Latin  word  used  by  Pliny  to^  denote  the  tuft  of 
feathers  on  the  head  of  certain  ducks,  (fuligulse,)  and 
also  properly  adopted  by  Aldrovandi  to  express  the  top- 
knot of  Polish  fowls.  The  earliest  notice  of  crested 
fowls  that  I  am  aware  of,  occurs  in  Aldrovandi,  where 
he  says,  "  Our  common  country  hen,  all  white,  and 
with  a  crest  like  that  of  a  lark,"  a  very  useful  com- 
parison that  will  serve  to  distinguish  such-like  from 
the  Polish  fowls  ;  the  other,  what  he  calls  the  Paduan, 
evidently  a  variety  of  the  Polish  or  Poland. 

If  birds  with  such  peculiarities  were  unknown  to  the 
ancients,  it  will  be  asked  through  what  agency  they 
have  made  their  appearance  in  our  days.  Are  they 
new  races,  the  result  of  judicious  combination  and 
nurture,  or  of  mere  chance  ?  Not  conceiving  that  they 
are  anything  "  new  under  the  sun,"  although  long  un- 
known to  us,  I  answer,  at  once,  No.  The  mercantile 
enterprize  and  trading  voyages  of  the  English,  Dutch, 
Spaniards,  and  Portuguese,  are  quite  sufficient  to 
explain  their  arrival,  without  having  recource  to  a  new 
creation.  The  lately-introduced  Cochin-China  fowl, 
about  which  there  is  no  mystery,  is  a  case  in  point. 
But  it  is  not  strange  nor  unlikely  that  gentlemen  who 
have  succeeded  in  obtaining  some  exotic  rarity,  should 
choose  to  conceal  the  source  and  the  channel  by  which 
it  came  into  their  hands,  nor  even  take  credit  for  hav- 
ing themselves  raised  and  generated  a  breed  which 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  13 

excites  the  curiosity  and  admiration  of  their  neighbors. 
There  are  several  varieties  that  are  extinct,  or  not  to 
be  obtained  in  England,  as  the  Duke  of  Leeds'  fowl, 
and  the  white  Poland  fowl  with  a  black  topknot. 
Attempts  have  been  made  to  reproduce  them,  both 
by  the  most  promising  systems  of  crossing,  and  by 
acting  on  the  imagination  of  breeding  fowls,  after 
the  manner  of  Jacob's  experiments  with  Laban's 
flocks ;  all  in  vain.  We  can  easily  understand  how 
certain  points  in  any  race  can  be  confirmed  and  made 
more  conspicuous  by  selection  and  breeding  in-and-in, 
but  we  are  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  go  to  work  to 
produce  something  quite  original  and  new.  If  these 
lost  varieties  do  re-appear,  and  they  are  both  worth  the 
trouble  they  may  give,  it  will  probably  be  by  a  fresh 
importation  from  their  original  Indian  home. 

The  addition  of  a  fifth  toe  to  the  foot,  as  in  the 
Dorking  variety,  is  more  likely  than  the  crest  to  have 
supervened  in  the  course  of  time.  This  appendage  is 
said  not  to  be  mentioned  by  any  earlier  writer  than 
Columella,  since  whose  time,  to  the  present  day,  a 
fifth  toe  has  been  the  well-known  and  distinctive  cha- 
racter of  a  certain  breed. 

A  Cochin-China  cock  in  the  possession  of  Rev. 
E.  S.  Dixon,  of  Norwich,  England,  has  the  outer  toe 
of  each  foot  furnished  with  two  distinct  claws,  which 
we  may  take  to  be  the  earliest  indication  of  a  fifth  toe. 
His  chickens  inherit  the  same  peculiarity.  A  corres- 
pondent of  the  same  gentleman,  says,  "  I  had  a  cock 
of  the  golden  Polish  variety  that  lost  two  of  his  claws 
by  accident,  and  in  their  place  two  smaller  joints  grew 
from  the  end  of  each  toe,  both  provided  with  little 
claws.  This  became  hereditary,  for  next  season  there 
were  two  chicks  hatched,  both  having  the  aforesaid  pecu- 
liarity." Analogous  instances  may  be  seen  in  museums, 
of  lizards  with  two  tails  ;  the  original  single  one  hav- 
ing been  lost  by  accident,  two  grew  in  its  place. 

Could  we  analyse  the  migrations  of  our  own  species 
from  clime  to  clime :  could  we  trace  the  progress  of 


14  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

the  human  swarms  which  in  the  obscurity  of  time 
have  successively  advanced  from  various  points,  spread- 
ing as  they  have  proceeded,  sometimes  mingling  with 
other  nations,  sometimes  driving  the  older  occupants  of 
the  land  before  them ;  could  we  develop  the  history  of 
man,  the  relationship  of  race  to  race,  and  point  out 
their  original  seats  and  starting  places,  then  might  we 
be  able  to  throw  a  clearer  light  on  the  history  of  our 
domestic  animals  ;  but  I  will  now  maintain  unhesi- 
tatingly, that  it  was  not  man  nor  his  domestication, 
nor  any  inherent  tendency  in  the  creatures  themselves, 
that  gave  feathered  crests  to  the  Poland  fowl,  dwarfed 
the  Bantam,  expanded  the  Dorking,  enlarged  the  Malay 
and  Cochin- China  fowl,  inspired  courage  to  the  game- 
cock, nor  made  the  hen,  next  to  woman,  the  most 
exemplary  of  mothers ;  unless  we  believe  it  was  man 
who  arranged  the  strata  in  the  ribs  of  the  earth,  and 
prescribed  to  the  sea  its  everchanging  boundaries. 
Man  is  powerful  to  have  dominion  ;  G-od  alone  is  potent 
to  create — His  Providence  to  overrule.  Not  by  man, 
nor  chance,  nor  by  generative  force  of  an  idol  called 
Nature,  have  the  things  which  we  see,  and  the  diver- 
sities in  our  living  fellow  creatures,  been  brought  about. 
No  ;  most  thankfully,  no  !  Then  would  matters  have 
been  far  less  harmoniously,  far  less  benignantly 
arranged.  It  is  our  greatest  consolation  to  feel  assured 
that  all  the  physical  changes  which  this  earth  has 
undergone,  and  every  renovation  of  its  inhabitants, 
has  been  from  the  beginning  foreordained  by  that  All- 
wise  and  All-powerful  Being,  in  whose  presence  the 
best  and  greatest  of  us  would  be  crushed  into  nothing- 
ness, did  we  not,  to  our  comfort,  believe  that  He  is  not 
the  Creator  merely,  but  the  Father  and  Protector  of 
every  animated  creature.  "  These  wait  all  upon  Thee, 
that  Thou  mayest  give  them  meat  in  due  season.  When 
Thou  givest  it  them,  they  gather  it,  and  when  Thou 
openest  thy  hand,  they  are  filled  with  good.  When 
Thou  hidest  Thy  face,  they  are  troubled.  When  Thou 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  15 

takest  away  their  breath  they  die,  and  are  turned  again 
to  their  dust." — Dixon. 


GEOGRAPHICAL   DISTRIBUTION. 

IN  a  wild  state,  the  species  of  the  genus  gallus  are 
at  present  restricted  to  India,  Malaya,  Sumatra,  Java, 
and  perhaps  other  islands  of  the  neighboring  groups,  as 
well  as  those  scattered  over  the  vast  Pacific.  How  far 
to  the  west,  in  remote  ages,  some  of  these  species  may 
have  spread,  we  know  not ;  some  may  have  been  dis- 
tributed from  India  through  Persia,  even  to  Mingrelia 
and  Georgia,  anciently  Colchis,  whence  the  Greeks 
derived  the  pheasant,  which  they  found  on  the  banks 
of  the  Phasis. 

Oliver  de  Serres,  on  his  return  from  a  first  voyage  to 
Guiana,  in  1795,  published  a  note  on  the  subject  of 
the  wild  cock  and  hen  of  that  country,  which  he  had 
every  reason  to  believe  were  indigenous.  "  In  travel- 
ling over  the  gloomy  and  inextricable  forests  of  Gui- 
ana," says  he,  "  when  the  dawn  of  day  began  to 
appear,  amidst  the  immense  woods  of  lofty  trees,  which 
fall  under  the  stroke  of  time  only,  I  had  often  heard  a 
crowing  similar  to  that  of  our  cocks,  but  only  weaker. 
The  considerable  distance  which  separated  me  from 
every  inhabited  place,  could  not  allow  one  to  think  this 
crowing  was  produced  by  domesticated  birds  ;  and  the 
natives  of  those  parts,  who  were  in  company  with  me, 
assured  me  it  was  the  voice  of  wild  cocks.  Every  one 
of  the  colony  of  Cayenne,  who  have  gone  very  far  up 
the  country,  give  the  same  account  of  the  fact.  Some 
have  met  with  a  few  of  these  wild  fowls,  and  I  have 
seen  one  myself.  They  have  the  same  forms,  the 
fleshy  comb  on  the  head,  the  gait  of  our  fowls,  only 
they  are  smaller,  being  hardly  larger  than  the  common 
pigeon ;  their  plumage  is  brown,  or  rufous." 

In  a  domestic  state,  next  to  the  dog,  the  fowl  has 
been  the  most  constant  attendant  upon  man  in  his 


16  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

migrations  and  his  occupation  of  strange  lands.  The 
carniverous  diet  of  the  dog  is  one  main  cause  of  this 
pre-eminence.  But  search  where  you  will,  except  in 
the  very  highest  latitudes,  you  will  find  in  New  Zea- 
land, Australia,  the  American  continents,  the  West 
Indies,  and  in  islands  innumerable,  fowls  sharing  in 
the  possession  and  settlement  obtained  by  man.  As 
we  approach  the  poles,  difficulties  arise  in  the  way  of 
their  further  companionship.  In  Greenland,  they  are 
occasionally  kept  only  as  curiosities  and  rarities.  And 
Sir  Wm.  Hooker  tells  us  that  poultry  of  all  kinds  is 
quite  unknown  to  the  Icelanders,  except  that  a  few  are 
now  and  then  conveyed  to  the  country  by  the  Danes, 
who  are  obliged  at  the  same  time  to  bring  with  them 
a  sufficient  supply  of  necessary  food,  ihat  is,  grain,  for 
their  support,  of  which  the  island  furnishes  none. 
Fowls,  however,  would  get  on  very  well  with  a  fish 
and  meat  diet  with  grass  and  vegetables,  assisted  by 
a  little  imported  corn,  were  there  sufficient  induce- 
ment to  make  the  inhabitants  take  pains  about  their 
maintenance. 

But  the  most  mysterious,  though  not  the  most 
ungenial  localities  in  which  fowls  have  hitherto  been 
found  are  the  islands  scattered  over  the  vast  Pacific 
Ocean.  How  they  got  there  is  as  great  or  a  greater 
puzzle  than  to  divine  the  origin  of  their  human  popula- 
tion. The  earliest  discoverers  found  the  people  to  be 
possessed  of  pigs,  dogs,  and  fowls,  all  domesticated  for 
the  sake  of  being  eaten. 

The  domestic  fowl  was  found  in  the  Sandwich 
Islands  by  their  first  discoverer,  although  seldom  used 
by  the  natives  as  an  article  of  food  ;  and,  according  to 
tradition,  it  has  existed  there  as  long  as  the  people, 
and  it  is  supposed  they  came  there  with  the  first  colo- 
nists by  whom  these  islands  were  settled,  or  that  they 
were  created  by  Taarva,  at  the  same  time  that  their 
men  were  supposed  to  have  been  made. 

This  account  would  assign  an  unfathomable  anti- 
quity to  the  domestication  of  fowls,  confirmed  bv  the 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  17 

following  legend : — Among  the  many  traditionary 
accounts  of  the  origin  of  the  island  and  its  inhabitants, 
was  one,  that  in  former  times,  when  there  was  nothing 
but  sea,  an  immense  bird  settled  on  the  water  and 
laid  an  egg,  which  soon  bursting,  produced  Hawaii. 
Shortly  after  this,  a  man  and  woman,  with  a  hog  and 
a  dog,  arid  a  pair  of  fowls,  arrived  in  a  canoe  from  the 
Society  Islands,  took  up  their  abode  in  the  eastern 
shores,  and  were  the  progenitors  of  the  present  inha- 
bitants. 

Captain  Cook  found  fowls  on  islands  that  had  never 
before  been  visited  by  civilized  man,  and  the  very  wide 
range  over  which  they  are  distributed,  precludes  the 
supposition  of  their  having  been  introduced  by  Tasman 
or  any  of  the  other  early  voyagers.  "  There  is  only 
one  tame  species  of  birds,  properly  speaking,"  says  his 
journalist,  "  in  the  tropical  isles  of  the  South  Sea, 
namely,  the  common  cock  and  hen.  They  are  numer- 
ous at  Easter  Island,  where  they  are  the  only  domes- 
tic animals  ;  they  are  likewise  in  great  plenty  in  the 
Society  Isles  and  Friendly  Isles,  at  which  last  place 
they  are  of  a  prodigious  size  ;  they  are  also  not  uncom- 
mon at  the  Marquesas,  Hebrides,  and  New  Caledonia ; 
but  the  low  isles,  and  those  of  the  temperate  zone,  are 
quite  destitute  of  them." 

The  pigs  of  that  quarter  have  been  affirmed  to  differ 
specifically  from  our  own  domestic  breeds — less  has 
been  said  about  the  poultry.  It  appears  that  there  are 
different  varieties  in  the  different  islands,  some  of  very 
large  size.  Our  great  commercial  intercourse  with  the 
Pacific  makes  that  the  quarter  from  whence  our  impor- 
tations of  fowls  are  frequently  drawn,  either  as  curious 
specimens,  or  for  the  sake  of  improving  our  stock  ;  but 
it  would  certainly  be  interesting,  and  might  prove  use- 
ful, could  we  obtain  a  few  new  sorts,  such  as  the 
Friendly-Island  breed,  from  the  less  frequented  spots 
in  the  South  Seas.  Our  missionaries  in  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  Tahiti,  and  other  places,  might  surely  send  us 
a  few  cocks  and  hens  in  return  for  the  substantial 


18  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

benefits  the  inhabitants  of  those  islands  have  derived 
from  us.  And  should  this  little  book  ever  penetrate  so 
far  into  the  other  hemisphere,  let  it  persuade  the 
Sandwich  Islanders  to  preserve,  by  domestication,  and 
by  transmission  to  this  country,  a  stock  of  their  most 
interesting,  pretty,  and  unique  little  geese,  before  the 
race  is  quite  swept  out  of  existence. 


CLASSIFICATION. 

THE  correct  mode  of  classifying  domestic  fowls, 
doubtless  would  be  to  arrange  them  with  the  wild 
ones,  in  natural  order  and  sequence ;  but  in  the  pre- 
sent state  of  our  knowledge,  this  is  impossible,  except 
by  a  comparatively  unsatisfactory,  rough  approxima- 
tion. A  half  century  hence,  when  the  Indian  Archi- 
pelago and  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  shall  have  been 
more  fully  explored,  such  a  thing,  perhaps,  may  be 
successfully  attempted. 

It  is  evident,  that,  if  our  common  fowls  are  believed 
to  be  merely  altered  forms  of  one  or  two  wild  races, 
under  the  influence  of  altered  food  and  climate,  they 
must  be  arranged  on  different  principles  to  what  they 
would  be  if  we  allow  them  to  take  rank  as  original 
and  independent  varieties  or  species.  In  the  one  case, 
we  have  to  search  out  the  wild  bird  nearest  resembling 
any  one  domestic  breed,  and  form  our  series  from  that 
as  a  beginning,  as  well  as  we  can ;  in  the  other,  we 
have  to  become  well  acquainted  with  all  the  wild  and 
all  the  domestic  species  of  gallus,  and  then  arrange 
them  in  groups  or  in  a  continuous  line,  according  to 
their  resemblances  and  relationships,  without  any  refer- 
e'nce  to  the  circumstance  of  their  domestication  or  their 
untameability.  The  former  plan  can  be  carried  out 
by  a  little  theory  and  bold  guess  work ;  the  latter 
requires  industry,  accurate  observation,  and  opportu- 
nities which  few  individuals,  if  any,  have  at  present 
at  command.  In  the  meanwhile,  I  will  attempt  some- 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  19 

thing  like  an  artificial  arrangement,  which  may  afford 
a  temporary  assistance  to  the  fancier,  till  a  more  scien- 
tific scheme  is  worked  out  by  wiser  heads  than  my 
own.  Let  us  first  proceed,  then,  to  enumerate  the 
principal  species  known  to  exist  in  a  wild  state,  from 
which  it  is  any  way  probable  our  domestic  races 
were  derived. 


THE    JAVANESE   JUNGLE    FOWL. 

SYNONYMES. — Gallus  bankiva,  of  Temminck  ;  Jlyam-utan,  or  Brooga, 
of  the  Malays  ;  Javan  Cock,  of  Latham  ;  Bankiva  Fowl,  Javanese  Jungle 
Fowl,  Bankiva  Jungle  Fowl,  of  the  English  and  Anglo-Americans. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  found  wild  in  Java,  and  L 
about  equal  in  size  to  an  ordinary  Bantam — the  black- 
breasted,  red  varieties  of  which,  with  a  dark  steel-blue 
band  across  the  wings,  it  closely  resembles.  The  space 
round  the  eyes  and  the  throat  are  bare,  the  comb  is 
much  developed  and  deeply  serrated  along  the  upper 
ridge,  the  wattles  are  rather  large.  Long,  clear,  bril- 
liant, golden  orange  hackles,  (plumes,)  cover  the  neck 
and  rump.  The  upper  part  of  the  back,  over  which 
the  hackles  of  the  neck  are  continued,  is  bluish-black. 
The  middle  and  lesser  wing  coverts  are  of  a  rich  deep 


20  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

chestnut,  with  the  webs  of  the  feathers  disunited ; 
greater  coverts,  steel-blue  ;  secondaries,  also  steel-blue, 
with  a  border  of  chestnut.  The  quills  are  brownish- 
black,  edged  with  pale  reddish-yellow.  Tail  black, 
glossed  with  changeable  green  and  blue.  Breast  and 
under  parts  black.  Contour  very  graceful,  and  every 
action  animated  and  lively. 

"With  regard  to  the  Bankiva  jungle  fowl,  it  cannot 
be  doubted  that  it  is  the  main  source,  if  not  the  only 
one,  of  our  Bantam  breeds.  The  very  term  "Bantam" 
is  sufficient  to  establish  the  fact.  Bantam  is  the  name 
of  a  town  and  district  in  the  northwest  of  Java,  belong- 
ing at  present  to  the  Dutch.  The  town  is  now  fallen 
into  decay,  but  was  formerly  a  place  of  great  import- 
ance, and  still  boasts  of  a  governor,  whose  residence  is 
at  Sirang,  or  Ceram,  a  thriving  town  some  miles 
inland.  The  Portuguese,  who  visited  Java,  in  1511, 
carried  on  a  great  trade  from  Bantam  with  Hindoostan 
and  China,  chiefly  in  pepper.  In  1595,  the  Dutch 
established  themselves  at  Bantam,  and  in  1602,  the 
English  erected  a  factory  in  the  same  place,  which  was 
the  first  possession  of  the  English  in  the  East  Indies. 
Of  the  subsequent  predominance  of  the  power  of  the 
Dutch,  who  built  the  town  of  Batavia,  not  far  distant 
from  Bantam,  this  is  not  the  place  to  speak.  From 
this  statement,  however,  it  is  evident  that  the  beauti- 
ful Bankiva  jungle  fowls,  reclaimed  by  the  natives, 
and  sold  to  the  British,  at  Bantam,  while  their  factory 
was  established  there,  were  imported  into  England 
under  the  very  natural  appellation  of  Bantam  fowls. 
Their  elegance  and  diminutive  size  rendered  them 
favorites,  and  in  due  time  the  name,  belonging  exclu- 
sively to  these  birds,  came  to  be  conferred  on  all  small 
or  dwarf  fowls  indiscriminately,  whether  of  this  pure 
breed  or  otherwise.  The  domestic  Bantam  stock,  as 
every  one  knows,  breeds  freely  with  ordinary  fowls, 
the  mixed  offspring  being  intermediate  in  size  between 
their  parents  ;  and  that  the  Bankiva  jungle  fowl  will 
breed  with  our  domestic  Bantam  race,  and  with  other 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  21 

races,  the  progeny  being  fertile,  as  has  been  fully 
proved.  Such  birds  are  common  in  the  gardens  of  the 
London  Zoological  Society,  and  so  closely  do  the 
offspring  of  the  Bankiva  jungle  cock  and  a  brown  domes- 
tic Bantam  hen  resemble  the  wild,  or  original  breed, 
that  on  more  than  one  occasion  have  the  best  of  judges 
been  in  doubt ;  nor  is  this  to  be  wondered  at — as  on 
both  sides  was  the  lineage  the  same. 


SONNERAT'S  JUNGLE  FOWL. 

SYWONYMES. — Gallus  sonncratti,  of  Temminck  ;  Rahn  Komrah,  of  the 
Mahrattas  ;  Cog  sauvage,  of  Sonnerat ;  Jungle  Cock,  of  the  British 
Sportsmen  in  India  ;  Sonnerat's  Jungle  Fowl,  Stanley's  Jungle  Fowl,  of 
the  English  and  Anglo-Americans. 

The  size  of  the  male  of  this  species  is  intermediate 
between  that  of  the  Bantam  and  game  cock  ;  but 
the  general  contour  is  peculiarly  light  and  graceful, 
and  vigor  and  alertness  are  displayed  in  every  action. 
The  comb  is  large,  with  a  sub-serrated  ridge,  that  is, 
the  ridge  is  but  slightly  dentated,  in  comparison  with 
the  comb  of  the  Bankiva.  The  wattles  are  large  and 
double.  The  hackles  of  the  neck,  the  wing  coverts  on 
the  shoulders,  and  the  tail  coverts  are  dark-greyish, 
with  bright  golden  orange  shafts,  dilating  in  the  centre 


22  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL 

and  towards  the  tip  into  a  flat,  horny,  and  very  glossy 
plate.  In  some  of  these  feathers,  the  shaft  takes  an 
elliptical  or  oar- like  shape,  in  others  it  puts  on  the 
appearance  of  a  long  inverted  cone,  from  the  centre  of 
the  base  of  which  a  battledore-like  process  arises.  The 
effect  produced  by  this  expansion  of  the  shafts  is  at 
once  singular  and  exquisitely  beautiful.  The  feathers 
of  the  middle  of  the  back,  breast,  belly,  and  thighs, 
are  of  a  deep  rich  grey,  with  paler  shafts  and  edges. 
The  tail  is  of  a  deep,  rich,  refulgent  green,  but  the 
feathers  which  immediately  succeed  the  hackles  of  the 
lower  part  of  the  back,  and  lie  against  the  sides  of  the 
tail,  are  rich  purple  with  a  pale-yellow  edge  ;  those 
next  in  succession  are  golden-green,  with  grey  edges, 
and  all  are  glossed  with  brilliant  metallic  reflections ; 
bill,  legs,  and  toes  yellowish.  When  seen  in  a  bright 
sunlight,  the  plumage  of  this  elegant  bird  glitters  like 
gold,  and  presents  a  most  rich  appearance. 

The  female  is  generally  described  as  destitute  of 
those  expanded  ornaments  to  the  hackles  and  wing 
coverts,  which  are  so  conspicuous  in  the  male.  She  is 
less  than  the  cock  by  about  a  third,  without  comb  or 
wattles,  but  a  trace  of  nakedness  round  the  eye. 
Plumage  without  the  horny  structure  which  distin- 
guishes that  of  the  male.  Upper  parts  uniform  brown  ; 
neck  feathers  with  dark  edges  ;  those  of  the  back  and 
wing  coverts  with  a  pale  streak  along  the  shaft ;  and 
those  of  the  wings,  tail  coverts,  and  tail,  waved  and 
mottled  with  darker  pencillings  ;  throat  and  front  of  the 
neck  white  ;  feathers  of  the  rest  of  the  lower  parts 
greyish— white,  edged  with  dark-brown ;  legs  bluish- 
grey. 

Under  the  term  "  Sonnerat's  jungle  fowl,"  two 
species  of  jungle  fowl  appear  to  have  been  confounded 
together — at  least,  by  most  naturalists — although  there 
can  be  no  doubt  of  their  real  distinctness.  Colonel 
Sykes,  speaking  in  reference  to  the  Gallus  sonneratii^ 
says:  "Very  abundant  in  the  woods  of  the  Western 
Grhauts,  where  there  are  either  two  species,  or  two 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  23 

'very  strongly  marked  varieties.  In  the  valleys,  at 
2,000  feet  above  the  sea,  Sonnerat's  species  is  found 
slender,  standing  high  on  the  legs,  and  with  the  yellow 
cartilaginous  spots  on  the  feathers  even  in  the  female. 
In  the  belts  of  wood  on  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  at 
4,000  feet  above  the  sea,  there  is  a  short-legged  variety. 
The  male  has  a  great  deal  of  red  in  his  plumage,  which 
Sonnerat's  has  not  ;  the  female  is  of  a  reddish-brown 
color,  and  is  without  cartilaginous  spots  at  all." 

Sonnerat's  jungle  fowl,  the  jungle  cock  of  the 
British,  is  noted  for  its  prowess  and  resolution,  inso- 
much that  it  is  anxiously  sought  after  by  the  cock 
fighters  in  Hindoostan,  who  rely  on  it  for  victory  when 
pitted  against  larger  game  cocks.  It  does  not  appear, 
however,  that  the  Mussulman  cock  fighters  breed  this 
bird  in  its  purity  ;  they  seek  after  the  wild  birds, 
which  soon  become  tame. 

In  general  habits  and  manners,  the  jungle  fowl 
resemble  their  domestic  relatives  ;  the  cock  proudly 
leads  his  train  of  females,  and  vigilantly  watches  over 
their  safety.  On  being  suddenly  disturbed  the  troop 
scatters  in  all  directions,  seeking  safety  under  covert 
of  the  dense  brushwood.  In  spots  where  they  are 
numerous,  the  challenging  of  the  cocks  to  each  other 
may  be  heard  on  every  side  around,  and  yet  such  is 
their  cunning,  and  keenness  of  sight,  that  ihe  sports- 
man, unless  he  is  well  acquainted  with  their  habits, 
is  often  disappointed  in  his  attempts  to  get  a  fair  shot. 

Sonnerat  and  many  other  naturalists  have  contended, 
that,  to  this  species  alone  are  our  breeds  of  domestic 
fowls  to  be  traced.  Most  probable,  notwithstanding 
the  peculiarity  of  the  plumage,  and  the  circumstance 
of  the  throat  of  the  female  being  covered  with  feathers, 
instead  of  being  naked  and  wattled,  it  has  intermingled 
with  other  breeds,  or  contributed  to  improve  them — 
and  among  them  may  be  enumerated  the  high-spirited 
game  fowls  kept  for  fighting  by  the  Mussulmans  of 
India,  and  which  have  been  long  celebrated ;  but  it 
cannot  be  admitted  that  Sonnerat's  jungle  fowl  is  the 


24  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

sole  origin  of  the  domestic  race.  The  Bankiva 
and  the  great  Malay  present  stronger  claims  to  our 
notice,  nor  can  we  doubt  they  contribute  the  ground- 
work of  some  of  our  most  remarkable  varieties. 
Those  writers,  who,  by  a  pleasant  legerdemain,  so 
easily  transform  one  of  the  wild  Indian  cocks  into  a 
barn-door  fowl — who  put  the  jungle  cock,  the  Bankiva 
cock,  or  the  gigantic  jago  bird  under  a  bushel,  hocus 
pocus  a  little,  lift  up  the  cover,  and  then  exhibit  a 
veritable  chanticleer — write  as  if  they  had  only  to 
catch  a  wild  bird  in  the  woods,  turn  it  into  the  yard 
for  three  or  four  weeks,  and  make  it  straightway 
become  as  tame  as  a  spaniel.  On  such  a  notion  com- 
ment is  now  supererogatory. 

There  are  several  other  species  of  jungle  fowl,  to 
which  I  shall  here  only  briefly  allude,  as  they  are 
not  likely  to  have  contributed  to  the  establishment  of 
the  domestic  race.  One  of  these  is  the  "  bronzed 
cock"  of  Sumatra,  (Gallus  cenus^)  a  fine  species,  remark- 
able for  a  large  comb,  smooth  along  the  ridge.  The 
neck  is  not  covered  with  true  hackles.  Another  is  the 
"Ayam-alas  jungle  fowl  or  fork-tailed  cock  of  Java 
(Gallus  fur  catus).  This  species  has  no  true  hackles 
on  the  neck,  and  the  throat  is  adorned  with  a  single 
large  wattle  only,  springing  from  a  central  line.  An 
intermediate  form  between  the  genera  phasianus  and 
gallus,  is  presented  by  the  fire-backed  pheasant  of 
Sumatra  (Euplocamus  Ignitus).  It  is  a  very  splen- 
did bird,  and  might  perhaps  be  domesticated. 

So  much,  then,  for  the  remote  history  of  the  domes- 
tic fowl,  as  far  as  obscure  hints,  notices,  or  delineations 
enable  us  to  decipher  it ;  and  it  has  been  shown  to 
what  wild  species  its  origin  is,  in  all  probability,  to  be 
attributed.  It  is  evidently  the  oldest,  and  perhaps  the 
most  important  of  man's  acquisitions  from  among  the 
feathered  tribes,  its  flesh  and  its  eggs  being  in  all  coun- 
tries regarded  partly  as  delicacies  always  acceptable, 
and  partly  as  staple  articles  of  food,  at  once  nutritious 
and  digestible.  That  a  bird  which  has  passed  in  a 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  25 

domestic  state  generation  after  generation  for  several 
thousand  years,  in  one  country  or  another,  should  have 
branched  out  into  many  varieties,  will  not  be  surpris- 
ing— perhaps  rather  it  is  surprising  that  it  has  not 
undergone  more  changes.  The  varieties,  however,  are 
sufficiently  numerous,  every  country  having  some  pecu- 
liar to  itself,  and  every  breeder  founding  crosses  accord- 
ing to  his  own  fancy — to  say  nothing  of  those  resulting 
from  accidental  intermixture  in  Europe  and  in  our 
own  country.  It  is  to  the  principal  of  these  varie- 
ties only,  in  their 

VALUE  IN  AN  ECONOMICAL  POINT  OF  VIEW, 

that  I  shall  pay  any  further  attention ;  nor  from  the 
limits  of  this  little  treatise,  shall  I  be  able  to  dwell  at 
much  length  upon  them  at  that. 

In  the  size  of  our  domestic  fowls ;  in  the  color  and 
quality  of  their  skin  and  plumage ;  in  the  form  of  the 
tail,  or  its  utter  absence  ;  in  the  form  of  the  comb  ; 
in  the  presence  or  absence  of  a  plume  or  crest  on  the 
head  ;  in  the  number  of  the  toes  ;  in  disposition  ;  and 
in  the  qualities  of  the  hens  as  layers  or  sitters,  differ- 
ences more  or  less  striking  are  universally  to  be  found. 
Yet,  amidst  all  these  modifications,  the  characters  of 
the  genus  are  rigidly  preserved. 

Let  us  take,  then,  the  serrated  upright  fleshy  comb, 
to  be  the  typical  distinction  of  the  cock — a  feature 
which  Aristotle  has  pointedly  indicated,  as  well  as 
Columella  and  others  of  more  modern  date.  The  sickle 
feathers  of  the  tail  are  perhaps  equally  characteristic 
of  the  genus,  but  they  differ  little  in  the  respective 
varieties.  Neither  mark  nor  distinction  has,  it  is  true, 
any  functional  office  in  the  organization  of  the  animal ; 
but  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  one  which  had.  In  the 
Spanish  fowl,  the  comb  is  more  developed  than  in  any 
other  breed  ;  we  will  therefore  take  that  bird  as  our 
type,  and  suggest,  with  diffidence,  the  following  pro 
tempore  arrangement : — 
2 


26  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL 


Q 

THE    SPANISH    FOWL. 


SYICOHTMIS.— Gattut  gallinaceus,  of  Naturalists  ;  Gallo  andaluz,  of  the 
Spaniards  ;  Minorcas,  in  North  Devon,  in  England  ;  Portugal  Fowl, 
Spanish  Fowl,  Black  Spanish  Fowl,  of  the  English  and  Anglo-Americans. 

This  is  a  noble  race  of  fowls,  possessing  many 
great  merits ;  of  spirited  and  animated  appearance,  of 
considerable  size,  excellent  for  the  table,  both  in  white- 
ness of  flesh  and  skin,  and  also  in  flavor,  being  juicy 
and  tender,  and  laying  exceedingly  large  eggs,  in  con- 
siderable numbers.  Amongst  birds  of  its  own  breed, 
it  is  not  deficient  in  courage  ;  though  it  yields  without 
showing  much  fight  to  those  which  have  a  dash  of 
game  blood  in  their  veins.  It  should  be  a  general  favorite 
in  all  large  cities,  for  the  additional  advantage  that  no 
soil  of  smoke  or  dirt  is  apparent  on  its  plumage. 

The  thorough-bred  birds  of  the  fancy  should  be 
entirely  black,  as  far  as  feathers  are  concerned,  and 
when  in  high  condition  display  a  greenish  metallic 
lustre.  The  combs  of  both  cock  and  hen  are  exceed- 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  &1 

ingly  large,  of  a  vivid  and  most  brilliant  scarlet,  that  of 
the  hen  drooping  over  on  one  side.  Their  most  singular 
feature  is  a  large  white  patch,  or  ear  lobe,  on  the 
cheek,  of  a  fleshy  substance,  similar  to  the  wattles, 
which  are  small  in  the  hens,  but  large  and  very  con- 
spicuous in  the  cocks.  This  marked  contrast  of  black, 
bright-red,  and  white,  makes  the  head  of  the  Spanish 
cock  as  handsome  as  that  of  any  other  variety ;  and 
in  the  genuine  breed,  the  whole  form  is  equally  good ; 
but  the  scraggy,  long-legged,  mis-shapen  mongrels 
are  often  met  with  enough  to  throw  discredit  on  the 
whole  race.  Some  birds  are  occasionly  produced 
handsomely  streaked  with  red  on  the  hackles  and 
back.  This  is  no  proof  of  bad  breeding,  if  other  points 
are  right. 

Spanish  hens  are  also  of  large  size  and  good  figure, 
and  are  celebrated  as  good  layers,  producing  very  large, 
quite  white  eggs,  of  a  peculiar  shape,  being  very  thick 
at  both  ends,  and  yet  tapering  off  a  little  at  each. 
They  are  by  no  means  good  mothers  of  families,  even 
when  they  do  sit,  which  they  will  not  often  condescend 
to  do,  proving  very  careless,  and  frequently  trampling 
half  their  brood  underfoot.  But  the  inconveniences  of 
this  habit  are  easily  obviated  by  causing  the  eggs  to 
be  hatched  by  some  more  motherly  hen. 

It  has  been  noticed  that  this  variety  of  fowl  fre- 
quently loses  nearly  all  the  feathers  on  the  body, 
besides  the  usual  quantity  on  the  neck,  wings,  and 
tail ;  and  if  they  moult  late,  and  the  weather  is  severe, 
they  feel  it  much.  Nothing  else  can  reasonably  be 
expected  to  take  place  with  an  "  everlasting  layer." 
It  often  happens  to  the  Gruinea  fowl  ;  and  the  reason 
of  it  is  plain.  If  the  system  of  a  bird  is  exhausted  by 
the  unremitting  production  of  eggs,  it  cannot  contain 
within  itself  the  wherewithal  to  supply  the  growth  of 
feathers.  The  stream  that  will  fill  but  one  channel 
cannot  be  made  to  keep  two  at  high-water  mark  ;  and 
therefore,  Mr.  Leonard  Barber,  an  English  author, 
justly  observes  :  "  With  regard  to  an  anxiety  about 


m 


28  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

their  constant  laying,  in  my  opinion  nature  ought  not 
to  be  forced,  as  it  requires  a  rest."  But  some  people 
think  it  cannot  be  right  if  their  hens  do  not  lay  every 
day. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  they  would  readily  become 
acclimatized  in  the  northern  part  of  the  United  States, 
for  continued  frost,  at  any  time,  much  injures  their 
combs  ;  frequently  causing  mortification  in  the  end, 
which  has  terminated  in  death.  A  warm  poultry 
house,  high  feeding,  and  care  that  the  birds  do  not 
remain  too  long  exposed  to  severe  weather,  are  the 
best  means  of  preventing  this  disfigurement. 

The  chicks  are  large,  as  would  be  expected  from 
such  eggs,  entirely  shining  black,  except  a  pinafore  of 
white  on  the  breast,  and  a  slight  sprinkling  under  the 
chin,  with  sometimes  also  a  little  white  round  the  beak 
and  eyes  ;  legs  and  feet  black.  They  do  not  get  perfectly 
feathered  till  they  are  three  fourths  grown  ;  and,  there- 
fore, to  have  these  birds  come  to  perfection,  it  is  pre- 
ferable to  have  them  hatched  early  in  spring,  so  that 
they  may  get  well  covered  with  plumage  before  the 
cold  autumnal  rain&. 

The  black,  however,  is  not  the  only  valuable  race 
of  Spanish  fowls,  although  certain  London  dealers, 
who  have  no  right  to  offer  an  opinion,  if  they  do  not 
choose  to  give  information  on  the  subject,  presume  to 
affirm  that  there  can  be  no  such  breed  as  "  speckled 
Spanish,"  it  being  characteristic  of  that  breed  to  be 
perfectly  black.  Still  there  are  some  breeds,  in  Spain, 
closely  allied  to  these,  which  are  of  a  blue,  grey,  or  a 
slaty  color.  Their  growth  is  so  rapid,  and  their  even- 
tual size  so  large,  that  they  are  remarkably  slow  in 
obtaining  their  feathers.  Although  well  covered  with 
down  when  first  hatched,  they  look  almost  naked  when 
half-grown,  and  should,  therefore,  be  hatched  as  early 
in  the  spring  as  possible. 

The  cross  between  the  pheasant-Malay  and  the 
Spanish  produces  a  particularly  handsome  fowl,  and 
probably  very  much  resembling  the  old  Hispanic  type.. 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 


THE    DORKING    FOWL.* 

SYNONTMES. —  GaUus  pentadactylus  (?),  Temminck  ;  Le  Coq  et  la  Poule 
d  cinq  doigts  (?),  of  Buffon  ;  Das  Funfzehiger  Huhn  (?),  of  Bechstein  ; 
Dorkings,  Speckled  Dorkings,  of  the  English  and  Anglo-Americans. 

For  those  who  wish  to  stock  their  poultry  yards 
with  fowls  of  most  desirable  shape  and  size,  clothed  in 
rich  and  variegated  plumage,  and,  not  expecting  per- 
fection, are  willing  to  overlook  one  or  two  other  points, 
the  Dorkings  are  the  breed,  above  all  others  to  be 
selected.  They  are  larger-bodied,  and  of  better  pro- 
portions, according  to  their  size,  than  any  other  variety 
1  have  yet  seen,  their  bodies  being  rather  long,  plump, 
and  well-fleshed ;  and  the  breeder,  as  well  as  the 
housewife,  generally  beholds  with  delight  their  short 
legs,  full,  broad  breasts,  little  waste  in  offal,  and  the 

*  So  called  from  Dorking,  a  town  in  Surrey,  England,  which  brought  them 
into  modern  repute. 


30  TIIK    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

large  quantity  of  good  profitable  flesh,  the  flavor  and 
appearance  of  which  is  inferior  to  none. 

The  cocks  are  magnificent.  The  most  gorgeous 
hues  are  frequently  lavished  upon  ihem,  which  their 
large  size  and  peculiarly  square-built  form  display  to 
great  advantage.  The  original  Dorkings  are  said  to 
have  been  white,  but  such  are  now  seldom  to  be  seen. 
During  all  my  rambles,  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
only  on  one  or  two  occasions  did  I  meet  with  pure- 
white  birds.  In  all,  however,  as  far  as  my  knowledge 
extended,  when  pure-blooded,  more  or  less  white  pre- 
vailed ;  but  the  cloudings,  and  markings  of  the  plumage 
were  unlimited.  Many  were  marked  with  bands,  or 
bars,  of  ashy-grey,  running  into  each  other  at  their 
paler  margins.  Some  had  the  hackles  of  the  neck 
white,  with  a  tinge  of  yellow,  and  the  body  of  a  darker 
or  brownish-red,  intermixed  irregularly  with  white  ; 
while  others  were  beautifully  variegated  with  white, 
black,  green,  and  brown,  or  were  nearly  uniform  in 
their  shades  from  a  light-cream  color  to  almost  black. 

Both  the  cocks  and  the  hens  are  usually  short- 
legged,  thickly-feathered,  having  fine,  delicate  heads, 
with  single,  double,  or  large,  flat  rose-like  combs, 
which,  when  they  are  in  high  health,  adds  very  much 
to  their  appearance,  particularly  if  seen  in  the  bright 
rays  of  the  sun.  Their  legs  are  invariably  white,  or 
flesh-colored,  each  often  armed  with  one  or  more  toe-like 
claws  ;  and,  instead  of  four  toes  to  each  foot,  a  fifth 
one  protrudes  from  the  same  root  as  the  heel  toe  in 
the  common  varieties,  which  is  generally  regarded  as 
a  distinguishing  mark  of  the  breed. 

The  weight  of  the  Dorkings,  at  maturity,  varies 
from  five  to  eight  pounds,  and  full-grown  capons  have 
been  known  to  weigh  ten  or  twelve.  Their  eggs  are 
usually  of  a  clear  white,  but  sometimes  of  an  ashy- 
grey  color,  rather  large  in  size,  very  much  rounded 
at  both  ends,  and  of  an  excellent  flavor.  The  hens 
are  not  "  everlasting  layers,"  although  they  produce 
eggs  in  reasonable  abundance,  but  at  due  or  convenient 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  31 

intervals  they  manifest  a  desire  to  sit,  in  which  they 
often  most  strenuously  persevere.  In  this  respect, 
they  are  steady  and  good  mothers  when  the  little  ones 
appear.  They  are  better  adapted  than  any  other  fowl, 
except  the  great  Malay,  to  hatch  superabundant  tur 
key's  eggs.  Their  size  and  bulk  enable  them  to  afford 
warmth  and  shelter  to  the  turkey  poults  for  a  long 
time.  For  the  same  reason,  spare  goose  eggs  may 
safely  be  entrusted  to  their  motherly  care.  Their 
young,  in  this  country,  have  thus  far  proved  very 
hardy  and  easy  to  rear.  The  chicks  are  generally 
brownish-yellow,  with  a  broad,  brown  stripe  down  the 
middle  of  the  back,  and  a  narrow  one  on  each  side. 

Although  pure-bred  Dorkings  are  still  deservedly  in 
high  repute,  a  cross  is  generally  regarded  more  profit- 
able than  the  true  breed.  A  showy,  energetic  game 
cock,  with  Dorking  hens,  produces  chickens,  in  size 
and  beauty  little  inferior  to  their  maternal  parentage, 
and  more  robust.  This  race  has  the  peculiarity  in  hav- 
ing a  supernumerary  toe  on  each  foot,  and,  as  has 
already  been  said,  often  one  or  more  toe-like  protrusions 
above  their  heels  resembling  claws.  These  charac- 
teristics almost  always  disappear  with  the  first  or 
second  cross  ;  and  as  they  are  points  that  can  well  be 
spared  without  any  disadvantage,  it  is  now  a  common 
practice,  in  England,  thus  to  breed  them  off.  The 
first  cross  produces  a  fine  bird,  which  is  large,  though 
less  prolific  ;  but  if  the  mongrel  progeny  be  crossed 
with  each  other,  they  soon  dwindle  to  nothing.  There- 
fore, one  has  no  further  guarantee  of  the  cross  breed 
being  good  further  than  the  first  result. 

The  Dorking  breed,  more  or  less  crossed,  or  at  least 
a  race  nearly  allied  to  them,  is  to  be  found  in  Sussex, 
England,  the  bodies  of  which  are  more  elongated  than 
in  the  Dorkings,  and  many  of  them  have  five  toes. 
They  are  represented  as  very  fine,  and  worthy  of  a 
trial  in  the  United  States.  The  "  Old  Sussex,"  or 
Kent  variety,  is  closely  related  to  these,  if  not  abso- 
lutely identical. 


32  .'    «*•;.-  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

It  is  a  question  how  the  variety  known  in  England 
under  the  name  of  "  speckled  Dorkings,"  was  iirst 
produced.  Some  maintain  that  the  pure- white  Dork- 
ings are  the  original  breed  with  five  toes,  and  that  the 
speckled  Dorking  is  a  recent  and  improved  cross,  by 
which  the  size  was  much  increased,  between  the  ori- 
ginal white  breed  and  the  Malay,  or  some  other  large 
fowl.  From  this  opinion,  I  must  entirely  dissent,  on 
the  ground  of  strong,  though  not  absolutely  conclusive, 
evidence  to  the  contrary.  It  seems  to  me  that  Colu- 
mella's  favorite  sort  of  hen  could  not  differ  much  from 
the  speckled  Dorkings,  as  they  at  present  exist.  He 
says :  "  Let  them  be  of  a  reddish  or  dark  plumage, 
and  with  black  wings.  *  *  *  *  *  Let  the 
breeding  hens,  therefore,  be  of  a  choice  color,  a  robust 
body,  square-built,  full-breasted,  with  large  heads,  with 
upright  and  bright-red  combs.  *  *  *  *  *  Those 
are  believed  to  be  the  best  bred  which  have  five  toes." 
Except  that  there  is  no  mention  of  speckles,  (and  he 
never  describes  minute  markings,)  the  whole  descrip- 
tion almost  exactly  tallies  with  our  birds  of  the  present 
day.  Pliny's  account,  also,  agrees  with  this  :  "  Supe- 
riority of  breed  in  hens  is  denoted  by  an  upright  comb, 
sometimes  double,  black  wings,  ruddy  visage,  and  an 
odd  number  of  toes."  It  appears  that  Columella  had 
the  white  sort,  but  he  rejected  them ;  for  he  advises : 
"  Let  the  white  ones  be  avoided,  for  they  are  generally 
both  tender  and  less  vivacious,  and  also  are  not  found 
to  be  prolific,"  faults  which  are  still  attributed  to  them 
by  some.  I  cannot,  therefore,  avoid  believing,  that,  from 
the  robust  dark-colored,  five-toed  fowl,  white  indivi- 
duals have  been  from  time  to  time  produced  and  propa- 
gated, exactly  as  we  see  in  other  species  of  gallinaceous 
birds  that  have  long  been  in  domestication — pea  fowls, 
turkeys,  and  Guinea  fowls,  for  instance.  I  think, 
also,  that  there  is  no  instance  of  any  white  species  of 
cocks  and  hens  having  been  found  wild ;  which  is  some 
argument  that  dark  and  gaudy  colors  are  the  hues 
originally  characteristic  of  the  genus. 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  33 

The  first  Dorkings  brought  into  the  United  States, 
were  introduced  in  about  the  year  1840.  by  L.  F.  Allen, 
of  Black  Rock,  New  York,  and  Dr.  Eben  Wight,  of 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  both  of  whom  continue  to  breed 
them  in  their  utmost  purity.  Other  importations  have 
since  been  made  by  Mr.  Rotch,  of  Butternuts,  and 
Messrs.  Chadwick  and  Beach,  of  the  city  of  New  York. 


THE    COCHIN-CHINA    FOWL. 

SYNONYMES — Gallus  giganteus  (var.  ?),  of  Temminck  ;  Cochin-China 
Fowl,  Ostrich  Fowl,  of  the  English  and  Aiiglo- Americans. 

Whether  the  breed  now  under  consideration  did 
really  come  from  Cochin-China  or  not,  is  probably 
known  only  to  the  party  who  imported  them,  if  to  him. 
But  from  whatever  oriental  region  derived,  it  is  a  valu- 
able variety  for  some  purposes,  and  the  only  fear  is, 
that  statements  of  its  merits  have  been  set  forth  so 
2* 


34  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

highly  exaggerated,  that  they  must  lead  to  disappoint- 
ment, and  cause  the  breed  to  be  as  much  undeservedly 
underrated,  as  it  had  been  before  foolishly  extolled. 
The  size  and  weight  ascribed  to  them,  too,  are  enor- 
mous. To  give  an  idea  of  their  height  and  magnitude, 
they  have  been  styled  the  "  ostrich  fowl."  This  is  an 
old,  but  very  bad  system  of  giving  names,  to  affix  that 
of  some  other  animal,  indicating  certain  supposed 
qualities ;  for  such  appellations  are  apt  to  induce 
notions  of  relationship,  or  hybridity,  which  are  not  easily 
removed  from  the  minds  of  the  many. 

The  Cochin- China  cock  has  a  large,  upright,  single, 
deeply-indented  comb,  very  much  resembling  that  of 
the  black  Spanish,  and  when  in  high  condition  of  quite 
as  brilliant  a  scarlet;  like  him,  also,  he  has  a  very 
large,  white  ear  lobe  on  each  cheek.  The  wattles  are 
large,  wide,  and  pendant.  The  legs  are  of  a  pale-flesh 
color.  The  feathers  on  the  breast  and  sides  are  of  a 
bright  chestnut-brown,  large  and  well  denned,  giving 
a  scaly  or  imbricated  appearance  to  those  parts.  In 
some  birds,  there  is  a  horse-shoe  marking  on  the  breast, 
caused  by  a  darker  shade,  and  which  increases,  and 
perhaps  comes,  with  age.  The  hackle  of  the  neck  is 
of  a  light  yellowish-brown  ;  the  lower  feathers  being 
tipped  with  dark-brown,  so  as  to  give  a  spotted  appear- 
ance to  the  neck.  The  tail  feathers  are  black,  and 
darkly  iridescent ;  back,  scarlet-orange  ;  back  hackle, 
yellow-orange.  It  is,  in  short,  altogether  a  flame- 
colored  bird.  Both  sexes  are  lower  in  the  leg  than 
either  the  black  Spanish  or  the  Malay,  and  they  are 
remarkably  full  feathered. 

It  has  incorrectly  been  asserted,  that  "the  disposition 
of  the  feathers  on  the  back  of  the  cock's  neck  is  reversed, 
these  being  turned  upwards;  the  wing  is  jointed,  so 
that  the  posterior  half  can,  at  pleasure,  be  doubled  up, 
and  brought  forward  between  the  anterior  half  and  the 
body  ;"  the  only  foundation  for  which  absurdity,  is, 
that  in  some  of  the  half-grown  cockerels,  certain 
feathers,  the  wing  coverts,  curl  forwards  :  but  the 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  35 

curling  disappears  with  the  complete  growth  of  the 
plumage. 

The  hen  approaches  in  her  build  more  nearly  to  the 
Dorking  than  any  other,  except  that  the  tail  is  very 
small,  and  proportionately  depressed,  being  more  hori- 
zontal, I  think,  than  in  any  other  fowl.  Her  comb  is 
moderate-sized,  almost  small ;  she  has  also  a  small 
white  ear  lobe.  Her  coloring  is  flat,  being  composed 
of  various  shades  of  very  light- brown,  with  light -yel- 
low on  the  neck.  Her  appearance  is  quiet,  and  only 
attracts  attention  by  its  extreme  neatness,  cleanness, 
and  compactness.  Her  legs  and  thighs  are  thick  and 
stout.  The  tail  short,  thin,  and  not  the  usual  length. 


COCHIN-CHINA    HEN. 

It  was  stated  in  the  London  Agricultural  Gazette, 
of  the  30th  of  September,  1848,  the  male  birds  of  these 
fowls  weighed  from  12  to  151bs.,  live  weight,  and  the 
hens  from  9  to  lOlbs. !  This,  certainly,  is  very  extra- 
ordinary, if  the  account  is  not  fabulous  ;  for,  out  of  a 
large  number  of  cocks  and  hens,  of  various  breeds,  and 
among  them  the  Cochin-China,  varying  from  five 
months  to  four  years  old.  not  one  of  the  former  exceeded 


36  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

the  weight  of  7^1bs.,  nor  the  latter  that  of  6 Jibs.  It 
is  possible,  nevertheless,  that  capons  of  this,  or  some 
allied  variety,  might  arrive  at  double  these  weights. 

The  average  weight  of  the  eggs  of  the  Cochin-China 
fowl  is  about  2oz.  each.  They  are  smooth,  of  an  ova], 
nearly  equally  rounded  at  each  end,  and  usually  of  a 
rich  buff  color,  but  sometimes  white.  The  newly- 
hatched  chicks  appear  very  large  in  proportion  to  the 
size  of  the  eggs.  They  have  light  flesh-colored  bills, 
feet,  and  legs,  and  are  thickly  covered  with  down,  of 
the  hue  vulgarly  called  "  carrotty."  They  are  not 
less  thrifty  than  other  chickens,  and  feather  somewhat 
more  uniformly  than  either  the  black  Spanish  or  the 
Malay.  A  peculiarity  in  the  cockerels  is,  that  they 
do  not  show  even  the  rudiments  of  their  tail  feathers 
till  they  are  nearly  full  grown.  They  increase  so 
rapidly  in  other  directions,  that  there  is  no  material  to 
spare  for  the  production  of  these  decorative  appendages. 
The  pullets  are  less  backward  in  shooting  their  tails, 
and  this  distinction  alone  is  sufficient  to  denote  the 
respective  sexes  at  a  very  early  age.  The  cockerels  are 
also  later  than  others  in  commencing  to  crow. 

The  merits  of  this  breed  are  such,  that  they  have 
been  highly  recommended  to  persons  residing  "in  the 
country,  from  the  fact,  that  the  hens  are  capital  layers, 
and  from  the  large  and  rapid  growth  of  the  chicks ; 
but,  in  my  humble  judgment,  this  nor  any  other  breed 
of  excessively  large  fowls  are  not  the  most  desirable 
for  general  use. 

The  Cochin-China  fowl  is  said  to  have  been  pre- 
sented to  her  Majesty,  Queen  Yictoria,  of  England, 
from  the  East  Indies,  and,  by  her  liberality,  imparted 
to  such  persons  in  her  dominions  as  were  likely  pro- 
perly to  appreciate  them. 

In  the  United  States,  there  are  numerous  individuals 
\vho  possess  large  fowls  bearing  the  name  of  "  Cochin- 
China,"  which  have  been  crossed  with  the  Dorking  and 
other  large  breeds  ;  but  such  a  course  is  believed  to 
be  of  doubtful  utility. 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  37 


THE    KULM,    OR    GREAT    MALAY    FOWL. 

SYNONYMES. —  Gallus  giganteuS,  of  Temminck  ;  Grand  Coq  des  Malaiet, 
of  the  French  ;  Kulm  Ha/m,  Malaischer  Hahn,  of  the  Germans  ;  Kulm 
Fowl,  Malay  Fowl  Great  Malay  Fowl,  Chittagong  Fowl,  of  the  English 
and  Anglo-Americans. 

This  breed  is  in  high  repute  with  many  writers,  as 
a  supposed  connecting  link  between  the  wild  and  the 
tame  races  of  fowls.  Indeed,  something  very  like  them 
is  still  to  be  found  in  the  East ;  and  it  would  be  useful 
to  know,  as  a  certain  test,  whether  the  kulm  cock  be 
indocile,  like  the  pheasant,  or  tameable,  like  the  fowl. 
Their  flesh  is  condemned  by  common  prejudice,  as 
coarse,  stringy,  oily,  and  ill-flavored.  The  pure  breed 
is  undoubtedly  game  ;  but,  as  far  as  size  is  con- 
cerned, has  little  to  recommend  it.  The  hens,  how- 
ever, are  excellent  layers,  and  the  eggs  remarkable 
for  their  delicacy. 

The  kulm  fowl  is  kept  in  a  domestic  state,  not  only 
in  India,  Java,  and  Sumatra,  but  in  the  Malay  penin- 


38  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

sula,  and  in  Cochin- China.  It  has  long  been  known 
in  England,  although  it  is  only  within  the  last  few 
years  that  much  attention  has  been  directed  towards 
it  in  this  country. 

The  cock,  in  his  natural  attitude,  often  considerably 
exceeds  two  feet  in  height,  from  the  ground  to  the 
crown  of  the  head.  The  comb  extends  backwards  in 
a  line  with  the  eyes  ;  it  is  low,  thick,  destitute  of  ser- 
rations, and  has  the  appearance  as  if  its  ridge  had  been 
cut  off.  The  wattles  hanging  from  under  the  mandible 
are  small,  and  the  throat  is  bare.  The  neck  is  long, 
and  covered  with  hackles  of  a  pale  golden-reddish 
color,  which  extend  to  the  upper  part  of  the  back.  The 
middle  of  the  back  and  the  lesser  wing  coverts  are  of 
a  deep  chestnut,  and  the  webs  of  the  feathers  are  dis- 
united ;  the  greater  wing  coverts  are  glossy-green ; 
the  secondaries  and  quill  feathers  are  of  a  pale  reddish- 
yellow  on  their  outer  webs.  The  hackles  of  the  rump 
are  long  and  drooping,  and  are  of  a  pale  reddish-yel- 
low. The  tail  feathers  are  of  a  glossy-green.  The 
under  parts  generally  are  of  a  glossy  greenish-black, 
with  high  reflections,  each  feather  being  of  a  deep- 
chestnut  at  the  base,  producing  somewhat  a  mottled 
appearance,  especially  if  the  plumage  be  a  little 
deranged.  The  body  is  stout,  and  the  legs  are  long. 
but  very  robust.  In  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  body, 
and  length  of  the  neck  and  limbs,  the  head  seems 
small,  and  is  far  from  being  pleasing  in  appearance, 
the  curtailment  of  the  comb  and  wattles  seeming  the 
result  of  injury  or  malformation.  The  gait  is  heavy 
and  destitute  of  alertness,  and  the  bird  often  reposes 
resting  on  his  shanks,  their  whole  length  being  applied 
to  the  ground.  The  attitude  is  uncouth,  and  gives  the 
idea  of  the  bird  being  oppressed  with  its  own  weight. 
It  is  very  probable  that  this  gigantic  fowl  is  less  dis- 
posed to  mount  the  trees  and  roost  on  the  branches 
than  most  others  of  the  genus  ;  and  this  strange  atti- 
tude may  be  the  ordinary  mode  of  taking  repose. 

The  voice  of  the  cock,  instead  of  being  a  clear  ring- 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  39 

ing  tone,  heartily  delivered,  is  short,  hoarse,  and  monot- 
onous, more  like  a  croak  than  a  crow. 

The  hen  is  considerably  less  in  size  than  the  cock, 
awkward  in  figure,  and  often  ill-tempered  and  harsh 
to  other  birds.  The  comb  is  very  small,  but  the  face 
is  much  covered  with  a  red  skin.  The  bill,  legs,  and 
feet  are  yellow ;  the  head,  neck,  back,  tail,  and  quills 
are  of  a  rich  brown  ;  the  lower  parts  of  the  thighs  of  a 
lighter  hue  ;  the  neck  long  ;  the  stature  and  carriage 
lofty  ;  and  the  head  small  in  proportion  to  the  size  of 
the  bird. 

The  eggs  are  of  a  good  size,  and  of  a  rich  buff  or 
brown  color,  which  are  much  prized  by  the  numerous 
epicures  who  believe  that  this  hue  indicates  richness 
of  flavor — a  fact  which  has  not  yet  been  made  sensible 
to  my  own  palate.  The  chicks  are  at  first  very  strong, 
with  yellow  legs,  and  are  thickly  covered  with  Alight- 
brown  down ;  but,  by  the  time  they  are  one  third 
grown,  the  increase  of  their  bodies  has  so  far  outstripped 
that  of  their  feathers,  that  they  are  half  naked  about 
the  back  and  shoulders,  and  extremely  susceptible  of 
wet  and  cold. 

The  hens  are  sometimes  employed  to  hatch  the  eggs 
of  turkeys,  a  task  for  which  they  are  well  adapted,  in 
every  respect  but  one  ;  that  is,  they  will  follow  their 
natural  instinct  in  turning  off  their  chicks  at  the  usual 
lirne,  instead  of  retaining  the  charge  of  them  as  long 
as  the  mother  turkey  would.  Groslings  would  suffer 
less  from  such  untimely  desertion. 

With  regard  to  the  kulm  fowl,  the  jago  fowl,  (im- 
properly called  the  "  St.  Jago  fowl,"  from  the  suppo- 
sition that  they  came  from  an  island  of  that  name,  one 
of  the  Cape  Verds,)  and  the  Cochin- China  fowl,  may 
be  looked  upon  as  so  many  domestic  off-sets,  not 
uncrossed  with  others,  of  the  Gallus  giganteus,  of 
Temminck.  And  here,  let  it  be  remarked,  that  in  the 
jago  fowl,  so  famous  for  height  and  weight,  the  comb, 
both  of  the  cock  and  hen,  is  large  and  often  double, 
added  to  which  there  is  sometimes  a  crest  of  feathers. 


40  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

Domestication  always  produces  some  modifications  of 
structure  in  animals,  and  more  especially  in  organs  of 
minor  importance,  as  in  the  length  of  the  tail  and  ears, 
and  in  the  development  of  various  appendages.  That 
the  comb  of  the  jago  fowl  should  be  large,  and  often 
double,  is  not  surprising.  Most  of  our  ordinary  breeds 
have  a  rose  crown,  yet  this  development  is  never  found 
in  any  wild  species.  It  is  the  result  of  domestication, 
and  occurs  in  a  part  most  liable,  as  mi^ht  be  antici- 
pated, to  change. 


THE    PHEASANT-MALAY    FOWL. 

SYNONYMES.—  Gullvs  giganteus    (var.  ?),   Temminck  ;  Pheasant-Malay 
Fowl,  Pheasant  Fowl.  Pheasant  Breed,  of  the  English  Poulterers. 

This  variety  may  claim  the  sad  pre-eminence  of 
having  given  occasion  to  more  disputes  than  any  bird 
of  its  tribe,  always  excepting  the  game  cock.  It  is 
highly  valued  by  many  English  farmers,  not  on  account 
of  its  intrinsic  merits,  which  are  considerable,  but 
because  they  believe  it  to  be  a  cross  between  the 
pheasant  and  the  common  fowl,  than  which  nothing 
can  be  more  erroneous.  The  pullets  and  cockerels  are 
represented  as  excellent  for  the  table,  and  when  brought 
to  market  meet  with  a  ready  sale,  less  because  they 
are  really  fine  birds,  than  because  the  seller  assures 
his  customers,  in  perfect  sincerity,  that  they  are  half- 
bred  pheasants  ;  and  the  buyer  readily  pays  his  money 
down,  thinking  that  he  has  got  a  nice  fowl,  and  a  taste 
of  pheasant  into  the  bargain — something  like  the  Paddy 
who  was  delighted,  at  breakfast,  on  finding  that  he 
was  "  ateing  a  little  hen"  when  he  had  only  paid  for 
an  egg. 

Let  it  be  clearly  and  distinctly  known,  then,  that 
the  "pheasant  breed"  of  the  English  poultry  fancier 
is  no  more  a  mule  between  the  common  hen  and  the 
cock  pheasant,  than  the  Cochin-China,  or  ostrich  fowl,  is 
ahalf-bred  ostrich.  Yet.  hybrid  birds  produced  between 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  41 

the  pheasant  and  common  fowl  are  of  frequent  occur- 
rence. The  London  Zoological  Society  have  possessed 
several,  which  were  for  a  time  kept  together,  but 
showed  no  signs  of  breeding ;  they  are  considered,  like 
other  hybrids,  to  be  unproductive  among  themselves, 
all  being  half-bred  ;  but  when  paired  with  the  true 
pheasant  or  the  fowl,  the  case  is  different.  The  society 
has  had  exhibited  at  the  evening  meetings  two  instances 
of  success  in  this  sort  of  second  cross.  The  first  was 
in  1831  ;  the  second  instance  in  1836.  Two  cases 
only,  and  those  in  the  second  cross,  ascertained  during 
all  the  time  that  the  society  has  had  extraordinary 
means  at  command,  are  exceptions  so  rare,  as  to  con- 
firm the  rule  that  such  mules  are  barren,  and  incapable 
of  founding  a  family,  and  becoming  the  ancestors  of  a 
distinct  race.  A  correspondent  in  the  London  Agri- 
cultural Gazette,  a  most  successful  breeder  of  theni, 
also  admits,  that,  after  many  trials  of  these  paired 
hybrids,  he  had  "  never  brought  up  but  two  to  be 
a' most  hens,"  and  that  they  took  the  megrims 
(staggers,)  and  died. 

And  yet,  an  evidently  sincere  writer  in  the  publica- 
tion last  referred  to,  declares  :  "  From  what  I  have 
seen  of  the  plumage  of  birds  casually  produced  at  the 
wood  side,  (from  crossing  with  pheasants,)  I  believe  a 
judicious  and  scientific  selection  would  lead  to  the 
production  of  very  fine  varieties,  and  that,  among 
others,  the  dark  pheasant-plumed  breed,  both  of  Ban- 
tams and  common  poultry,  would  reward  the  patient 
inquirer." 

The  pheasant-Malays  are  described  as  large,  well- 
flavored,  good  sitters,  good  layers,  good  mothers,  and 
in  many  points  an  ornamental  and  desirable  stock. 
The  eggs  vary  in  size,  some  very  large,  in  summer, 
smooth  but  not  polished,  sometimes  tinged  with  light- 
buff,  balloon-shaped,  and  without  the  zone  of  irregu- 
larity. Six  eggs  of  these  hens  weigh  very  nearly  12 
ounces. 

This  breed  is  very  graphically  described  by  a  late 


42  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

English  writer,  nearly  in  the  following  words  . — "  The 
cock  is  a  large-sized  bird,  of  a  dark-red  color,  with  a 
small  comb  ;  but  the  beauty  of  the  breed  is  with  the 
hens,  which  are  of  a  pheasant-color  in  all  parts  of  the 
body,  with  a  velvety-black  neck.  The  shape  of  both 
male  and  female  is  good.  The  neck  is  long  and  high- 
crested,  giving  them  an  appearance  quite  superior  to 
other  fowls  in  that  particular.  The  color  of  the  hens 
varies  from  the  warmth  of  the  plumage  of  the  cock 
pheasant  to  the  colder  hue  of  the  hen  pheasant,  but  as 
I  have  always  bred  from  the  high-colored  birds,  I  now 
have  the  better  color  generally  predominating.  The 
legs  are  white,  and  also  the  skin.  They  are  excellent 
birds  on  table,  both  as  to  quality,  shape,  and  size. 
They  have  no  resemblance  to  the  Malay,  except  that 
the  cocks  are  rather  high  on  the  legs,  the  hens  being 
the  reverse.  The  combs  of  the  hens  are  very  small. 
The  hens  never  have  a  foul  feather,  but  I  have  never 
seen  a  cock  which  does  not  show  some  small  mark 
of  white  on  one  of  his  tail  feathers.  You  will  observe 
in  the  hens  of  the  pheasant-Malay  that  the  two  longest 
tail  feathers  are  somewhat  curved,  which,  when  the 
bird  is  full  grown,  and  in  full  feather,  materially 
improve  the  appearance.  They  do  not  arrive  at  their 
full  size  until  the  second  season.  They  lay  well,  but 
late.  Their  eggs  are  very  small  in  proportion  to  the 
size  of  the  birds.  I  should  say  that  their  weight  was, 
on  the  average,  above  that  of  the  black  Spanish,  while 
their  eggs  are  a  third  smaller.  *  *  *  *  *  The 
hens  have  scarcely  any  comb.  The  cocks  always  have 
a  comb  extending  but  a  very  little  way  backward,  but 
standing  up  so  high  as  always  to  fall  a  little  over  on 
one  side.  I  have  never  seen  any  variation  as  to  the 
combs  nor  the  color  of  the  neck  and  tail  feathers,  either 
of  males  or  females,  which  indicates  them  to  be  a  real 
variety.  The  only  variation  I  have  observed  is  in  the 
body  color  of  the  hens,  and  this  is  not  in  the  marking, 
but  merely  in  the  ground  color.  *  *  *  *  *  The 
eggs  are  quite  small,  but  of  excellent  flavor,  neither 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 


43 


very  white  nor  brown  ;  the  shape  varies  considerably. 
The  chicks  are  of  a  yellowish  color,  with  sometimes 
two  brown  stripes  down  the  back  and  a  few  specks 
about  the  head,  but  more  usually  without  either. 
They  have,  however,  invariably  the  hinder  part  of  the 
back  of  an  intenser  or  browner  yellow,  almost  amount- 
ing to  a  warm  fawn-color.  #  #  *  #  *  My  male 
birds  have  a  very  peculiar  feathering  on  the  neck — the 
neck  feathers  being  very  long  and  full,  dark-red,  and 
black  at  the  tips,  but  the  under  part  of  a  downy  white. 
The  consequence  is,  an  appearance  of  mixed  dark-red 
and  white  about  the  neck,  which  is  the  more  peculiar 
from  its  being  so  particularly  at  variance  with  the 
glossy-black  neck  feathering  of  the  female.  The 
feathering  of  the  back  and  wings  is  rather  scanty,  and 
the  tail  is  not  very  full.  The  bird  has  a  good,  erect 
carriage.  *  *  *  *  *  The  chickens  of  this  breed 
are  very  small  at  first,  and  but  scantily  supplied  with 
down.  As  they  begin  to  grow,  they  have  a  very  naked 
appearance  from  the  slow  development  of  their  feathers, 
and  this  renders  %them  very  susceptible  of  cold.  At 
six  weeks  old,  they  are  not  above  half  the  size  of  Dork- 
ings of  the  same  age,  but  after  two  months,  they  grow 
very  fast,  and  the  pullets  feather  well  and  show  indi- 
cations of  their  permanent  color.  The  cocks  are  ragged 
in  appearance  until  five  months  old,  after  which  they 
get  their  permanent  plumage,  and  grow  fast.  As  a 
sort  of  profitable  growth,  I  cannot  recommend  them,  but 
the  ornamental  figure  and  color  of  the  hens,  I  think, 
is  beyond  question.  The  flesh,  at  table,  is  extremely 
good  and  white;  and  they  lay  abundantly,  though 
late.  I  have  a  strong  suspicion,  from  various  pecu- 
liarities, that  they  are  of  comparatively  recent  intro- 
duction into  this  country,  from  a  much  warmer 
climate.  *  *  *  *  *  Baker,  of  London  and 
Chelsea,  (one  of  the  best  fancy  dealers,)  told  me  that 
they  were  a  breed  from  Calcutta.  They  are  certainly 
tender,  and  are  apt  to  die  in  tho  moulting." 


44 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 


THE    GAME    FOWL. 

SYWONYMES. — Gallus  gallinaceus  (var.?),  of  Naturalists  ;  Coq  anglais,  of 
Buffon  ;  Gallo  peleador,  of  the  Spaniards  ;  Game  Fowl,  Game  Cock, 
Fighting  Cork,  of  the  English  and  Anglo-Americans. 

It  is  not  within  the  range  of  the  present  little  treatise 
to  hunt  up  the  distinctions  of  the  sporting  fancy,  par- 
ticularly cock-fighting,  which,  it  is  hoped,  will  soon 
become  obsolete  ;  yet  an  allusion  to  those  distinctions 
might  excite  the  curiosity  of  the  naturalist.  It  is  the 
temperament  which  gives  the  bird  its  value  in  the  eye 
of  the  sportsman  ;  its  physical  qualities  deserve  the 
notice  of  the  ornithologist.  But  even  now,  many  of 
the  handsomest  game  cocks  to  be  seen,  are  already 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  45 

trimmed,  (in  the  comb  at  least,)  in  case  they  should 
be  wanted  in  a  hurry  for  a  private  spar. 

The  game  cock  approaches  nearer  to  the  Malay  and 
pheasant-Malay  than  to  any  other  variety  of  fowl.  As 
I  have  made  the  Spanish  fowl,  on  account  of  his 
well-developed  single  comb,  the  type  of  the  genus,  so, 


THE    ENGLISH    GAME     COCK. 

in  any  circular  arrangement  of  the  genus  itself,  I 
should  make  the  game  fowl  the  centre  from  which  the 
rest,  in  one  way  or  another,  diverge.  There  are  the 
white-legged,  the  yellow-legged,  and  the  leaden  or 
black-legged  game  fowl,  all  of  which  vary  in  the  color 
of  their  plumage.  No  other  breed  runs  off  into  so 
many  varieties,  which  still  are  all  "  true  game  fowls." 
The  catalogue  of  sorts  is  a  long  one ;  and  many 
of  them  have  been  preserved  in  various  noble  and 
gentle  families,  in  Europe,  distinct.  At  present,  the 
Earl  of  Derby  possesses  a  breed  which  has  been  in 
possession  of  that  noble  family  for  many  generations, 
and  which  is  sedulously  preserved  from  base  alloy.  It 


46  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

is  a  black-breasted  red,  with  a  purple  band  across  the 
wing,  and,  though  superior  in  size  to  the  Bankiva 
iungle  fowl,  it  closely  resembles  that  bird  in  plumage 
and  in  elegance  of  contour. 

The  exterior  qualifications  of  a  male  bird  of  this 
variety,  is  described  by  an  anonymous  writer  in  the 
following  words  : — "  In  the  choice  of  the  game  or 
fighting  cock,  four  things  are  to  be  principally  con- 
sidered ;  these  are  shape,  color,  courage,  and  the  sharp- 
ness of  the  heel.  As  to  the  shape,  such  a  one  should 
be  chosen  as  is  neither  too  small  nor  too  large  ;  the 
very  large  ones  are  always  clumsy  and  unwieldy,  and 
the  small  ones  are  slow  and  tedious  in  fighting,  and 
are  generally  too  weak  to  stand  a  very  tight  battle  ; 
another  disadvantage  to  these  extremes,  is,  that  they 
are  very  difficult  to  be  matched  ;  the  middle  size  ought 
therefore  to  be  preferred,  as  he  is  generally  the  most 
nimble  and  active  with  his  strength,  and  the  matching 
him  is  easy.  The  head  ought  to  be  small,  the  eyes 
large  and  brisk,  and  the  beak  strong  and  hooked  at  the 
setting  on ;  its  color  ought  also  to  answer  to  that  of 
the  principal  or  general  color  of  the  feathers,  whether 
they  be  yellow,  reddish,  or  grey.  The  beam  of  his  leg 
ought  to  be  very  strong,  and,  according  to  his  plumage, 
either  blue,  grey,  or  yellow ;  and  the  spurs  ought  to 
be  rough,  long,  and  sharp,  a  little  bending  and  point- 
ing inward.  The  three  colors  esteemed  in  the  game 
cock  are  grey,  yellow,  and  red,  with  a  black  breast. 
The  perfection  of  a  cock  is  not,  however,  tied  down  to 
these  colors  absolutely,  for  experience  has  shown  that 
there  are  cocks  of  other  colors  which  have  proved 
excellent  ones,  but  these  are,  in  general,  the  best.  The 
pied  cock  sometimes  turns  out  good,  but  the  white  and 
dun  are  seldom  of  any  value.  If  the  neck  of  a  cock 
be  invested  with  a  circle  of  scarlet  complexion,  it  is  a 
sign  that  he  is  strong  and  vigorous,  and  has  great 
courage  ;  but  if  it  be  pale  and  wan,  it  denotes  him  to 
be  defective  in  these  material  particulars," 

The  game  cock  is  by  no  means  the  aggressive  san- 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  47 

guinary  tyrant  that  he  is  commonly  represented  to  be. 
He  will  submit  to  no  insult  nor  intrusion  within  his 
own  domain  ;  but  neither  does  he  offer  any  unprovoked 
assault.  If  his  antagonist  flee,  he  is  satisfied,  and 
ioes  not  pursue  him  in  order  to  perpetrate  any  bloody 
revenge.  Other  poultry  that  are  killed  by  game  cocks 
generally  draw  down  the  punishment  upon  themselves, 
by  their  own  impudent  and  continued  aggression.  The 
bird,  too,  is  as  enduring  of  pain,  as  he  is  bold  in  combat. 

But  though  I  wish  to  clear  the  game  breed  from 
the  charge  of  blood-thirsty  cruelty,  I  cannot  hold 
them  out  as  patterns  of  gentleness  and  forbearance. 
"  Might  with  them,  makes  right."  None  but  the 
brave,  however  well  they  may  deserve,  or  how  much- 
soever  they  may  long  for,  are  likely  to  enjoy  any  favor 
from  the  present  class  of  rusty-fusty  colored  beauties. 
"  Quiet  people,"  says  a  late  writer,  "unless  they  have 
studied  phrenology,  or  kept  game  fowls,  have  little 
idea  how  close  a  connexion  there  is  said  to  be  between 
love  and  murder.  But  the  ladies  have  long  found  it 
out;  there  is  no  sweetheart  like  a  soldier.  A  con- 
stantly pacific  male  is  despicable  in  their  eyes.  '  Eh ! 
si  je  veux  qu'il  me  batte  !'  *  If  1  choose  my  husband 
to  beat  me,  what  business  is  that  of  yours  ?  A  pretty 
state  of  things,  when  a  woman  may  not  permit  her 
own  husband  to  beat  her !'  So  wrote  the  great 
Moliere,  in  the  high-heeled,  periwigged  reign  of  Louis 
XIY.  But  civilised  and  uncivilised  nature  is  alike. 
The  southern  she  savage,  when  her  brute  lifts  his 
waddy,  to  give  her  a  tap  on  the  head  that  would  fell 
an  English  ox,  bows  thankfully  to  receive  the  caress 
on  her  indurated  noddle,  and  triumphs  that  the  com- 
pliment was  not  bestowed  upon  either  of  the  other 
squaws." 

The  game  hens,  as  well  as  the  cocks,  also  vary  in 
color,  and  some  breeders  think  the  darkest  to  be  of  the 
purest  blood ;  a  deep-brown  hen,  with  dark  legs  and 
small  leaden  comb,  is  thought  to  be  the  model  bird ; 
but  in  most,  if  not  all  game  hens,  the  tail  will  be  found 


48  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

to  be  large,  vertical,  fan-like,  and  well  carried  over 
the  back — a  distinction  which  continues  to  be  very 
apparent  in  the  first  cross  with  any  other  breed.  The 
flesh,  even  of  the  yellow-legged,  yellow-skinned  breeds, 
is  justly,  in  high  repute  ;  their  eggs,  also,  are  much 
prized  for  the  table,  but  my  own  palate  is  not  suffi- 
ciently discriminating  to  detect  their  particular  supe- 
riority to  the  eggs  of  other  hens.  They  are  compara- 
tively small,  contain  a  somewhat  larger  proportion  of 
yolk,  are  generally  tapering,  unequally  elliptic,  and 
mostly,  though  not  always,  tinged  with  buff. 

Another  general  merit  of  the  hens,  is  their  excel- 
lence as  incubators  and  nurses  ;  a  virtue  in  them  which 
is  no  new  discovery.  "  Florentius,"  says  Aldrovandi, 
"  is  the  authority,  that  in  the  Alexandria  which  faces 
jiEgypt,  certain  hens,  from  which  the  fighting  cocks 
are  produced,  are  called  Monositae,  (that  is,  one-mealers, 
or  such  as  eat  only  once  a  day,)  and  that  these  will 
go  on  sitting  for  the  second  or  third  time,  in  conse- 
quence of  their  chicks  being  smuggled  away  as  soon 
as  hatched  and  brought  up  elsewhere.  It  thus  happens 
that  a  single  hen  may  hatch  forty,  and  even  sixty  or 
more,  at  one  sitting."  When  they  are  at  length  per- 
mitted to  receive  their  reward  in  the  shape  of  a  brood 
of  chicks,  nothing  can  exceed  their  admirable  conduct. 
The  very  young  hens,  with  their  first  clutch,  are  apt 
to  be  over-anxious,  and  not  at  all  forbearing  to  other 
fowls  that  come  in  their  way  ;  but  that  is  a  fault  on 
the  right  side,  and  if  the  feathers  of  intruders  are  now 
and  then  made  to  fly  abroad,  they  must  grow  again. 
The  delicate  proportions  of  the  game  hen  adapt  her  to 
take  charge  of  even  the  most  fragile  gallinaceous 
birds  ;  Awhile  her  courage  and  determination  render 
her  equal  to  the  most  robust.  Every  breeder  or  experi- 
menter should  have  a  nursery  of  game  hens. 

"  The  nest  for  the  hen,"  says  the  same  anonymous 
writer,  referred  to  above,  "  should  be  made  of  sweet 
and  clean  straw,  and  should  be  placed  in  some  warm 
corner,  out  of  the  way  of  disturbance  from  any  other 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  49 

fowl,  for  this  sort  of  interruption  provokes  this  quar- 
relsome bird  in  such  a  manner  as  to  endanger  the  eggs. 
That  she  may  never  have  occasion  to  leave  the  eggs 
so  long  as  to  cool  them,  it  will  be  proper  to  lay  all 
sorts  of  food  that  she  is  likely  to  approve  of  before  her, 
and  to  put  clean  water  every  day  not  only  for  her  to 
drink  but  to  wash  and  trim  herself  in  ;  some  ashes, 
sand,  and  gravel  should  also  be  sifted  on  the  ground 
near  the  nest.  The  chickens  are  hatched  in  about 
three  weeks,  and  the  nest  is  to  be  carefully  watched 
about  this  time,  for  there  are  always  some  of  the 
chickens  hatched  before  the  others  ;  these  should  be 
taken  away  as  soon  as  out  of  the  shell,  and  laid  before 
the  fire,  or  in  some  warm  place  in  wool,  and  as  soon 
as  the  rest  are  hatched  these  should  be  given  back  to 
the  hen.  They  are  not  to  be  suffered  to  go  abroad  for 
the  first  fortnight,  and  the  room  they  are  kept  in  must 
be  boarded,  all  other  floors  being  too  cold  and  too  moist. 
At  about  a  month  old,  the  chickens  may  be  turned 
out  into  a  walk  of  some  fresh  grass,  that  they  may 
feed  at  liberty  and  eat  worms  and  other  insects  ;  but 
there  must  be  no  puddle  of  water  near  the  place,  for 
they  are  apt  to  get  into  such,  and  it  occasions  them  a 
number  of  diseases. 

"As  soon  as  the  comb  and  wattles  appear  on  the 
cocks,  they  must  be  cut  away,  and  the  sore  place 
anointed  with  fresh  butter  till  it  is  well — (the  cock 
fighter  only  will  act  in  this  cruel  manner,  the  fancier 
will  not  thus  disfigure  his  birds).  The  chickens  may 
be  all  suffered  to  run  together  till  they  begin  to  peck 
one  another,  then  the  cocks  are  to  be  separated  ;  each 
must  have  his  particular  walk,  and  the  more  freed 
from  disturbance  this  is  the  better.  The  place  of  feed- 
ing them  must  either  be  a  boarded  floor,  or  a  very  soft 
and  dry  piece  of  ground.  If  the  place  be  hard,  as  a 
stony  pavement,  or  a  plastered  floor,  the  taking  up 
their  food  will  injure  and  blunt  their  beaks,  so  that 
they  will  never  be  able  to  hold  fast  afterwards.  Any 
white  corn  is  good  for  the  young  game  cook  in  his 
3 


50  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

walks ;  and  so  is  a  white  bread  toast  steeped  in  ale. 
There  should  never  be  allowed  more  than  three  hens 
to  one  game  cock  in  his  walk  ;  and  care  is  to  be  taken 
also  as  to  his  roosting-place,  that  the  perch  be  not  too 
small  in  the  gripe,  and  be  so  placed  that  he  may  sit 
upon  it  without  straddling.  Gfame  cocks  are  brought 
to  the  greatest  state  of  their  strength  and  activity  in 
about  ten  days,  but  they  will,  scarcely  remain  twenty- 
four  hours  in  this  condition  ;  nay,  some  have  been 
known  to  change  for  the  worse  in  twelve  hours." 

Many  of  the  foregoing  directions  bear  rather  upon 
the  rearing  of  the  game  cock  for  the  purpose  of  fight- 
ing, than  for  ordinary  utility  ;  but  others  are  of  general 
import. 

It  is  not  only  for  its  pugnacious  qualities  that  the 
game  fowl  is  to  be  noticed — it  yields  to  no  breed,  nay, 
perhaps  is  superior  to  most  in  the  whiteness  and  sapid- 
ity of  its  flesh  ;  the  hens  are  excellent  layers,  and  the 
eggs,  though  of  moderate  size  only,  are  remarkable 
for  the  delicacy  of  their  flavor,  as  has  already  been 
stated. 

Of  all  the  breeds,  the  game  fowl  is  considered  the 
most  beautiful,  whether  we  look  to  contour  or  to  color- 
ing ;  the  cock  carries  himself  proudly  and  yet  grace- 
fully, his  port  and  bearing  proclaim  his  fiery  spirit,  his 
undaunted  mettle,  which  endures  even  to  his  last 
breath,  for  while  prostrate  and  mortally  wounded  he 
will  answer  the  insulting  crow  of  his  victorious  rival, 
and  make  a  last  effort  to  revenge  himself  before  the 
spark  of  life  is  extinct.  No  wonder  that  the  gallant 
cock  should  have  been  chosen  as  the  emblem  of  courage. 

Poultry  fanciers,  who  keep  only  a  small  number  of 
fowls,  may  manage  to  rear  a  young  brood  of  this 
variety  by  precautions  which  the  farmer  cannot  put 
into  practice.  The  principal  objection  to  them,  in 
these  respects,  is  their  impatience  of  confinement 
to  a  yard  or  coop  ;  and  from  their  lightness  on  the 
wing,  it  is  difficult  to  prevent  them  from  flying  out  at 
will. 


. 

THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  51 

THE     GOLDEN    AND     SILVER      HAMBURGH     FOWL. 

SYNONYMES. —  Gallus  gallinaceus  (var.?),  of  Ray  ;  Gallina  turcica  (?),  of 
Aldrovandi  ;  Coral  Grey,  Bolton  Grey,  Bolton  Bay,  of  Lancashire  ;  Pen- 
cilled Dutch  Fowl  (?),  Turkish  Fowl  (?),  of  Dickson  ;  Chittiprats,  Chete- 
prats  (?),  at  Keighley,  in  Yorkshire,  England;  Golden  Hamburgh,  Sil- 
ver Hamburgh,  of  Dixon  ;  Creoles,  of  Wiltshire  and  other  parts  of  the 
South  of  England. 

It  is  no  easy  task  to  reconcile  the  synonymes  of  this 
breed.  Aldrovandi,  in  describing  a  Turkish  cock  and 
two  Turkish  hens,  says  :  "  The  cock,  whose  likeness 
we  now  give,  is  called  the  Turkish  cock.  His  whole 
body  was,  in  a  manner,  inclined  to  white.  Still  the 
wing  feathers  were  partly  black,  the  belly  also  was 
black  ;  the  tail  consisted  of  feathers  that  were  partly 
green,  partly  black,  some  also  half  green,  some  half 
black.  His  whole  body  was  exquisitely  adorned  with 
lines  that  were  sometimes  golden  and  sometimes  sil- 
ver, and  it  is  wonderful  what  a  beautiful  effect  this 
produced.  His  legs  and  feet  were  tinged  with  blue. 
The  hen,  which  in  like  manner  is  called  Turkish,  was 
all  white,  sprinkled  over  with  black  spots ;  the  feet 
tinged  with  blue ;  the  wattles  were  short,  when  com- 
pared with  those  of  the  male.  The  next  hen  would 
seem  the  same,  except  that  her;  neck  was  yellowish, 
and  she  had  a  sharp  point  on  the  top  of  her  head, 
her  feet  altogether  blue,  and  an  immaculate  tail, 
*  *  *  *  *  i  have  observed  another  hen  of  this 
kind,  whose  feet  were  entirely  blue,  spotted  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  foregoing  with  black  and  white, 
but  behind  its  fleshy  crest  it  had  another  of  white 
feathers  like  a  lark,  and  that  part  of  the  neck  and 
shoulders  which  in  the  other  is  black,  in  this  changing 
from  ash  color  to  dirty  yellow." 

The  figures  given  in  Aldrovandi's  large  wood  cuts 
are  evidently  the  golden  Hamburgh  ;  the  hens,  one 
golden,  arid  one  silver.  The  very  peculiar  form  of  the 
combj  so  recognisable  at  the  present  time,  is  clearly 


52  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

marked  in  these  old  characters.  The  fleshy  rose  comb 
of  the  golden  Hamburgh  terminating  in  a  sharp  point 
behind,  like  the  corner  of  a  cocked  hat  turning  upwards, 
and  which  is  seen  in  no  other  variety  of  fowl,  is  well 
described. 

A  writer  in  the  London  Agricultural  Grazette,  of 
October  14th,  1848,  in  speaking  of  this  breed,  says : 
"  The  silver  (Hamburgh)  fowls  are  worthy  of  notice, 
both  on  account  of  their  beauty  and  productiveness ; 
they  are  small -bodied,  have  short  blue  legs,  a  very 
pretty  head,  with  a  full  comb,  and  a  remarkably  short 
bill,  rounded,  and  shaped  somewhat  like  a  sparrow's  ; 
their  color  white,  with  very  regular  black  dots  or 
moons  on  their  wings  and  tail.  They  lay  well ;  mine 
commenced  early  in  February,  and  are  laying  now 
(Oct.  3)  ;  they  do  not  show  any  inclination  to  sit,  but 
in  a  hatch  their  eggs  are  very  productive.  I  have  had 
fourteen  chicks  out  of  fifteen  eggs.  It  is  necessary  to 
keep  a  game  hen  or  two,  to  perpetuate  the  breed  (by 
hatching  the  eggs,  which  they  will  not  do  for  them- 
selves.) I  find  rice,  at  12s.  to  14s.  per  cwt.,  soaked  all 
night  in  water,  and  then  rolled  in  Indian  meal,  a  very 
economical  and  fattening  food,  occasionally  mixed 
with  a  little  barley.  My  hens  would  have  commenced 
laying  earlier  in  the  season,  if  their  roosting  place  had 
been  warmer." 

Moubray,  to  whom  the  merits,  at  least,  of  origi- 
nality and  practical  knowledge  ought  to  be  conceded, 
appears  to  have  been  acquainted  only  with  the  Eng- 
lish stock  of  this  breed.  He  says  of  the  Coral,  or 
Bolton  Greys,  "  This  variety,  apparently  the  crack 
breed  of  their  vicinity,  but  entirely  unknown  in  the 
metropolis,  is  described  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ashworth, 
Vicar  of  Tamworth,  as  follows: — '  Small- sized,  short 
in  the  leg,  and  plump  in  the  make.  The  color  of  the 
genuine  kind,  invariably  pure  white  in  the  whole 
lappel  of  the  neck  ;  the  body  white,  thickly  spotted 
with  bright  black,  sometimes  running  into  a  grizzle, 
with  one  or  more  black  bars  at  the  extremity  of  the 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  53 

tail ;  they  are  chiefly  esteemed  as  very  constant 
layers,  though  their  color  would  mark  them  for  good 
table  fowl.'  Certain  other  breeds,  (in  Lancashire,)  are 
described,  but  they  do  not  appear  to  possess  any  title 
to  distinction."  In  his  eighth  edition,  a  colored  figure 
is  given,  which  quite  corresponds  with  the  silver 
Hamburghs.  "Why  they  are  called  "  corals,"  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  say,  unless  it  be  on  account  of  their  red  comb  ; 
which,  however,  is  not  redder  than  that  of  other  fowls. 

"  Bolton  bays"  is  another  provincial  name  for  the 
"  golden  Hamburghs,  "as  "Bolton  greys"  is  for  the  "sil- 
ver." In  order  to  fix  more  clearly  the  nomenclature, 
by  the  comparison  of  individual  specimens  of  different 
localities,  Rev.  E.  S.  Dixon,  of  Norwich,  England, 
purchased  in  Hungerford  Market,  some  birds  that  had 
been  imported  from  Holland  ;  another  specimen  from 
Herring,  on  the  New  Road,  and  was  supplied  with  a 
pair  of  "  bays,"  and  also  of  "  greys,"  from  Bolton,  in 
Lancashire  ;  likewise,  with  a  "  Creole"  hen  from  Wilt- 
shire. The  result  of  the  comparison,  and  of  the  una- 
nimous opinion  of  the  London  poulterers,  was,  that  the 
two  varieties  of  Hamburghs,  the  "  golden"  and  "  sil- 
ver," are  of  the  same  breed. 

The  "Bolton  bay,"  from  Lancashire,  says  Mr. 
Dixon,  "differed  most  in  her  markings  from  the  nor- 
mal type,  which  we  will  suppose  represented  by  Al- 
drovandi's  Turkish  hen ;  but  all  the  main  points  were 
correct,  and  for  this  difference  I  had  been  prepared. 
The  bay  hen  I  received  was  marked  very  like  a  golden 
Poland,  (the  crest,  of  course,  being  quite  absent,)  but 
that  the  ground  of  the  plumage  was  of  a  much  richer 
and  browner  hue.  Those  persons,  therefore,  who  wish 
to  procure  golden  Hamburgh  fowls,  from  Lancashire, 
should  state  to  their  agents  whether  they  desire  them 
to  be  of  barred  or  marginated  markings.  The  Bolton 
fowls  average,  in  Liverpool,  3s.  each,  which  is  cheap  for 
those  who  wish  to  obtain  a  stock  of  this  very  distinct 
variety.  All  the  birds  that  I  received  were  very  good 
specimens.  The  male  golden  Hamburgh  is  a  particu- 


54  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

larly  beautiful  creature ;  nothing  but  a  full-sized  colored 
drawing  can  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  extremely 
rich  coloring  and  brilliant  lustre  of  his  plumage.  It  has 
been  mentioned  in  the  previous  note  that  the  males  of 
the  Bolton  greys  differ  somewhat  in  the  quantity  of  black 
or  dark  grey  which  they  wear;  the  hens  also  very 
slightly,  some  having  a  tendency  to  linear  markings  of 
black  and  grey,  and  others  to  spots  of  the  same  colors, 
but  the  difference  is  hardly  more  than  would  be  seen 
amongst  a  brood  of  chickens  reared  from  the  same  pair 
of  fowls.  The  Creole  from  the  south  of  England  was  a 
very  well-bred  specimen,  having  the  peculiar  comb, 
pointed  behind,  described  and  figured  by  Aldrovandi. 

"  The  Bolton-bay  cock,  from  Lancashire,  has  a  large 
very  double  comb  pointed  behind  upwards,  flat  on  the 
lop,  but  covered  with  small  upright  points  ;  the  wattles 
are  large,  and  there  is  a  small  white  ear  patch.  The 
bill  is  short  and  lead-colored ;  feet  and  legs  also  lead- 
colored.  Irides  orange-brown.  The  hackle  is  composed 
of  a  mixture  of  brown,  black,  yellow,  and  green ;  back 
the  same,  only  darker.  Tail,  black  glossed  with  green, 
and  having  grey  down  at  the  base  of  the  feathers. 
Quills  of  the  wings,  chestnut ;  wing  coverts,  metallic 
black ;  breast  and  under  part  of  the  body,  black." 

The  golden  and  silver  Hamburgh,  when  pure  bred, 
are  commonly  looked  upon  as  "everlasting  layers,"  but 
no  strictly  universal  rule  that  will  apply  without  fail  to 
every  case,  can  be  laid  down  for  fowls  any  more  than 
for  quadrupeds  or  men.  The  term  "  everlasting"  re- 
ceives its  name  from  the  circumstance  that  the  hens,  if 
properly  fed,  and  kept  in  a  warm  situation  protected 
against  the  cold,  will  continue  to  lay  throughout  the  whole 
of  the  year,  or.  nearly  so,  and  thus  afford  an  unfailing 
supply  of  eggs.  In  general,  fowls  after  laying  for  a  cer- 
tain length  of  time  become  "  broody" — they  cease  to 
lay,  and  evince  an  uncontrollable  desire,  an  instinctive 
propensity  to  devote  themselves  to  the  task  of  incuba- 
tion. They  are  impelled  by  the  law  of  nature,  which 
urges  them  to  this  essential  mode  of  continuing  their 
race ;  but  in  the  present  breed,  in  which  the  season  of 


,    \ 

THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  55 

laying  is  preternaturally  lengthened  out,  or  is  almok 
continuous  from  spring  to  spring,  this  natural  desire  is\ 
greatly  weakened,  or  indeed  altogether  subdued.     The  \ 
hen  betrays  but  little  anxiety  to  incubate,  and  continues    \ 
to  lay  eggs  as  if  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  repay  her 
keeper.     Hence,  to  obtain  a  brood  of  this  stock,  (and  it 
should  be  kept  in  its  purity,)  the  eggs  must  be  put  under 
a  good  sitter,  of  any  common  breed,  a  few  of  which  may 
be  kept  for  the  express  purpose,  and  thus  the  fancier  may 
replenish  his  stock.    It  is  not  often  that  pure  everlasting 
fowls  are  to  be  seen,  and  this  renders  it  the  more  de- 
sirable that  those  who  possess  breeds  should  sedulously 
preserve  them  from   admixture ;  a  cross  will  spoil  the 
hens  as   "everlasting  layers/'  without  rendering  them 
enduring,  patient  sitters. 


THE    CUCKOO    FOWL. 

SYNONYMES. —  Gallus  gallinaceus  (var.?),  of  Ray  ;  Cuckoo  Fowl,  of  the 
Norfolk  Farmyards,  England ;  Barn-Door  Fowl,  of  the  English  and 
Anglo-Americans. 

This  variety,  there  is  good  reason  to  believe  is  old 
and  distinct,  though  it  is  generally  looked  upon  as  a 
mere  "barn-door  fowl ;"  that  is,  the  accidental  result  of 
promiscuous  crossing.  But  there  are  several  forms 
among  the  "  bai  n-door  fowls,"  so  called,  that  are  seen  to 
be  repeated  generation  after  generation,  the  counter- 
parts of  which  are  to  be  met  with  scattered  here  and 
there  over  this  country  as  well  as  Europe.  So  constant 
a  repetition  of  corresponding  features  would  seem  to  de- 
clare, that  there  are  several  unnoticed  and  undistin- 
guished varieties  of  fowl,  which  deserve  to  be  regarded 
and  treated  as  we  do  other  distinct  sorts. 

The  objection  to  the  adoption  of  this  view  and 
mode  of  practice  is,  that  it  would  inconveniently  multi- 
ply the  number  of  species,  and  give  additional  trouble  to 
naturalists  and  poultry  fanciers.  But  the  multiplicity 
of  Nature's  works  always  has  been  infinite,  in  reference 
to  man's  power  of  understanding  them.  The  only  won- 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

;r,  if  we  reflect,  is,  that  he  has  had  the  courage  to 
grapple  with  them  at  all.  The  subject  is  certainly  de- 
serving of  consideration,  and  may  be  the  means  of 
affording  important  service  to  natural  history.  Dr. 
Bechstein,  of  Germany,  seems  to  have  been  not  far  from 
suspecting  that  several  distinct  varieties  might  be  de- 
tected amongst  the  ordinary  fowls  of  the  farmyard.  It 
might  answer  the  purpose  of  the  dealer  to  rear  a  pure 
stock  of  some  of  the  .handsomest  and  most  useful  of 
these,  and  send  them  forth  with  appropriate  names,  de- 
termined by  competent  persons,  fixing  the  appellation  of 
the  variety. 

The  "  cuckoo  fowl,"  it  may  be  supposed,  was  so  called 
from  its  barred  plumage,  resembling  the  breast  of  the 
cuckoo.  The  prevailing  color  is  a  slaty  blue,  undulated 
and  softly  shaded  with  white  all  over  the  body,  forming 
bands  of  various  widths.  The  comb  is  very  small ;  irides, 
bright  orange;  feet  and  legs,  light  flesh  color.  The 
hens  are  of  a  good  size,  the  cocks  are  large,  approach- 
ing the  heaviest  breeds  in  weight.  The  chickens,  at 
two  or  three  months  old,  exhibit  the  barred  plumage 
even  more  perfectly  than  the  full-grown  birds.  The 
eggs  average  about  two  ounces  each,  are  white  and  of 
porcelain  smoothness.  The  newly-hatched  chicks  are 
grey,  much  resembling  those  of  the  silver  Polands,  ex- 
cept in  the  color  of  the  feet  and  legs.  This  breed  sup- 
plies an  unfailing  troop  of  good  layers,  good  sitters,  good 
mothers,  and  good  feeders,  and.  is  well  worth  promotion 
in  the  poultry  yard. 


THE    LARK-CRESTED    FOWL. 

SYNONTMES. — GaUus  gallinaceus  (var.?)  of  Ray  ;  Copplecrowns,  in 
Norfolk,  England;  Lark- Crested  Fowl,  ot  the  English  and  Anglo- 
Americans. 

Here  again,  as  with  the  cuckoo  fowl,  is  a  breed, 
which,  until  of  late,  has  been  treated  with  undeserved 
regard.  They  have,  no  doubt,  been  looked  upon  by 
many  as  ill-bred  Polands,  but  the  shape  of  the  crest,  as 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  57 

well  as  the  proportions  of  the  bird  are  different.  Aldro- 
vandi  perceived  the  distinction.  He  calls  the  one  "  our 
farmyard  hen,  known  to  everybody,  entirely  -white  and 
crested  like  a  lark  ;"  the  other  is  his  Paduan  fowl.  The 
first,  of  whatever  color,  is  of  a  peculiar  taper  form»  in- 
clining forwards,  as  Aldrovandi's  old-fashioned  wood- 
cut well  represents,  with  a  moderate,  depressed,  back- 
ward-directed crest,  and  deficient  in  the  neatness  of  the 
legs  and  feet  so  conspicuous  in  the  Polands ;  the  latter 
are  of  more  upright  carriage  and  a  more  squarely-built 
frame.  Set  the  two  side  by  side,  and  their  discrepancy 
will  be  apparent. 

Lark-crested  fowls  are  of  various  colors ;  pure  snow- 
white,  brown  with  yellow  hackles,  and  black.  How  far 
these  sorts  require  to  be  subdivided,  has  not  yet  been 
investigated.  The  first  of  these  are  perhaps  of  a  more 
brilliant  white  than  is  seen  in  any  other  domesticated 
gallinaceous  bird,  and  the  color  is  much  more  dazzling 
than  that  of  the  white  Guinea  fowl,  or  the  white  pea 
fowl.  This  white  variety  is  in  great  esteem  with  many 
farmers'  wives,  in  England,  who  will  keep  it  to  the  en- 
tire exclusion  of  any  other  sort.  ,  They  are  represented 
to  have  a  remarkably  neat  and  lively  appearance  when 
rambling  about  a  homestead,  and  look  very  clean  and 
attractive  when  dressed  for  market.  An  old  bird, 
cleverly  trussed,  will  be  apparently  as  delicate  and 
transparent  in  the  skin  and  flesh  as  an  ordinary  chicken. 
The  feathers  are  also  more  saleable  than  those  from 
darker-colored  fowls.  By  some,  this  breed  is  thought  to 
be  more  tender  than  other  kinds,  yet  they  are  con- 
sidered, on  every  account,  preferable  to  the  white  Dork- 
ings. 

In  the  cocks,  a  single  upright  comb  sometimes  almost 
entirely  takes  the  place  of  the  crest.  The  hens,  too, 
vary  in  their  degree  of  crestedness,  some  not  having 
above  half  a  dozen  feathers  in  their  head  dress.  If  they 
were  not  of  average  merit  as  to  their  laying  and  sitting 
qualifications,  they  would  not  retain  the  favor  they  do 
with  the  thrifty  housewives  by  whom  they  are  chiefly 
reared. 

3* 


58  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 


THE    SPANGLED    HAMBURGH    FOWL. 

SYNONYMES. —  Gallus gigant eus  (var.  ?),  of  Temminck  ;  Spangled  Ham- 
burgh Fowl,  Golden  Spangled  Hamburgh,  Silver  Spangled  Hamburgh 
Fowl,  of  the  English  and  Anglo-Americans. 

The  spafigled  Hamburghs  may  be  comprised  under 
two  varieties,  ("  golden"  and  "  silver/')  the  distinctive 
characteristics  being  slight,  and  depending  nearly  alto- 
gether upon  color.  In  the  "  spangled  Poland  fowl,"  of 
pure  strain,  there  is  no  comb ;  but  the  spangled  Ham- 
burgh has  a  small  one,  rising  up  into  two,  and  sometimes 
more,  conical  eminences,  or  horns,  behind  which  is  a 
full  pendent  topknot.  Under  the  insertion  of  the  lower 
mandible,  or  that  portion  of  the  neck  corresponding  to 
the  chin  in  man,  is  a  full,  dark-colored  tuft,  somewhat 
resembling  a  beard. 

The  wattles  of  the  cock  are  small,  and  under  the 
throat  as  just  observed,  is  a  full,  dark-colored  tuft  of 
feathers.  His  general  color  is  golden  or  orange-yellow, 
each  feather  having  a  glossy,  dark-brown  or  black  tip, 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  59 

(not  white,)  particularly  remarkable  on  the  hackles  and 
wing  coverts,  and  also  on  the  darker  feathers  of  the 
breast.  The  thighs  are  of  a  dark-brown,  or  blackish 
shade,  and  the  legs  and  feet  are  of  a  bluish-grey. 


THE    SPANGLED    HAMBURGH    HEN. 

The  hen  is  yellow  or  orange-brown,  with  the  feathers 
margined  with  black,  after  the  manner  of  those  of  the 
cock.  Birds  thus  colored  are  called  "  golden  spangled/' 

In  the  "  silver-spangled"  variety,  the  only  perceptible 
difference  is,  that  the  ground  color  is  a  silvery  white, 
with  perhaps  a  tinge  of  straw-yellow,  every  feather  be- 
ing margined  with  a  semi-lunar  mark  of  glossy  black. 
In  other  words,  when  the  fowls  are  at  rest,  the  feathers 
present  the  appearance  of  regular  semi-circular  spots  or 
spangles.  Hence  the  name  of  "  spangled  Hamburghs," 
the  varieties  being  called  "  golden"  or  "  silver,"  accord- 
ing to  the  prevailing  color,  being  bright-yellow  or  silvery 
white. 

Both  varieties  are  extremely  beautiful,  having  full, 
plump  bodies,  a  tender  skin,  and  but  little  offal;  and 
the  hens  lay  freely  an  abundance  of  good-sized  eggs. 

These  fowls  gained  the  prize  at  a  late  show  of  the 
Royal  Agricultural  Improvement  Society  of  Ireland. 


60 


THE  DOMESTIC  FOWL. 


THE  POLAND,  OR  POLISH  FOWL. 

STNONYMES.—  Gallus  giganteus  (var.  ?),  of  Temminck,  Paduan  Fowl,  of 
Aldrovandi  ;  Copplecrowns,  in  Norfolk,  England  r  Polish  fbwl,  Polan. 
den,  Slack  Polish  Fowl,  Golden  Polands,  Silver  Polands,  White  Polish 
Fowl,  Spangled  Polish  Fowl,  Poland  Topknots,  of  the  English  and  An- 
glo-Americans. 

Certain  fowls,  with  topknots,  are  called  by  the  names 
indicated  above.  Whence  the  cognomen  of  "  Polands" 
was  derived,  it  is  difficult  to  trace.  Those  who  doubt 
the  likelihood  of  any  new  breed  of  poultry  coming  from 
Poland,  are  inclined  to  think  the  word  a  corruption  of 
some  term  derived  from  the  poll,  or  head ;  the  word 
"  polled,"  which  we  now  apply  to  cattle  without  horns, 
would  be  more  suitable  to  fowls  with  topknots.  Or,  it 
might  possibly  be  given  in  allusion  to  the  plica  polonica, 
or  Polish  disease,  in  which  the  hair  in  the  human  subject 
grows  into  an  immense  matted  mass.  Whether  the 
climate  of  Northern  Europe  has  any  tendency  to  de- 
velop the  growth  of  crests,  "  muffs,"  &c.,  (as  in  what  are 
called  Siberian  fowls,  or  muffed  Dorkings,)  on  the  heads 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  61 

of  fowls,  in  a  similar  way  in  which  that  of  Angora  is 
said  to  soften  and  lengthen  the  Hair  of  various  animals, 
from  the  fur  of  cats  and  goats,  to  the  hair  and  beard  of 
men  ;  and  whether,  poultry  being  unknown  to  the  Teu- 
tonic tribes  before  their  conquest  by  the  Romans,  the 
growth  of  a  topknot  or  a  muff  be  the  result  of  an  intro- 
duction to  trans-alpine  influences,  is  a  speculation  which 
we  have  no  present  means  of  pursuing. 

There  is  DO  evidence  that  any  breed  of  fowls  with 
topknots  was  known  to  the  ancients;  but  we  first  meet 
with  them  in  the  middle  ages.  Aldrovandi,  quoted  by 
Willoughby,  in  his  "  Ornithology"  gives  us  many  kinds, 
or  rather  rarities,  of  hens,  among  which  was  one  white 
and  "  copped,"  but  this  is  believed  to  be  the  lark-crested 
barn-door  fowl  of  the  present  day.  Aldrovandi  also 
gives  two  large  spirited  figures,  each  occupying  the 
whole  of  his  folio  page,  which  he  calls  the  Paduan  fowls, 
but  in  which  we  recognize  what  would  now  be  called 
Polands.  His  description  reads  as  follows  : — 

"  There  exist  cocks  for  the  most  part  larger  than  our 
own,  which  the  common  people  call  Paduan,  even  as 
such  hens  are  larger  than  our  own  hens.  We  exhibit 
the  likeness  of  the  male  and  the  female.  The  male  was 
most  beautiful  to  behold  highly  decorated  with  five 
colors,  namely,  black,  white,  green,  red,  and  ochre.  For 
the  whole  body  was  black.  The  neck  was  covered  with 
very  white  feathers.  But  the  wings  and  the  back  con- 
sisted partly  of  black,  and  partly  of  green.  The  tail 
likewise  was  of  the  same  color,  but  the  roots  of  the 
feathers  were  whitish.  Some  of  the  quill  feathers, 
(remigibus,)  were  white  above.  Its  head  was  adorned 
with  a  very  handsome  crest ;  but  the  roots  of  the  crest 
were  white.  A  red  spot  encircled  the  eyes.  The  comb 
was  very  small;  the  bill  and  feet  yellowish.  But  in  the 
whole  hen,  there  was  not  the  least  white,  except  that 
white  skin,  which  is  usual  about  the  openings  of  the  ears, 
but  she  was  altogether  black,  shining  with  green.  The 
feet  were  light-yellow ;  the  comb  very  small,  and  scarcely 
of  a  red  color." 

A  difficulty  about  such  varieties  recorded  so  long  ago 


62  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

is  the  doubt  whether  the  cock  and  hen  were  really  of  the 
same  breed. 

The  Paduan  fowl  has  been  continually  mentioned  as 
something  distinct  and  primitive,  by  those  who  have 
quoted  Aldrovandi,  but  let  us  for  the  present  discard  the 
term,  and  sweep  the  birds  into  the  class  of  Polands. 
Whether  they  were  really  first  brought  from  Poland  it 
is  difficult  to  know;  but  the  fact  is  quite  possible. 
Fowls  brought  alive  from  India  to  Europe,  by  the  over- 
land journey,  would  suffer  less  than  such  as  were  sent 
by  sea  round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  At  the  end  of 
each  day's  journey,  they  could  be  let  loose  immediately, 
that  the  spot  for  the  night  bivouac  was  fixed  upon ;  they 
would  soon  learn  to  return  at  dusk  to  their  travelling  hen 
house,  and  would  be  well  refreshed  against  the  next 
day's  fatigue.  In  Russia,  the  finest  teas  are  received 
overland  from  the  East ;  nor  is  it  improbable  that  a  few 
fowls  may  have  been  carried  as  far  as  the  neighboring 
country  of  Poland,  after  having  accompanied  some 
wealthy  merchant,  as  live  stock  to  be  eaten  by  the  way 
in  case  of  sickness,  or  short  commons.  But  whether 
correct  or  not,  it  would  be  difficult  now  to  alter  their 
nomenclature.  Moubray  says,  "Perhaps  the  genuine 
sort,  (of  Polish,)  has  always  five  claws  ;"  and  he  pro- 
ceeds to  derive  the  famous  Dorking  breed  from  them, 
with  the  reservation,  however,  that  such  a  speculation 
may  be  groundless,  which  it  decidedly  is.  For  the  fifth 
toe  vanishes  from  the  Dorkings  at  a  very  early  stage  of 
crossing  with  any  other  breed. 

The  Black  Polish  Fowls  are  of  a  uniform  black,  both 
cock  and  hen,  glossed  with  metallic  green.  The  head 
is  ornamented  with  a  handsome  crest  of  white  feathers 
springing  from  a  fleshy  prtuberance,  and  fronted  more 
or  less  deeply  with  black.  The  comb  is  merely  two  or 
three  spikes,  and  the  wattles  are  rather  small.  Both 
male  and  female  are  the  same  in  color,  except  that  the 
cock  has  frequently  narrow  stripes  of  white  in  the  wav- 
ing feathers  of  the  tail ;  a  sign,  it  is  said,  of  true  breed- 
ing. The  hens  also  have  two  or  three  feathers  on  each 
side  of  the  tail,  tinged  in  the  tip  with  white.  They 


• 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  63 

do  not  lay  quite  so  early  in  the  spring  as  some  varieties, 
especially  after  a  hard  winter ;  but  they  are  exceedingly 
good  layers,  continuing  a  long  time  without  wanting  to 
sit,  and  laying  rather  large,  very  white  sub-ovate  eggs. 
They  will  sit,  however,  at  length,  and  prove  of  very 
diverse  dispositions  ;  some  being  excellent  sitters  and 
nurses,  others  heedless  and  spiteful.  The  chicks,  when 
first  hatched,  are  dull,  black,  with  white  breasts,  and 
white  down  on  the  front  of  the  head.  They  do  not 
always  grow  and  get  out  of  harm's  way  so  quickly  as 
some  other  sorts,  but  are  not  particularly  tender. 

In  rearing  a  brood  of  these  fowls,  one  may  observe 
some  of  the  hens  with  crests  round  and  symmetrical  as 
a  ball,  and  others  in  which  the  feathers  turn  all  ways, 
and  fall  loosely  over  the  eyes  ;  and  in  the  cocks,  also, 
some  have  the  crest  falling  gracefully  over  the  back  of 
the  head,  and  others  have  the  feathers  turning  about 
and  standing  on  end  ;  these  are  to  be  rejected,  the  chief 
beauty  of  the  sort  depending  on  such  little  particulars. 
One  hen,  noticed  by  Mr.  Dixon,  laid  just  a  hundred 
eggs,  many  of  them  on  consecutive  days,  before  want- 
ing to  incubate  ;  after  rearing  a  brood  successfully,  she 
laid  twenty-five  eggs  before  moulting  in  autumn. 

The  Black-topped  White  Polish  are  now,  it  seems, 
run  out  in  England,  if,  indeed,  there  is  any  evidence  of 
their  having  ever  existed  there.  Buffon  mentions  them 
as  if  extant  in  France  in  his  time.  These  and  the 
"  Shackbags"  are  probably  recoverable  only  by  importa- 
tion from  Asia. 

The  Golden  Polands  are  sometimes  called  "gold 
spangled,"  but  surely  not  correctly,  because,  although 
the  bird  has  spots,  those  markings  are  not  universal,  but 
many  of  the  finest  specimens  have  the  feathers  merely 
fringed  with  a  darker  color,  and  the  cocks,  much  more 
frequently  than  the  hens,  exhibit  a  spotted  or  spangled 
appearance.  Many  of  them  are  disfigured  by  a  muff 
or  beard;  but  no  such  birds  should  be  allowed  the 
entree  to  the  poultry  yard,  but  be  dispatched  at  once  to 
the  fatting  coop. 

The  golden  Polands,  when  well  bred,  are  exceedingly 


64  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

handsome;  the  cock  having  golden  hackles,  and  gold 
and  brown  feathers  on  the  back ;  breast  and  wings 
richly  spotted  with  ochre  and  dark-brown ;  tail  darker ; 
large  golden  and  brown  crest,  falling  back  over  the 
neck ;  but  little  comb  and  wattles.  The  hen  is  richly 
laced  with  dark-brown  or  black  on  an  ochre  ground  ; 
dark-spotted  crest ;  legs  light- blue,  very  cleanly  made, 
and  displaying  a  small  web  between  the  toes,  almost  as 
proportionally  large  as  that  in  some  of  the  aquatic  birds 
called  "  waders."  They  are  good  layers,  and  produce 
fair-sized  eggs.  Many  of  them  make  excellent  mothers, 
although  you  cannot  always  get  them  to  sit  early  in  the 
season.  The  chicks  are  rather  clumsy-looking  little 
animals,  of  a  dingy  brown,  with  some  dashes  of  ochre 
about  the  head,  breast,  and  wings.  They  are  sometimes 
a  little  apt  to  die  in  the  first  week  of  their  existence,  but 
afterwards  get  tolerably  hardy,  although  liable  to  make 
a  stand-still  when  about  half  grown. 

It  has  been  observed  as  a  peculiarity  in  the  temper  of 
this  breed,  that  if  you  catch  one  of  them,  or  if  one 
is  attacked  by  any  animal,  the  rest,  whether  cocks 
or  hens,  will  instantly  attack  the  aggressor  with  fury, 
and  endeavor  to  rescue  their  unfortunate  companion. 

The  Silver  Polands  are  similar  to  the  preceding  in 
shape  and  markings,  except  that  white,  black,  and  grey, 
are  exchanged  for  ochre  or  yellow,  and  various  shades 
of  brown.  They  are  even  more  delicate  in  their  con- 
stitution, more  liable  to  remain  fixed  at  a  certain  point 
of  their  growth,  and  still  more  require  and  will  repay 
extra  care  and  accommodation.  Their  topknots  are  not, 
perhaps,  in  general,  so  large  ;  but  they  retain  the  same 
neat,  bluish  legs  and  slightly-webbed  feet.  It  is  curious 
that  a  bird  which  is  quite  incapable  of  swimming  should 
have  webs  on  its  feet,  while  the  gallinule,  which  swims 
and  dives  well,  has  none. 

The  hens  of  the  silver  Polands  are  much  more  orna- 
mental than  the  cocks  ;  though  even  they  are  sure  to 
attract  notice.  They  may  certainly  be  ranked  among 
the  choicest  of  fowls,  whether  we  consider  their  beauty 
or  their  rarity.  They  lay  moderate-sized,  French-white 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  65 

eggs,  much  pointed  at  one  end,  in  tolerable  abundance, 
and  when  they  sit,  acquit  themselves  respectably. 

The  new-hatched  chicks  are  very  pretty ;  grey,  with 
black  eyes,  light,  lead-colored  legs,  and  a  swelling  of 
down  on  the  crown  of  the  head,  indicative  of  the  future 
topknot,  which  is  exactlv  the  color  of  a  powdered  wig, 
and  indeed  gives  the  chick  the  appearance  of  wearing 
one.  They  are  easily  enough  reared  for  the  first  six 
weeks  or  two  months,  the  critical  time  with  them  being 
the  interval  between  that  age  and  their  reaching  their 
fifth  or  sixth  month.  At  a  very  early  age,  they  acquire 
their  peculiar  distinctive  features,  and  are  then  the  most 
elegant  little  miniature  fowls  it  is  possible  to  imagine. 
The  distinction  of  sex  is  not  very  manifest  till  they  are 
nearly  full  grown,  the  first  observable  indication  being  in 
the  tail.  That  of  the  pullet  is  carried  uprightly,  as  it 
ought  to  be,  but  in  the  cockerel  it  remains  depressed, 
awaiting  the  growth  of  the  sickle  feathers.  It  is  re- 
markable that  the  golden  Polish  cock  brings  as  true 
silver  chicks,  and  those  stronger,  with  the  silver  Polish 
hen,  as  the  silver  Polish  cock  would. 

The  silver  Polands  have  all  the  habits  of  their  golden 
companions;  the  main  difference  being  the  silvery 
ground  instead  of  the  golden.  The  silver  variety  will 
sometimes  even  make  its  appearance  if  you  breed  merely 
the  golden  sort,  exactly  as  the  black  Polish  produce  now 
and  then  some  pure  white  chicks  that  make  very  elegant 
birds.  An  attempt  has  been  made  in  England  to  ob- 
tain the  black  topknotted,  white,  Polish  from  these,  by 
acting  on  the  imagination  of  the  parents.  The  experi- 
ment failed,  though  similar  schemes  have  been  said  to 
succeed  with  animals  ;  it  proved,  however,  one  'thing — 
namely,  that  it  will  not  do  to  breed  from  the  white  Polish 
as  a  separate  breed.  Being  albinos,  the  chicks  come 
very  weakly,  and  few  survive.  On  the  other  hand,  trust 
to  chance  for  an  occasional  white  one  among  the  black, 
and  you  may  get  a  fine  bird. 

There  is  a  singular  variety  of  the  Polish,  which  has 
the  entire  plumage  of  a  uniform  slaty  dun  color.  Other 
curious  combinations  of  color  are  probably  to  be  found 


66  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

here  and  there  in  the  hands  of  careful  breeders.  One 
has  been  lately  raised  in  England,  in  which  the  golden 
plumage  has  been  crowned  by  a  large  globe-shaped  white 
crest  of  dense  feathers  ;  how  long  this  will  continue 
permanent,  remains  to  be  tested.  There  was  also  a 
breed  called  after  Lord  Erdley,  which  obtained  a  prize 
at  one  of  the  poultry  shows  in  the  Surry  Zoological 
Gardens. 

The  Polish  fowls  are  chiefly  suited  for  keeping  in  a 
small  way,  and  in  a  clean  and  grassy  place.  They  are 
certainly  not  so  fit  for  the  yard  of  the  farmer,  becoming 
blinded  and  miserable  with  dirt.  It  is  a  main  point  to 
procure  them  genuine ;  for  there  is  no  breed  of  fowls 
more  disfigured  by  rnongrelism  than  this.  The  Polish 
will,  without  any  cross-breeding,  occasionally  produce 
white  stock  that  are  very  pretty,  and  equally  good  for 
laying,  &c.  It  is  singular,  however,  that  if  you  attempt 
to  make  a  separate  breed  of  them,  they  become  puny 
and  weak.  It  is  better  for  those  who  wish  for  them  to 
depend  upon  chance,  as  every  brood  almost  of  the 
black  produces  one  white  chick  strong  and  lively  as  the 
rest. 

The  Polish  fowls  are  excellent  for  the  table,  the  flesh 
being  white,  tender,  and  juicy ;  but  they  are  quite  un- 
suitable for  being  reared  in  any  numbers,  or  for  general 
purposes  ;  they  are  capricious  in  their  growth,  frequent- 
ly remaining  "  stuck,"  for  a  whole  month,  without  get- 
ting bigger,  and  this,  too,  when  about  a  quarter  or  half 
grown,  the  time^of  their  life  when  they  are  most  liable 
to  disease.  As  aviary  birds,  they  are  unrivalled  among 
fowls.  Their  plumage  often  requires  a  close  inspection 
to  appreciate  its  elaborate  beauty ;  and  the  confinement 
and  petting  seem  not  uncongenial  to  their  health.  It  is 
recommended  that  persons  whose  accommodations  for 
poultry  is  very  limited,  select  some  pretty  family  of 
Polanders,  and  keep  them  on  the  aviary  system  ;  when 
it  will  be  found  that  their  plumage  improves  in  beauty 
with  almost  every  moult. 

Polish  fowls  are  also  currently  reported  as  "  everlast- 
ing layers,"  which  further  fits  them  for  keeping  in  small 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 


67 


enclosures ;  but,  as  in  the  Hamburghs,  individual  ex- 
ceptions are  often  met  with,  however  truly  the  habit 
may  be  ascribed  to  the  race. 


THE    BANTAM    FOWL. 

SYNONYMES.—  Gcllus  bankiva  (var.  ?),  of  Temminck  ;  Cog  de  Bantam, 
of  Buffon  ;  Bantamischcr  Hahn,  of  the  Germans  ;  Bantam  Fowl,  of  tho 
English  and  Anglo- Americans. 

Our  little  friends,  the  Bantams,  as  their  name  clearly 
implies,  came  from  Bantam,  a  town  and  kingdom  in  the 
island  of  Java,  famous  for  its  trade  in  pepper.  Since 
their  introduction  into  Europe,  this  breed  has  ramified 
into  many  varieties,  none  of  which  are  destitute  of 
elegance,  and  some  remarkable  for  beauty.  All  are,  or 
ought  to  be,  of  small  size,  but  lively  and  vigorous,  ex- 
hibiting in  their  movements  both  stateliness  and  grace. 

The  Yellow  or  Nankin  Bantams  are  about  the  most 
useful  of  their  tribe,  and  not  the  least  ornamental.  The 
hens  are  mainly  tinted  with  a  ginger-yellow,  and  have 
dull-blue  legs  and  feet,  and  small  comb.  There  is  a  sub- 
variety,  in  which  they  are  more  brown,  after  the  fashion 
of  some  game  hens.  The  cocks  are  decked  in  red, 
orange,  and  scarlet,  mostly  with  the  false  speculum, or 
iridescent  wing  coverts,  altogether  of  a  flashy  appearance ; 
and,  indeed,  when  good  specimens  of  their  kind,  they  are 
really  beautiful  little  birds.  Their  eggs  are  large  in 
proportion  to  the  size  of  the  layer,  very  rounded  and  full 
at  both  ends,  and  of  excellent  flavor.  The  hens  are  ex- 


68  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

cellent  mothers,  particularly  for  such  delicate  things  as 
Guinea  fowls. 

The  Sebright  Bantam  has  very  much  thrown  the 
preceding  into  the  shade.  Their  beauty  is  of  a  differ- 
ent class,  but  it  is  questionable  whether  their  merits  are 
greater.  Here  we  have  delicate  pencilling  in  the  shape 
of  brilliant  coloring.  How  and  whence  they  first  ap- 
peared in  England  is  a  mystery  and  likely  to  remain  so. 
Sir  J.  S.  Sebright  has  the  credit  of  having  "originated" 
the  breed,  a  reputation  believed  to  be  as  well  deserved 
as  that  he  "originated"  the  creation  of  the  feathered 
race  in  general.  Those  in  his  confidence  were  accus- 
tomed to  report  that  he  would  travel,  "  or  send,"  as  far 
as  two  or  three  hundred  miles  to  obtain  a  choice  bird, 


SEBRIGHT    BANTAMS. 

which  was  doubtless  true ;  but  had  they  added  many 
thousands  of  miles  to  the  two  or  three  hundred  in  the 
"  sending"  part  of  the  story,  they  would,  we  believe, 
have  been  still  nearer  to  the  truth.  That  Sir  John 
treated  his  birds,  when  procured,  with  jealous  care  and 
skilful  nature  will  be  readily  granted.  But  while  breed- 
ers continue  to  be  so  anxious,  not  merely  to  conceal 
their  system  of  management,  (in  the  earliest  stages  at 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  69 

least,)  but  even  to  mislead  inquirers,  those  who  cultivate 
natural  history  for  its  own  sake,  will  not  be  justified  in 
arriving  at  hasty  conclusions  from  such  information. 

"  We  are  at  once  struck  with  surprise  at  the  impu- 
dence of  the  Sebright  Bantams.  Oh  !  the  consequential 
little  atom  !  That  such  a  contemptible  minikin  as  that 
should  have  the  assurance  to  parade  his  insignificant 
person  in  the  presence  of  great  ladies,  the  female  mem- 
bers of  families  of  weight  and  substance,  before  the 
Misses,  and  still  worse,  the  Mistresses  Dorking,  Cochin- 
China,  and  Malay,  to  presume  to  show  marked  attention, 
nay  even,  I  declare  !  to .  Well,  there  is  no  know- 
ing to  what  lengths  impudence  will  go,  so  long  as  Ban- 
tams survive  extermination. 

"  Here  is  a  little  whipper-snapper !  Pretty,  certainly, 
and  smart,  but  shamefully  forward  in  his  ways.  His 
coat  is  of  a  rich,  brownish-yellow  ;  almost  every  feather 
is  edged  with  a  border  of  a  darker  hue,  approaching  to 
black.  His  neat,  slim  legs  are  of  a  light,  dull-lead  color; 
his  ample  tail  is  carried  well  over  his  back.  His  de- 
pendent wings  nearly  touch  the  ground.  He  is  as  up- 
right as  the  stifFest  drill  serjeant,  or  more  so,  for  he 
appears  now  and  then  as  if  he  would  fall  backwards, 
like  a  horse  that  over-rears  himself.  His  full,  rose  comb 
and  deep-depending  wattles  are  plump  and  red;  but 
their  disproportionate  size  affords  a  most  unfortunate 
hold  for  the  beak  of  his  adversary ;  but  he  cares  not  for 
that ;  a  little  glory  is  worth  a  good  deal  of  pecking  and 
pinching,  and  it  is  not  a  slight  punishment,  nor  a  merely 
occasional  infliction  of  it  that  will  make  him  give  in. 
The  great  hens,  too,  that  look  down  upon  him,  and  over 
him,  think  proper  to  do  battle  with  him  on  a  first  intro- 
duction, though  they  afterwards  find  out  that  they  might 
as  well  have  received  him  in  a  more  feminine  style." — 
Dixon. 

The  plumage  of  the  hens  is  similar  to  that  of  the 
cocks.  They  are  very  good  layers,  most  excellent  sit- 
ters, assiduous  and  affectionate  mothers,  but  most  mur- 
derous step-mothers  ;  that  is,  if  you  attempt  to  change, 
or  add  to,  the  number  of  the  brood  they  have  hatched 


70  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

themselves,  they  will  welcome  the  little  strangers  by 
making  raw  head  and  bloody  bones  of  them,  before  you 
can  return  from  fetching  a  pan  of  water  to  set  before 
the  coop.  Their  own  chickens  are  dark-brown  when 
first  hatched,  with  no  particular  marks  about  them 
whilst  young.  This  is  the  variety  figured  by  Moubray 
as  the  "  Bantam  or  pheasant  fowls." 

The  Black  Bantam  is  a  most  beautiful  example  of  a 
great  soul  in  a  little  body.  It  is  most  pugnacious  of  its 
whole  tribe.  It  will  drive  to  a  respectful  distance  great 
dunghill  cocks  five  times  its  weight.  It  is  more  jealous, 
irascible,  and  domineering,  in  proportion  to  its  size,  than 
the  thorough-bred  game  cock  himself.  Its  combative- 
ness,  too,  is  manifested  at  a  very  early  period.  Other 
chickens  will  fight  in  sport,  by  the  time  they  are  half 
grown,  but  these  set  to  work  in  good  earnest. 

The  black  Bantam,  in  his  appearance,  is  a  pleasing 
little  fellow.  He  should  have  a  full  rose  comb,  clean 
and  sinewy  legs,  glossy  plumage  with  almost  metallic 
lustre,  of  a  different  tint  to  the  glancing  green  of  the 
Spanish  fowl,  arched  and  flowing  tail,  waggish,  impu- 
dent eye,  self-satisfied  air  and  gait. 

The  hens  are  of  a  duller  jetty  black,  less  knowing  in 
their  manner,  and,  in  every  way,  of  inferior  capacity. 
They  have  great  credit  for  fulfilling  their  maternal 
duties  well ;  but  they  are  found  to  be  less  affectionate 
and  careful  than  other  Bantams.  They  are  great  stay- 
ers at  home,  prowling  very  little  about,  and  therefore  are 
desirable  in  many  situations,  such  as  suburban  villas 
that  are  surrounded  by  captious  neighbors.  They  will 
remain  contented  with  the  range  of  a  moderate  stable 
yard,  and  the  least  bit  of  shrubbery ;  and  will  do  much 
good  by  the  consumption  of  numerous  insects.  They 
are  reputed  good  layers  during  winter ;  but  that  will  de- 
pend on  the  liberality  with  which  they  are  fed.  Cooks 
say  that  their  eggs,  though  small,  are  "  very  rich,"  which 
means,  perhaps,  that  they  contain  a  greater  proportion 
of  yolk  than  those  of  larger  fowls.  Guinea  fowls'  eggs 
are  prized  for  the  same  quality ;  and  any  one  may,  at 
breakfast,  observe  how  much  less  a  proportion  of  white 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  71 

there  is  in  them,  than  in  those  of  the  turkey.  Black 
Bantam's  eggs  are  smooth,  tinged  with  buff,  decidedly 
long-oval  in  most  individuals,  and  with  a  zone  of  irregu- 
larity towards  the  smaller  end  in  some. 

The  new-hatched  chicks  are  covered  with  black 
down,  which  occasionally  has  a  greyish  cast  under  the 
belly ;  bill,  eyes,  feet  and  legs  black.  The  female 
chicks  are  not  bigger  than  the  queen  of  the  black  and 
yellow  humble  bees,  and  their  slender,  little  legs  appear 
fitter  to  belong  to  an  insect  than  a  chicken. 

When  brought  up  by  their  own  mother,  a  spent 
cucumber  frame  covered  with  a  net,  is  a  good  place  to 
keep  them  the  first  month.  The  hottest  and  finest  part 
of  the  season  should  be  selected  for  them  to  pass  their 
chickenhood  in.  When  full  grown  and  plumed,  they  are 
not  more  tender  than  other  poultry,  though  they  are 
better  suited  for  confinement  in  yards. 

Those  who  keep  any  other  variety  of  domestic  fowl, 
and  are  desirous  of  having  plenty  of  chickens  as  well  as 
eggs,  had  better  not  permit  a  black  Bantam  cock  to 
enter  upon  their  premises. 

The  White  Bantam  very  much  resembles  the  one  pre- 
ceding in  every  respect  except  color ;  the  rose  comb  may 
perhaps  in  some  specimens  be  a  little  more  exuberant. 
But  they  are  not  much  to  be  coveted.  The  white  of 
their  plumage  is  not  brilliant,  and  is  sure  to  be  un-neat 
in  the  places  where  they  are  usually  kept.  Were  they 
really  guilty  of  the  savage,  objectless,  and  unnatural 
ferocity  that  is  attributed  to  them,  they  would  all  de- 
serve to  have  their  necks  wrung ;  but  the  tale  wants 
confirmation. 

Creepers,  so  called  from  the  shortness  of  their  legs, 
and  Jumpers,  from  their  halting  gait,  are  rather  to  be 
considered  as  accidental  deformities  collected  from  un- 
healthy families  of  Bantams,  than  as  constituting  any 
distinct  variety.  A  sufficient  proof  of  which  is,  that 
many  of  them  are  scarcely  able  to  propagate  their  kind. 
Some  of  these  are  the  very  smallest  of  their  genus,  being 
not  larger  than  pigeons,  and  not  so  tall.  They  are  now 
much  out  of  fashion,  and  are  rarely  seen.  They  were 


72  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

well  known,  however,  to  the  middle-age  curiosity  col- 
lectors. Aldrovandi,  in  discoursing  on  them,  says: 
"But  the  hens  which  Longolius  calls  pigmy,  and  ren- 
ders into  German  '  Kriel,'  those,  as  I  have  just  said, 
exist  here  and  there,  creep  along  the  ground  by  limping 
rather  than  walking."  Again,  he  says :  "  Although  we 
declared  that  we  would  not  give  another  figure  of  com- 
mon hens,  we  have  thought  right,  on  account  of  their 
rarity  to  exhibit  one  of  the  pigmy  or  dwarf  sort,  which 
we  have  said  that  many  people  unadvisedly  consider  as 
the  Hadrian  hen,  (of  classical  authors,)  although  it  be- 
longs to  the  same  kind.  But  this  hen  was  all  black  ex- 
cept the  larger  feathers  of  the  wings,  which  were  whitish 
at  the  tips ;  she  had  likewise  white  spots  all  round  about 
her  neck  emulating  the  full  moon,  and  lastly,  a  round 
spot  of  an  ochrey  color  encircled  her  eyes.  Her  head 
was  topknotted.  The  wattles  and  comb,  which  was 
very  small,  were  of  a  rather  intense  red  ;  the  feet  were 
bright  yellow  ;  the  claws  small,  exceedingly  white." 

Aldrovandi  also  gives  a  rich  collection  of  three-footed, 
four-footed,  double-headed,  and  double-bodied  fowls,  that 
occurred  to  him  in  the  course  of  his  laborious  researches. 

MONGRELS    AND    BARN-DOOR    FOWLS. 

IT  is  now  generally  conceded,  and  the  best  judges 
agree,  that  there  is  no  such  variety  as  the  "  barn-door 
fowl,"  unless  we  appropriate  that  name  to  some  one 
variety  which  has  hitherto  been  scarcely  distinguished 
with  precision ;  and  that  the  collections  usually  known 
under  the  name,  are  merely  a  rabble  of  mongrels,  in 
which  the  results  of  accidental  or  injudicious  crosses 
have  become  apparent  in  all  kinds  of  ways. 

From  observation  and  strict  inquiry,  it  is  now 
regarded  as  an  established  principle,  that  the  most 
careful  breeding  will  only  fix,  and  make  prominent,  cer- 
tain peculiar  features,  or  points,  which  are  observed  in 
certain  families  of  the  same  aboriginal  species,  or  sub- 
species ;  and  that  the  whole  world  might  be  challenged 
to  bring  evidence  that  any  permanent  intermediate 
variety  of  quadruped  or  bird,  generated  by  the  crossing 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  73 

of  any  two  wild  species,  that  would  continue  to  re- 
produce offspring,  like  itself,  and  not  finally  revert  back 
to  one  or  other  original  type. 

As  to  the  great  question  of  the  "  immutability  of 
species,"  so  closely  allied  to  the  investigation  of  the 
different  varieties  of  poultry,  as  far  as  the  limited 
researches  of  physiologists  and  naturalists  have  gone — 
and  they  have  been  confined  almost  entirely  to  birds 
under  the  control  or  influence  of  man — I  have  been 
led  to  the  conclusion  that  sub-species,  and  even  varie- 
ties, are  much  more  permanent,  independent,  and 
ancient,  than  is  currently  believed  at  the  present  day. 
My  conviction  is,  that  the  diversities  which  we  see 
even  in  the  most  nearly-allied  races  of  birds,  are  not 
produced  by  any  transmuting  influence  of  time,  vari- 
ation or  increase  of  food,  change  of  climate,  (except  in 
some  instances  in  their  feathers,)  nor  by  hybridization  ;* 
but  that  each  distinct  variety,  however  nearly  resem- 
bling any  other,  has  been  produced  by  a  Creative 
Power.  Moreover,  facts  would  seem  to  prove  that 
hybrids,  possessed  of  the  power  of  reproduction,  are 
even  then  saved  from  being  barren  only  by  their  pro- 
geny more  or  less  rapidly  reverting  to  the  type  of  one 
parent  or  the  other  ;  so  that  no  intermediate  race  is 
founded.  Things  sooner  or  later  go  on  as  they  went 
before,  or  they  cease  to  go  on  at  all.  This  is  the  case 
with  our  domestic  animals  generally  ;  and  is  well 
known  to  breeders  as  one  of  the  most  inflexible  diffi- 

*  The  prevalence  of  bright  colors  in  the  animals  of  polar  and  cold  regions  is 
well  known,  and  is  ascribed  to  the  influence  of  climate  ;  the  arctic  fox,  the 
polar  bear,  and  the  American  snow  bird,  are  striking  instances.  The  same 
character  is  remarkable  in  some  species  which  are  more  darkly  colored  in 
warmer  situations.  A  similar  fact  is  also  observable  in  those  birds  and  animals 
which  change  their  color  in  the  same  country,  at  the  winter  season,  to  white- 
or  grey,  as  the  ermine,  {Mustela  ermina,)  and  weasel,  (M.  nivalis,)  the  varying 
hare,  squirrel,  reindeer,  the  white  game  bird  of  Lapland,  (Tetrao  lagopus,)  and 
the  American  snow  bunting  (Emberiza  nivulis.)  In  cold  regions,  too.  the  fur 
and  feathers  are  thicker,  and  more  copious,  so  as  to  form  a  much  more  effectual 
defence  against  the  climate  than  the  coarser  and  rarer  textures  which  are 
seen  in  warm  countries. 

Difference  of  food  might  be  naturairy  expected  to  produce  considerable  cor- 
responding modifications  in  the  color,  form,  and  size  of  animals.  For  instance, 
oxen  become  very  large  and  fat  when  reared  for  many  generations  on  rich  soils, 
but  are  distinguished  by  shortness  of  the  legs  ;  while,  on  drier  situations,  their 
whole  bulk  is  less,  and  the  limbs  more  muscular  and  strong.  Some  singing  birds, 
too,  chiefly  of  the  lark  and  finch  kinds,  are  known  to  become  gradually  black 
if  they  are  fed  on  hemp  seed  alone. 

4 


74  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

culties  they  have  to  contend  with,  technically  called  by 
them  "  crying  back."  Thus  it  is  that  half  the  mongrels 
that  one  sees  among  our  domestic  fowls  are  only 
transition  forms,  passing  back  to  the  type  of  one  or 
other  progenitor. 

The  mongrels  and  barn-door  fowls  are  so  numerous 
and  so  variously  mixed,  that  it  is  impossible  to  give 
even  a  catalogue  of  all  the  intermediate  shades  of 
character  among  them.  I  shall,  therefore,  only  notice 
those  which  have  some  pretensions  to  distinctness  of 
character,  and  have  been  propagated  either  for  orna- 
ment or  profit.  Their  names  and  chief  characteristics, 
are  as  follows  : — 

The  Jago  Fowl,  (see  vignette,)  also  erroneously 
called  the  "  Paduan"  and  the  "great  St.  Jago  fowl,"  is 
the  offspring  of  an  absurd  quotation  from  Marsden's 
"History  of  Sumatra,"  which  has  run  the  rounds  of 
most  compilations  on  the  domestic  fowl.  Jago,  the 
native  Sumatran  or  Malay  word  for  a  particular  breed, 
has  been  mistaken  for  St.  Jago,  the  name  of  one  of  the 
Cape  Verd  Islands.  Marsden  was,  doubtless,  well 
acquainted  with  his  subject,  as  will  appear  from  his 
own  words  :  "  There  are  in  Sumatra  the  domestic  hen, 
(ayam,)  some  with  black  bones,  and  some  of  the  sort 
we  call  Freezland  or  Negro  fowls  ;  hen  of  the  woods 
(ayam  baroogo) ;  the  Jago  breed  of  fowls,  which 
abound  in  the  southern  end  of  Sumatra,  and  western 
of  Java,  are  remarkably  large ;  1  have  seen  a  cock 
peck  off  a  common  dining-table  ;  when  fatigued,  they 
sit  down  on  the  first  joint  of  the  leg,  and  are  then 
taller  than  the  common  fowls.  It  is  strange  if  the 
same  country,  Bantam,  produces  likewise  the  diminu- 
tive breed  that  goes  by  that  name." 

This  fowl,  which  was  formerly  in  very  high  repute, 
in  England,  is  said  to  have  been  as  large  and  as  finely- 
flavored  as  a  turkey  ;  but  now,  it  is  rarely  to  be  met 
with,  if  at  all.  It  was  probably  nothing  more  than  a 
cross  between  the  Cochin-China,  and  some  other  large 
eastern  fowl,  which,  at  present,  has  nearly  or  quite 
"  cried  back."  There  are  numerous  other  races  or 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  75 

varieties  bearing  this  and  other  names  found  in  different 
parts  of  Europe  and  this  country,  one  of  the  most 
interesting  of  which  is  called  the  "Spanish  fowl"  (see 
vignette).  The  body  and  tail  feathers  are  of  a  rich 
black,  with  occasionally  a  little  white  on  the  breast.  The 
deportment  of  the  cock  is  grave  and  stately,  and  his 
eyes  are  encircled  with  a  ring  of  brownish  feathers, 
from  which  rises  a  black  tuft  that  covers  the  ears. 
Behind  the  comb,  there  are  other  similar  feathers,  as 
well  as  beneath  the  wattles.  The  legs  and  feet  are  of 
a  leaden  color,  except  the  soles  of  the  feet,  which  are 
yellowish. 

The  famous  "shack-backs,"  "shack-bags,"  or  "Duke 
of  Leeds'  fowl,"  in  vogue  in  England  some  years  ago, 
were  supposed  to  have  been  a  cross  between  the  jago 
and  Dorking  fowls. 

The  Shanghae  Co  chin- China  Fowl. — This  breed  is 
said  to  have  been  carried  from  the  eastern  part  of 
Cochin-China  to  the  city  of  Shanghae  ;  thence  to  Liver- 
pool, in  England,  whence  they  were  conveyed  to  Bos- 
ton, in  Massachusetts,  by  Captain  Forbes,  in  1848. 

In  general  shape  and  appearance,  these  fowls  re- 
semble the  true  Cochin-Chinas,  of  which  they  are  doubt- 
less a  cross,  though  they  have  a  greater  depth  of  quarter, 
less  depth  of  breast,  and  are  lighter  in  their  color. 
Their  legs  invariably  are  large  and  heavily  feathered. 
The  general  plumage  is  of  a  bright-yellow,  or  gold  color, 
variegated  with  dark-brown  or  red.  Their  eggs,  also, 
are  of  a  lighter  mahogany  color  than  those  of  their  con- 
geners, the  Cochin-Chinas,  but  are  equally  large  and 
as  good  in  flavor.  It  is  stated  in  the  Massachusetts 
Ploughman,  that  Mr.  Phillips,  of  Marshfield,  had  a 
pullet  of  this  breed,  which  laid  120  eggs  in  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  days  ;  then  stopped  six  days  ;  re- 
commenced, and  laid  16  eggs  more;  ceased  laying  four 
days,  and  then  continued  to  lay  again. 

The  chickens  are  said  to  be  quite  uniform  in  size, 
healthy,  hardy,  of  rapid  growth,  early  maturity,  tender- 
fleshed,  and  of  excellent  flavor.  In  their  present  form 


76  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

and  character,  they  are  well  adapted  for  caporiizing,  by 
which  means  they,  undoubtedly,  would  attain  an  extra- 
ordinary large  size. 

The  Plymouth  Rock  Fowl — This  is  the  name  of  a 
mongrel  breed  of  some  notoriety,  lately  produced  by 
Dr.  J.  C.  Bennett,  of  Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  which 
he  describes  in  the  Boston  Cultivator,  (of  Aug.  25, 
1849,)  in  the  following  words  : — 

"  I  have  given  this  name  to  a  very  extra  breed  of 
fowls,  which  I  produced  by  crossing  a  cockerel  [?]  of 
Baylies'  importation  of  Cochiri-China,  with  a  hen,  a 
cross  between  the  fawn -colored  Dorking,  the  great 
Malay,  and  the  wild  India.  Her  weight  is  six  pounds 
and  seven  ounces.  The  Plymouth  Rock  fowl,  then,  is 
in  reality,  one  half  Cochin-China,  one  fourth  fawn- 
colored  Dorking,  one  eighth  great  Malay,  and  one  eighth 
wild  India — having  five  primitive  bloods,  Shanghae, 
Malay,  game,  Turkish,  and  India,  traceable  by  referring 
to  the  history  of  those  breeds  and  their  crosses  respec- 
tively. There  are  several  of  this  breed,  (the  Plymouth 
Rock,)  in  Plymouth,  from  my  original  stock,  belonging 
to  Messrs.  Perkins,  Drew,  Harlow,  and  myself,  that  are 
now  a  little  over  one  year  old  ;  the  cockerels  [?]  mea- 
sure from  thirty-two  to  thirty-five  inches  high,  and 
weight  about  ten  pounds,  and  the  pullets  from  six  and  a 
half  to  seven  pounds  each,  forming,  in  my  opinion,  the 
best  cross  that  has  ever  been  produced. 

"  The  pullets  commenced  laying  when  five  months 
old,  proving  themselves  very  superior  layers.  Their 
eggs  are  of  medium  size,  rich,  and  reddish-yellow  in 
color.  Their  plumage  is  rich  and  variegated  ;  the 
cockerels,  usually  red  or  speckled,  and  the  pullets 
darkish-brown.  They  are  very  fine  fleshed,  and  easily 
fit  for  the  table.  Their  legs  are  very  large,  and  usu- 
ally blue  or  green,  but  occasionally  yellow  or  white, 
generally  having  five  toes  upon  each  foot.  Some  have 
their  legs  feathered,  but  this  is  not  usual.  They  have 
large  and  single  combs  and  wattles,  largo  dewlaps,  [?] 
rather  short  tails,  and  small  wings,  in  proportion  to 
their  bodies.  They  are  domestic,  and  not  so  destruo- 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  77 

tive  to  gardens  as  smaller  fowls.  There  is  the  same 
uniformity  in  size  and  general  appearance,  at  the  same 
age  of  the  chickens,  as  in  those  of  the  pure  bloods  or 
primary  races. 

"  The  demand  for  this  breed  has  exceeded  all  others 
during  this  season,  and  they  have  been  sent  into  most 
of  the  New-England  States  and  "Western  New  York. 
And  all,  who  may  hereafter  purchase  from  persons  who 
have  been  supplied  by  myself,  or  either  of  the  gentle- 
men above-named,  may  rely  on  the  fowls  being  genu- 
ine and  of  pure  blood.  I  never  sell  to  the  same  in- 
dividual a  cockerel  and  pullet  of  the  same  paren- 
tage, so  they  need  not  fear  that  the  breed  will  be  deteri- 
orated by  *  close'  breeding ;  nor  do  I  sell  at  any  price, 
for  breeders,  any  but  those  of  the  very  first  quality. 
This  is  the  only  way  in  which  breeds  can  be  retained 
in  their  purity  and  excellence." 

How  far  the  above  doctrine  corresponds  with  the 
principles  advocated  in  this  humble  little  treatise,  the 
candid  and  intelligent  reader  can  judge,  But,  should 
these  fowls  be  "  bred  in  the  line  ;"  that  is,  uncrossed 
with  any  other  race,  before  the  lapse  of  many  years, 
their  progeny  will  revert  to  the  type  of  one  or  other 
of  the  original  parents,  or  they  will  cease  to  breed 
of  themselves  at  all.  They  are  undoubtedly  a  valu- 
able fowl  for  some  purposes,  and  if  judiciously  crossed, 
alternately,  year  after  year,  with  pure-bred  Dorkings, 
game  fowls,  and  the  great  Malays,  their  value  and 
utility  would  probably  be  maintained  or  enhanced. 

The  Jersey-Blue  Fowl.  —  This  is  another  large 
mongrel  of  a  bluish  cast,  probably  made  up  of  crosses 
of  the  great  Malay,  jago,  Javanese,  or  other  cognate 
breeds,  and  some  of  our  native  varieties.  Their  legs 
are  long,  their  thighs  large,  and  their  flesh  less  savory 
than  that  of  the  Dorking,  the  Bucks-County  or  the 
Dominique  fowl ;  neither  are  they  particularly  remark- 
able for  hardiness  nor  for  laying. 

They   are  produced  in  considerable  abundance  in 


78  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

New  Jersey,  and  usually  are  found  in  the  Philadelphia 
and  New- York  markets. 

The  Ostrich  Fowl. — This  variety  is  said  to  have 
originatqd  in  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  hence 
is  sometimes  called  the  "  Bucks-County  breed."  The 
color  of  the  cock,  as  described  by  Mr.  Bement,  is  a 
dark  blue-black,  with  the  ends  of  his  feathers  tipped 
with  white  ;  wings  tinged  with  a  bright  yellow,  or  gold 
color  ;  hackles  dark,  glossy  blue  ;  rose  or  double  comb, 
and  wattles  large ;  bold,  lively  carriage,  and  a  stately 
walk. 

The  hens  do  not  differ  much  from  the  cock  in  color, 
and  are  similar  in  form,  being  deep,  short,  plump,  and 
thick-set  in  body  ;  legs  short,  of  a  dark  color  and 
medium  size  ;  they  have  high,  single,  serrated  combs, 
generally  falling  over  on  one  side ;  wattles  large. 
They  are  esteemed  good  layers,  their  eggs  weighing 
4:1  ounces  ;  and  for  a  large  breed,  they  are  good  sitters 
as  well  as  good  mothers  ;  the  eggs  large  and  nutritious  ; 
the  flesh,  unlike  that  of  the  Malay,  white,  firm,  ten- 
der, and  fine-flavored.*1 

The  Booby  Fowl. — This  is  a  large  breed,  doubtless 
of  Asiatic  origin,  procured  by  Dr.  R.  Kitridge,  of  Ports- 
mouth, New  Hampshire,  from  Montgomery  county, 
Pennsylvania.  Their  color  is  a  black  ground,  spotted 
all  over  with  white  ;  the  legs,  black,  and  general  shape 
like  that  of  a  turkey.  The  cocks,  when  full  grown, 
are  represented  to  weigh  9  or  10  Ibs.,  and  the  hens  7 
or  8  Ibs.  They  are  said  to  be  prolific  layers,  and  not 
inclined  to  sit  like  the  common  varieties';  sometimes 
laying  forty  or  fifty  eggs  before  they  become  broody. 
Some  of  their  eggs  weigh  over  3J,  ounces  each,  and 
measure  three  inches  in  circumference. 

The  Bucks-County  Fowl. — Here  is  another  mongrel 
monstrosity,  first  brought  into  notice  in  Bucks  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  has  little  to  recommend  it  except 
great  size,  and  a  few  large,  well-flavored  eggs.  The 

*  American  Poulterer's  Companion,  p.  172. 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  79 

hens  are  enormous  eaters,  poor  layers,  and  miserable 
sitters,  seldom  laying  more  than  ten  or  twelve  at  a 
litter.  They  are  only  profitable  to  breed  from,  should 
the  race  not  run  out,  for  making  capons  which  are 
sometimes  sold  in  the  Philadelphia  market  for  $5  to 
f  10  per  pair. 

In  corroboration  of  the  above  opinion,  I  insert  the 
following  extract  from  the  American  Agriculturist, 
written  by  L.  F.  Allen,  of  Black  Rock,  a  practical 
farmer,  and  late  President  of  the  New- York  State 
Agricultural  Society  : — 

"  The  Bucks- County  breed  has  received  some  celeb- 
rity in  the  neighborhood  of  Philadelphia  as  a  valuable 
variety  of  fowl,  principally  on  account  of  its  enormous 
size.  I  have  seen  many  specimens  of  this  fowl,  paid 
some  attention  to  its  habits,  and  learned  from  those 
who  have  tried  them  their  principal  merits.  It  is  a 
large  bird,  weighing,  at  maturity,  8  and  even  10  Ibs., 
rather  thinly  feathered,  of  various  colors  from  grey  to 
black,  and  frequently  speckled,  black,  and  white.  They 
are  coarse  in  their  legs,  tall  and  bony,  and  have  evi- 
dently a  cross  of  the  Malay  in  their  composition. 
They  are  but  moderate  layers ;  their  eggs  are  very 
large  and  good.  They  are  bad  sitters,  frequently 
breaking  their  eggs,  on  account  of  their  great  weight 
and  size,  by  crushing  them  ;  they  are  not  hardy,  and 
on  the  whole,  will  not  compare  with  the  common  dung- 
hill fowl  for  ordinary  uses.  They  do  not  breed  equally 
in  size  and  appearance,  showing  them,  evidently,  to  be 
a  cross  from  other  breeds  ;  but  from  what  they  are 
derived,  other  than  the  Malay,  it  is  difficult  to  say. 
A  gentleman  of  my  acquaintance,  who  is  very  curious 
as  well  as  nice  in  the  selection  of  his  fowls,  tried  them 
effectually  for  his  poultry  yard,  and  they  disappointed 
him.  He  then  crossed  them  with  the  game  breed,  and 
has  succeeded  finely,  the  cross  being  reduced  in  size, 
fuller  feathered,  hardier,  and  better  layers,  with  an 
excellent  carcass,  and  finer  flesh.  As  a  fancy  fowl,  or 
to  make  up  a  variety,  they  are  very  well,  but  they  can 


80  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

never  become  of  great  utility,  except  to  cross  with  the 
common  or  the  game  fowl,  to  the  farmer." 

The  Dominique,  or  Dominica  Fowl. — This  is  the 
name  of  a  beautiful  variety,  very  common,  at  present, 
in  the  New- York  markets,  and  is  highly  esteemed  for 
its  laying  and  breeding  qualities,  as  well  as  for  the 
excellent  flavor  of  its  flesh  and  eggs.  Both  the  males 
and  the  females  are  of  a  medium  size,  rather  long- 
bodied,  having  yellow  legs  and  fee.t,  single  or  double 
combs,  and  with  or  without  copplecrowns.  Their 
general  plumage  is  of  a  light-grey  color,  each  feather 
barred  crosswise  by  bands  of  a  darker  shade,  which 
gives  them  a  beautiful  pheasant-like  appearance,  as 
they  are  paraded  in  the  farmyard,  or  confined  in  a  crate. 
The  hackles  on  the  necks  and  backs  of  the  cocks  are 
often  variegated  with  gold  yellow,  or  reddish-brown. 

The  Blue  Dun  Fowl. — This  breed,  at  present  in 
vogue  in  Dorsetshire,  England,  is  under  the  average 
size,  and  rather  slenderly  made,  of  a  soft  and  pleasing 
bluish-dun  color,  the  neck  being  darker,  with  high, 
single,  deeply-serrated  combs.  The  cock  is  of  the 
same  color  as  the  hen,  but  has  in  addition  some  hand- 
some dark  stripes  in  the  long  feathers  of  the  tail,  and 
sometimes  a  few  golden,  and  even  scarlet  marks  on 
the  wings,  which,  by  the  contrast,  give  the  bird  a  very 
exotic  look. 

The  blue  duns  are  represented  as  exceedingly  fa- 
miliar, impudent,  and  pugnacious ;  so  much  so,  that 
it  is  suspected,  also  from  their  shape,  they  have  a  dash 
of  game  blood  in  their  veins. 

The.  hens  are  good  layers,  wanting  to  sit  after  pro- 
ducing a  moderate  number  of  eggs,  and  proving  atten- 
tive and  careful  rearers  of  their  own  chickens,  but 
rather  savage  to  those  of  other  hens.  The  eggs  are 
small  and  short,  tapering  slightly  at  one  end,  and  are 
perfectly  white. 

The  hackles  of  the  cock  are  always  in  great  re- 
quest, in  England,  for  making  artificial  flies  for  fishing. 

If  kept  perfectly  unmixed  with  any  other  fowl,  one 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  81 

will  seldom  obtain  more  than  half  the  number  of  the 
proper  u  blue  duns,"  the  rest  being  either  black  or 
white.  The  chickens  on  the  latter  color,  however,  are 
afterwards  sprinkled  with  dun  feathers.  Perhaps  the 
original  sort  may  have  been  either  black  or  white,  as 
it  is  known  that  animals  will,  after  many  cross-breed- 
ings, "cry  back." 

ANOMALOUS   FOWLS. 

ANOMALIES  have  been  called  "finger  points  that  point 
the  way  to  unsuspected  truths."  Hence  the  strange 
irregularities  which  we  often  meet  with  in  our  do- 
mestic fowls  better  deserve  the  attention  of  naturalists 
than  any  favor  of  poultry  keepers.  They  may  safely 
be  pronounced  worthless  as  a  stock,  and  have  a  more 
appropriate  place  in  the  menagerie  or  museum  than 
in  the  poultry  yard  or  lawn.  Just  as  well  might  the 
farmer  propagate  "  Manx  cats,"  well  known  for  the 
peculiarity  of  having  no  tails,  the  "  woolly  horses," 
(caballos  chinos,)  of  Mexico,  or  the  "  wingless  birds" 
of  New  Zealand,  as  "  frizzled,"  "  rumpless,"  or 
"  negro"  fowls. 

Among  the  monstrosities  of  the  domestic  fowl, 
which  are  particularly  curious,  and  worthy  of  the  atten- 
tion of  the  student  of  nature,  may  be  mentioned  the 
"rumkin,"  or  tailless  cock,  (Gallus  ecaudatus,)  believed. 
at  present  to  be  found  wild  in  the  island  of  Ceylon ;  and 
the  "  silky"  and  "  negro"  fowls,  with  white  silky  plu- 
mage, and  with  skin,  combs,  and  bones  which  are  black. 

RANGE  AND  DOMESTIC  AOCOMODATION  OF  FOWLS. 

WHATEVER  number  or  breed  of  fowls  one  may  have 
selected  for  keeping,  provision  must  be  made  for  their 
comfort  and  safety.  Those  attached  to  houses  in  the 
country,  lead,  in  many  respects,  a  happy  life.  They 
have  good  air  and  plenty  of  room,  and  generally  with 
no  lack  of  food.  They  wander  about  the  farmyard, 
the  orchard,  and  the  lawn,  visit  the  adjacent  gardens 


82  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

and  fields,  travel  over  the  pastures,  through  the  high- 
ways or  lanes,  troop  around  the  barn,  and  enjoy  total 
freedom.  To  the  advantage  of  pure  air,  they  usually 
have  that  of  pure  water,  and  the  opportunity  of  vary- 
ing their  diet  by  picking  up  insects  and  their  larvae ; 
and  a  store  of  pebbles,  gravel,  old  mortar,  and  other 
calcareous  matter,  which  they  require,  is  always  at 
their  command.  So  far,  they  lead  a  comfortable  and 
natural  life;  but  how  are  they  housed  at  night?  In 
many  instances,  in  a  proper  and  well-built  poultry 
house,  with  perches  judiciously  arranged,  with  boxes 
lined  with  straw  for  the  laying  and  sitting  hens  ;  but 
often  in  places  utterly  unfitted  for  them.  For  instance, 
numerous  flocks  of  hens  will  be  lodged  under  the  roof 
of  some  large,  open  shed,  above  the  cattle,  wagons,  or 
carts,  which  receive  an  abundance  of  their  droppings ; 
others  take  shelter  in  the  barns,  stables,  cider  mill,  pig 
pen,  out-houses,  &c.,  while  not  a  few  may  be  found 
roosting  on  the  branches  of  some  favorite  tree.  This 
want  of  order  cannot  be  too  strongly  condemned,  as 
hens,  having  no  proper  laying  places,  select  such  situ- 
ations as  chance  may  offer  them,  not  unfrequently  in 
obscure  places  of  concealment,  so  that  their  eggs  are 
devoured  by  vermin  or  are  lost. 

Those  who  intend  to  rear  fowls,  should  have  a  dis- 
tinct yard,  with  a  warm  aspect,  well  fenced,  secure 
from  vermin  and  thieves,  sufficiently  inclined  to  be 
always  dry,  and  supplied  with  gravel,  old  mortar,  (not 
quick  lime,)  or  chalk,  soot,  brick  dust,  and  with  sand  or 
ashes  for  the  fowls  to  bask  or  roll  in.  If  possible,  a 
stream  of  running  water  should  pass  through  the  yard; 
but  if  this  cannot  be  done,  a  trough  filled  with  "fresh 
water  every  morning  may  be  substituted.  A  want  of 
water,  of  which  all  kinds  of  poultry  are  fond,  produces 
constipation  of  the  bowels  and  inflammatory  diseases. 
A  contiguous  field  or  pasture,  however,  whenever  it 
can  be  had,  would,  in  all  cases,  be  preferred. 

A  fowl  house  should  be  dry,  well  roofed,  and  fronting 
the  east  or  south ;  and  if  practicable,  in  a  cold  climate, 
it  should  be  provided  with  a  stove,  or  some  other  means 


• ' 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  83 

for  heating,  warmth  being  very  conducive  to  health 
and  laying,  though  extreme  heat  has  the  contrary  effect. 
The  dormitory,  or  roost,  should  be  well  ventilated  by 
means  of  two  lattice  windows,  at  opposite  ends  of  the 
building;  and  it  would  be  desirable  to  have  one  or 
more  apertures  through  the  roof  for  the  escape  of  foul 
air.  The  sitting  apartment,  also,  should  be  well  ven- 
tilated by  means  of  a  large  lattice  window,  in  the  side 
of  the  house,  and  holes  through  the  ceiling  or  roof  If 
kept  moderately  dark,  it  will  contribute  to  the  quietude 
of  the  hens,  and  thus  favor  the  process  of  incubation. 
The  silting  room  should  be  provided  with  boxes  or 
troughs,  well  supplied  with  fresh  water  and  proper  food 
for  the  hens,  during  the  hatching  period,  from  which 
they  can  partake  at  all  times,  at  will.  The  laying 
room,  in  winter,  should  have  similar  boxes  or  troughs, 
containing  old  mortar,  broken  oyster  shells,  soot,  brick 
dust,  gravel,  and  ashes,  as  well  as  a  liberal  supply  of 
proper  drink  and  food.  The  perches,  or  roosting  poles, 
should  be  so  arranged  that  one  row  of  fowls  should  not 
rest  directly  above  another.  They  should  be  so  con- 
structed as  to  enable  the  fowls  to  ascend  and  descend 
by  means  of  ladders,  or  steps,  without  making  much 
use  of  their  wings  ;  for,  heavy  fowls  fly  up  to  their 
roosts  with  difficulty,  and  often  injure  themselves  by 
descending,  as  they  alight  heavily  upon  the  ground. 

The  following  cut  represents  a  hen  house,  in  per- 
spective, 20  feet  long,  12  feet  wide,  7  feet  high  to  the 
eaves,  with  a  roof  having  a  7-foot  pitch,  a  chimney 
top,  a  ventilator  on  the  peak,  twelve  feet  in  length  and 
one  foot  or  more  in  height,  and  openings  in  the  gable 
ends  for  the  admission  of  fresh  air.  In  the  easterly 
end,  there  are  two  doors,  one  leading  into  the  laying 
apartment  and  loft,  and  the  other  into  the  hatching 
room.  In  the  same  end  there  is  also  a  wooden  shutter, 
or  blind,  which  may  be  opened,  whenever  necessary,  to 
let  air  or  light  into  the  roost.  In  the  back,  or  northerly 
side,  there  is  a  large  lattice  window,  three  feet  above 
the  floor  or  ground,  4  by  12  feet,  for  the  purpose  of 
affording  fresh  air  to  the  sitting  hens.  In  the  front,  or 


84  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

southerly  side,  there  is  a  large  glazed  window,  4  by  12 
feet,  and  another  in  the  southerly  side  ef  the  roof,  of  a 
corresponding  size,  designed  to  admit  the  light  and  heat 
of  the  sun,  in  cold  weather,  to  stimulate  the  laying 
hens.  In  the  southerly  side,  there  are  also  two  small 
apertures  three  feet  above  the  floor  or  ground,  for  the 
ingress  and  egress  of  the  fowls.  These  openings  may 
be  provided  with  sliding  shutters,  as  well  as  with  "  light- 
ing boards,"  inside  and  out,  and  may  be  guarded  by 


PERSPECTIVE    VIEW    OF    A      HEN    HOUSE. 

sheets  of  tin,  nailed  on   below  them,  to  prevent   the 
intrusion  of  rats,  weasels,  or  skunks. 

The  building  may  be  constructed  of  wood  or  other 
materials,  and  in  such  style,  or  order  of  architecture,  as 
may  suit  one's  taste,  only  preserving  the  internal  ar- 
rangements and  s  proportions,  in  reference  to  breadth 
and  height.  As  a  general  rule,  as  regards  the  length  of 
the  building,  each  hen,  irrespective  of  the  cocks,  may 
be  allowed  a  foot. 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 


85 


In  the  ground  plan,  L  denotes  the  laying  apartment ; 
H,  the  hatching  room,  each  6  by  20  feet ;  n,  n,  fyc., 
nest  boxes  for  laying,  14  by  14  inches,  and  10  inches 
deep ;  o,  o,  fyc.,  nest  boxes  for  the  sitting  hens,  of  the 

I 


_JL_ 

UETLTDDLr  U~  '  »  » 

}    JJJUI        ^UGL     C      "    nn 



L 

1 

GROUND    PLAN. 


same  size ;  /,  a  ladder,  or  steps,  leading  into  the  loft ; 
and  5,  a  stove  for  warming  the  apartment,  if  desirable, 
when  the  weather  is  cold. 


TRANSVERSE    SECTION. 


The  transverse,  or  cross  section,  shows  the  building, 
from  the  bottom  to  the  top,  with  the  internal  arrange- 


86  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

ments.  L,  denotes  the  laying  apartment,  and  H,  the 
hatching  room,  divided  in  the  middle  by  a  partition  ;  n, 
the  nest  boxes,  resting  on  tables,  three  feet  above  the 
floor  or  ground ;  b,  b,  boxes,  or  troughs,  containing 
water,  grain,  brick  dust,  sand,  ground  oyster  shells,  or 
other  materials  for  the  convenience  of  the  fowls  ;  d,  an 
aperture,  or  door,  three  feet  above  the  ground  or  floor, 
for  the  ingress  and  egress  of  the  fowls  ;  a,  a  lattice 
window,  three  feet  above  the  floor  or  ground,  for  the 
admission  of  fresh  air  to  the  sitting  hens ;  R,  the  roost- 
ing place,  or  loft,  shut  off  from  the  laying  and  sitting 
apartments  by  the  ceilings,  c,  c;  h,  a  hole,  or  opening, 
in  the  ceiling,  for  the  escape  of  the  air  below  into  the 
loft ;  v,  the  ventilator  at  the  peak  of  the  roof;  p,  the 
roosting  pole,  or  perch ;  t,  a  trough,  or  box,  for  retain- 
ing the  droppings,  or  dung. 


RUSTIC    POULTRY    HOUSE. 

A  very  cheap  and  economical  plan  for  a  rustic 
poultry  house  is  described  at  p.  320,  vol.  viii.  of  the 
American  Agriculturist,  in  the  following  words : — 
"  This  kind  of  work  can  easily  be  made  by  any  person 
accustomed  to  the  use  of  the  saw  and  axe.  All  that  is 
required  is  a  little  taste,  having  your  plan  well  digest- 
ed before  commencing,  so  as  to  require  no  alterations. 

"  For  the  construction  of  a  piece  of  rustic  work  like 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  87 

• 

the  above  figure,  after  selecting  the  situation,  join 
four  pieces  of  saplings  in  an  oblong  shape  for  the  sills  ; 
confine  them  to  the  ground  ;  erect  at  the  middle  of 
each  of  the  two  ends  a  forked  post,  of  suitable  height, 
in  order  to  make  the  sides  quite  steep  ;  join  these  with 
a  ridge  pole ;  rough-board  it  from  the  apex  downward 
by  the  sills  to  the  ground;  then  cover  it  with  bark, 
roughly  cut  in  pieces  a  foot  square,  laid  on  and  con- 
fined in  the  same  manner  as  ordinary  shingles  ;  fix  the 
back  end  in  the  same  way  ;  and  the  front  can  be  lat- 
ticed with  little  poles  with  the  bark  on,  arranged 
diamond  fashion  as  shown  in  the  sketch — a  part  to  be 
made  with  hinges  for  a  door." 

Something  after  this  style,  placed  on  the  bank  of  a 
lake  or  small  stream,  and  half  covered  with  climbing 
plants,  would  make  a  very  pretty  home  for  aquatic 
fowls. 

The  size  of  the  building  may  vary  according  to  the 
wants  or  taste  of  the  owner.  Towards  the  apex  of  the 
interior,  rough  roosting  poles  should  run  parallel  with 
the  sides  of  the  house,  so  arranged  that  one  -set  of 
fowls  shall  not  perch  directly  above  the  others. 
Troughs  or  boxes  should  be  placed  under  the  poles,  in 
order  to  catch  the  manure  ;  and  ladders,  or  steps, 
should  be  provided  for  the  fowls  to  ascend  and  descend 
from  their  roost.  Laying  and  sitting  boxes  may  be 
placed  at  either  side  of  the  building,  under  the  roofing 
on  or  just  above  the  ground.  They  should  be  about 
14  inches  square,  10  inches  deep,  and  concealed 
by  bundles  of  corn  stalks,  wheat  or  rye  straw,  faggots, 
or  pine  boughs.  The  sitting  boxes  should  be  partly 
filled  with  wood  ashes,  pulverized  charcoal,  or  soot. 
These  are  slow  conductors  of  heat  or  cold,  and  when 
once  warm,  they  will  impart  a  proper  temperature  to 
the  eggs  during  the  absence  of  the  hen.  They  will 
also  ward  off  lice  and  other  small  vermin,  as  well  as 
contribute  to  her  health.  Directly  above  the  ashes, 
&c.,  should  be  the  nest.  It  may  be  made  of  finely- 


88  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

chopped  hay  or  straw,  dried  grass,  or  the  leaves  of 
trees. 

Where  the  fowls  have  the  range  of  an  orchard,  or  a 
wide,  dry,  sandy  pasture,  or  field,  and  are  able  to  pro- 
cure clean  water,  a  good  poultry  house  is  all  that  is 
essential,  though  even  then  an  enclosure,  or  yard,  is 
desirable  for  the  safety  and  better  management  of  the 
young  broods.  It  should  be  open  and  airy,  its  soil  dry, 
and  sheltered  from  cold,  wintry  winds.  A  simple  shed, 
moreover,  should  be  erected  in  some  suitable  spot,  in 
order  to  afford  a  screen  to  the  fowls  from  the  hot  rays 
of  the  mid-day  sun  in  summer,  and  from  heavy  rain 
storms  and  showers.  Should  there  be  no  access  to  a 
pasture,  orchard,  or  field,  it  is  desirable  that  a  portion 
of  the  yard  should  be  laid  down  with  turf;  and  the 
larger  the  yard,  the  better  the  accommodation. 

Cleanliness,  both  in  the  poultry  house  and  in  the 
yard,  is  indispensable.  Hence,  all  rubbish  should  be 
frequently  swept  out  ot  both  apartments,  and  the 
whole  interior  of  the  building  white-washed,  at  least 
once  a  year.  This,  with  as  free  a  circulation  as  pos- 
sible, and  a  proper  space  for  the  fowls  to  run  in,  is 
necessary  to  insure  success ;  as  in  narrow  and  confined 
situations  they  never  do  so  well.  A  sickly  fowl  ought 
to  be  separated  immediately  from  the  rest  of  the  flock, 
and  removed  to  some  proper  place,  where  it  can 
remain  in  seclusion,  not  only  because  the  disease  may 
be  contagious,  but  for  the  sake  of  safety  and  quietude 
of  the  fowl  itself.  Meagre,  pining  fowls  are  frequently 
objects  of  dislike,  not  only  to  the  cock,  which  is  apt  to 
maltreat  them,  but  even  to  the  hens,  that  evir^e  their 
hostility  and  rancor  to  such  a  degree,  that,  sometimes, 
they  actually  destroy  their  more  unfortunate  com- 
panions. 

Every  poultry  house,  as  before  observed,  should  be  pro- 
vided with  nest  boxes,  filled  with  hay  or  straw,  &c.  If  the 
plan  be  adopted,  as  recommended  above,  sliding  boxes, 
or  drawers,  n,  o,  may  be  constructed  twenty-eight 
inches  long,  fourteen  inches  wide,  and  ten  inches  deep, 
partitioned  in  the  middle,  so  as  to  leave  tvro  compart- 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  89 

ments  in  each,  fourteen  inches  square.  On  a  level 
with  the  tables,  each  of  which  is  designed  to  be  two 
feet  wide,  and  extending  three  feet  above  the  ground, 
let  there  be  cut  through  the  partition  between  the  lay- 
ing and  sitting  apartments,  an  aperture  the  whole 
length  of  the  rooms,  ten  inches  high,  or  sufficiently 
large  to  receive  these  nest  boxes,  or  drawers,  so  that 
one  half  of  each  will  be  in  the  laying  room,  and  the 
other  half  in  the  sitting  apartment,  leaving  a  space 
nine  or  ten  inches  wide  on  each  table  for  the  hens  to 
alight  upon,  and  deliberately  enter  their  nests,  without 
breaking  their  eggs.  When  a- hen  is  disposed  to  sit, 
the  eggs  may  be  put  under  her,  and  one  or  two  nights 
after,  the  ends  of  the  nest  box  may  be  shifted,  so  that 
she  will  be  in  the  sitting  room,  where  she  may  remain 
in  perfect  quietude  till  she  hatches  her  brood.  It  is 
not  at  all  required  to  have  as  many -nests  as  hens,  as 
one  might  suppose,  because  they  have  not  all  occasion 
to  occupy  them  at  the  same  time  ;  besides,  they  are  so 
far  from  having  a  repugnance  to  lay  in  a  common 
receptacle,  that  the  sight  of  an  egg  stimulates  them  to 
lay.  It  is  true,  nevertheless,  that  the  most  secluded  and 
darkened  nests  are  those  which  the  hens  prefer,  particu- 
larly when  they  are  inclined  to  sit.  T  herefore,  it  would 
be  advisable  to  set  up  around  and  between  the  sitting 
boxes,  small  bundles  of  corn  stalks,  faggots,  or  straw. 

SELECTION  OP  THE  COCK. 

"  THE  courage  of  the  cock,"  says  a  modern  writer 
on  Ornamental  Poultry,  "  is  emblematic  ;  his  gallantry 
admirable  ;  his  sense  of  discipline  and  subordination 
most  exemplary.  See  how  a  good  game  cock,  of  two 
or  three  years'  experience,  will,  in  five  minutes,  restore 
order  in  an  uproarious  poultry  yard.  He  does  not  use 
harsh  means  of  coercion,  when  mild  will  suit  the  pur- 
pose. A  look,  a  gesture,  a  deep,  chuckling  growl  gives 
the  hint  that  the  turbulence  is  no  longer  to  be  per- 
mitted ;  and  if  these  are  not  effectual,  severe  punishment 
is  fearlessly  administered.  Nor  is  he  aggressive  to  birds 
of  other  species.  He  allows  the  turkey  to  strut  before 


90  THE  DOMESTIC  FOWL. 

his  numerous  dames,  and  the  Guinea  fowl  to  court  his 
single  mate,  uninterrupted  ;  but  if  the  one  presumes 
upon  his  superior  weight,  and  the  other  on  his  cowardly 
tiltings  from  behind,  he  soon  makes  them  smart  for  their 
rash  presumption.  His  politeness  to  females  is  as 
marked  as  were  Lord  Chesterfield's  attentions  to  old 
ladies,  and  much  more  unaffected.  Nor  does  he  merely 
act  the  agreeable  dangler ;  when  occasion  requires,  he 
is  also  the  brave  defender." 

Much  has  been  said  relative  to  the  selection  of  the 
cock  ;  but  all,  in  the  end,  come  to  one  point.  What- 
ever be  the  breed  to  which  he  belongs,  he  should  ex- 
hibit the  distinctive  characters  of  that  breed  in  full 
perfection.  He  should  be  bold,  lively,  clean  made, 
with  close,  glossy  plumage,  a  high  head,  short  bill,  and 
a  bright  eye  ;  the  color  of  his  comb  and  wattles  of  a 
rich,  shining  vermilion  ;  his  crow  should  be  clear,  loud, 
shrill,  and  long-drawn  ;  his  breast,  broad  and  fleshy ; 
his  thighs,  muscular,  firm,  and  covered  with  feathers  ; 
his  insteps  and  ankle  joints,  stout ;  his  claws  and  spurs, 
strong,  pointed,  and  slightly  hooked;  and  lastly,  he 
should  carry  himself  with  a  proud,  yet  graceful  air,  and 
should  be  in  perfect  health. 

Some  cocks,  especially  when  they  are  getting  past 
their  prime,  say  at  the  age  of  five  or  six  years,  are 
unsocial,  vicious,  and  tyrannical.  Instead  of  scraping 
up  delicacies  for  the  hens,  and  collecting  them  around 
him  by  a  clucking  note  of  invitation,  the  surly  bird 
attacks  them  without  provocation,  tears  their  combs, 
and  otherwise  injures  them.  Let  such  a  despot  be 
dethroned  from  his  proud  eminence  as  soon  as  possible. 
On  the  other  hand,  a  young  cock,  in  his  prime,  will 
sometimes  take  a  hatred  to  some  particular  hen,  and 
treat  her  with  marked  antipathy,  although  he  will  con- 
duct himself  towards  the  rest  of  his  coterie  with  a 
grace  becoming  to  a  gallant  cavalier.  The  entire  life 
of  the  domestic  cock,  however,  shows  that  he  is  a  most 
excellent  family  man,  placing  his  whole  care  and  study 
in  providing  all  necessaries  for  his  household.  For  this 
bird  devotes  whatever  energy  he  has,  the  live-long  day, 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  91 

to  the  good  of  his  dependents,  and  is  solicitous  about 
nothing  else  than  self. 

CHOICE   OF  HENS. 

THE  hen  is  deservedly  the  acknowledged  pattern  of 
maternal  love.  When  her  passion  of  philoprogenitive- 
ness  is  disappointed  by  the  failure  or  separation  of  her 
own  brood,  she  will  either  go  on  sitting,  till  her  natural 
powers  fail,  or  she  will  violently  kidnap  the  young  of 
another  fowl,  and  insist  upon  adopting  them.  But  all 
hens  are  not  alike.  They  have  their  little  whims  and 
fancies,  likes  and  dislikes,  as  capricious  and  unaccount- 
able as  those  of  other  females.  Some  are  gentle  in 
their  manners  and  disposition,  others  sanguinary  ;  some 
are  lazy,  others  energetic  almost  to  insanity.  Some,  by 
their  very  nature,  are  so  mild  and  familiar,  and  so  fond 
of  the  society  of  man,  that  they  can  scarcely  be  kept 
out  of  his  dwelling  ;  others  seem  to  say,  "  Thank  you, 
but  I'd  rather  be  left  to  myself." 

The  good  qualities  of  hens,  whether  intended  for  lay- 
ing or  for  breeding,  are  of  no  less  importance  to  be 
attended  to,  than  those  of  the  cock.  To  gratify  the 
curious  reader,  and  show  what  the  ancients  thought  of 
the  points  of  a  hen,  we  give  a  quaint  passage  from  old 
Leonard  Mascall.  Following  Columella  and  Stephanus, 
he  says,  "  The  signes  of  a  good  henne  are  these  :  to  be 
of  a  tawnye  colour,  or  of  a  russet,  which  are  counted 
the  cheefest  colours,  and  those  hennes  nexte  which 
hath  the  pens  of  their  winges  blackishe,  not  all  blacke, 
but  parte.  As  for  the  gray  and  the  white  hens,  they  are 
nothing  so  profitable.  The  henne  with  a  tuit  of  feathers 
on  her  head  is  reasonable  good  ;  and  the  low  featherde 
henne  also.  Their  heads  oughte  not  to  be  great  and 
their  tails  ought  to  be  in  a  meane,  and  her  brest 
large,  and  her  body  deepe  and  long,  for  the  greatest 
nennes  of  body,  are  not  the  aptest  hennes  to  lay,  nor 
yet  for  that  purpose  so  naturale.  As  for  those  hennes 
which  have  hinder  clawes,  they  will  commonly  breake 
their  egges  in  sitting  thereon,  and  they  sit  riot  so  surely 
as  others,  and  will  ofttimes  eat  their  egges.  As  for 
those  hennes  which  doe  call  or  crowe  lyke  the  cocke, 


92  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

or  doth  creke  and  scrape  to  help  the  same,  ye  shall 
pluck  off  the  greatest  fethers  of  her  wings  and  give 
her  millet-wheat  to  eat."  To  this  I  will  add,  they 
should  be  of  middling  size,  of  robust  constitution,  with 
bright  eyes,  pendent  combs,  yellow  or  bluish  legs  and 
feet,  and  not  over  three  or  four  years  old.  As  regards  the 
color  of  hens,  except  for  appearance'  sake,  it  is  quite 
immaterial,  unless  we  discard  white  on  the  ground  that 
they  are  less  hardy,  and  are  in  an  abnormal  state. 

PAIRING. 

WITH  good  management,  peace,  and  plenty,  just 
before  they  are  full-grown,  the  combs  of  both  the  young 
cocks  and  pullets  will  be  observed  to  become  of  a  more 
brilliant  red  ;  the  former  will  crow  more  lustily  ;  and 
the  pullets  will  grow  animated,  restless,  and  full  of  busy 
importance,  as  if  a  new  idea  had  lately  broke  in  upon 
their  minds.  By-and-by,  they  will  commence  prating 
and  cackling,  and  in  a  few  days  the  delighted  pullet  will 
lay  her  first  egg.  And  when,  time  after  time,  this  first 
instalment  is  followed  by  similar  deposits,  she  thinks 
herself,  and  is  thought  by  her  amateur  owner,  a  perfect 
paragon.  Such  are  the  pleasures  of  productiveness. 

RELATIVE  NUMBER  OF  HENS  TO  BE  ALLOTTED 
TO  EACH  COOK. 

IN  order  to  keep  fowls  with  advantage,  attention  must 
be  paid  to  the  relative  number  of  cocks  arid  hens  com- 
posing the  flock.  On  this  point,  there  is  some  differ- 
ence of  opinion.  M.  Pafmentier  considers  that  one 
cock  is  sufficient  for  twenty  hens,  which,  in  France, 
perhaps,  may  be  the  case,  but  not  in  the  cold  and  vari- 
able climate  of  many  parts  of  the  United  States. 
Indeed,  it  has  been  found  by  experience,  that  if  a  cock 
be  placed  over  a  numerous  flock  of  hens,  the  chickens 
produced  are  feeble,  and  the  breed  soon  degenerates,  or 
runs  out.  The  old  breeders  of  game  fowls  allowed  only 
three  hens  to  one  cock;  and  where  renovation  of  a 
breed  is  required,  this  proportion,  it  is  thought,  should 
not  be  exceeded. 

As  a  general  rule,  from  eight  to  twelve  hens  may  be 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  93 

assigned  to  one  cock,  but  no  more  ;  nor,  indeed,  even 
so  many,  if  the  fowls  are  kept  in  a  confined  yard,  where 
the  depressing  influence  of  captivity  will  be  more  or 
less  experienced.  In  a  cold  or  humid  climate,  perhaps, 
this  number  is  the  best ;  but  in  a  warm,  dry  climate,  or 
where  the  fowls  are  healthy  and  have  a  free  range,  a 
greater  number  may  safely  be  allowed. 

When  there  are  two  or  more  cocks  of  the  same  age, 
a  little  management  will  be  required  to  prevent  them 
from  fighting,  which  it  will  be  almost  impossible  to 
avoid  ;  but  one  cock  may  be  brought  up  under  another, 
each,  in  turn,  gaining  the  ascendency  over  the  male 
portion  of  the  successive  broods.  For  instance,  a 
stock  of  fowls,  intended  to  be  increased,  may  consist  of 
twelve  hens,  with  a  single  cock  at  the  head.  Out  of 
the  young  chickens  hatched,  a  certain  number  will  be 
selected  for  keeping.  Among  these  should  be  the  most 
promising  and  beautiful  of  the  young  cocks.  When 
this  new  comer  is  a  twelvemonth  old,  his  progenitor 
will  have  arrived  at  the  age  of  two  years.  In  like 
manner,  the  number  may  again  be  added  to,  till  the 
stock  is  sufficiently  numerous.  When  the  old  cock  is 
past  his  fourth  year,  however,  it  will  be  advisable,  gene- 
rally speaking,  to  get  rid  of  him  ;  as  he  then  becomes 
lazy,  violent  in  temper,  and  excessively  jealous.  Should 
it  be  deemed  necessary  to  procure  a  new  cock,  a 
young  bird  should  be  selected,  and  introduced  to  the 
hens  at  the  period  of  moulting,  when  his  older  rival 
will  take  but  little  notice  of  him,  and  ultimately  become 
reconciled  to  him  by  the  time  that  the  laying  season 
commences  ;  and,  during  the  interim,  he  will  ingratiate 
himself  with  a  certain  number  of  the  hens,  which  will 
appreciate  his  marked  politeness,  and  acknowledge  him 
as  their  brave  defender. 

Where  numerous  fowls  are  kept,  it  has  generally 
been  observed  that  each  cock  has  his  own  female  train, 
which  follow  him,  and  is  always  at  his  call ;  and  that 
they  are  divided  into  coteries,  or  groups,  and  have  each 
their  favorite  places  of  resort ;  but  should  a  strange 
cock  make  a  sudden  appearance  on  the  premises,  he 
will  have  many  a  hard  fight  before  he  can  establish 


94  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

himself,  either  in  the  character  of  a  conqueror,  or  a 
defeated  champion. 

ON  THE  LAYING-  PROPENSITIES  OF  HENS. 

THE  act  of  laying  is  not  voluntary  on  the  part  of  a 
hen,  but  is  dependent  upon  her  age,  constitution,  and 
diet.  If  she  be  young,  healthy,  and  well-fed,  lay  she 
must ;  if  she  be  aged  and  half-starved,  lay  she  cannot. 
All  that  is  left  to  her  own  choice  is,  where  she  shall 
deposit  her  egg,  and  she  is  sometimes  so  completely 
taken  by  surprise,  as  not  to  have  her  own  way  even  at 
that.  The  poultry  keeper,  therefore,  has  only  to  decide 
which  is  the  more  convenient — that  his  hens  should  lay 
here  and  there,  as  it  may  happen,  about  his  premises,  or 
in  certain  determinate  places,  indicated  to  the  hens  by 
nest  eggs.  Yet  it  is  quite  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  the 
presence  of  a  nest  egg  causes  a  hen  to  sit  earlier  than 
she  otherwise  would.  The  sight  of  twenty  nest  eggs 
will  not  bring  on  the  hatching  fever  ;  and  when  it  does 
come,  the  hen  will  take  to  the  empty  nest,  if  there  be 
nothing  else  for  her  to  incubate.  Any  one,  whose  hens 
have  from  accident  been  deprived  of  a  male  companion, 
cannot  be  ignorant  of  the  fact,  that  they  have  not  done 
so  well  till  the  loss  has  been  supplied.  During  the 
interregnum  matters  get  all  wrong.  The  poor  deserted 
creatures  wander  about  dispirited,  like  soldiers  without 
a  general.  It  belongs  to  their  very  nature  to  be  con- 
trolled and  marshalled  by  one  of  the  stronger  sex,  who 
is  a  kind,  though  a  strict  master,  and  a  considerate 
though  stern  disciplinarian. 

QUALITIES  AND  SEX  OF  EGGS. 

To  every  hen  belongs  an  individual  peculiarity  in 
the  form,  color,  and  size  of  the  egg  she  lays,  which 
never  changes  during  her  whole  lifetime,  so  long  as  she 
remains  in  health,  and  which  is  as  well  known  to  those 
who  are  in  the  habit  of  taking  her  produce,  as  the 
handwriting  of  their  nearest  acquaintance.  Some  hens 
lay  smooth  cream -colored  eggs,  others  rough,  chalky, 
granulated  ones.  Then,  there  is  the  buff,  the  snow- 
white,  the  spherical,  the  oval,  the  pear-shaped,  and  the 
emphatically  egg-shaped  egg.  A  farmer's  wife  who 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  95 

interests  herself  in  the  matter,  will  tell  you  with  pre- 
cision, in  looking  over  her  stores,  "  this  egg  was  laid  by 
such  a  hen/'  a  favorite  perhaps  ;  "  this  one  by  such 
another ;"  and  it  would  be  possible  that  she  should  go 
on  so  throughout  the  whole  flock  of  poultry.  Of  course, 
the  greater  the  number  kept,  the  greater  becomes  the 
difficulty  in  learning  the  precise  marks  of  each.  If 
four  dozen  eggs,  laid  by  no  more  than  four  different 
hens,  were  put  at  random  on  a  table,  the  chances  are 
that  it  would  be  as  easy  to  sort  them  as  the  four  suits 
in  a  pack  of  cards. 

It  has  been  copied  and  re-copied  from  quarto  to 
octavo,  through  duodecimo  and  pamphlet,  that  "  small, 
round  eggs  produce  female,  and  long  pointed  ones  male 
chicks."  Now  I  assert  that  the  hen  which  lays  one 
round  egg,  will  continue  to  lay  all  her  eggs  round ;  and 
the  hen  that  lays  one,  oblong,  will  lay  all  oblong.  Con- 
sequently, one  hen  would  be  the  unceasing  mother  of 
cocks,  another  must  remain  the  perpetual  producer  of 
pullets  ;  which  is  absurd,  as  daily  experience  proves. 
Every  poultry  maid  knows  that  when  a  hen  steals  a 
nest,  and  hatches  her  own  eggs  only,  the  brood  she 
brings  home  contains  a  fair  proportion  of  either  sex. 

There  is  nothing  so  instructive  as  a  "case,"  whether 
in  law,  physic,  or  poultry-raising.  Here  is  an  experi- 
ment in  point.  An  old  lady,  whose  fowls  were  all 
white,  gave  Mr.  Dixon,  of  England,  a  small  globular 
egg,  as  round  as  a  ball,  which  was  added  to  a  clutch  of 
speckled  Dorkings.  The  result  was,  the  due  number  of 
Dorkings,  and  one  white  cockerel,  which  he  kept  till  it 
began  to  crow.  It  ought  to  have  been  a  pullet,  accord- 
ing to  the  old  stereotyped  rule. 

Another  supposed  test  is  the  position  of  the  air  bag 
at  the  blunt  end  of  the-  shell.  We  are  told  that  "  if  it 
be  a  little  on  one  side,  it  will  produce  a  hen  ;  if  this 
vacuity  be  exactly  in  the  centre,  it  will  produce  a 
cock."  But.  take  a  basket  of  eggs,  examine  them  as 
directed,  by  holding  them  between  your  eye  and  a 
candle,  and  you  will  find  very  few  indeed  in  which  you 
can  say  that  the  air  bubble  is  exactly  concentric  with 
the  axis  of  the  egg.  A  cock  ought  thus  to  be,  like 


96  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

Ovid's  black  swan,  a  rare  bird.  But  in  many  broods, 
the  cockerels  bear  a  proportion  of  at  least  one  third, 
sometimes  two  thirds  ;  especially  in  those  hatched  dur- 
ing winter  or  in  unfavorable  seasons ;  the  immediate 
cause  being,  doubtless,  that  the  eggs  producing  the 
robuster  sex  possess  a  stronger  vitality;  the  more  re- 
mote cause  being  the  same  wise  law  of  Providence, 
through  which,  in  the  human  race,  more  males  are 
born  into  the  world  than  females,  to  meet  the  wear  and 
tear  of  war,  labor,  and  accident. 

In  short,  the  "  bubble  theory"  is  properly  described 
by  its  name ;  and,  it  is  believed,  there  is  no  known 
means  of  determining  beforehand  the  sex  of  fowls,  ex- 
cept, perhaps,  that  cocks  may  be  more  likely  to  issue 
from  large  eggs,  and  hens  from  small  ones.  Know- 
ing, however,  that  the  eggs  of  each  hen  may  be  recog- 
nised, we  have  thus  the  means  of  propagating  from 
those  parents  the  race  of  which  we  deem  most  desirable 
to  continue. 

Horace,  Columella,  and  Pliny  had  the  same  notions 
respecting  the  shape  of  eggs  as  are  current  now,  but 
they  applied  them  to  eating,  rather  than  hatching  pur- 
poses. The  long  eggs  were  better-tasted,  according  to 
them,  because  they  contained  cocks.  Those  which  are 
laid  round,  according  to  Pliny,  produce  a  female ;  the 
rest,  a  male. 

Again,  Doctor  Philip  Francis  quaintly  says,  after 
Horace — 

"  Long  be  your  eggs,  far  sweeter  than  the  round, 
Cock  eggs  they  are,  more  nourishing  and  sound.'* 

The  popular  notion  now  is,  that  eggs  with  buff  and 
brownish  shells  have  a  higher  flavor,  and  are  more 
nutritious,  than  those  which  the  shells  are  white.  Be 
this  as  it  may,  the  finest'are  those  having  small,  bright- 
orange  yolks,  like  those  of  the  Bantam  and  game  breeds ; 
but  large  eggs,  like  those  of  the  Polands  and  Spanish 
fowls,  often  have  pale  yolks,  with  but  little  flavor. 
Aristotle's  opinion  is  exactly  the  reverse  of  that  of  the 
Romans.  He  says  that  "  long  and  sharp  eggs  are 
females,  but  that  those  that  are  spherical,  and  have  a 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  97 

convexity  close  to  the  sharp  end  are  males."  One  rule 
is  just  as  good  as  the  other ;  that  is,  good  for  nothing. 
When  any  one  will  produce  a  brood  consisting  entirely 
of  pullets  hatched  from  eggs  selected  with  that  view, 
then,  and  not  till  then,  will  it  be  admitted  that  there 
exist  practical  criteria  of  judging  beforehand  of  the  sex 
of  an  egg.  t 

PRESERVATION  OP  EG-G-S  FOR  COOKERY. 

"  PRESERVED  eggs,"  says  Gobbet,  "  are  things  to  run 
from  not  after."  Perhaps  so,  perhaps  not,  as  the  case 
may  be.  At  any  rate,  many  articles  of  cookery,  which 
cannot  be  made  without  eggs,  are  not  things  to  run 
from  ;  and,  therefore,  preserved  eggs  must  be  had,  unless 
you  choose  to  disappoint  the  little  folks  of  their  Christ- 
mas plum  pudding,  and  the  ladies  of  their  "  egg-nog." 
A  large  proportion  of  the  eggs  brought  to  market  dur- 
ing winter,  are  certainly  displeasing  enough,  quite 
uneatable  as  eggs,  but  only  not  offensive  to  the  smell. 
They  are  saved  from  putrefaction  by  immersion  in  lime 
water,  to  which  salt  is  added  by  some  housewives. 
When  wanted,  they  are  fished  out  of  the  tub,  wiped,  and 
sometimes  rubbed  with  a  little  sand  to  give  a  fresh-looking 
roughness  to  the  shell.  Cooks  say  they  answer  their 
purpose ;  but  it  is  assuredly  worth  while  to  try  for 
something  better. 

The  three  following  are  cheap  and  easy  modes  of  pre- 
serving eggs  for  culinary  use : —  , 

Recipe,  No.  1. — Pack  the  eggs  to  be  preserved  in  an 
upright  water-tight  cask,  with  their  small  ends  down- 
wards. Take  eight  quarts  of  unslaked  lime,  one  half 
pound  of  common  salt,  two  ounces  of  cream  tartar ; 
mix  in  water  so  as  to  bear  up  an  egg  with  its  top  just 
above  the  surface ;  pour  the  mixture  into  the  cask  con- 
taining the  eggs,  and  they  will  keep  sound  and  good 
for  two  years. 

Recipe,  No.  2. — Pack  the  eggs  to  be  preserved  in  an 
upright  earthen  vessel  or  tub,  with  their  small  ends 
downwards.  Procure,  melt,  and  strain  a  quantity  of 
cheap  tallow  or  lard,  and  pour,  while  warm,  not  hot, 


98  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

over  the  eggs  in  the  jar  till  they  are  completely  covered. 
When  all  is  cold  and  firm,  set  the  vessel  in  a  cool,  dry 
place,  till  required  for  use.  After  the  eggs  are  taken 
out,  the  grease  need  not  be  wasted,  as  it  will  serve  for 
making  soap,  or  many  other  household  purposes. 

Recipe,  No.  3. — Pack  the  eggs  to  be  preserved  in 
common  salt,  with  the  small  ends  downwards,  and  they 
will  keep  tolerably  good  for  eight  or  nine  months. 

It  has  been  stated  by  Reaumur,  who  is  a  high  au- 
thority, that  clear  or  unfertile  eggs  will  keep  good  longer 
than  those  that  would  be  productive ;  but  it  is  doubtful 
whether  the  difference  is  so  great  as  to  make  it  worth 
while  keeping  the  hens  in  a  melancholy  widowhood  on 
this  account. 

PRESERVATION  OF  EGGS  FOR  HATCHING. 

EGGS  for  hatching  should  be  as  fresh  as  possible  ;  if 
laid  the  very  same  day,  so  much  the  better.  This  is 
not  always  possible  when  a  particular  stock  is  re- 
quired to  be  increased  ;  but  if  a  numerous  and  healthy 
brood  is  all  that  is  wanted,  the  most  recent  eggs  should 
be  selected.  Some  books  tell  us  that  eggs  to  be  hatched 
should  not  be  more  than  a  fortnight,  others  say  not 
more  than  a  month  old.  It  is  difficult  to  fix  the  exact 
term  during  which  the  vitality  of  an  egg  remains  un- 
distinguished ;  it  undoubtedly  varies  from  the  very 
first,  according  to  the  vigor  of  the  parents  of  the  in- 
closed germ,  and  fades  away  gradually  till  the  final 
moment  of  non-existence.  But  long  before  that  mo- 
ment, the  principle  of  life  becomes  so  feeble,  as  to  be 
almost  unavailable  for  practical  purposes.  The  chicks 
in  stale  eggs  have  not  sufficient  strength  to  extricate 
themselves  from  the  shell ;  if  assisted,  the  yolk  is 
found  to  be  only  partially  absorbed  into  the  abdomen, 
or  not  at  all ;  they  are  too  faint  to  stand,  the  muscles 
of  the  neck  are  unable  to  lift  their  heads,  much  less 
to  peck  ;  and  although  they  may  sometimes  be  saved 
by  extreme  care,  their  usual  fate  is  to  be  trampled  to 
death  by  their  mother,  if  they  do  not  expire  almost  as 
soon  as  they  begin  to  draw  their  breath.  Thick- 


THE  I  DOMESTIC  FOWL.  99 

shelled  eggs,  like  those  of  geese,  Guinea  fowl,  &c., 
will  retain  life  longer  than  thin-shelled  ones,  as  those 
of  hens  and  ducks. 

In  the  meanwhile,  air  should  be  excluded  from  the 
eggs  as  much  as  possible  ;  it  is  best  to  set  them  on 
end,  and  not  to  suffer  them  to  lie  and  roll  on  the  side. 
Dry  sand  or  hard- wood  sawdust,  (not  pine,  on  account 
of  the  turpentine,)  is  the  best  packing.  But  when 
choice  eggs  are  expected,  it  is  more  prudent  to  have 
a  hen  waiting  for  them  than  to  let  them  wait  for  her. 
A  good  sitter  may  be  amused  for  two  or  three,  weeks 
with  a  few.  addled  eggs,  and  so  be  ready  to  take  charge 
of  those  of  value  immediately  upon  their  arrival. 

Eggs  sent  any  distance  to  be  hatched,  should  be 
tightly  inclosed  in  a  cork  or  wooden  box,  and  arranged 
so  as  neither  to  touch  each  other,  nor  the  sides  of  the 
box.  Mr.  Cantelo,  in  his  little  pamphlet,  has  recom- 
mended oats  as  a  packing,  and  no  doubt  they  form  an 
excellent  vehicle,  taking  little  time  to  pack,  filling  all 
interstices,  and  moreover  being  useful  at  the  journey's 
end.  The  eggs  should  be  shaken  as  little  as  possible, 
for  fear  of  rupturing  the  ligaments  by  which  the  yolk 
is  suspended  in  the  centre  of  the  egg,  and  mixing  the 
true  strata  of  albumen  surrounding  it  and  letting  the 
yolk  loose.  Nor  should  they  be  suffered  to  come  in 
contact  with  any  greasy  substance  that  would  close 
the  pores  of  the  shell,  so  as  to  exclude  the  air  from  the 
chick. 

THE  STRUCTURE    OF    EGGS. 

UPON  opening,  after  death,  the  body  of  a  laying  hen, 
a  cluster  of  eggs,  or  rather  the  rudiments  of  eggs,  may 
be  observed,  from  twenty  to  a  hundred  or  more,  from 
the  size  of  a  pin's  head  to  that  of  a  boy's  marble, 
according  to  the  different  stages  of  their  growth.  This 
batch  of  rudimental  eggs,  or  egg  cluster,  is  termed  by 
anatomists  the  ovarium^  and  the  rudimental  eggs 
themselves  are  called  ova. 

It  is  necessary  to  observe  here,  that  a  rudimental  egg, 
or  ovum,  has  no  shell  nor  white,  which  are  acquired  in 


100  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

an  after  stage  of  its  progress,  but  consists  wholly  of 
yolk,  on  whose  surface  the  germ  of  the  future  chick 
lies ;  both  the  yolk  and  the  germ  being  wrapped 
round  with  a  very  thin  membrane. 


EGG  CLUSTER,  OR  OVARIUM. 

When  the  rudimental  egg,  still  attached  to  the  ova- 
rium,  becomes  larger  and  larger,  and  arrives  at  a  cer- 
tain size,  either  its  own  weight,  or  some  other  efficient 
cause,  detaches  it  from  the  cluster,  and  makes  it  fall 
into  a  sort  of  funnel,  leading  to  a  pipe  which  anato- 
mists term  the  oviduct. 

Here  the  yolk  of  the  rudimental  egg,  hitherto  im- 
perfectly formed,  puts  on  its  mature  appearance  of  a 
thick  yellow  fluid,  while  the  rudimental  chick  or  em- 
bryo, lying  on  the  surface,  at  the  point  opposite 
that  by  which  it  had  been  attached  to  the  ovarium,  is 
white,  and  somewhat  paste  like. 

The  white,  or  albumen,  of  the  egg  now  becomes 
diffused  around  the  yolk,  being  secreted  from  the 
blood  vessels  of  the  egg  pipe,  or  oviduct,  in  the  form  of 
a  thin,  glairy  fluid ;  and  it  is  prevented  from  mixing 
with  the  yolk  and  the  embryo  chick,  by  the  thin 
membrane  which  surrounded  them  before  they  were 
detached  from  the  egg  cluster,  while  it  is  strength- 
ened by  a  second  and  stronger  membrane,  formed 
around  the  first,  immediately  after  falling  into  the 


THE    DOMESTIC  -EOWin  10  T 

oviduct.  It  is  proper  to  mention,  also,  that  this  second 
membrane,  enveloping  the  yolk  and  the  germ  of  the 
chick,  is  thickest  at  the  two  ends,  having  what  may 
be  called  bulgings,  termed  chalazes  by  anatomists ; 
these  bulgings  of  the  second  membrane  pass  quite 
through  the  white  at  the  ends,  and  being  thus  as  it 
were  embedded  in  the  white,  they  keep  the  inclosed 
yolk  and  germ  somewhat  in  a  fixed  position,  prevent- 
ing them  from  rolling  about  within  the  egg  when  it  is 
moved.  The  white  of  the  egg  being  thus  formed,  a 
third  membrane,  or  rather  a  double  membrane,  much 
stronger  than  either  of  the  first  two,  is  formed  around 
it,  becoming  attached  to  the  bulgings,  or  chalazes,  oi 
the  second  membrane,  and  tending  still  more  to  keep 
all  the  parts  in  their  relative  positions. 

During  the  progress  of  these  several  formations,  the 
egg  gradually  advances  about  half  way  along  the  ovi- 
duct. It  is  still,  however,  destitute  of  the  shell,  which 
begins  to  be  formed  by  a  process  similar  to  the  forma- 
tion of  the  shell  of  a  snail,  as  soon  as  the  outer  layer 
of  the  third  membrane  has  been  completed.  When 
the  shell  is  fully  formed,  the  egg  continues  to  advance 
along  the  oviduct,  till  the  hen  goes  to  her  nest  and 
lays  it. 

Reckoning,  then,  from  the  shell  inwards,  there  are 
six  different  envelopes,  one  of  which  only  could  be  de- 
tected before  the  descent  of  the  egg  into  the  oviduct : — 

1.  The  shell.  2.  The  external  layer  of  the  mem- 
brane lining  the  shell.  3.  The  internal  layer  of  the 
same  lining.  4.  The  white,  composed  of  a  thinner 
liquid  on  the  outside,  and  a  thicker  and  more  yellow- 
ish liquid  on  the  inside.  5.  The  bulgings,  or  chala- 
ziferous  membrane.  6.  The  proper  membrane. 

One  important  part  of  the  egg  is  the  air  bag,  or 
folliculus  aeris,  of  anatomists,  placed  at  the  larger 
end,  between  the  shell  and  its  lining  membranes.  Ac- 
cording to  Dr.  Paris,  it  is  about  the  size  of  the  eye  of 
a  small  bird  in  new-laid  eggs,  but  is  increased  as  much, 
as  ten  times  in  the  process  of  hatching. 


102  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

This  air  bag  is  of  such  great  importance  to  the  de- 
velopment of  the  chick,  probably  by  supplying  it  with 
a  limited  atmosphere  of  oxygen,  that  if  the  blunt  end 
of  an  egg  be  pierced  with  the  point  of  the  smallest 
needle  the  egg  cannot  be  hatched,  but  perishes. 

From  the  air  bag  being  thus  placed  at  the  blunt  end 
of  the  egg,  important  signs  may  be  taken  to  distin- 
guish the  freshness  of  an  egg  ;  for,  as  the  air  in  the  cell 
will  not  abstract  heat  from  without,  like  a  more  solid 
substance,  it  is  a  usual  practice  to  apply  the  tonguo 
to  the  blunt  end  of  an  egg,  and  if  it  feels  rather  warm, 
it  is  stale,  but  if  cold,  it  is  fresh.  This,  however,  is 
a  much  more  uncertain  test  than  the  comparative  size 
of  the  small  circle  seen  by  the  transmitted  light  of  a 
candle  or  otherwise,  a  small  circle  being  a  proof  of 
freshness,  and  a  large  one  of  staleness. 

The  shell  of  an  egg,  chemically  speaking,  consists 
chiefly  of  carbonate  of  lime,  similar  to  chalk,  with  a 
small  quantity  of  phosphate  of  lime  and  animal  mucus. 
When  burnt,  the  animal  matter  and  the  carbonic  acid 
gas  of  the  carbonate  of  lime  are  separated,  the  first 
being  reduced  to  ashes  or  animal  charcoal,  while  the 
second  is  dissipated,  leaving  the  decarbonised  lime 
mixed  with  a  little  phosphate  of  lime. 

The  white  of  the  egg,  (albumen,)  is  without  taste  or 
smell,  of  a  viscid,  glairy  consistence,  readily  dissolving 
in  water,  coagulable  by  acids,  by  spirits  of  wine,  and  by 
a  temperature  of  165°  F.  If  it  has  once  been  coagulat- 
ed, it  is  no  longer  soluble  either  in  cold  or  hot  water, 
and  acquires  a  slight  insipid  taste.  Experiments  show 
that  it  is  composed  of  80  parts  of  water,  15^  parts  of 
albumen,  and  4J  parts  of  mucus,  besides  giving  traces 
of  soda,  benzoic  acid,  and  sulphuretted  hydrogen  gas. 

The  yolk  has  an  insipid,  bland,  oily  taste,  and  when 
agitated  with  water,  forms  a  milky  emulsion.  If  it  be 
long  boiled,  it  becomes  a  granular,  friable  solid,  yield- 
ing upon  expression  a  yellow,  insipid,  fixed  oil.  It 
consists,  chemically,  of  water,  oil,  albumen,  and  gela- 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  103 

tine.     In  proportion  to  the  quantity  of  albumen,  the 
egg  boils  hard. 

The  white  of  the  egg  is  found  to  be  a  very  feeble 
conductor  of  heat,  retarding  its  escape  and  prevent- 
ing its  entrance  to  the  yolk  ;  a  contrivance  of  Provi- 
dential Wisdom,  noi  only  to  prevent  speedy  fermenta- 
tion and  corruption,  out  as  Dr.  Paris  remarks,  to  avert 
the  fatal  chills  which  might  occur  in  hatching,  when 
the  mother  hen  leaves  her  eggs  from  time  to  time  in 
search  of  food.  Eels,  tench,  and  other  fish,  which  can 
live  long  out  of  water,  secrete  a  similar  viscid  sub- 
stance on  the  surface  of  their  bodies,  furnished  to  them, 
no  doubt,  for  a  similar  purpose. 

BREEDING. 

THE  breeding  of  the  common  fowl,  with  a  view  to 
improvement,  like  that  of  our  domestic  quadrupeds, 
may  be  said  to  be  founded  on  nature's  established 
law,  that  "like  begets  like."  This,  however,  is  only 
true  in  part,  for  there  is  a  constant  tendency  to  change, 
arising  frfcm  a  variety  of  causes  ;  such  as  living  in  a 
different  climate,  or  on  a  different  kind  of  food.  The 
management  to  which  they  are  subject  has,  also,  its 
influence.  While  these  may  be  looked  upon  as  the 
chief  causes  in  operation,  that  produce  this  change, 
they  are  the  means,  at  the  same  time,  in  connection 
with  other  causes,  which  are  used  to  effect  an  im- 
provement. 

In  order  to  perpetuate  or  improve  an  animal,  there 
are  two  modes  advocated  and  pursued  by  practical 
breeders.  One  is  commonly  called  the  "  in-and-in  sys- 
tem," and  the  other  that  of  "  crossing."  As  a  general 
rule,  the  first-named  system  has  a  tendency,  after  a 
time,  to  deteriorate  the  breed,  unless  the  utmost  care 
is  observed  in  selecting  such  animals  as 'will  be  likely 
to  unite  in  the  offspring  the  qualities  sought.  From 
their  progeny,  again,  must  be  selected  only  such  ani- 
mals as  more  completely  exhibit  those  qualities, 


104  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

and  so  on  from  generation  to  generation,  until  the  de- 
sired points  are  fully  developed, 

The  importance  of  continuing  this  process  for  a 
number  of  successive  generations  is  obvious,  from  the 
fact,  that  peculiar  traits  of  character  often  disappear 
in  the  first,  and  reappear  again  in  the  second  or  third 
generation.  A  desirable  property  may  be  found  in  the 
parent,  and  inherited  by  only  a  part  of  the  offspring, 
and  the  requisite  point  can  only  be  uniformly  de- 
veloped by  a  careful  selection  through  several  consecu- 
tive generations.  By  this  process,  it  is  apparent  that 
this  system  must  be  adopted ;  yet,  at  the  same  time, 
it  is  desirable  to  avoid  too  close  alliances.  Hence,  it 
is  considered  better  to  breed  more  distant  members  of 
the  same  family  together  than  those  that  are  more 
nearly  related.  Thus  in  "  breeding  in  the  line,"  with 
a  view  of  perpetuating  a  particular  race  of  fowls,  the 
Dorkings,  for  instance,  the  best  birds  of  that  breed 
should  be  selected,  both  males  and  females,  and  allow 
them  to  propagate  in  their  utmost  purity  from  one 
generation  to  another,  changing  from  one  family  of 
Dorkings  to  another,  as  often  as  circumstances  or  ne- 
cessity may  require. 

The  system  of  "  crossing"  is  founded  on  a  principle 
just  as  secure,  as  regards  care  in  selection,  as  that 
adopted  in  breeding  in-and-in.  For,  it  is  well  known 
that  certain  diseases  are  hereditary,  none  of  which  can 
be  changed  nor  got  rid  of  except  by  crossing.  This 
system,  therefore,  requires  great  care  in  selection,  as 
well  as  in  management. 

A  fact  respecting  fowls,  that  has  not  been  sufficiently 
regarded,  but  which  goes  far  to  prove  their  high  an- 
tiquity, is  the  permanent  character  of  the  different 
varieties.  Before  attending  much  to  the  subject,  some 
people  fancy  that  crossings  and  intermixtures  may  be 
infinitely  multiplied  and  continued,  restricted  only  by 
the  algebric  law  of  permutation  and  combination ;  and 
such  is  the  current  opinion  among  many  who  are  ac- 
customed to  see  the  diverse  colors  and  appearance  of 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  105 

fowls  promiscuously  bred  in  a  farmyard.  But  the  ob- 
servant breeder  knows  that  such  is  not  the  case. 
Nothing  is  more  difficult  than  to  establish  a  permanent 
intermediate  race  even  between  nearly-allied  varieties. 
In  a  few  generations,  the  character  reverts  to  that  of 
one  or  other  of  the  parents  ;  the  peculiarities  of  an  old 
type  reappear,  and  the  new  cross,  on  which  the  fancier 
was  beginning  to  glorify  himself,  vanishes.  The  more 
heterogeneous  are  the  parents,  the  more  sudden  is  the 
return  to  old  established  characters.  The  hybrid 
progeny  are  either  utterly  barren,  or  their  young  ex- 
hibit the  likeness  of  their  grandfather  or  grandmother, 
not  of  their  actual  parents. 

As  a  general  rule,  domestic  animals  of  all  kinds, 
which  have  been  produced  by  crossing,  are  the  most 
profitable  both  for  meat  and  milk.  But  in  all  cases, 
where  a  cross  is  attempted,  with  the  object  of  improv- 
ing a  breed,  be  sure  to  have  pure  blood  on  one  side. 
In  raising  fowls,  then,  for  laying,  for  the  fatting  coop, 
or  for  the  market,  a  convenient  number  of  hens,  either 
pure  bred  or  mongrels,  may  be  obtained,  which  pos- 
sess such  properties  as  may  be  desirable,  as  regards 
size,  shape,  color  of  the  skin,  tenderness  of  the  flesh, 
size  and  flavor  of  the  eggs,  hardiness,  aptitude  to  lay, 
sit,  and  rear  their  young,  together  with  a  requisite 
number  of  pure-blooded  cocks  of  such  a  breed  as  is 
known  from  experience  to  be  fixed  in  its  character, 
and  whose  progeny  have  proved  profitable  to  the  owner. 
Allow  these  to  run  promiscuously  together,  and  breed 
from  year  to  year,  for  four  or  five  seasons,  killing  off, 
or  separating  all  the  chickens  as  fast  as  they  arrive  at 
maturity.  In  the  meantime,  however,  should  any 
of  the  hens  be  lost  from  accident  or  disease,  their  places 
may  he  filled  with  others  of  a  similar  breed,  or  with 
the  pullets  of  the  first,  or  at  farthest  of  the  second 
cross.  Should  the  cocks  die  before  they  arrive  at  the  age 
of  five  years,  or  become  quarrelsome  in  their  disposition, 
or  disabled  in  any  way,  they  should  be  killed,  and 
others  of  pure  blood  and  of  the  same  breed,  placed  in 
5* 


106  THE    DOMESTIC      FOWL. 

their  stead.  At  the  end  of  five  years,  the  whole  may 
be  killed,  or  otherwise  disposed  of,  when  you  may 
commence  anew,  with  fresh  young  fowls. 

In  breeding  "  in-and-in"  for  the  purpose  of  perpetu- 
ating any  particular  variety,  the  utmost  care  must  be 
observed  in  selecting  healthy  birds,  cocks  as  well  as 
hens,  of  pure  blood  on  both  sides,  and  if  possible,  of 
distantly-related  families,  which  have  been  kept  sepa- 
rate from  all  other  breeds  from  their  infancy.  By 
this  means,  the  purity  of  a  race  may  be  maintained. 

INCUBATION. 

As  in  case  of  other  birds,  nature  designs  that  every 
hen  shall  sit  upon  her  own  eggs,  and  hatch  her  own 
progeny  ;  but  the  domestic  fowl  is  in  an  artificial  state, 
and  deviations  from  the  laws  of  nature  are,  therefore,  to 
be  expected.  A  wild  hen  will  lay  no  more  eggs  than 
she  can  conveniently  cover,  and  her  periods  for  laying 
and  for  incubation  will  be  fixed  and  regular.  On  the 
contrary,  domestic  hens  lay  many  more  eggs  than  they 
can  cover.  Some  lay  every  day,  or  every  other  day, 
for  nine  months  out  of  the  twelve,  and  never  or  rarely 
evince  a  desire  to  incubate ;  while  others  manifest  this 
desire,  some  at  one  period,  and  others  at  another  period. 
Among  a  flock  of  hens,  these  diversities  will  show  them- 
selves, and  advantage  may  be  taken  of  them  with  benefit 
to  their  owner. 

A  hen  prompted  by  instinct  to  the  task  of  incubation, 
asks  only  for  eggs  suited  to  her  size,  be  they  those  of  her 
own  production  or  not,  (those  even  of  a  duck  will  be 
accepted,)  a  nest,  and  undisturbed  solitude.  At  this 
juncture,  she  utters  an  instinctive  cluck,  ruffles  her 
feathers,  wanders  about,  searches  obscure  corners  and 
recesses,  and  is  evidently  ill  at  ease.  She  is  feverishly 
hot,  impatient,  and  anxiously  restless.  In  high-fed  hens 
this  instinctive  desire  comes  on  sooner  than  in  such  as 
are  not  supplied  with  food  in  abundance,  and  it  may  be 
induced  by  stimulating  diet,  a  little  raw  liver  or  fresh 
meat,  chopped  small,  potatoes  mashed  warm,  with  milk 
and  Indian  meal.  Some  farmers  recommend  a  fomenta- 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  107 

tion  of  vinegar  in  which  pepper  has  been  steeped,  to  be 
applied  to  the  under  parts,  as  a  means  of  inducing  this 
desire  ;  and  others  even  advise  that  some  of  the  feathers 
of  the  abdomen  be  plucked  off,  and  the  skin  stung  with 
nettles !  Such  means  may  induce  fever,  and  a  desire  to 
cool  the  inflamed  skin  by  applying  it  to  cool  substances, 
but  not  a  genuine  natural  impulse  to  fulfil  the  great  law 
of  nature.  Let  them  never  be  put  into  practice.  They 
are  barbarous  and  contemptible.  By  high  feeding,  some 
hens,  especially  of  the  Dorking  breed,  which,  as  sitters, 
take  the  pre-eminence  over  all  other  breeds,  may  be  in- 
duced to  sit  in  October,  especially  if  they  have  moulted 
early.  Advantage  may  be  taken  of  this  circumstance 
at  the  South,  and  chickens  may  be  obtained  fit  for  the 
table  by  Christmas — not,  however,  without  great  care 
and  trouble.  The  incubation  must  take  place,  and  the 
chickens  be  reared  and  fed,  in  a  warm  room,  if  neces- 
sary, kept  at  an  equal  temperature.  Generally  speak 
ing,  spring  chickens  are  more  desirable,  which  should  be 
hatched  in  January,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  the  market  in 
the  latter  part  of  March,  and  through  the  months  of 
April,  May,  and  June.  They  require  great  care,  but 
they  return  an  ample  profit. 

The  most  usual  time  in  which  hens  manifest  a  desire 
to  incubate,  extends  from  March  to  May  or  June,  and 
at  this  season  chickens  may  be  reared  without  any  ex- 
traordinary precautions. 

When  the  determination  to  sit  becomes  fixed, — there 
is  no  need  to  indulge  the  first  faint  indications  immedi- 
ately— let  her  have  the  nest  she  has  selected  well  cleaned 
and  filled  with  fresh  straw.  The  number  of  eggs  to  be 
given  to  her  will  depend  upon  the  season,  and  upon  their 
and  her  own  size.  The  wisest  plan  is  not  to  be  too 
greedy.  The  number  of  chickens  hatched  is  often  in 
inverse  proportion  to  the  number  of  eggs  sat.  I  have 
known  only  three  to  be  obtained  from  eighteen.  Hens 
will,  in  general,  well  cover  from  eleven  to  thirteen 
e°rgs  laid  by  themselves.  A  Bantam  may  be  trusted 
with  about  half  a  dozen  eggs  of  a  large  breed,  such  as 
the  Spanish.  A  hen  of  the  largest  size,  as  a  Dorking, 
will  successfully  hatch,  at  the  most,  five  goose  eggs. 


108  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

But  if  a  hen  is  really  determined  to  sit,  it  is  useless,  as 
well  as  cruel,  to  attempt  to  divert  her  from  her  object 
The  means  usually  prescribed  are  such  as  no  humane 
person  would  willingly  put  in  practice.  If  the  season  is 
too  early  to  give  a  hope  of  rearing  gallinaceous  birds, 
the  eggs  of  ducks  or  geese  may  generally  be  had  ;  and 
the  young  may  be  brought  up  with  a  little  pains-taking, 
as  well  as  by  their  natural  parent.  And  if  it  be  required 
to  retain  the  services  of  a  hen  for  expected  valuable 
eggs,  she  may  be  beguiled,  for  a  week  or  ten  days  with 
four  or  five  old  addled  ones,  till  the  choicer  sort  arrive. 

Three  weeks  is  the  period  of  incubation  of  the  com- 
mon hen.  Sometimes,  however,  when  she  does  not  sit 
close  for  the  first  day  or  two,  or  in  early  spring,  it  will 
be  some  hours  longer  ;  more  frequently  in  our  southern 
climate,  when  the  hen  is  assiduous  and  the  weather 
hot,  the  time  will  be  a  trifle  shorter.  But  in  cases  of 
artificial  incubation,  where  the  eggs  are  uniformly  kept 
at  a  temperature  of  from  101°  to  102°  F.,  the  period  is 
sometimes  hastened  forty-eight  hours.  The  range  of 
temperature,  within  which  the  eggs  will  hatch,  varies 
from  95°  to  106°  F.  Towards  the  close  of  incubation, 
the  process  may  be  suspended  for  one  or  two  hours,  or 
even  for  a  longer  period,  according  to  the  degree  of 
extraneous  heat  which  the  eggs  may  derive  from  their 
situation,  without  fatal  consequences  to  the  embryo 
chick. 

The  growth  of  the  chick  in  the  egg  has  been  so  fully 
and  so  well  described  by  many  writers,  from  Aristotle 
down  to  Reaumur,  that  I  need  merely  refer  the  reader  to 
them.  The  observations  of  the  latter,  particularly,  have 
appeared  in  almost  every  compilation  that  has  been  pub- 
lished on  the  subject ;  and  I  think  it  much  better  taste 
for  common  inquirers  to  betake  themselves  to  such 
sources  of  information,  illustrated  as  they  are  by  good 
engravings,  than  to  desire  that  a  set  of  half-hatched 
eggs  should  be  broken  to  gratify  their  curiosity.  A 
shattered  and  imperfectly -formed  chick,  struggling  in 
vain  in  the  fluid  that  ought  to  perfect  its  frame,  till  it 
sinks  in  a  gradual  and  convulsive  death,  is  a  horrible 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 


109 


spectacle,  though  on  a  small  scale.  To  gratify  the  curi- 
ous reader,  I  present  below  three  cuts  illustrat- 
ing the  first,  middle,  and  last  stages  of  incubation. 


FIRST    STAGE    OF    INCUBATION. 


MIDDLE    STAGE    OF    INCUBATION. 


CHICK    JUST    BEFORE    HATCHING. 

Shortly  before  the  time  of  hatching  arrives,  the 
chickens  may  be  heard  to  chirp  and  tap  against  the 
walls  of  their  shell.  Soon  a  slight  fracture  is  perceived 
towards  the  upper  end,  caused  by  force  from  within. 


110  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

The  fracture  is  continued  around  the  top  of  the  egg, 
which  then  opens  like  a  lid,  and  the  little  bird  struggles 
into  daylight.  The  tapping  which  is  heard,  and  which 
opens  the  prison  doors,  is  caused  by  the  bill  of  the  in- 
cluded chick ;  the  mother  has  nothing  to  do  with  its 
liberation,  beyond  casting  the  empty  shells  out  of  the 
nest.  At  the  tip  of  the  bill  of  every  new-hatched  chick, 
on  the  upper  surface,  a  whitish  scale  will  be  observed, 
about  the  size  of  a  pin's  head,  but  much  harder  than  the 
bill  itself.  Had  the  beak  been  tipped  with  iron  to  force 
the  shell  open,  it  would  not  have  been  a  stronger  proof 
of  Creative  Design  than  is  this  minute  speck,  which  acts 
as  so  necessary  an  instrument.  In  a  few  days  after 
birth,  when  it  is  no  longer  wanted,  this  scale  disappears ; 
not  by  falling  off,  which  would  be  a  waste  of  valuable 
material,  but  by  being-  absorbed  and  becoming  service- 
able in  strengthening  the  bony  structure,  minute  as  the 
portion  of  earthy  substance  is.  And  yet  some  people 
direct,  that  as  soon  as  the  chick  is  hatched,  this  scale 
should  be  forced  off  with  the  finger  nail,  because  it  is  in- 
jurious ! 

All  chicks  do  not  get  out  so  easily,  but  may  require 
a  little  assistance.  The  difficulty  is,  to  know  when  to 
give  it.  They  often  succeed  in  making  the  first  breach, 
but  appear  unable  to  batter  down  their  dungeon  walls 
any  further.  A  rash  attempt  to  help  them  by  break- 
ing the  shell,  particularly  in  a  downward  direction 
towards  the  smaller  end,  is  often  followed  by  a  loss  of 
blood,  which  can  ill  be  spared.  It  is  better  to  wait 
awhile  and  not  interfere  with  any  of  them,  till  it  is 
apparent  that  a  part  of  the  brood  has  been  hatched 
some  time,  say  twelve  hours,  and  that  the  rest  cannot 
succeed  in  making  their  appearance.  After  such  wise 
delay,  it  will  generally  be  found  that  the  whole  fluid 
contents  of  the  egg,  yolk  and  all,  are  taken  up  into 
the  body  of  the  chick,  and  that  weakness  alone  has 
prevented  its  forcing  itself  out.  The  causes  of  such 
weakness"  are  various  ;  sometimes  insufficient  warmth, 
from,  the  hen  having  sat  on  too  many  eggs  ;  sometimes 
the  original  feebleness  of  the  vital  spark  included  in 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  Ill 

the  egg,  but  most  frequently  staleness  of  the  eggs  em- 
ployed for  incubation.  The  chances  of  rearing  such 
chicks  are  small,  but  if  they  get  over  the  first  twenty- 
four  hours  they  may  be  considered  as  safe.  But  all 
the  old  wives'  nostrums  to  recover  them  are  to  be  dis- 
carded ;  the  merest  drop  of  ale  may  be  a  useful  stimu- 
lant, but  an  intoxicated  chick  is  as  liable  to  sprawl 
about  and  have  the  breath  trodden  out  of  its  body  as  a 
fainting  one.  Pepper  corns,  gin,  rue,  and  fifty  other 
ways  of  doctoring,  are  to  be  banished  afar. 

The  only  thing  to  be  done,  is  to  take  the  chicks 
from  the  hen  till  she  is  nestled  at  night,  keeping  them 
in  the  meanwhile  as  snug  and  warm  as  possible. 
If  a  clever,  kind,  gentle-handed  little  girl  could  get  a 
crumb  of  bread  down  their  throats,  it  would  do  no 
harm.  Animal  heat  will  be  their  greatest  restorative. 
At  night,  let  them  be  quietly  slipped  under  their 
mother  ;  the  next  morning  they  will  be  either  as  brisk 
as  the  rest,  or  as  "  flat  as  pancakes." 

Now  I  am  on  the  subject  of  hatching,  I  may  as  well 
refer  to  the  perplexity  to  which  poultry  keepers  are 
sometimes  subjected,  when  hens  will  sit,  at  seasons  of 
the  year  at  which  there  is  little  chance  of  bringing  up 
chickens.  Some  advise  the  hens  to  be  soaked  in  a  pail 
of  water,  cold  from  the  pump  ;  but  if  they  have  a  mind 
to  kill  her,  it  is  more  cruel  to  do  so  by  giving  her 
fever  and  inflammation  of  the  lungs,  than  by  simply 
knocking  her  on  the  head.  A  less  objectionable  rem- 
edy, is  the  following : — "  I  have  known  one  or  two 
doses  of  jalap  relieve  them  entirely  from  a  desire  to  sit ; 
and  in  my  opinion  it  is  far  better  than  the  cold-water 
cure.  I  have  known  English  Jfowls  lay  in  three  weeks 
afterwards."*  But  why  not  let  the  poor  creatures  obey 
their  natural  propensity  ?  Or,  surely,  some  neighbor 
would  gladly  exchange  a  laying  hen  for  one  that 
wanted  to  sit.  Others,  borrowing  an  ancient  piece 
of  barbarism,  recommend  a  large  feather  to  be  thrust 
through  the  nostrils ;  that  she  may  rush  here  and 

»  Dixon. 


112  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

there  in  terror,  and  give  up  all  thoughts  of  sitting. 
The  wisest  way  is  to  guide,  instead  of  thwarting  the 
impulses  of  nature.  Let  your  good  hen  indulge  the 
instinct  implanted  in  her  by  a  Wiser  Being  than  you  ; 
give  her  a  sitting  of  duck's  eggs,  and  unless  the  winter 
or  spring  be  extraordinarily  severe,  you  must  be  a 
bungler  if  you  do  not  rear  them  by  the  aid  of  bread 
crumbs,  Indian  meal,  and  a  kitchen  fire. 

ARTIFICIAL  INCUBATION. 

THE  process  of  bringing  the  vitalised  embryo  of  the 
egg  through  all  its  stages  of  development  until  the 
chick  makes  its  exit  from  the  shell,  by  the  judicious 
administration  and  management  of  artificial  heat,  has 
long  been  practised  in  China  and  Egypt,  nor  have  ex- 
periments both  in  our  own  country  and  France  been 
unsuccessful ;  but  whether  the  plan  will  ever  become 
general,  so  that  a  .supply  of  apparatus-hatched  chick- 
ens may  be  in  constant  readiness  to  meet  the  public 
demand,  is  very  questionable.  Our  changeable  climate 
is  not  favorable  for  the  process  on  a  large  scale  ;  the 
least  change  of  temperature  is  fatal ;  for  it  is  indispens- 
able that  an  equable  temperature  of  from  95°  to 
106°  F.  be  maintained.  At  a  higher  or  a  lower  tem- 
perature the  development  of  the  embryo  cannot  be  per- 
fected. Hence,  although  in  Egypt,  which  enjoys  a 
favorable  atmospheric  state  for  the  accomplishment  of 
the  experiment,  success  in  our  climate  is  far  from 
certain. 

Let  us  be  content,  then,  with  our  poultry  yards  and 
their  feathered  inmates  as  they  are,  and  be  grateful  to 
Providence  for  the  fowls  of  the  air,  which  are  peculiarly 
the  pensioners  upon  our  bounty. 

The  apparatus,  latterly  employed  for  this  purpose, 
has  been  described 'under  the  names  of  eccaleobion, 
(literally  the  invoker  of  life,)  polotokian,  and  hydro- 
incubator.  The  former  was  an  ingenious  contrivance, 
for  hatching  chickens  by  means  of  heated  air.  It  pre- 
sented the  appearance  of  an  oblong  box,  nina  f«et  in 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  113 

length,  three  feet  in  breadth,  and  three  feet  in  height. 
It  had  no  connexion  with  the  walls  against  which  it 
was  placed,  nor  the  table  on  which  it  stood ;  its  regu- 
lating power  was  within.  According  to  Mr.  Bucknell, 
the  English  inventor  and  proprietor  of  this  machine, 
which  some  years  ago  excited  great  attention,  the 
eccaleobion  possessed  a  perfect  and  absolute  command 
over  temperature  from  300°  F.  to  that  of  cold  water, 
so  that  any  substance  submitted  to  its  influence  was 
uniformly  acted  upon  over  its  whole  surface  at  any 
required  intermediate  degree  within  the  above  range, 
and  such  heat  maintained  unaltered  without  trouble 
or  difficulty  for  any  length  of  time.  Hence,  by  means 
of  this  absolute  and  complete  command  over  the  tem- 
perature obtained  by  this  machine,  the  impregnated 
egg  of  any  bird,  not  stale,  placed  within  its  influence 
at  the  proper  degree  of  warmth,  at  the  expiration  of  its 
natural  time,  was  elicited  into  life  without  the  possi- 
bility of  a  failure,  which  is  sometimes  the  case  with 
eggs  subjected  to  the  caprice  of  their  natural  parent. 
During  the  public  exhibition  of  this  instrument  thirty 
or  forty  thousand  chickens,  perhaps  more,  were  stated 
to  have  been  brought  into  existence  by  a  single  ma- 
chine, which  was  constructed  to  contain  two  thousand 
eggs  at  a  given  time.  These  chickens,  with  proper 
attention  and  under  suitable  treatment,  were  said  to 
grow  as  healthy  and  strong  as  those  under  a  parent's 
care.  Of  course,  artificial  mothers,  warmth,  a  dry  soil, 
and  proper  buildings  would  be  needed.  What  might 
not  be  expected  from  a  multiplication  of  these  ma- 
chines, or  their  formation  on  a  larger  scale ! 

The  polotokian,  also,  was  a  similar  contrivance  for 
hatching,  by  means  of  heated  air,  established  in  1843, 
on  an  extensive  scale,  by  Mr.  E.  Bayer,  of  Brooklyn, 
New  York.  He  succeeded  admirably  well,  as  far  as 
the  producing  of  chickens  was  concerned,  in  the  process 
of  hatching,  not  losing  over  20  to  25  per  cent,  of  the 
eggs.  The  most  congenial  temperature  at  which  the 
eggs  were  exposed,  during  the  process,  he  found  to  be 


114  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

from  101°  to  102°  F.  When  uniformly  kept  in  that 
degree  of  warmth,  the  period  of  incubation  was  gen- 
erally hastened  two  days.  The  chickens  arrived  at 
maturity  six  weeks  earlier  than  those  hatched  the 
natural  way,  but  were  more  susceptible  to  the  climate. 
Notwithstanding,  they  were  sweeter,  better-flavored, 
and  more  tender  in  their  flesh,  and  commanded  a  higher 
price  in  market  than  other  fowls,  the  business  proved 
unprofitable,  and  was  abandoned  with  disgust.  Several 
other  establishments  were  commenced  about  the  same 
time,  on  Long  Island  and  elsewhere,  on  the  same  plan, 
which  terminated  with  similar  results. 

Mr.  Cantelo,  a  year  or  two  since,  established  in  or 
near  London,  what  he  termed  a  "model  poultry  farm." 
In  this  institution,  numbers  of  chickens,  Gruinea  fowls, 
and  ducks,  have  been  raised  by  artificial  heat  most 
ingeniously  applied  by  "top  contact,"  so  as  to  produce 
the  same  effect  on  the  vitalised  germ  as  the  heat  of 
the  incubating  hen.  This  heat  has  been  proved  by 
Mr.  Cantelo  to  be  as  high  as  106°  F.  The  eggs  were 
in  fact  hatched  under  artificial  incubators,  which  allow 
the  inferior  portion  of  the  egg  to  remain  cool  until 
warmed  by  the  inward  circulation  of  the  blood,  as  oc- 
curs in  natural  incubation,  but  not  when  eggs  are 
placed  in  ovens  or  heated  apartments.  "  The  differ- 
ence," says  Mr.  Cantelo,  "between  top-contact  heat 
and  that  received  from  radiation  as  applied  to  hatching 
is"  this :  by  radiation,  or  oven  heat,  the  eggs  will  be 
hours  in  arriving  at  the  desired  temperature,  not  only 
when  first  put  to  hatch,  but  at  any  time  afterwards 
when  they  may  have  been  allowed  to  get  cool.  The 
eggs,  of  course,  will  heat  alike  over  their  whole  surface, 
and  consequently  evaporate  equally  from  every  part. 
On  the  contrary,  heat  applied  in  top  contact  penetrates 
almost  instantly  and  revivifies  the  germ,  and  although 
a  much  higher  temperature  is  used  in  this  case  in 
imitation  of  nature ;  that  is  106°  instead  of  98°, 
still,  inasmuch  as  but  a  small  surface  is  heated,  the 
loss  of  moisture  is  much  less  than  by  a  radiating  heat. 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  115 

The  fowl  leaves  her  nest  every  day  in  search  of  food 
for  twenty  or  thirty  minutes ;  this  must  be  imitated 
also,  as  the  temporary  loss  of  heat  has  the  effect  of 
causing  the  contents  of  the  egg  to  diminish  in  bulk, 
and  the  vacuum  is  formed  by  a  fresh  supply,  (of  air,) 
drawn  in  for  the  nourishment  of  the  germ.  The  eggs 
must  be  moved  three  times  a-day,  morning,  noon,  and 
night,  which  prevents  the  adhesion  of  any  part  of  the 
fluid  to  %  the  shell,  and  gives  the  small  blood  vessels 
better  opportunity  to  spread  around  the  surface  of  the 
egg.  This  is  effected  by  nature  ;  when  the  fowl  leaves 
her  nest  or  returns  to  it,  she  naturally  disturbs  the 
eggs,  and  also  from  any  change  she  may  make  in  her 
position  while  upon  her  nest." 

Mr.  Cantelo  thus  describes  the  hydro-incubator: 
"  The  form,  or  method  considered  by  the  inventor,  as 
best  calculated  for  the  application  of  top-contact  heat 
to  eggs  during  incubation  is  that  of  a  current  of  warm 
water  flowing  over  an  impermeable  or  water-proof  cloth, 
beneath  which  the  eggs  are  placed.  This  is  effected 
on  a  large  scale  by  pumps,  and  in  a  small  apparatus 
by  the  law  of  gravitation  causing  the  warm  particles 
to  rise,  and  those  that  have  become  partially  cooled  to 
fall.  A  tank  of  water  is  kept  continually  at  a  tem- 
perature of  109°  F.,  from  the  surface  of  which  it  will 
naturally  flow  over  the  water-proof  cloth,  a  return  pipe 
being  so  placed  as  to  connect  the  outer  end  of  the 
cloth  with  the  bottom  of  the  tank.  The  eggs  are 
placed  in  drawers  having  open  work  or  perforated  bot- 
toms, and  they  are  laid  on  a  piece  of  thin  woollen 
cloth.  The  drawers  are  placed  beneath  the  incubator, 
and  raised  so  that  the  eggs  come  in  contact  with  the 
water-proof  cloth,  but  so  as  to  allow  a  space  between 
the  sides  of  the  drawers  and  the  incubating  cloth. 
These  sides  being  lower  than  the  top  of  the  eggs,  space 
is  afforded  for  the  air  to  circulate  around  them,  as  it 
rises  through  the  bottom  and  passes  out  over  the  edges 
of  the  drawers." 

Within  two  or  three  years  past,  an  apparatus  has 


116  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

been  exhibited,  from  time  to  time,  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  called  the  American  egg-hatching  machine. 
It  is  stated  that  it  has  been  "examined  by  a  large 
number  of  practical  and  scientific  men,  who  have 
strongly  attested  to  its  usefulness  and  general  adop- 
tion." 


AMERICAN    EGG-HATCHING    MACHINE. 
/ 

This  machine  is  constructed  of  tin,  or  other  materi- 
als, with  the  brooding  chamber  surrounded  by  water, 
warmed  to  a  suitable  temperature,  by  means  of  a 
spirit  lamp,  which,  it  is  said,  may  constantly  be  kept 
burning  for  less  than  ten  cents  a  day !  The  whole 
apparatus  does  not  exceed  two  and  a  half  feet  in  length 
and  depth,  and  is  stated  to  be  capable  of  hatching 
from  200  to  600  chickens  at  a  time,  with  a  loss  of 
not  more  than  two  per  cent.,  if  the  eggs  are  perfect, 
and  if  proper  attention  is  paid  to  the  temperature  of 
the  machine !  But  here  let  us  drop  the  subject.  In 
my  humble  opinion,  all  these  ingenious  imitations  of, 
and  interferences  with,  nature,  though  they  may 
flourish  for  a  day,  (and  flourish  they  cannot  bo  said 
to  do,)  will  pass  away  as  things  that  were. 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  117 


NURSING-  THE  YOUNG-  BROODS. 

LET  us  now  suppose  that  the  chick  has  opened  the 
door  of  its  egg.  Feeble  trembler,  on  the  verge  of  an 
unknown  state  of  existence,  what  are  its  sensations ! 
Had  it  but  reason,  how  applicable  to  it  would  be  Buf- 
fon's  eloquent  description  of  man,  springing  up  at  the 
bidding  of  his  Creator  into  life  and  light,  at  once  en- 
raptured, perplexed,  and  bewildered.  But  the  chick 
is  guided  by  instinct  alone ;  it  has  nothing  to  learn, 
no  ideas  to  be  conceived  through  the  medium  of  the 
senses,  and  yet  it  is  interesting  to  watch  it  at  this 
juncture.  It  is  free;  the  first  thing  it  does,  while  yet 
on  the  threshold  of  the  egg,  is  to  draw  its  head  from 
under  its  wing,  and  to  direct  it  forwards,  the  neck 
trembling  beneath  the  weight  which  it  has  now  for  the 
first  time  to  sustain.  With  its  neck  stretched  forwards, 
and  scarcely  able  to  raise  itself  on  its  legs,  it  rests  for 
a  few  minutes,  till  its  strength  is  recruited ;  the  fresh 
air  revives  it,  it  raises  itself  up,  it  lifts  its  head,  it 
turns  its  neck  from  side  to  side,  and  begins  to  feel  its 
innate  powers.  Its  downy  plumage,  the  precursor  of 
feathers,  being  wet  with  the  fluid  of  the  egg,  lies  close 
to  the  skin,  in  stripes  down  the  body  and  on  the  wings; 
besides,  it  is  not  yet  fairly  free  from  the  sheath  in 
which  every  plumelet  is  enclosed.  As  it  dries,  every 
tuft  expands,  or  opens,  like  a  feathery  flower ;  the 
little  membranous  sheaths  split  and  fall  off ;  and  the 
chick  rises  in  its  nest,  clothed  with  a  downy  garment 
of  exquisite  delicacy  ! 

An  experienced  poultry  maid,  in  giving  directions  to 
her  young  successor,  may  be  supposed  to  discourse  as 
follows : — "Do  not  meddle  with  the  eggs  nor  the  nest ; 
the  hen  knows  better  than  you,  and  if  they  require 
turning,  when,  and  in  what  position  to  place  them. 
She  will  seldom  forsake  them,  or  leave  them  long 
enough  to  be  addled,  which  is  caused  by  the  change 
from  heat  to  cold.  Watch  patiently  and  quietly.  On 
the  eighteenth  or  nineteenth  day,  if  you  put  your  ear 


118  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

to  the  egg,  you  will  hear  the  chick  making  a  gentle 
piping  noise,  and  at  this  time  the  yolk,  which  has  al- 
ready begun  to  be  taken  up  into  the  body,  is  now  in  a 
state  of  rapid  absorption,  being  destined  to  supply  the 
chick  with  nourishment,  even  after  its  exit  from  the 
shell.  You  will  very  seldom  have  occasion  to  assist 
chickens  in  emerging  from  the  shell,  and  the  chances 
are,  that  you  will  injure  them,  if  you  attempt  it.  Act 
cautiously,  but  believe  that  nature  does  the  business 
best.  Some  chickens  get  out  in  an  hour,  others  in  two 
or  three,  and  it  may  happen  that  some  may  be  a  day, 
or  a  day  and  a  night  at  work,  by  starts.  For  twenty 
four  hours,  you  should  leave  them  to  themselves ;  if 
they  are  not  strong  enough  to  break  through  their 
shellwork  wall,  they  will  not  be  stout  enough  to  live ; 
and  this  is  the  reason  why,  even  with  the  gentlest 
assistance,  they  very  seldom  do  live,  supposing  they 
have  not  left  the  egg  by  their  own  efforts.  It  some- 
times happens  that  the  feathers  are  glued  to  the  lining 
of  the  shell,  which  prevents  the  bird  from  clearing 
itself  of  it.  In  this  case,  be  very  gentle  with  your 
fingers,  when  you  draw  the  feathers  from  the  lining 
of  the  shell.  You  should  go  to  work  as  if  you  were 
removing  a  blister  from  your  own  skin,  that  is  to  say, 
with  the  greatest  tenderness.  Be  rather  tardy  than 
premature  ;  '  let  patience  have  her  perfect  work.'  Re- 
member that,  if  the  chickens  leave  the  shell  before  they 
have  taken  in,  or  drunk  up  all  the  yolk,  which  must 
serve  them  for  food  during  the  ensuing  twenty-four 
hours  after  they  see  the  light,  they  will  pine  away, 
and  die  in  a  few  days.  Beware,  then,  of  being  pre- 
mature in  any  efforts,  however  well  intended,  to  extri- 
cate a  feeble  chick ;  nevertheless,  be  watchful,  and 
ready  for  every  emergency." 

So  far  we  may  say  an  experienced  poultry  maid 
would  give  her  directions.  But  now  comes  another 
point  to  be  considered.  The  chickens  are  all  hatched 
under  favorable  circumstances ;  there  is  no  mishap, 
one  after  another  extricates  itself — what  is  the  treat- 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  119 

ment  to  be  pursued?  Many  persons,  as  the  chickens 
leave  the  eggs,  remove  them  one  by  one,  and  place 
them  in  a  basket,  covered  up  with  flannel,  and  keep 
them  in  a  warm  place,  returning  them  to  the  hen 
when  the  last  has  made  its  appearance.  This  is  not 
generally  necessary ;  it  is  unnatural,  and  may  fret  the 
hen,  who  delights  in  her  young  brood,  whose  piping 
notes,  while  the  chicks  were  yet  in  the  egg,  she  has 
listened  to  with  complacency.  The  shells,  however, 
should  be  cleared  from  the  nest,  but  unless  circum- 
stances render  it  necessary,  the  young  chickens  may 
be  allowed  to  remain.  But  suppose  that  the  weather 
is  piercingly  cold,  and  that  the  hen  is  restle&s,  then  let 
the  chickens  have  warmth  and  every  attention.  Those 
hatched  during  the  winter,  or  colder  spring  months, 
require  comfortable  housing,  the  hen  being  with  them, 
and  the  less  that  interference  be  made  between  the 
hen  and  her  chicks,  the  better;  they  troop  around  her; 
she  protects  them,  gathers  them  under  her  wings,  and 
watches  over  them  with  the  most  earnest  solicitude. 

Some  persons,  especially  in  France,  train  capons  to 
act  as  nurses  to  their  broods  of  chickens  which  are 
reared  ;  and  some  have  recourse  to  artificial  mothers, 
or  boxes  lined  with  a  soft  and  warm  material  for  the 
protection  of  the  tfrood. 

That  capons  can  be  taught  or  trained  to  hatch  a 
clutch  of  eggs,  and  attend  to  the  young,  was  known 
to  the  ancients ;  and  indeed  there  are  cases  on  record 
of  the  cock  having  laid  aside  his  lordly  air,  and  devoted 
himself  with  exemplary  patience  to  the  work  of  incu- 
bation ;  in  other  cases,  he  has  taken  the  place  of  the 
hen  in  watching  over  the  chickens  when  accident  has 
deprived  them  of  her  care. 

Baptista  Porta,  in  his  strange  work  on  Natural 
Magic,  gives  instructions  as  to  the  mode  of  taming 
and  training  capons  for  the  task  of  nursing.  "In  the 
first  place,  the  bird  must  be  made  so  familiar  as  to 
take  food  from  the  hand ;  this  primary  step  being  ac- 
complished, on  the  evening,  when  his  services  are  re- 


120  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

quired,  the  feathers  must  be  plucked  from  off  his 
breast,  and  the  bare  skin  be  irritated  by  rubbing  it 
with  nettles.  The  chickens  must  then  be  put  to  him ; 
they  will  naturally  huddle  under  him,  and  by  rubbing 
with  their  little  downy  heads  allay  the  irritation  caused 
by  the  nettles.  This  process  being  repeated  for  two  or 
three  nights,  he  will  gradually  conceive  an  affection 
for  the  chickens,  and  attend  to  them  like  a  hen.  The 
writer  suggests  that  this  attachment  may  be  based  on 
the  principle  of  mutual  distress  producing  mutual 
sympathy,  and  that  the  querulous  chirp  .of  the  chick- 
ens may  make  the  capon,  while  in  pain  himself,  de- 
sirous of  allaying  their  misery.  A  capon  once  accus- 
tomed to  this  office  will  not  abandon  it,  but  when  one 
brood  is  grown  up  sufficiently,  another  newly-hatched 
brood  may  be  substituted  in  their  place,  and  so  on  in 
succession,  the  last  chickens  being  as  carefully  attend- 
ed to  as  were  the  first." 

With  respect  to  artificial  mothers,  they  are  undoubt- 
edly useful  when  there  is  no  natural  parent  nor  trained 
capon  to  protect  and  warm  the  chickens ;  and  many 
persons  are  great  advocates  for  them.  These  mothers 
are  nothing  more  than  wooden  trays,  or  boxes,  so  con- 
trived as  to  impart  the  necessary  heat  to  the  young 
chickens,  after  exclusion  from  the  egg,  till  they  are 
sufficiently  strong  and  grown  to  need  no  further  assist- 
ance. When  chickens  are  hatched  by  artificial  means, 
as  by  the  eccaleobion,  or  in  an  oven,  these  protectors 
are  essential ;  for,  without  some  substitute  for  the 
parent,  the  chicks  would  perish.  They  are  described 
as  being  framed  of  a  board  ten  inches  broad  and  fifteen 
inches  long,  resting  on  two  legs  in  front,  four  inches  in 
height,  and  on  two  props  behind,  two  inches  in  height. 
The  board  must  be  perforated  with  many  small  gimlet 
holes  for  the  escape  of  the  heated  air,  and  lined  with 
lambskin,  dressed  with  the  wool  on ;  the  woolly  side 
is  to  come  in  contact  with  the  chickens.  Over  three 
of  these  mothers,  a  wicker  basket  is  to  be  placed  for 
the  protection  of  the  chickens,  four  feet  long,  two  feet 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  121 

broad,  and  fourteen  inches  high,  with  a  lid  open,  a 
wooden  sliding  bottom  to  draw  out  for  cleaning,  and  a 
long,  narrow  trough  along  the  front,  resting  on  two 
very  low  stools,  for  holding  their  food.  Perches  are  to 
be  fixed  in  the  basket  for  the  more  advanced  to  roost 
on.  A  flannel  curtain  is  to  be  placed  in  front  and  at 
both  ends  of  the  mothers,  for  the  chickens  to  run 
under,  which  they  soon  learn  to  push  outwards  and 
inwards.  These  mothers,  with  the  wicker  baskets 
over  them,  are  to  be  placed  against  a  hot  wall  at  the 
back  of  the  kitchen  fire,  or  in  any  other  warm  situa 
tion,  where  the  heat  shall  not  exceed  80°  F. 

When  the  chickens  are  a  week  old,  they  are  to  be 
carried  with  a  mother  to  a  grass  plot,  for  feeding,  and 
to  be  kept  warm  by  a  tin  tube  filled  with  some  hot 
water,  which  will  continue  sufficiently  warm  for  about 
three  hours,  when  the  water  is  to  be  renewed.  To- 
wards evening,  the  mothers  are  to  be  again  placed 
against  the  hot  wall,  and  thus  continued,  from  day  to 
day,  until  the  chicks  are  strong  enough  to  take  care 
of  themselves. 

CHICKEN  COOPS. 

THE  simplest,  and  perhaps  the  most  common  method 
employed  for  confining  the  hen  after  hatching  her 
young  brood,  is  to  lay  a  flour  barrel  on  its  bilge, 
knocking  out  one  head,  and  driving  a  few  small  stakes 
into  the  ground  directly  in  front.  This  makes  a  very 
comfortable  shelter  for  the  hen,  protecting  her  and  her 
chicks  from  the  sun,  wind,  and  rain,  and  allows  the 
latter  to  range  about  the  garden  or  yard,  where  they 
are  enabled  to  pick  up  seeds,  insects,  worms,  &c.,  and 
thereby  obtain  a  large  share  of  their  living. 

This  plan  is  objected  to  by  many,  in  this  countiy, 
on  the  ground  that  the  chickens  are  more  exposed  to 
the  depredations  of  hawks,  minks,  rats,  &c.,  than  they 
would  be  if  protected  by  their  watchful  mother  by 
their  side.  But,  as  it  is  necessary  in  all  cases  to  have 
the  coop  near  the  garden  or  house,  not  only  on  account 
6 


122 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 


of  the  safety  of  the  young  brood,  but  for  the  conveni- 
ence of  feeding  them,  as  well  as  for  the  security  of  the 
flowers  and  plants,  it  would  be  preferable  to  confine 
the  hen  in  a  coop  like  that  shown  in  the  following  cut, 
and  give  liberty  only  to  the  chicks. 


COOP  WITH  FEEDING  BOX  ATTACHED. 

Those  who  can  well  afford  it,  and 
wish  to  display  more  taste  in  this 
delightful  branch  of  rural  economy, 
might  build  coops  in  a  'Gothic  or 
Chinese  style,  similar  to  that  of  the 
adjoining  cut.  The  size  may  vary 
from  that  of  a  few  feet  square  to  a 
height  sufficient  to  admit  a  man. 


MARQUEE    OR    TENT-SHAPED    COOPS. 

Another  kind,  lately  used  by  Mr.  C.  N.  Bement, 
author  of  the  "American  Poulterers'  Companion," 
answering  a  very  good  purpose,  is  the  marquee  coop, 
denoted  by  the  above  fi^we.  It  is  made  by  nailing 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  123 

short  pieces  of  boards  together,  in  such  a  way  as  to 
form  two  legs  of  a  triangle,  the  ground  answering  for 
the  other  side.  These  coops  should  be  at  least  two 
feet  in  height,  with  one  end  boarded  up  tight,  and  the 
other  secured  by  nailing  strips  of  boards,  or  laths,  in 
the  form  of  a  grate,  leaving  sufficient  space  between 
them  for  the  free  passage  of  the  chicks,  without  afford- 
ing liberty  to  the  hen.  In  front,  there  should  be  a 
broad  piece  of  board,  as  long  as  the  coop  is  wide,  on 
which  to  feed  the  chickens  and  hen.  This  board  may 
be  secured  to  the  coop  with  leather  or  other  hinges,  so 
as  to  admit  of  being  raised  up  and  closing  the  coop, 
towards  evening,  which  will  not  only  answer  the  pur- 
pose of  guarding  the  young  brood  against  rats  and 
other  enemies  during  the  night,  but  will  prevent  them 
from  wandering  about  the  next  morning  on  the  dew 
and  wet  grass  before  it  is  dry. 

The  coops  should  not  be  located  too  near  each  other, 
as  the  chickens  of  different  broods  are  apt  to  become 
mixed,  or  wander  to  the  wrong  hen,  where  they  will 
be  repulsed  and  even  killed.  Fifty  or  sixty  feet  apart 
will  be  a  sufficient  distance,  in  general,  to  secure 
safety  to  the  young  broods  from  injury  by  other  fowls. 

At  the  expiration  of  five  or  six  weeks,  the  hen  may 
be  released  from  her  coop,  every  morning,  when  the 
weather  is  fair,  as  soon  as  the  grass  is  dry,  and  be 
made  to  return  again  in  the  evening,  if  she  does  not 
come  of  her  own  accord,  and  there  be  confined  during 
the  night.  By  the  end  of  two  or  three  weeks  more, 
she  may  have  her  entire  liberty  with  her  brool,  and 
range  at  pleasure  about  the  yard. 

As  the  chicks,  at  first,  will  hardly  be  on  an  equal 
footing  with  their  older  companions,  in  regard  to  the 
distribution  of  their  food,  a  "feeding  coop"  may  be 
provided  for  them  by  driving  small  stakes,  or  laths, 
into  the  ground,  inclosing  a  space  of  two  or  three  yards 
in  diameter,  at  such  distances  apart  as  will  admit  their 
entrance,  but  prevent  the  ingress  of  the  larger  fowls. 


124 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 


The  top  of  the  inclosure  must  be  covered  with  boards, 
or  otherwise,  only  having  an  opening  with  a  lid,  suffi- 
ciently large  to  drop  through  their  food. 

FOOD  OF  THE  CHICKS  PREVIOUS  TO  WEANING. 

As  to  the  food  of  the  young  brood,  let  them  have  any- 
thing which  is  not  absolutely  poisonous.  Sloppy  matters 
are  better  avoided  till  the  little  things  are  old  enough  to 
eat  a  few  grains  of  good  wheat,  of  the  best  sample,  which 
will  then  not  be  thrown  away  upon  them.  Meat  and 
insect  diet  are  almost  necessary ;  but  raw  vegetables 
chopped  small,  or  Indian -meal  dough,  containing  no  salt, 
so  grateful  to  young  turkeys,  are  caviare  to  chickens. 
But  whatever  be  the  bill  of  fare,  the  meals  must  be  given 
at  short  intervals ;  as  much  as  they  can  swallow,  as  often 
as  they  can  eat.  The  reader  will  please  to  remember 
that  when  he  came  into  the  world,  all  that  was  expected 
of  him  was  to  grow  and  be  good-natured.  He  had  not 
to  provide  his  long  clothes  out  of  his  mother's  milk,  nor 
to  elaborate  pinafores  from  a  basin  of  soaked  biscuit ; 
but  for  poor  little  chickens,  the  only  known  baby-linen 
warehouse  is  situated  in  their  own  stomachs.  And  with 
all  their  industry,  they  are  only  half-clad,  till  flesh  and 
blood  stop  growing  for  a  while,  and  allow  down  and 
feathers  to  overtake  them. 

The  period  at  which  they  are  left  to  shift  for  them- 
selves depends  upon  the  disposition  of  the  hen.  Some 
will  continue  their  attentions  to  their  chicks  till  they  are 
nearly  full-grown,  others  will  cast  them  off  much  earlier. 
In  the  latter  case,  it  may  be  as  well  to  keep  an  eye  upon 
them,  lor  a  few  days,  till  they  have  established  themselves 
as  ino  pendent  members  of  the  gallinaceous  community. 
For  c.  .ickens,  in  this  half-grown  state,  are  at  the  most 
critical  period  of  their  lives.  They  are  now  much  more 
liable  to  disease  than  when  they  were  apparently  tender 
little  weaklings  crowded  under  their  mother's  wings. 
It  is  just  before  arriving  at  this  point  of  growth,  that 
artificially-hatched  chickens  are  so  sure  to  fail,  whether 
hot  air,  hot  water,  or  sheepskin,  be  the  substitute  for  the 
mother's  care. 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  125 


FATTENING-, 

LET  it  now  be  assumed  that  the  fowls  have  got  their 
full  growth,  or  nearly  so,  as  the  cocks  at  least  increase 
somewhat  in  size  till  their  third  year.  The  breeder,  at 
this  period,  will  have  to  determine  which  birds  he  retains 
for  stock,  and  which  are  to  enjoy  a  less  extended  exist- 
ence. On  the  process  of  fatting  fowls,  little  that  is  new 
can  be  offered,  and  tastes  differ  so  exceedingly,  that 
almost  every  family  has  its  own  particular  mode. 
Some  think  a  young  fowl  killed  by  dislocation  of  the 
neck,  not  by  bleeding,  and  without  any  fatting,  hung  up 
in  the  feathers  a  few  days  in  the  larder,  like  game,  the 
greatest  luxury;  others  like  them  to  be  brought  by  con- 
finement and  select  diet,  to  the  greatest  point  of  delicacy 
and  insipidity.  For  this  purpose,  rice  may  often  be  ob- 
tained at  a  cheap  rate.  It  should  be  boiled,  not  enough 
to  lose  its  granular  form,  in  milk ;  meat  broth  used  in- 
stead of  milk  is  nourishing  and  fattening,  but  diminishes 
the  whiteness  of  the  flesh  and  the  delicacy  of  the  flavor. 
If  fowls  were  brought  to  eat  uncooked  rice,  it  might 
prove  unwholesome  by  swelling  in  the  craw.  Cram- 
ming is  quite  unnecessary;  cleanliness  in  all  cases,  most 
expedient.  If  any  coarse  or  rank  food  is  used,  such  as 
tainted  meat,  greaves,  rancid  fat,  or  fish  scraps,  it  will  be 
apt  to  impart  a  corresponding  taint  to  the  flesh.  The 
purer  the  diet,  the  more  delicate  will  be  the  flavor.  Rice, 
boiled  as  above  directed,  barley  meal  and  milk,  or  boiled 
potatoes  mashed  with  Indian  meal,  are  all  excellent  arti- 
cles for  the  purpose,  and  easily  obtained.  The  locality 
and  the  cost  price  must  often  determine  the  matters 
employed,  care  being  only  taken  to  avoid  all  that  is 
likely  to  prove  hereafter  offensive  to  the  palate.  For 
it  is  an  old  notion,  confirmed  by  modern  experience,  that 
even  laying  hens  should  not  be  allowed  to  eat  unsavory 
nor  strong-tasted  substances,  lest  their  eggs  become 
tainted  with  the  flavor. 

"  Let  bitter  herbs  be  avoided,  particularly  wormwood ; 
for  hens  that  have  eaten  it  lay  extremely  bitter  eggs. 
Some  aver  that  the  eggs  from  hens  that  have  eaten  im- 


126  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

pure  food,  are  mostly  putrid  and  even  poisonous,  and  if 
they  have  fed  filthily,  excrementitious.  They  should 
also  abstain  from  lupines,  (which  are  bitter,)  for  the 
same  reason,  and  also  because  they  produce  small  swell- 
ings under  the  eyes,  as  Crescen'tiensis  observed ;  and 
Palladius  tells  us,  that  unless  these  swellings  are  gently 
opened  with  the  needle  and  the  core  extracted,  they 
blind  the  fowls."*  It  is  certain  that  a  peculiar  flavor  is 
perceptible  in  the  eggs  of  those  hens  that  have  fed  much 
about  dung  heaps,  or  on  grasshoppers. 

A  well-fatted  fowl  is  undoubtedly  a  more  economical 
dish  than  a  lean  one.  But  Pliny  tells  us,  with  an  ex- 
pression of  disapprobation,  that  the  people  of  Delos  were 
the  first  inventors  of  the  luxury.  He  mentions  the 
sumptuary  laws,  that  in  old  Roman  times  were  passed 
to  restrain  such  indulgencies,  and  how  they  were  evaded. 
This  seems,  in  him,  to  be  very  like  affectation ;  for  liv- 
ing, as  he  did,  in  the  best  society  of  a  most  voluptuous 
and  self-indulgent  age,  he  must  often,  in  the  character 
of  an  accessory  after  the  fact,  have  been  guilty  of  the 
misdemeanor  of  fatting  fowls. 

Willoughby  is  a  much  more  sensible  fellow:  "No 
better  flesh  in  the  world,"  says  he,  "than  that  of  a 
year-old  pullet  well  fed,  or  a  fat  capon ;  nothing  inferior 
to,  not  to  say  better  than,  that  of  a  pheasant  or  partridge. 
Some  there  are  that  think,  and  we  also  incline  to  their 
opinion,  that  the  flesh  of  those  hens  is  most  sweet  and 
delicate  which  are  fed  at  the  barn  door,  running  about 
and  exercising  themselves  in  getting  their  food,  by 
scraping  with  their  feet.  And  that  the  flesh  of  those  is 
less  pleasant  and  wholesome,  that  are  shut  up  in  coops 
and  crammed.  Some  are  so  curious  that  they  think 
those  limbs  most  wholesome  which  are  most  exercised, 
and,  therefore,  in  wild  fowl,  they  prefer  the  wings,  in 
tame,  the  legs." 

The  old  Dutch  mode  of  fatting,  as  described  by  Aldro- 
vandi,  is  by  no  means  a  bad  one : — 

"  Cardan  is  the  authority,  that  if  you  mingle  fat  lizard, 
(shred  fat?)  saltpetre,  and  cummin,  with  wheat  flour, 
and  feed  hens  on  this  food,  they  will  get  so  fat,  and  the 

*  Aldrorandi. 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  127 

people  who  eat  them  will  grow  so  stout,  as  to  burst. 
John  Jacob  Wecker  records  that  he  learnt  the  following 
secret  of  fatting  hens  from  a  certain  Hollander : — '  In  the 
kitchen,'  he  says,  'make  to  yourself  a  box,  divided  into 
many  little  boxes,  each  one  with  its  own  opening,  through 
which  the  hens  can  thrust  their  heads  out  of  doors,  and 
take  their  food.  Therefore,  in  these  little  boxes,  let 
youthful  hens,  or  pullets,  be  incarcerated,  one  in  each  ; 
let  food  be  offered  every  hour,  drink  being  interdicted 
for  the  time.  But  let  the  food  be  wheat  moderately 
boiled.  The  little  boxes  ought  to  be  pervious  below, 
that  the  excrements  may  pass  through,  and  be  diligently 
removed  every  day.  But  the  hens  ought  not  to  be  sh'ut 
up  beyond  two  weeks ;  lest  they  should  die  from  too 
much  fatness.  I  am  told,  also,  that  among  some  people, 
they  get  gloriously  fat,  and  quickly,  if  beer  is  offered 
them  for  drink,  instead  of  water;  also,  that  if  they  are 
fed  on  brewer's  grains,  they  lay  more,  as  well  as  larger 
eggs." 

A  correspondent  of  the  London  Agricultural  Gazette 
thus  describes  the  method  which  he  successfully  prac- 
tised for  many  years  in  India : — "  The  fowl  house,  or 
rather  feeding  house,  for  only  fattening  fowls  were  per- 
mitted to  be  in  it,  was  kept  as  cool  as  possible,  (in  Ben- 
gal, remember,)  and  almost  dark.  Each  fowl  had  a 
separate  pen  ;  they  were  fed  once,  and  only  once  a  day, 
with  rice,  boiled  as  rice  ought  to  be  for  Christmas;  not 
to  a  mash  ;  but  so  that  grain  from  grain  shouM  separate. 
The  quantity  to  each  fowl  was  about  two  ounces  (before 
boiling).  For  the  first  three  days,  to  each  was  given 
about  a  tea-spoonful  of  'ghoor,'  a  coarse  sugar — about 
half  as  much  again  of  treacle  would  be  an  equivalent. 
This  commencing  with  sugar  was  held  to  be  very  im- 
portant ;  it  cleansed  the  birds  and  disposed  them  to  fat- 
ten ;  no  water  was  given  ;  neither  was  any  chalk  nor 
gravel,  both  being  unknown  in  the  country.  In  about 
three  weeks,  the  fowls  were  generally  fat.  I  never,  in 
England,  have  seen  finer  than  those  I  have  killed  within 
that  time,  not  even  at  Mr.  Davis's,  of  Leadenhall  Mar- 
ket. .  If  they  did  not  fatten  in  three  weeks,  we  supposed 


128  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

that  they  did  not  mean  to  fatten,  but  this  was  of  rare 
occurrence,  and  proceeded,  no  doubt,  from  some  ailment 
beyond  my  powsr  of  discovering ;  but,  fat  or  otherwise, 
they  were  never  tough.  To  boil  the  rice  in  buttermilk 
is  by  far  preferable  to  boiling  it  in  water;  let  the  fowls 
be  as  young  as  you  can,  if  of  full  growth.  Many  people 
run  away  with  an  impression  that  fowls  fed  on  rice  will 
go  blind ;  it  is  dirt  and  sourness  that  cause  it.  How 
often  do  we  see  a  trough  loaded  with  meal  food,  suffi- 
cient for  two  or  three  days,  placed  before  the  unhappy 
prisoner  in  the  pen,  who  cannot  escape  from  it,  nor  seek 
other  and  sweeter  food !  When  the  fowls  have  done 
feeding,  the  trough  should  be  removed.*  cleaned,  and  ex- 
posed to  the  air  until  the  next  day's  feeding  time.  At 
my  factory,  in  India,  the  troughs  were  every  afternoon 
thrown  into  a  pond;  there  they  remained  until  next 
morning,  when,  after  an  hour  or  two's  sunning,  they 
were  returned  to  the  coops ;  no  blindness  was  known 
there." 


EXPERIMENTS  WITH  BOILED  GRAINS  IN  FATTENING- 
FOWLS. 

IT  is  the  custom  of  poultry  keepers,  in  France,  to  cook 
the  grain  given  to  fowls  which  they  intend  to  fatten, 
boiling  it  in  water  till  it  is  soft  enough  to  be  easily 
bruised  between  the  fingers,  the  boiling  causing  it  to 
swell  till  the  farina  splits  the  enveloping  membrane,  and 
this  they  term  bursting.  Although  it  is  the  popular 
opinion  that  burst  grain  is  better  than  when  it  is  dry, 
for  fattening  poultry,  this  opinion  has  probably  not  been 
established  on  accurate  experiments.  Be  this  as  it  may, 
it  is  of  no  less  importance  to  ascertain  whether  there  is 
any  difference  of  expense  in  feeding  poultry  on  dry  or 
on  burst  grain ;  that  is,  whether,  under  similar  circum- 
stances, fowls  eat  more  or  less  of  one  than  of  the  other. 

In  order  to  ascertain  this,  M.  Reaumur  ordered  four 
pint  measures  of  each  of  the  six  common  sorts  of  grain 
to  be  boiled  till  they  were  well  burst,  and  he  found  that 
the  increase  of  bulk  in  each  sort  was  the  following : — 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  129 

Pint 
measures. 

Four  pints  of  oats,  after  being  boiled  to  bursting,  filled 7 

Four  pints  of  barley,  after  being  boiled  to  bursting,  filled. ...  10 
Four  pints  of  buckwheat,  after  being  boiled  to  bursting,  filled  14 
Four  pints  of  maize,  after  being  boiled  to  bursting,  filled  above  15 
Four  pints  of  wheat,  after  being  boiled  to  bursting,  filled  a 

little  more  than 10 

Four  pints  of  rye,  after  being  boiled  to  bursting,  filled  nearly     15 

Rice  swells  considerably  more  by  boiling  than  any 
of  these  six  sorts,  but  it  is  rarely  given  to  poultry,  ex- 
cept for  fattening,  under  the  notion  that  it  tends  to 
wniten  the  flesh. 

For  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  the  boiling 
altered  the  preference  of  fowls  for  any  of  the  particular 
sorts,  experiments,  varied  in  every  possible  way,  simi- 
lar to  those  detailed  above,  were  made  by  M.  Reau- 
mur. The  fowls  were  furnished  with  two,  three,  four, 
five,  and  six  different  sorts,  sometimes  all  the  compart- 
ments of  the  feeding  box  being  filled  with  burst  grain, 
each  different  from  the  other,  and  sometimes  each  sort 
of  grain  filled  two  of  the  compartments,  one  of  them 
having  nothing  but  boiled,  and  another  nothing  but 
dry  grain.  All  that  could  be  collected  from  these  re- 
peated experiments  was,  that  the  greater  number  of 
fowls  prefer  boiled  grain  to  raw,  though  there  are 
many  of  them  which  show  a  preference  to  the  dry 
grain,  on  certain  days,  and  no  permanency  could  be  dis- 
covered in  the  preference  shown  for  any  sort  of  "burst 
grain.  Some  fowls,  for  instance,  which  one  day  pre- 
ferred boiled  wheat,  would  on  other  days  make  choice 
of  buckwheat,  maize,  oats,  or  barley,  and  sometimes, 
though  more  seldom,  even  of  rye  ;  but  rye,  either 
boiled  or  raw,  is  the  least  favorite  sort  of  grain.  It 
follows  as  an  important  conclusion  from  such  experi- 
ments, that  we  may  make  choice  of  the  sort  of  grain 
which  happens  to  be  cheapest,  without  much,  if  any, 
disadvantage  ;  always  excepting  rye,  when  other  sorts 
are  to  be  had  on  reasonable  terms. 

Other  experiments  were  required  to  show  whether 
there  is  any  economy,  or  the  contrary,  in  feed  ing  poul- 
6* 


130  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

try  with  boiled  grain,  and  this  was  readily  ascertained 
from  knowing,  first,  how  much  dry  grain  sufficed  one 
or  more  fowls,  and  then  boiling  the  same  quantity,  and 
trying  how  much  of  that  would  in  like  manner  be  suf- 
ficient. The  experiments  made  with  the  different  sorts 
of  grain  were  as  follows  : — 

Rye,  although  so  very  considerably  increased  in  bulk 
by  boiling,  so  far  from  being  more  sufficing,  becomes 
less  so,  as  fowls  will  eat  rather  more  of  it  when  it  is 
boiled  than  when  it  is  dry.  Seven  hens  and  a  ccck 
consumed  only  three  fourths  of  a  pint  measure  of  dry 
rye  in  one  day,  but  ate  in  the  same  time  three  pint 
measures  of  the  boiled  grain  ;  consequently,  as  three 
pint  measures  of  boiled  rye  are  equivalent  to  four  fifths 
of  dry,  it  would  cost  one  twentieth  more  to  feed  fowls 
with  boiled  than  with  dry  rye,  four  fifths  being  one 
twentieth  more  than  three  fourths. 

Oats,  although  increased  in  bulk  by  boiling,  nearly 
one  half,  are  not,  any  more  than  rye,  rendered  more 
sufficing ;  for  the  fowls,  which,  in  two  days,  would  have 
eaten  four  pint  measures  of  dry  oats,  consumed  in  the 
same  time  seven  pint  measures  of  the  boiled  grain ; 
consequently  it  is  no  saving  to  boil  the  oats. 

Moubray  says,  "  oats  are  apt  to  produce  the  scour, 
and  chickens  become  tired  of  them  ;  but  that  oats  are 
recommended  by  many  for  promoting  laying,  and  in 
Kent,  Sussex,  and  Surrey,  for  fattening." 

Buckwheat,  is  increased  in  bulk  by  boiling  still  more 
than  oats,  as  four  pint  measures,  when  well  boiled, 
swell  to  fourteen  ;  yet  is  there  small  benefit  obtained 
by  boiling  buckwheat ;  for  the  fowls  consume  the  four- 
teen pint  measures  of  the  boiled  grain  nearly  in  the 
same  time  which  four  pints  of  the  dry  would  have 
sufficed  them.  Moubray  says,  also,  that  buckwheat  is 
an  unsubstantial  food. 

Maize,  or  Indian  Corn,  is,  on  the  other  hand,  more 
profitable  when  boiled  than  when  given  raw ;  for  the 
fowls  which  would  have  got  through  a  pint  and  a 
quarter  of  the  dry  maize,  consumed  only  three  pint 


THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL.  131 

measures  of  the  boiled  grain,  which  are  not  equivalent 
to  one  of  the  dry.  It  was  for  two  days  only  that  they 
were  able  to  eat  in  a  single  day  three  pint  measures 
of  the  boiled  maize  ;  for  after  that,  they  either  lost 
their  appetite,  or  came  to  dislike  it,  as  they  could  not 
get  through  more  than  two  pint  measures  of  the  boiled 
maize.  Even  calculating  that  they  were  to  consume 
three  pint  measures  a  day  of  the  boiled  grain,  there 
would  be  a  saving  of  more  than  one  fifth,  and  if  they 
were  satisfied  with  two  pint  measures,  the  profit  would 
be  much  more  considerable ;  for  this  would  not  be 
equivalent  to  two  thirds  of  a  pint  measure  of  the  dry 
grain.  The  saving,  in  this  case,  would  be  one  third 
and  one  fifth ;  that  is  eight  fifteenths,  or  more  than  one 
half. 

Barley  is  also  much  more  economical  when  given 
boiled  than  dry  ;  for  fowls,  which  would  have  eaten 
two  pint  measures  of  dry  barley  a-day,  ate  but  three 
pint  measures  daily  of  the  boiled  grain.  Therefore, 
as  ten  pint  measures  of  boiled  barley  are  produced 
from  four  pint  measures  of  dry,  three  pints  of  the 
boiled  are  equivalent  to  no  more  than  one  and  a  fifth 
of  a  pint  of  the  dry  ;  consequently,  the  experience  in 
dry  barley  is  to  that  of  boiled  as  five  to  three,  showing 
a  saving  of  two  fifths,  by  giving  boiled  instead  of  dry 
barley. 

Wheat  is  shown  by  the  preceding  table  to  increase  in 
bulk  by  boiling  about  the  same  as  barley  ;  but  exper- 
iments prove  that  the  saving  to  be  obtained  by  feeding 
fowls  with  boiled  wheat,  is  not  nearly  so  much  as 
might  thence  have  been  anticipated  ;  for  the  same 
fowls  which  consumed  three  pint  measures  of  boiled 
barley  in  one  day,  ate  three  pint  measures  of  boiled 
wheat.  Three  pints  of  boiled  wheat,  however,  are  not 
equivalent  to  two  pints  of  dry  wheat,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  barley,  but  only  one  pint  and  a  half  of  dry  wheat, 
which  was  found  to  be  the  quantity  consumed  in  one 
day  by  the  same  fowls.  Now  as  a  pint  of  boiled  wheat 
is  equivalent  to  no  more  than  two  fifths  of  a  pint  of 


132  THE    DOMESTIC    FOWL. 

the  dry  grain,  the  three  pints  consumed  a  day  are 
equivalent  only  to  one  and  a  fifth  of  a  pint  of  dry 
wheat.  Consequently,  the  proportion  of  what  they 
consumed  of  dry  wheat  was,  to  what  they  ate  of  boiled, 
as  five  to  four  ;  hence  there  is  a  saving  of  one  fifth  by 
feeding  with  boiled  wheat,  as  there  is  of  two  fifths,  by 
feeding  with  boiled  barley. 

These  interesting  experiments  prove  most  clearly, 
that,  in  every  case,  when  the  price  of  maize,  barley  or 
wheat,  renders  it  eligible  to  feed  poultry  therewith, 
there  is  considerable  economy  in  never  giving  the  grain 
dry,  but  well  boiled.  The  expense  of  fuel,  though  it 
must  be  taken  into  the  account,  must  be  small  in 
comparison  with  the  advantage,  particularly  in  fami- 
lies where  large  lires  are  constantly  kept  up,  as  a  very 
trifling  addition  of  fuel  will  be  required  to  burst  the 
grains.  It  may  be  well  to  repeat  that  there  is  no  sav- 
ing, but  loss  in  fuel  and  trouble,  by  boiling  oats,  buck- 
wheat, or  rye. 

KILLING  AND  PREPARATION  FOR  MARKET. 

WHEN  fowls  are  in  readiness  to  kill,  some  people  dis- 
patch them  simply  by  wringing  their  necks,  plucking  off 
the  feathers,  and  sending  them  to  market  with  the  intes- 
tines in.  This  is  a  slovenly  practice,  doing  great  injury 
to  the  flesh,  as  it  partakes  of  the  flavor  of  the  excrements, 
when  suffered  long  to  remain  undressed,  and  is  otherwise 
impaired  from  the  stagnant  blood. 

The  most  approved  mode  of  fitting  fowls  for  market, 
is  to  kill  them  by  cutting  off*  their  heads,  on  a  block  of 
wood,  at  a  single  blow,  with  a  hatchet  or  an  axe,  which 
will  deprive  them  at  once  of  life,  and  drain  their  flesh  of 
blood.  Then,  the  feathers  and  pin  feathers  should  be 
immediately  plucked  off,  the  intestines  removed,  the 
blood  washed  out  with  cold  water,  and  carefully  hung 
up  in  a  cool,  dry  room,  until  ready  to  convey  to  market, 
or  otherwise  to  be  used. 


THE    TURKEY. 


ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY. 

" There  is  no  poor  animal  so  beset  with 

ignorant  and  destructive  empicism,  on  its  first 
introduction  into  life,  as  the  turkey." 

ANON. 

IF  we  call  to  mind  the  many  and  valuable  acquisi- 
tions, from  both  the  animal  and  vegetable  kingdom, 
which  have  been  made  subservient  to  the  use  of  man, 
within  comparatively  a  very  recent  period,  it  is  not  too 
much  to  believe  that  others,  of  nearly,  or  quite  equal, 
value,  still  remain  to  reward  the  labor  and  pains  of  a 
persevering  search.  There  is  the  whole  of  Central 
Africa,  Central  Australia,  a  great  part  of  China  and 
Northern  India,  and  innumerable  half-explored  or  un- 
explored islands,  all  waiting  to  be  ransacked  for  our 
benefit.  And  without  depending  on  those  distant  re- 
gions, we  know  not  yet  what  we  may  yet  find  in  the 
unexplored  tracts  of  Oregon,  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
or  other  American  wilds. 

Amongst  the  living  tributaries  to  the  luxury  of 
man,  the  turkey  is  an  instance  of  the  results  yet  to  be 
expected  from  the  exploring  spirit  of  our  day.  It  is 
the  most  recent,  and,  except  the  hen,  the  most  valua- 
ble of  our  domesticated  birds.  We  may,  indeed,  call 
it  comparatively  a  new  acquisition  ;  for  what,  after 
all,  is  a  period  of  three  hundred  years,  compared  with 


134  THE  TURKEY. 

the  time  during  which  man  has  had  dominion  over 
the  earth  and  its  brute  inhabitants  ?  The  obscurity 
which  hangs  over  the  domestication  of  this  bird,  and 
which  there  is  little  chance  of  clearing  away,  except 
by  industrious  ferreting  amongst  old  family  records 
and  memorandum  books,  shows  that  those  who  carried 
it  to  the  Old  World,  whence  we  obtained  our  stock, 
doubtless,  had  no  idea  of  the  value  of  what  they  were 
transporting  ;  but  probably  regarded  it  like  any  other 
remarkable  production  of  nature — a  macaw  or  a  tor- 
tois.  The  young  would  be  distributed  among  friends 
with  the  same  feeling  that  golden  pheasants  and  such 
like  are  with  us  ;  these  again  would  thrive  and  in- 
crease, and  the  nation  would  suddenly  find  itself  in 
the  possession  of  a  race,  not  of  pleasing  pets,  but  of  a 
valuable,  prolific,  and  hardy  stock  of  poultry. 

That  we  cannot  fix  the  precise  time,  nor  learn  any 
of  the  circumstances  which  relate  to  the  introduction 
of  the  turkey  into  Europe,  may  cause  some  astonish- 
ment, when  we  reflect  that  it  must  have  occurred  at 
some  period  after  the  conquest  of  America,  and  not 
probably  till  after  a  considerable  lapse  of  years,  and 
the  establishment  of  the  Spaniards  in  Mexico.  Cortes, 
in  1519,  landed  at  the  place  where  Yera  Cruz  now 
stands,  but  it  was  not  until  after  two  years  of  labori- 
ous warfare  that  the  Spanish  power  became  in  the 
ascendant,  and  opened  the  way  for  Spanish  emigration 
to  Mexico.  There  is,  however,  reason  to  believe  that 
previously  to  the  Spanish  conquest,  the  turkey  was  in 
a  domesticated  condition,  both  in  Mexico  and  in  the 
adjacent  islands ;  for  Oviedo,  who  embarked  for  the 
"West  Indies,  in  1514,  and  resided  as  governor  of  the 
fprt  and  harbor  of  St.  Domingo,  in  the  island  of  Hayti, 
then  called  Hispaniola,  published  among  other  works, 
(some  very  voluminous,)  one  entitled  Tradado  de  la 
Historia  Natural  de  las  Indias,  which  was  published 
at  Toledo,  in  1526.  In  this  work,  he  describes  the 
turkey  as  a  kind  of  peacock,  (pavo,)  abounding  in  New 
Spain,  whence  numbers  had  been  transported  to  the 


THE    TURKEY.  135 

islands  and  the  Spanish  Main,  and  were  domesticated 
in  the  houses  of  the  Christian  inhabitants.  It  must 
be  observed  that  he  calls  the  whole  of  that  part  of 
America  "las  Indias,"  (the  Indies,)  and  also  ulas 
Indias  occidentales,"  (the  West  Indies,)  a  name  still  ap- 
plied to  certain  islands;  hence,  probably,  the  term  "coq 
d'Inde,"  originally  arose,  a  term,  however,  which,  if  it 
did  thus  originate,  seemed  to  have  conveyed  a  general 
idea  of  this  species  being  the  native  of  Asiatic  India ; 
and  under  this  impression,  that  it  was  a  bird  known  to 
the  Greeks  and  Romans,  a  bird,  as  the  fable  states, 
into  which  the  sisters  of  Meleagre  were  transformed, 
while  weeping  for  the  loss  of  their  brother,  it  obtained, 
among  the  learned,  the  title  of  "  Meleagris." 

Belon  was  one  of  the  first  who  considered  the  turkey 
to  be  the  Meleagris  of  the  ancients,  and  this  is  the 
more  extraordinary  as  he  was  a  scholar  of  eminence, 
and  the  passages  in  which  the  Meleagris  is  mentioned, 
sufficiently  prove  that  it  could  not  have  been  a  turkey. 
Aldrovandi,  Gresner,  and  others  followed  in  the  wake  of 
Belon.  Linnaeus,  though  unfortunately  he  retains  the 
name  "Meleagris,"  stamping  the  error  thereby  with 
the  weight  of  his  authority,  well  knew -that  the  turkey 
was  a  native  of  the  New  World,  for  he  places  its  hab- 
itat "  in  America  Septentrionali ;"  he  was  also  per- 
fectly aware  that  it  was  the  parent  stock  of  the 
domesticated  breed;  for  he  gives  brief,  but  excellent 
directions  for  the  care  of  the  young,  and  expressly 
mentions  their  favorite  food — "  the  young  relish  the 
onion  and  the  nettle,  and  must  be  taken  heed  of 
against  hunger  and  rain."  It  is  generally  known  that 
curd,  the  green  part  of  onions  chopped  small,  and 
nettles,  are  among  the  kinds  of  food  for  turkey 
chicks,  whose  very  existence  depends  upon  regular 
feeding  and  protection  from  rain. 

The  English  name,  "  Turkey,"  it  is  somewhat  diffi- 
cult to  account  for,  except  on  the  supposition  that  it 
was  generally  believed  to  come  from  that  country  ; 
perhaps,  however,  it  was  given  because  the  bird  was 


136  THE    TURKEY. 

a  stranger,  in  the  same  way  as  we  apply  the  term 
"  Goth"  to  men  rude  and  barbarous  in  their  habits,  or 
the  term  "  Turk,"  to  persons  of  a  savage  and  tyranical 
disposition  ;  words  often  become  perverted  from  their 
original  signification  and  merge  into  nicknames  ex- 
pressive of  supposed  qualities  or  conditions  of  things. 
About  the  time  when  this  bird  appears  first  to  have 
been  known  in  England,  the  Turkish  power  was  held 
in  dread  in  Europe.  The  sultan,  Suliman,  the  Great, 
reigned  from  1520  to  1566  ;  his  fleet  was  then  the 
first  in  the  world,  and  the  scourge  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean ;  his  ships  ravaged  the  coasts  of  Italy  and  Spain, 
and  his  armies  laid  waste  the  territories  of  Hungary 
and  some  adjacent  parts  of  Germany,  and  the  dread  of 
the  Turks  was  universal  over  Europe.  It  might  have 
been  that  the  outlandish  aspect  of  this  bird,  its  deep  gut- 
teral  notes,  its  haughty  carriage,  and  irascible  disposi- 
tion, led  to  the  imposition  of  the  name.  But,  whatever 
gave  rise  to  this  appellation,  certain  it  is  that  the  pres- 
ent species  was  the  subject  of  much  confusion  and 
doubt  among  the  earlier  modern  ornithologists,  whose 
learned  discussions  tended  to  perplex  rather  than  clear 
up  any  points  of  difficulty.  John  Walcott,  a  writer 
on  British  birds,  in  1789,  says,  "  The  turkey  was  first 
brought  to  England  about  the  year  1521,"  but  he 
gives  no  authority.  It  is  certain  that  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  VIII.  the  turkey  was  pretty  general  in  Eng- 
land. Yarrell,  in  his  "  British  Fishes,"  quotes  an  old 
couplet  which  runs  thus : 

"  Turkeys,  carps,  hops,  pickerell,  and  beer, 
Came  into  England  all  in  one  year.'' 

"  The  old  couplet,"  adds  he,  "is  certainly  errone- 
ous ;  pike,  or  pickerell,  were  the  subjects  of  legal  reg- 
ulations in  the  time  of  Edward  the  First.  Carp  are 
mentioned  in  the  Boke  of  St.  Allbans,  printed  in 
1469.  Turkeys  and  hops  were  unknown  till  1524, 
previous  to  which  wormwood  and  other  bitter  plants 
were  used  to  preserve  boer  ;  and  the  parliament,  in 


THE    TURKEY.  137 

1528,  petitioned  against  hops  as  a  wicked  weed.  Beer 
was  licensed  for  exportation  by  Henr^  the  Seventh,  in 
1492,  and  an  excise  on  bear  existed  as  early  as  1284. 
also  in  the  reign  of  Edward  the  First." 

About  the  year  1524,  then,  it  would  appear,  the  tur- 
key was  introduced  into  England,  but  whether  from 
Spain,  or  direct  from  America,  we  have  no  means  of 
knowing.  Neither  can  we  exactly  discover  at  what 
period  France  and  Germany  received  it,  but  most 
probably  at  about  the  same  time  as  England.  Every- 
where its  intrinsic  value  would  make  it  acceptable, 
and  cause  it  to  be  treated  with  the  most  careful 
attention. 

The  dispersion  of  the  turkey  is  not,  however,  so  com- 
plete as  that  of  the  common  fowl.  In  India,  Col.  Sykes 
informs  us  that  it  is  reared  in  great  numbers  by  the 
Portuguese,  and  that  it  is  met  with  only  in  a  domestic 
state.  "We  cannot  learn  that  it  is  reared  in  China, 
where  the  fowl  and  duck  abound,  nor  does  it  appear 
to  have  a  place  among  the  domestic  birds  of  Persia, 
though  in  Kitto's  account  of  Palestine,  both  the  turkey 
and  the  peacock  are  mentioned.  There  is  a  story  told 
in  a  work  called  the  "  Sketches  of  Persia,"  which  runs 
to  the  following  effect : — When  two  English  gentlemen, 
who  were  on  their  way  to  the  city  of  Shiraz,  arrived  at 
the  town  of  Kazeroon,  they  heard  so  strange  an  ac- 
count of  two  remarkable  creatures  that  were  to  be 
seen  at  a  village  fifteen  miles  distant,  that  they  deter- 
mined to  go  and  see  them.  "  They  are  very  like  birds," 
said  their  informants,  "  for  they  have  feathers  and  two 
legs  ;  but  then,  their  head  is  bare  and  has  a  fleshy  look, 
and  one  of  them  has  a  long  black  beard  upon  his 
breast ;  but  the  chief  point  on  which  they  dwelt,  was 
the  strangeness  of  their  voice,  unlike  that  of  any  other 
bird  they  have  ever  heard  or  seen.  An  old  man,  who 
had  gone  all  the  way  from  Kazeroon  to  see  them,  said 
that  the  sound  was  very  much  like  that  of  the  Arabic 
language,  but  added,  that  though  he  had  listened  to  them 
with  the  greatest  attention,  he  had  not  been  able  to 


138  THE    TURKEY. 

understand  a  word  they  said.  As  it  was  very  unpleas- 
ant weather,  and  the  roads  were  exceedingly  bad,  the 
Englishmen  were  much  fatigued  by  the  time  they  got 
to  the  village  in  which  the  strange  creatures  were. 
The  people  of  the  village  took  them  to  the  house  where 
the  animals  were  kept,  the  door  was  opened,  and  out 
marched  a  turkey  cock  and  hen  !  The  former  seemed 
to  rejoice  much  in  his  release  from  his  confinement, 
and  began  to  gobble  his  Arabic  with  great  vehemency. 
Though  vexed  at  having  taken  a  tedious  journey  for 
nothing,  yet  the  travellers  could  not  help  laughing 
at  the  denouement.  The  people  were,  however,  ex- 
ceedingly surprised,  when  informed  that  these  strange 
creatures  were  very  common  in  India  and  England. 
It  seemed  that  the  birds  had  escaped  from  a  vessel 
which  had  been  wrecked  in  the  Grulf  of  Persia,  and 
had  gradually  made  their  way  to  the  place  where  they 
then  were. 

Although,  as  before  observed,  the  exact  time  and 
eircumstances,  under  which  the  turkey  was  introduced 
into  the  various  countries  of  Europe,  are  in  some  ob- 
scurity, still  the  wild  original  of  the  domestic  stock  is 
not  only  well  known,  but  still  abounds  in  some  of  the 
wooded  districts  of  America  remote  from  civilization. 

Two  species  only  are  known  to  naturalists,  namely, 
the  common  wild  turkey,  (Meleagris  gallopavo,)  of 
North  America,  tlie  origin  of  our  domestic  stock,  and 
the  Honduras  turkey,  (M.  ocellata,}  a  bird,  which,  in 
the  metallic  splendor  and  varying  tints  of  its  plumage, 
outrivals  the  peacock,  if  not  every  other  tenant  of  the 
air.  But,  except,  perhaps,  in  some  of  the  dense  un- 
trodden woods  of  Yucatan  and  of  Central  America, 
from  Cape  Honduras  to  the  tenth  degree  of  north  lati- 
tude, this  bird  might  be  sought  for  in  vain.  Of  its  pecu- 
liar h  abits  and  manners  nothing  is  positively  known. 
"We  may  suppose,  however,  that  it  resembles,  to  a  great 
degree,  the  common  wild  turkey  of  the  north.  Could 
it  be  domesticated  in  our  Southern  States,  what  a 
splendid  acquisition  should  we  have  to  our  poultry 
yards  and  lawns  ! 


THE  TURKEY.  139 


THE  WILD  TURKEY. 

As  the  common  wild  turkey  is  confessedly  the  origin 
of  all  our  domestic  varieties,  a  description  of  it,  as  it 
exists  in  a  state  of  nature,  cannot  but  prove  interesting. 
Bartram,  the  prince  of  Canino,  (Charles  Lucien  Bona- 
parte,) Audubon,  and  others,  have  given  graphic 
pictures  of  its  habits,  founded  on  actual  observation,  ot 
flocks  in  their  native  woods,  upon  which  authorities 
most  of  the  following  description  is  founded  : — 

The  male  wild  turkey,  when  full  grown,  is  nearly 
four  feet  in  length,  and  more  than  five  in  extent  ot 
wing.  The  irides  are  dark-brown.  The  head,  (which 
is  very  small  in  proportion  to  the  body,)  and  half  ot 
the  neck  are  covered  by  a  naked  bluish  skin  continued 
over  the  upper  half  of  the  neck  and  uneven  with 
warty  elevations,  changeable  red  on  the  upper  portion, 
and  whitish  below,  interspersed  with  a  few  scattered 
black  hairs.  The  flaccid  and  membranous  naked  skin, 
also  changeable  on  the  lower  part  of  the  neck,  extends 
downwards  into  large  wattles.  A  wrinkled  conical 
fleshy  protuberance,  capable  of  elongation  and  with  a 
pencil  of  hairs  at  the  tip,  takes  its  rise  from  the  base 
of  the  bill,  where  the  latter  joins  the  front.  When 
this  excrescence  is  elongated  under  excitement,  it  cov- 


140  THE    TURKEY. 

ers  the  bill  and  depends  several  inches  below  it.  A 
tuft  of  long  rigid  black  hair  springs  from  the  lower 
part  of  the  neck  at  its  junction  with  the  breast,  shoot- 
ing out  from  among  the  plumage  to  the  length  of  nine 
inches.  The  base  of  the  feathers  of  the  body,  which 
are  long  and  truncated,  consists  of  a  light  fuliginous 
down  ;  this  part  of  the  feather  is  succeeded  by  a  dusky 
portion,  which  is  again  followed  by  a  broad  shining 
metallic  band,  varying  from  copper  color  or  bronze  to 
violet  or  purple,  according  to  the  play  of  the  light,  and 
the  tip  is  a  broad  velvety  band  ;  but  this  last  is  absent 
in  the  feathers  of  the  neck  and  breast.  The  general 
plumage  presents  a  glancing  metallic  lustre,  which  is, 
however,  least  glossy  on  the  lower  part  of  the  back 
and  tail  coverts.  The  wings  are  concave  and  rounded, 
not  extending  much  if  at  all  beyond  the  base  of  the 
tail.  Quills  twenty -eight ;  primaries  blackish  banded 
with  white,  secondaries  whitish,  banded  with  blackish, 
tinged  towards  the  back  particularly  with  brownish- 
yellow.  Tail  fifteen  inches  in  length  at  least,  rounded 
at  the  extremity ;  the  feathers  eighteen,  broad  and 
capable  of  expansion  and  elevation  into  a  fan  shape. 
The  general  color  of  these  feathers  is  brown  mottled 
with  black,  crossed  by  numerous  narrow,  undulating 
lines  of  the  same.  There  is  a  broad  black  band  near 
the  tip,  then  a  short  mottled  portion,  and  lastly,  a 
broad  dingy  yellowish  band.  The  bird  stands  rather 
high  on  its  robust  red  legs,  the  scales  of  which  have 
blackish  margins,  and  the  blunt  spurs  are  about  an 
inch  long;  the  claws  are  dusky.  Bill  reddish,  but 
horn-colored  at  the  tip. 

The  female,  at  the  age  of  about  four  or  five  years, 
attains  her  full  size  and  coloring.  At  this  age  hens 
have  the  pectoral  fascicle  of  hair  developed  to  the  ex- 
tent of  four  or  five  inches,  which,  according  to  Mr. 
Audubon,  they  exhibit  a  little  in  the  second  year  if  not 
barren.  But  this  fascicle  is  much  thinner  than  that  of 
the  male.  Barren  hens  do  not  obtain  this  distinction 
until  a  very  advanced  age,  and,  being  preferable  for  the 


THE    TURKEY.  141 

table,  the  hunters  single  them  from  the  flock,  and  kill 
them  in  preference  to  the  others.  The  female  wild 
turkey  is  more  frequently  furnished  wit  the  hairy  tuft 
than  the  tame  one,  and  this  appendage  is  gained  ear- 
lier in  life.  The  great  number  of  young  hens  without 
it,  has,  no  doubt,  given  rise  to  the  incorrect  assertion 
of  a  few  writers  that  the  female  is  always  destitute  of 
it.  The  irides  are  similar  in  color  to  those  of  the  male. 
Bill  and  spurless  legs  less  stout.  Head  and  neck  with 
less  of  naked  skin,  being  partially  covered  with  dirty- 
grey  feathers.  Those  on  the  back  of  the  neck  have 
brownish  tips,  and  so  produce  a  longitudinal  band  there ; 
the  short  caruncle  on  the  front  is  incapabable  of  elon- 
gation. Prevailing  hue  of  plumage,  dusky-grey,  each 
feather  having  a  metallic  band  duller  than  in  the  male, 
then  a  blackish  band,  and  lastly  a  greyish  fringe.  The 
blackish  band,  is  almost  obliterated  on  the  neck  feath- 
ers and  under  surface.  The  whole  plumage  is  more 
sombre  than  that  of  the  male  ;  there  is  less  white  on 
the  primaries,  and  there  are  no  bands  on  the  seconda- 
ries. The  color  of  the  tail  is  much  as  it  is  in  the  male. 
Length  not  exceeding  three  feet  and  a  quarter. 

The  young  of  both  sexes  resemble  each  other  so 
closely,  before  the  naked  membrane  acquires  its  tinge 
of  red,  as  to  be  scarcely  distinguishable.  The  females, 
however,  when  a  few  days  old,  are  somewhat  larger 
than  the  males,  and  have  a  weaker  piping  note.  The 
males  then  begin  to  stand  higher  on  their  legs,  which 
are  stronger  than  those  of  the  females,  and  soon  ex- 
hibit the  rudiments  of  spurs.  On  the  approach  of  the 
first  winter,  the  young  males  show  a  rudiment  of  beard, 
or  fascicle  of  hairs,  on  the  breast,  consisting  of  a  mere 
tubercle,  and  attempt  to  strut  and  gobble.  The  sec- 
ond year,  the  hairy  tuft  is  about  three  inches  long ;  in 
the  third,  the  turkey  attains  its  full  stature,  though  it 
certainly  increases  in  size  and  beauty  for  several  years 
longer.  The  concealed  portion  of  the  plumage  on  the 
anterior  portion  of  the  back  is  sprinkled  with  pale  fer- 


142  THE    TURKEY. 

ruginous  down,  which  disappears  as  the  bird  advances 
in  age. 

The  weight  of  the  hen  averages  about  9  Ibs.,  but 
the  males  far  exceed  the  females,  and  differ  consider- 
ably in  bulk  and  weight.  "  From  the  accounts,"  says 
Bonaparte,  "  which  I  have  received  from  various  parts  of 
the  Union,  15  or  20  Ibs.  may  be  considered  a  fair  state- 
ment of  their  medium  weight ;  but  birds  of  30  Ibs.  are 
not  very  rare,  and  I  have  ascertained  the  existence  of 
some  weighing  40  Ibs."  Mr.  Audubon  saw  one  in  the 
Louisville  Market  that  weighed  36  Ibs.  The  pectoral 
appendage  of  this  bird  measured  more  than  a  foot  in 
length. 

The  wild  turkey  is  a  noble  bird,  far  exceeding  its  do- 
mestic relative  both  in  size  and  beauty.  Crosses, 
however,  in  this  country,  often  take  place  between  the 
wild  and  tame  race,  and  are  highly  valued,  both  for 
external  qualities  and  for  the  table.  Indeed,  in  dis- 
tricts where  this  bird  is  common,  such  crosses  are  very 
frequent,  the  wild  male  driving  away  its  domestic  rival, 
and  usurping  the  sultanship  of  the  seraglio. 

Eggs  of  the  wild  turkey  have  been  frequently  taken 
from  their  nests,  and  hatched  under  the  tame  hen. 
The  young  preserve  a  portion  of  their  uncivilized  na- 
ture, and  exhibit  some  knowledge  of  the  difference 
between  themselves  and  their  fostermother,  roosting 
apart  from  the  tame  ones,  and  in  other  respects  show- 
ing the  force  of  hereditary  disposition. 

The  domesticated  young  reared  from  the  eggs  of  the 
wild  turkey  are  often  employed  as  decoy  birds  to  those 
in  a  state  of  nature.  Mr.  William  Bloom,  of  Clear- 
field,  Pennsylvania,  caught  five  of  six  wild  turkeys 
when  quite  chickens,  and  succeeded  in  rearing  them. 
Although  sufficiently  tame  to  feed  with  his  other  tur- 
keys, and  generally  associate  with  them,  yet  they  al- 
ways retained  some  of  the  original  propensities,  roosting 
by  themselves,  and  higher  than  the  tame  birds,  gen- 
erally on  the  top  of  some  tree  or  of  the  house.  They 
were  also  more  readily  alarmed.  On  the  approach  of 


THE    TURKEY.  143 

a  dog,  they  would  fly  off  and  and  seek  safety  in  the 
nearest  woods.  On  an  occasion  of  this  kind,  one  of 
them  flew  across  the  Susquehanna,  and  the  owner  was 
apprehensive  of  loosing  it.  In  order  to  recover  it,  he  sent 
a  boy  with  a  tame  turkey,  which  was  released  at  the 
place  where  the  fugitive  had  alighted.  This  plan  was 
successful.  They  soon  joined  company,  and  the  tame 
bird  induced  his  companion  to  return  home.  Mr. 
Bloom  remarked  that  the  wild  turkey  will  thrive  more, 
and  keep  in  better  condition  than  the  tame,  on  the 
same  quantity  of  food. 

The  wild  turkey  is  irregularly  migratory,  as  well  as 
irregularly  gregarious.  Whenever  the  forest  fruits, 
(or  mast,)  of"one  portion  of  the  country  greatly  exceeds 
that  of  another,  thither  are  the  turkeys  insensibly  led. 
By  gradually  meeting  in  their  haunts, with  more  fruit, 
the  nearer  they  advance  towards  the  place  in  which  it 
is  most  plentiful.  Thus,  in  an  irregular  manner,  flock 
follows  flock,  until  some  districts  are  deserted,  while 
others  are  crowded  with  an  influx  of  arrivals.  "About 
the  beginning  of  October,"  says  Audubon,  "  when 
scarcely  any  of  the  seeds  and  fruits  have  fallen  from 
the  trees,  these  birds  assemble  in  flocks,  and  gradually 
move  towards  the  rich  bottom  lands  of  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi.  The  males,  or,  as  they  are  more  com- 
monly called,  the  '  gobblers,'  associate  in  parties  of 
from  ten  to  a  hundred,  and  search  for  food  apart  from 
the  females,  while  the  latter  are  seen  either  advancing 
singly,  each  with  its  brood  of  young,  then  about  two 
thirds  grown,  or  in  union  with  other  families,  forming 
parties  often  amounting  to  seventy  or  eighty  individ- 
uals, all  intent  on  shunning  the  old  cocks,  which, 
when  the  young  birds  have  attained  this  size,  will 
fight  with  and  often  destroy  them  by  repeated  blows 
on  the  head.  Old  and  young,  however,  all  move  in 
the  same  course,  and  on  foot,  unless  their  progress  be 
interrupted  by  a  river,  or  the  hunter's  dog  force  them 
to  take  wing. 

"  When  they  come  upon  a  river,  they  betake  them- 


144  THE    TURKEY. 

selves  to  the  highest  eminences,  and  there  often  remain 
a  whole  day,  and  sometimes  two,  as  if  for  the  purpose 
of  consultation.  During  this  time,  the  males  are  heard 
gobbling,  calling,  and  making  much  ado,  and  are  seen 
strutting  about,  as  if  to  raise  their  courage  to  a  pitch 
befitting  the  emergency.  Even  the  females  and  young 
assume  something  of  the  same  pompous  demeanor, 
spread  out  their  tails,  and  run  round  each  other,  pur- 
ring loudly,  and  performing  extravagant  leaps.  At 
length,  when  the  weather  appears  settled,  and  all 
around  is  quiet,  the  whole  party  mounts  to  the  tops  of 
the  highest  trees,  whence  at  a  signal,  consisting  of  a 
single  cluck,  given  by  a  leader,  the  flock  takes  flight 
for  the  opposite  shore.  The  old  and  fat  birds  easily 
get  over,  even  should  the  river  be  a  mile  in  breadth, 
but  the  younger  and  less  robust  frequently  fall  into 
the  water — not  to  be  drowned,  however,  as  might  be 
imagined  ;  they  bring  their  wings  close  to  their  body, 
spread  out  their  tail  as  a  support,  stretch  forward  their 
neck,  and  striking  out  their  legs  with  great  vigor, 
proceed  rapidly  towards  the  shore  ;  on  approaching 
which,  should  they  find  it  too  steep  for  landing,  they 
cease  their  exertions  for  a  few  moments,  float  down 
the  stream  until  they  come  to  an  accessible  part,  and, 
by  a  violent  effort,  generally  extricate  themselves  from 
the  water.  It  is  remarkable  that,  after  immediately 
crossing  a  large  stream,  they  ramble  about  for  some 
time,  as  if  bewildered.  In  this  state  they  fall  an  easy 
prey  to  the  hunter. 

"  "When  the  turkeys  arrive  in  parts  where  the  mast 
is  abundant,  they  separate  into  smaller  flocks,  com- 
posed of  birds  of  all  ages  and  both  sexes,  promiscuously 
mingled,  and  devour  all  before  them.  This  happens 
about  the  middle  of  November.  So  gentle  do  they 
sometimes  become  after  these  long  journeys,  that  they 
have  been  seen  to  approach  the  farm  houses,  associate 
with  the  domestic  fowls,  and  enter  the  stables  and 
corn  cribs  in  quest  of  food.  In  this  way,  roaming 


THE    TURKEY.  145 

about  the  forests,   and  feeding  chiefly  on  mast,  they 
pass  the  autumn  and  part  of  the  winter." 

The  season  of  courtship  begins  about  ihe  middle  of 
February.  The  females  now  separate  from  the  males, 
whom  they  endeavor  to  shun,  but  by  whom  they  are 
perseveringly  followed. 

At  this  time,  the  males  begin  to  gobble  strenuously, 
and  strut  about,  making  that  peculiar  whirling  jar 
with  their  wings,  striking  the  quill  feathers  smartly 
on  the  ground,  which  all  must  have  observed  in  the 
domestic  bird.  They  utter  a  succession  of  puffs  from 
the  lungs.  They  spread  out  and  erect  the  tail,  and 
draw  back  the  head,  while  the  loose  skin  of  the  neck 
swells  and  assumes  the  color  of  scarlet.  Thus  they 
make  advances  to  the  females,  who  roost  apart,  utter- 
ing occasional  call  notes,  to  which  every  male  within 
hearing  londly  responds,  several  hastening  to  the  spot 
whence  the  call  proceeds,  eager  to  pay  their  homage. 
Thus  it  happens  that  the  males  frequently  meet  each 
other,  in  which  case  desperate  conflicts  ensue,  ending 
often  in  bloodshed,  and  often  in  the  loss  of  life,  the 
weaker  falling  under  the  blows  inflicted  on  his  head 
by  his  stronger  rival.  In  the  combat,  they  use  beak, 
wings,  and  spurs,  striking  and  pulling  each  other, 
the  feathers  being  ruffled,  the  tail  partly  raised,  and 
the  wings  held  drooping,  ready  for  a  blow. ' 

Old  females,  when  addressed  by  the  male,  strut 
about  almost  as  proudly  as  he  does,  and  more  than 
half  way  meet  his  ardent  advances  ;  but  females  un- 
der a  year  old  are  not  to  be  won  so  easily.  The  solici- 
tations of  the  male,  under  these  circumstances,  are 
more  pressing  and*  more  energetic,  till  at  length  he 
ingratiates  himself  in  her  favor.  Thus  they  are  mated 
for  the  season,  though  the  male,  being  polygamous, 
does  not  confine  himself  to  one  female,  but  solicits  the 
kindness  of  as  many  as  he  chances  to  meet.  The 
seraglio  follow  their  favorite  sultan,  roosting  at  night 
near  him,  if  not  on  the  same  tree.  This  unitedness 
lasts,  however,  only  for  a  short  time  ;  for,  as  soon  as 


146  THE    TURKEY. 

they  begin  to  lay,  they  gradually  leave  his  company, 
and  indeed  sedulously  avoid  him,  except  for  a  few 
hours  during  the  day,  and  make  their  nests  in  some 
concealed  spot,  among  logs,  brushwood,  and  intertan- 
gled  foliage,  in  order  that  they  may  escape  not  only 
the  eye  of  the  crow,  which  is  a  great  devourer  of  the 
eggs'  of  the  turkey,  who,  if  he  were  to  find  them, 
would,  from  jealousy,  infallibly  break  them  all.  At 
last,  the  males  find  themselves  altogether  deserted. 
Their  mutual  rivalskip  ceases  ;  they  meet  each  other 
in  peace,  and  cease  to  utter  threats  of  mutual  defiance  ^ 
they  seek  retired  situations  in  order  to  rest  and  recruit 
their  energies ;  for,  at  this  juncture,  like  worn-out  rakes, 
they  are  utterly  exhausted,  and  have  lost  flesh  and 
activity.  When  recovered  and  improved  in  condition, 
they  draw  together  again,  and  commence  their  wan- 
derings in  united  parties. 

It  is  generally  about  the  middle  of  April  that  the 
female  begins  to  select  a  site,  and  arrange  her  rude 
nest,  which  consists  simply  of  withered  leaves,  in 
some  depression  on  the  ground  amidst  dense  brush- 
wood, or  in  such  an  obscure  place  as  the  locality 
affords.  The  eggs,  like  those  of  the  domestic  bird, 
are  of  large  size,  and  of  a  dull  or  cream  white,  minutely 
freckled  or  dotted  with  reddish-brown ;  their  average 
number  varies  from  ten  to  fifteen.  While  the  gradual 
addition  of  egg  to  egg  is  going  on,  the  hen  displays 
surprising  instinctive  caution.  On  leaving  her  charge> 
she  is  careful  to  cover  the  whole  with  dry  leaves,  so 
artfully  disposed  as  to  render  it  difficult  even  for  one 
who  has  watched  her  movements  to  find  the  nest,  and 
on  returning  to  it,  she  varies  her  rout,  scarcely  ever 
returning  to  it  twice  by  the  same  course.  Hence  it  is 
mostly  by  accident  that  the  nest  of  the  hen  is  discov- 
ered. It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  several  hens 
associate  together  and  form  a  common  nest,  probably 
for  mutual  aid  and  assistance,  and  rear  their  broods 
together.  Mr.  Audubon  says  that  he  once  found  three 
hens  sitting  on  forty-two  eggs.  In  such  cases,  one  of 


THK    TURKEY.  147 

the  females  at  least  is  ever  on  guard,  no  raven  nor  crow 
then  daring  to  invade  it.  While  in  the  act  of  incuba- 
tion, the  hen  is  not  readily  driven  from  her  nest  by 
the  appearance  of  danger.  A  person  walking  care- 
lessly along,  as  if  taking  no  particular  notice,  may 
pass  a  nest  within  five  or  six  paces,  the  female  crouch- 
ing low  to  avoid  observation  ;  but,  as  Mr.  Audubon 
has  ascertained,  if  a  person  make  his  approach  in  a 
stealthily  searching  manner,  she  will  quit  it  while  he 
is  yet  thirty  yards  distant,  and  assuming  a  stately 
gait  will  move  away,  uttering  every  now  and  then  a 
clucking  note,  probably  hoping  by  this  means  to 
draw  off  the  intruder  and  baffle  his  search.  We  learn 
from  the  same  writer  that  the  hen  seldom  or  never 
abandons  her  nest  if  it  has  been  discovered  by  man, 
but  that  if  a  snake  or  any  other  animal  has  sucked 
any  of  the  eggs  she  leaves  it  altogether.  Under  such 
circumstances,  or  when  the  eggs  have  been  removed, 
she  seeks  the  male,  and  recommences  the  preparation 
of  another  nest ;  but  as  a  rule,  she  lays  only  a  single 
batch  of  eggs  during  the  season.  When  the  egg's  are 
on  the  eve  of  hatching,  the  female  will  not  leave  her 
nest  under  any  circumstances  while  life  remains ;  she 
will  even  allow  an  enclosure  to  be  made  around  her, 
and  thus  be  as  it  were  imprisoned,  rather  than  seek 
her  own  safety  by  flight.  Mr.  Audubon  says,  "  I  once 
witnessed  the  hatching  of  a  brood  of  turkeys,  which  I 
watched  for  the  purpose  of  securing  them,  together 
with  the  parent.  I  concealed  myself  on  the  ground 
within  a  very  few  feet,  and  saw  her  raise  herself  half 
the  length  of  her  legs,  look  anxiously  upon  the  eggs, 
cluck  with  a  sound  peculiar  to  the  mother  on  such 
occasions,  carefully  remove  each  half-empty  shell,  and 
with  her  bill  caress  and  dry  the  young  birds  that 
already  stood  tottering  and  attempting  to  make  their 
way  out  of  the  nest.  I  have  seen  them  all  emerge 
from  the  shell,  and  in  a  few  moments  after,  tumble, 
roll,  and  push  each  other  forward  with  astonishing  and 
inscrutable  instinct." 


148  THE    TURKEY. 

Before  leaving  the  nest  with  her  young  brood,  the 
female  shakes  herself,  adjusts  her  plumage,  and  ap- 
pears roused  to  the  exigencies  of  the  occasion  ;  she 
glances  upwards  and  around  her,  in  the  apprenension 
of  enemies,  and  as  she  moves  cautiously  along,  keeps 
her  brood  close  about  her  ;  her  first  excursion  is  gen- 
erally to  a  little  distance  only  from  the  nest,  to  which 
she  returns  with  her  brood  to  pass  the  first  night. 
Subsequently,  they  wander  to  a  greater  distance,  the 
hen  leading  her  charge  over  dry  undulating  grounds, 
as  if  aware  of  the  danger  of  damp  and  humid  spots. 
"Wet,  indeed,  is  fatal  to  young  turkeys  while  covered 
only  with  down;  hence  in  very  rainy  seasons,  the 
broods  become  greatly  thinned,  for  the  young,  if  once 
completely  wetted,  seldom  recover;  their  vital  ener- 
gies sink  under  the  abstraction  of  caloric  during  evap- 
oration. 

At  the  age  of  a  fortnight,  the  young  birds  begin  to 
use  their  wings ;  hitherto  they  have  rested  on  the 
ground,  but  now  they  begin  to  roost  on  the  low 
branches  of  some  large  tree,  crowding  close  to  each 
side  of  the  mother,  and  sheltered  beneath  her  broad 
wings.  They  now  wander  about  more  freely,  visiting 
the  glades  and  open  lands  bordering  the  woods  in 
search  of  wild  strawberries  and  other  fruit,  grasshop- 
pers, the  larvae  of  ants  and  other  insects,  and  roll 
themselves  in  the  sand  and  dust  in  order  to  clear  their 
growing  feathers  of  loose  scales  and  parasitic  vermin  ; 
deserted  ants'  nests  are  favorite  dusting  places. 

By  the  month  of  August,  the  young  birds  have  ac- 
quired considerable  growth,  and  use  their  wings  and 
legs  with  great  vigor  and  readiness,  so  that  they  are 
able  to  escape  the  sudden  attack  of  foxes,  lynxes,  and 
other  beasts  of  prey,  by  rising  quickly  from  the  ground, 
and  mounting  the  tallest  branches  of  trees.  The 
young  cocks  now  begin  to  show  their  distinctive  char- 
acteristics, and  even  to  utter  an  imperfect  gobble, 
while  the  young  hens  pur  and  leap.  Several  broods 
now  flock  together,  and  S3  continue  united,  till  after 


THE  TURKEY,  149 

the  October  migration,  and  through  the  winter,  when 
they  leave  the  females,  the  middle  of  February  bring- 
ing a  recurrence  of  the  same  scenes  already  described. 
The  young  hens,  in  their  turn,  are  to  become  parents, 
and  the  young  cocks  will  fight  for  the  mastery. 

When,  during  the  winter,  a  sharp  frost  succeeds  a 
heavy  fall  of  snow,  so  as  to  form  a  hard  crust  on  its 
surface,  turkeys  will  sometimes  remain  on  their  roosts 
for  three  or  four  days  or  longer,  declining  to  search  for 
food,  unless  indeed  when  farms  and  barns  are  within 
a  short  distance  ;  they  then  direct  their  course  to  the 
stacks  of  corn,  and  enter  the  barns  and  stables  in  quest 
of  grain.  During  melting  snow-falls,  turkeys  will 
travel  very  great  distances,  and  at  such  extraordinary 
speed  that  no  hunter  can  keep  up  with  them.  They 
have  then  a  dangling,  straggling  way  of  running, 
which,  awkward  as  it  may  seem,  enables  them  to  out- 
strip any  other  animal.  "  I  have  often,"  says  Audu- 
bon,  "  when  on  a  good  horse,  been  obliged  to  abandon 
the  attempt  to  put  them  up,  after  following  them  for 
several  hours.  This  habit  of  continued  running  in 
rainy  or  very  damp  weather  of  any  kind  is  not  peculiar 
to  the  wild  turkey,  but  is  common  to  all  gallinaceous 
birds.  In  America,  the  different  species  of  grouse  ex- 
hibit the  same  tendency." 

G-EOG-RAFHICAL    DISTRIBUTION. 

THE  natural  habitat  of  the  wild  turkey  extends  from 
the  north-western  territory  of  the  United  States  to  the 
isthmus  of  Panama,  south  of  which  it  is  rarely 
found,  notwithstanding  the  statements  of  authors  who 
have  mistaken  the  curassow  for  it.  In  Canada  and 
the  now  densely-peopled  parts  of  the  United  States, 
wild  turkeys  were  formerly  more  abundant  than  at 
present,  but,  like  the  Indian  and  the  buffalo,  they 
have  been  compelled  to  yield  to  the  destructive  inge- 
nuity of  the  white  settlers,  often  wantonly  exercised, 
and  seek  refuge  in  the  remotest  parts  of  the  interior. 
Although  they  relinquish  their  native  soil  with  slow, 


150  THE    TURKEY. 

reluctant  steps,  yet  such  is  the  rapidity  with  which 
settlements  are  extended  and  condensed  over  the  sur- 
face of  this  country,  that  we  may  anticipate  a  day  at 
no  distant  period,  when  the  hunter  will  seek  the  wild 
turkey  in  vain. 

The  wooded  parts  of  Arkansas,  Louisiana,  Tennes- 
see, and  Alabama,  the  unsettled  portions  of  the  states 
of  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Indiana,  Michigan,  and  Illinois, 
the  vast  expanse  of  territory  north-west  of  these  states, 
on  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri,  as  far  as  the  forests 
extend,  are  more  supplied  than  any  other  parts  of  the 
Union  with  this  valuable  game,  which  forms  an  im- 
portant part  of  the  subsistence  of  the  hunter  and  trav- 
eller in  the  wilderness.  It  is  not  probable  that  the 
range  of  this  bird  extends  to,  or  beyond,  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  The  Mandan  Indians,  who,  a  few  years 
ago,  visited  the  city  of  Washington,  considered  the 
turkey  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  they  had  seen, 
and  prepared  a  skin  of  one  to  carry  home  for  exhibi- 
tion. 

In  some  parts  of  Florida,  Gfeorgia,  and  the  Caroli- 
nas,  the  wild  turkey  is  still  common,  but  less  so  in 
the  western  parts  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia.  Some, 
also,  are  said  to  exist  in  the  mountainous  districts  of 
Sussex  county,  New  Jersey.  In  New  England  and 
Lower  Canada,  they  were  formerly  very  abundant, 
but  as  their  places  of  resort  became  settled  and  thickly 
peopled,  they  retired  and  sought  refuge  in  the  remotest 
recesses  of  the  interior,  until  they  entirely  disappeared. 

Thus  far  has  our  sketch  applied  to  the  general  his- 
tory and  description  of  the  wild  turkey  ;  and  as  the 
tame  variety  resembles  its  unreclaimed  progenitor, 
in  most  of  its  marked  peculiarities,  namely,  its  ramb- 
ling habits,  its  manner  of  roosting,  the  antipathy  of 
the  males  to  the  eggs,  often  to  the  young,  in  the 
secrecy  in  which  the  female  prefers  to  incubate,  and 
in  the  tenderness  of  her  young,  I  will  next  consider 
the  turkey  in  a  domesticated  state. 


THE    TURKEY. 


151 


THE    DOMESTIC    TURKEY. 

SYNONVMES.— Meleagris  gallopavo,  of  Naturalists  ;  Coq  d'Inde,  Din- 
don,  of  the  French  ;  Pavo,  of  the  Spaniards  ;  Truthahn,  Calcuttischer 
Hahn,  of  the  Germans  ;  Turkey,  Turkey  Cock,  of  the  English  and 
Anglo-Americans. 

The  domestic  turkey  can  scarcely  be  said  to  be  di- 
vided, like  the  common  fowl,  into  distinct  breeds; 
although  there  is  considerable  variation  in  color,  as  well 
as  in  size,  bat  no  Bantam,  or  dwarf  race  exists,  unless 
we  except  the  small,  delicate-fleshed  turkeys  of  Hemp- 


152  THE    TURKEY. 

stead  Plains,  near  New  York,  which  often  weigh,  when 
dressed,  not  more  than  4  or  5  Ibs.  The  finest  and 
strongest  birds  are  those  of  a  bronzed  black,  resemb- 
ling, as  closely  as  possible,  the  original  stock.  Theso 
are  not  only  reared  the  most  easily,  but  are  generally 
the  largest,  and  fatten  the  most  rapidly.  Some  turkeys 
are  of  a  coppery  tint,  some  of  a  delicate  fawn-color, 
while  others  are  parti-colored,  grey,  and  white,  and 
some  few  of  a  pure  snow-white.  All  of  the  latter  are 
regarded  as  inferior  to  the  black,  their  color  indicating 
something  like  degeneracy  of  constitution,  if  not 
actual  disease.  A  variety  is  said  to  exist  in  the  avi- 
ary of  Madame  Backer,  at  the  Hague,  with  a  topknot 
springing  from  the  crown  of  the  head,  resembling  that 
of  the  plumed  Poland  fowls. 

To  describe  the  domestic  turkey  is  superfluous  ;  the 
voice  of  the  male ;  the  changing  colors  of  the  skin  of 
the  head  and  neck  ;  his  proud  strut,  with  expanded 
tail  and  lowered  wings,  jarring  on  the  ground  ;  his 
irascibility,  which  is  readily  excited  by  red  or  scarlet 
colors,  are  points  with  which  all  who  dwell  in  the 
country  are  conversant. 

RANGE    AND  DOMESTIC    ACCOMMODATION. 

THE  adult  turkey,  it  is  well  known,  is  extremely 
hardy,  and  bears  the  rigors  of  our  coldest  winters 
with  impunity  even  in  the  open  air  ;  for,  during  the 
severest  weather,  flocks,  will  frequently  roost  at 
night  upon  the  roof  of  a  barn,  or  the  branches  of  tall 
trees,  preferring  such  an  accommodation  to  an  indoor 
roost.  The  impatience  of  restraint  and  restlessness  of 
the  turkey,  render  it  unfit  company  for  fowls  in  their 
dormitory ;  in  fact,  the  fowl  house  is  altogether  an 
improper  place  for  these  large  birds,  which  require 
open  sheds  and  high  perches,  and  altogether  as  much 
freedom  as  is  consistent  with  their  safety. 

Although,  turkeys  will  roost  even  during  the  winter 
months  on  trees,  it  is  by  no  means  recommended  that 
this  should  be  allowed,  as  the  feet  of  these  birds  are 


THE    TURKEY  153 

apt  to  become  frostbitten  from  such  exposure  to  the 
air  on  the  sudden  decline  of  the  temperature  far  be- 
low the  freezing  point.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the 
domestic  turkey,  hardy  as  it  is  when  adult,  is  not  equal 
in  point  of  endurance  to  its  wild  relative  breed  in  the 
woods  and  inured  to  the  elements. 

^Turkeys  are  fond  ol  wandering  about  pastures, 
hedgerows,  and  the  borders  of  fields ;  they  love  to  visit 
turnip  fields,  where,  besides  the  leaves  of  the  turnips, 
which  they  relish,  they  find  insects,  snails,  slugs,  &c., 
which  they  greedily  devour.  In  the  morning,  they 
should  have  a  good  supply  of  grain,  and  after  their  re- 
turn from  their  peregrinations  another  feed ;  by  this 
plan,  not  only  will  the  due  return  home  of  the  flock  be 
insured,  but  the  birds  will  be  kept  in  good  store  con- 
dition, and  ready  at  any  time  to  be  put  upon  fattening 
diet.  Never  let  them  be  in  poor  condition — this  is  an 
axiom  in  the  treatment  of  all  poultry — it  is  difficult, 
and  takes  a  long  time,  to  bring  a  bird  into  proper  con- 
dition, which  has  been  previously  poorly  fed  or  half 
starved. 

CHOICE   OF   THE   TURKEY   COOK. 

THE  turkey  cock  should  be  vigorous,  broad  in  the 
breast,  clean  in  the  legs,  with  ample  wings,  and  a  well- 
developed  tail  plumage ;  his  eyes  should  be  bright,  and 
the  carunculated  skin  of  the  neck  full,  and  rapid  in  its 
changes  of  color.  Though  capable  of  assuming  his  le- 
gitimate rank  among  the  hens,  when  a  year  old,  he  is 
not  in  perfection,  (notwithstanding  the  contrary  opinion 
of  some,)  until  he  has  attained  his  third  year,  and  is 
entering  upon  his  fourth ;  and  he  continues  in  his  prime 
for  three  or  four  succeeding  years.  Thus,  for  two, 
three,  or  four  years,  or  longer,  may  all  the  young  cocks 
be  devoted  to  the  poulterer,  one  perhaps  of  particular 
beauty  being  preserved  within  that  space  of  time  for 
the  ornament  of  the  farm  yard. 

The  turkey  cocks  which  are  kept  for  breeding, 
rather  than  for  the  table,  "ought  not"  says  Mascall. 
7* 


154  THE    TURKEY. 

"  to  be  passing  a  yere,  or  two  yeres  old — three  yeres  is 
the  most,  and  too  much — for,  being  olde,  they  are  so 
heavy  in  treading,  they  wyll  commonlye  hurt  the 
hennes,  in  broosing  their  backes,  and  treading  off  their 
feathers  off  their  backes.  And,  also,  it  is  not  good  to 
keep  two  cockes  in  treading  time  ;  for  one  will  hinder 
the  other,  so  that  your  hennes'  egges  come  to  small 
profite  in  setting." 

"  Your  turkie  cock,"  says  Markham,  "should  be  a 
bird,  large,  stout,  proud,  and  majesticall,  for,  when  he 
walketh  dejected,  he  is  never  good."  According  to 
M.  Parmentier,  both  the  cock  and  hen  ought  to  have 
short  legs,  a  full  shape,  and  great  vivacity  and  energy 
in  all  their  actions.  For  breeding,  it  is  peculiarly 
necessary  that  both  should  be  well  formed,  and  in 
healthy  condition. 

Turkey  cocks  are  pugnacious  and  vindictive,  and 
often  ill-treat  the  hens.  I  have  known  them  to  at- 
tack children,  and  have  witnessed  combats  between 
them  and  the  game  cock,  in  which  the  latter  was 
more  oppressed  by  the  weight  of  his  antagonist  than 
by  gladiatorial  skill — I  have,  in  fact,  seen  the  bulky 
hero  worsted ;  he  cannot  use  his  spurs  with  the  ad- 
dress exhibited  by  the  game  cock,  which,  moreover, 
fights  with  method. 

SELECTION    OF    THE     HEN. 

THE  hen  turkey  should  be  dark-colored,  like  the 
cock — those  with  white  feathers  appearing  amidst  the 
black  plumage  should  be  rejected  ;  her  figure  should 
be  plump,  and  her  actions  lively  and  animated.  The 
hen  breeds  when  a  year  old,  or  rather  in  the  spring 
succeeding  that  in  which  she  herself  left  the  egg  ;  but 
she  is  not  in  her  prime  until  the  age  of  two  or  three 
years,  and  will  continue  for  two  or  three  years  more  in 
full  constitutional  vigor.  But  whether  the  breeder 
prefers  to  keep  a  store  stock  for  several  years,  or 
a  yearly  or  biennial  change,  will  depend  on  his 
views  and  the  general  practice  of  ihe  neighborhood 


THE    TURKEY.  155 

around  him.  It  is  re.commended  to  keep  a  first-rate 
cook  for  three  or  four  years,  or  even  longer,  although 
one  might  change  his  store  flock  of  hens,  and,  indeed, 
if  these  produced  first-rate  chickens,  he  should  be  in  no 
hurry  to  substitute  younger  birds  in  their  place.  Of 
course,  the  stock,  whatever  its  prescribed  number 
may  be,  should  be  kept  up,  deficiencies  by  death  and 
accidents  being  duly  supplied. 

NUMBER  OF  HENS  TO  BE  ALLOTTED  TO  EACH  COOK. 

IT  would  appear  that  an  almost  unlimited  number 
of  hens  may  be  allowed  to  a  single  male — in  fact  the 
caresses  of  the  male  only  once  or  twice  are  required  for 
the  fecundation  of  all  the  eggs  which  she  will  lay  dur- 
ing the  current  season  ;  but.  in  order  to  make  assur- 
ance doubly  sure,  the  number  of  hens  under  one  lord 
may  be  limited  to  fifteen  or  twenty ;  that  is,  if  it  is 
desirable  that  so  many  should  be  kept. 

The  number  of  hens,  however,  which  should  be  put 
with  one  cock  is  disputed  amongst  several  authorities, 
as  we  have  seen  to  be  the  case  with  the  common  fowl. 
M.  Parmentier  says,  that,  when  one  has  a  certain 
number  of  turkeys,  it  is  indispensable  to  have  a  pro- 
portional number  of  cocks  ;  and  is  of  opinion  that  one 
cock  will  be  sufficient  for  twelve  females  ;  and  in  this 
number  he  cannot  be  far  wrong,  if  once  treading  is,  as 
he  seems  to  think,  proved  by  experiment,  efficient  to 
fecundate  all  the  eggs  of  one  laying.  So  satisfied,  in- 
deed, is  he  of  this  fact,  that  he  thinks  the  cock  may  be 
dispensed  with  and  sold,  after  the  hen  begins  to  lay. 

Lawrence,  on  the  other  hand,  advises  six  hens  to  a 
cock  ;  though  he  thinks  more  may  do  no  harm  ;  and 
mentions  it,  as  a  common  practice  with  breeders,  to 
keep  a  cock  for  the  use  of  any  neighbors  who  may 
have  so  few  hens  as  to  render  it  too  expensive  to  keep 
one. 

LAYING. 

ABOUT  the  middle  of  March,  generally  speaking,  the 
female  commences  laying  ;  she  indicates  this  coming 


156  THE    TURKEY. 

event  by  a  peculiar  cry,  by  strutting  about  with  an 
air  of  self-satisfaction,  and  often  by  prying  into  out-of- 
the-way  places,  evidently  in  quest  of  a  secret  spot  of 
incubation — for  her  instinctive  dread  of  the  male  is 
not  removed  by  domestication,  nor  has  the  male  lost 
his  antipathy  to  the  eggs.  She  should  now  be  closely 
watched,  and  some  management  is  required  to  induce 
her  to  lay  in  the  nest  assigned  her.  The  nest  should 
be  prepared  of  straw  and  dried  leaves  ;  it  should  be  se- 
cluded, and  to  excite  her  to  adopt  it,  an  egg,  or  a  piece 
of  chalk  cut  into  the  form  of  an  egg,  should  be  placed 
in  it.  When  her  uneasiness  to  lay  is  evident,  and 
symptoms  prove  that  she  is  ready,  she  should  be  con- 
fined in  the  shed,  barn,  or  place  in  which  her  nest,  (in 
a  large  wicker  basket,)  is  prepared,  and  let  out  as  soon 
as  it  is  deposited.  It  is  generally  in  the  morning  that 
the  turkey  hen  lays,  and  mostly  every  other  day  ; 
though  some  lay  daily,  until  the  number  amounts  to 
from  fifteen  to  twenty.  As  the  eggs  are  laid,  it  is  as 
well  to  remove  them,  (leaving  the  decoy  egg  or  piece 
of  chalk,)  until  the  number  is  complete,  as  they  are 
liable  to  be  broken,  or  sucked  by  rats,  weasles,  minks, 
or  skunks.  They  may  then  be  restored  to  her  for  in- 
cubation. 

Some  persons  are  in  the  habit  of  giving  turkeys 
stimulating  focrd  at  the  laying  period,  in  order  to  pro- 
mote their  fecundity,  particularly  oats  and  hemp  seed ; 
but  this  is  quite  superfluous,  and  may  even,  perhaps, 
be  injurious,  by  tending  to  produce  "clear"  or  in- 
fertile eggs.  By  proper  food  and  shelter,  during  win- 
ter, indeed,  turkeys  may  be  brought  to  pair  and  lay 
earlier  than  they  otherwise  would  do  ;  but,  though  this 
might  have  the  advantage  of  procuring  an  earlier 
brood,  it  must  render  it  more  difficult,  on  account  of 
the  cold  weather,  in  spring,  to  rear  it  with  success. 

The  habit  of  laying  in  the  morning  may  be  usefully 
taken  advantage  of,  where  several  turkey  hens  are 
kept.  Their  nests  may  be  examined,  individually 
before  they  go  out,  and  keep  back  those  which 


TJIE    TURKEY.  157 

are  about  to  lay,  till  they  have  done  so.  This  will 
effectually  prevent  the  loss  of  a  single  egg,  by  lay- 
ing in  a  secret  nest  in  the  hedges,  or  woods.  When 
they  roost  in  the  open  air,  as  is  most  natural  to  them, 
and  sometimes  practised  for  the  sake  of  convenience, 
and  to  render  the  birds  healthy,  it  is  nearly  impossible 
to  prevent  the  loss  of  some  eggs. 

During  _the  whole  time  of  laying,  the  cock  must  be 
carefully  kept  apart  from  the  hen,  at  least  in  the 
morning,  when  she  is  laying  ;  otherwise,  if  he  find  her 
on  the  nest,  he  will  ill-treat  her,  drive  her  away,  and 
break  her  eggs. 


EGGS. 


THE  eggs  of  the  turkey  are  larger  and  more  length- 
ened than  those  of  the  common  domestic  fowl,  of  dull 
cream  color,  and  speckled  with  reddish  dots.  They 
ought  to  be  taken  up  as  soon  as  laid,  lest  the  hen2  which 
is  heavy  and  awkward  in  her  motions,  should  break 
them  on  returning  to  lay,  and  also  to  keep  them  from 
being  sucked  by  rats  or  skunks.  They  may  be  kept 
in  a  basket,  either  with  or  without  dry  bran  or  straw, 
hung  up  in  a  cool,  dry,  dark  place,  till  the  hen  leaves 
off  laying,  when  none  of  them  will  be  too  old  to  set  for 
hatching,  though,  when  much  older,  it  may  be  doubt- 
ful whether  they  will  hatch  at  all. 

It  is  recommended,  by  some,  to  keep  each  hen's 
eggs  distinct,  that  they  may  be  put  under  those 
which  laid  them  ;  but  this  appears  to  be  an  unnecessary 
trouble,  as  a  hen  turkey  will  not  only  successfully 
hatch  the  eggs  of  her  own  species,  wherever  they  may 
be  procured,  but  also  those  of  geese,  ducks,  and  com- 
mon fowls. 

It  does  not  appear  from  Audubon's  account,  that 
the  wild  turkey  has  usually  more  than  one  brood  in 
the  year,  unless  her  eggs  have  been  carried  off  or  de- 
stroyed ;  and  Buffon  says  the  tame  turkey  lays  only 
once  a  year.  The  latter  is  wrong  in  this ;  for,  under 
favorable  circumstances,  when  well  housed,  fed,  and 


158  THE  TURKEY. 

taken  care  of,  the  hen  turkey  will  lay  a  second  time 
towards  the  end  of  summer,  sometimes  sooner  and 
sometimes  later. 

In  the  second  laying,  there  are  rarely  more  than  a 
dozen  eggs;  and  in  order  to  have  the  brood  from 
these  successful,  more  than  ordinary  care  will  be 
requisite. 

When  a  second  laying  is  expected,  the  sooner  one 
hen  is  turned  away  from  her  brood,  and  the  brood 
mixed  with  that  of  another,  hatched  about  the  same 
time,  the  better  chance  there  is  of  rearing  it;  as  the 
hen,  which  is  so  turned  away,  will  lay  again  in  a  fort- 
night or  three  weeks,  and  thus  hatch  a  second  time  be- 
fore the  month  of  July  is  out.  Even  under  these  cir- 
cumstances, the  chance  of  rearing  the  young  ones  is 
very  uncertain,  as  they  are  hardly  strong  enough  to 
meet  the  cold  nights  in  the  autumn,  when  they  often 
become  what  is  called  "  club-footed,"  and  die. 


INCUBATION, 

THE  turkey  hen  is  a  steady  sitter,  and  in  this  re- 
spect resembles  the  wild  bird — nothing  will  induce  her 
to  leave  the  nest ;  indeed,  she  often  requires  to  be  re- 
moved to  her  food,  so  overpowering  is  her  instinctive 
affection ;  she  must  be  freely  supplied  with  water 
within  her  reach  ;  should  she  lay  any  eggs  after  she  has 
commenced  incubation ;  these  should  be  removed — it 
is  proper,  therefore,  to  mark  those  which  were  given  to 
her  to  sit  upon.  The  hen  should  now  on  no  account, 
be  rashly  disturbed  ;  no  one  except  the  person  to  whom 
she  is  accustomed,  and  from  whom  she  receives  her 
food,  should  be  allowed  to  go  near  her,  and  the  eggs, 
unless  circumstances  imperatively  require  it,  should  not 
be  meddled  with. 

On  about  the  thirty-first  day,  the  chicks  leave  the 
eggs.  Now,  in  a  state  of  nature,  the  wild  hen  always 
manages  far  better  than  she  would  do  if  interfered 
with  by  man,  were  his  interference  possible,  and  so  we 
believe  will  the  domestic  turkey  hen,  if  her  nest  be  placed 


THE  TURKEY.  159 

(and  it  might  in  a  certain  degree,)  as  it  is  in  nature  ; 
this  we  know,  that  turkeys  which  have  laid  their  eggs 
in  out-of-the-way  places,  and  have  been  allowed  to  in- 
cubate there,  have  brought  their  troop  of  downy  young- 
lings into  the  farm  yard  with  evident  pleasure  and 
satisfaction — no  extra  attention  having  been  paid  to 
them.  It  is  usual,  however,  in  Europe  and  the  northern 
parts  of  the  United  States,  to  remove  the  young  chicks, 
one  by  one,  as  they  make  their  exit,  and  place  them  in 
a  basket  of  warm  flannel,  tow,  or  feathers,  until  all  are 
out,  and  then  restore  them  to  the  hen  ;  this  is  done 
as  a  precautionary  measure,  lest  any  accident  should 
happen  to  them. 

In  a  state  of  nature,  the  turkey  only  rears  one  brood 
during  the  season,  unless  her  eggs  have  been  destroyed 
or  removed,  nor  will  the  domestic  hen  incubate  twice, 
if  allowed  to  rear  her  own  brood;  some,  however,  which 
like,  as  the  common  phrase  is,  "  to  work  a  free  horse 
to  death,"  recommend  that  the  turkey  be  induced  to 
hatch  a  second  time  in  the  season.  This  is  effected 
by  taking  her  young  brood  from  her  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, and  mixing  it  with  another  brood  of  the  same 
age,  as  nearly  as  may  be  ;  her  cares  being  no  longer 
required  for  her  young,  and  her  instincts  unsatisfied  ; 
she  seeks  the  company  of  the  male,  and  in  about  three 
weeks,  again  commences  laying,  until  the  number  of 
eggs  is  complete,  when  she  re-engages  in  the  task  of 
incubation.  But  I  object  to  this  practice  in  toto.  It 
is  cruel,  and  it  taxes  the  system  ;  she  has  already  sat 
patiently  for  thirty  days,  that  is  four  weeks  and  two 
days,  and  surely  that  is  quite  enough.  Besides,  the 
brood  thus  hatched  will  be  late  in  the  season,  and  late 
broods  of  turkeys  cannot  be  reared  without  very  great 
care ;  they  cannot  stand  the  chilly  mornings  of  autumn 
nor  the  frosty  nights  ;  their  limbs  become  swollen  and 
rheumatic,  and  they  die  one  after  another,  few  sur- 
viving, and  these  few  never  become  fine,  healthy 
bird  from  which  the  breeder  would  select  his  stock. 
Let  nature  alone.  Should  a  hen  lay  after  hatching  her 
clutch  of  eggs,  and  should  she,  (which  is  very  unlike- 


160 


THE  TURKEY. 


ly,)  indicate  a  desire  for  incubation,  it  is  better  to  pre- 
vent her,  and  use  the  eggs  for  household  purposes. 

TREATMENT  OF  THE  YOUNG-  BROOD. 

THE  treatment  of  the  chicks  next  demands  considera- 
tion. Some  books  tell  you  to  plunge  them  in  cold  water, 
to  strengthen  them  ;  those  that  survive  will  certainly  be 
hardy  birds.  Others  say,  "make  them  swallow  a  whole 
pepper  corn,"  which  is  as  if  we  were  to  cram  a  New- 
town  pippin  down  the  throat  of  a  new-born  babe.  Oth- 
ers, again,  say,  "give  them  a  little,  ale,  beer,  or  wine." 
We  know,  unhappily,  that  some  mothers  are  wicked 
enough  to  give  their  infants  gin,  and  we  know  the  con- 
sequences. Not  a  few  advise  that  they  be  taken  away, 
and  kept  in  a  basket  by  the  fire-side  wrapped  in  flannel, 
for  eight  or  ten  hours.  Why  take  them  away  from  her  ? 
She  has  undergone  no  loss,  no  pain,  nor  labor  ;  she  wants 
no  rest,  having  had  too  much  of  that  already.  All  she 
requires  is  the  permission  to  indulge  undisturbed  the 
natural  exercise  of  her  owe  affectionate  instinct. 

We  have  seen  that  even  the  wild  chicks  are  delicate, 
and  unable  to  endure  wet.  We  may  say  the  same  with 
regard  to  young  grouse  and  partridges,  the  flocks  of 
which  are  much  thinned  by  a  wet  season.  But  if  the 
wild  chicks  are  tender,  much  more  so  are  those  of  the 
domestic  strain.  As  in  the  case  of  young  fowls,  the 
turkey  chicks  do  not  require  food  for  several  hours.  It 
is -useless  to  cram  them,  as  some  do,  fearing  lest  they 
should  starve  ;  and,  besides,  the  beak  is  as  yet  so  tender 
that  it  runs  a  chance  of  being  injured  by  the  process. 
When  the  chicks  feel  an  inclination  for  food,  nature  di- 
rects them  how  to  pick  it  up.  There  is  no  occasion  for 
alarm  if,  for  thirty  hours,  they  content  themselves  with 
the  warmth  of  their  parent,  and  enjoy  her  care.  Yet 
some  food  must  be  provided  for  them,  and  this  should  be, 
of  course,  suited  to  their  nature  and  appetite.  Here, 
too,  let  the  simplicity  of  nature  be  a  guide.  I  say  this 
because  some  have  recommended  spices,  wine,  and  even 
bathing  in  cold  water. 

Give  them  nothing  ;  do  nothing  to  them  ;  let  them  be 
in  the  nest  under  the  shelter  of  their  mother's  wings  at 


THE    TURKEY.  161 

least  eight  or  ten  hours;  if  hatched  in  the  afternoon,  till 
the  following  morning.  Then  place  her  on  the  grass,  in 
the  sun,  under  a  roomy  coop.  If  the  weather  be  fine, 
she  may  be  stationed  where  you  choose,  by  a  long  piece 
of  flannel  list  tied  round  one  leg,  and  fastened  to  a  stake 
or  a  >stone.  But  the  boarded  coop  saves  her  ever- 
watchful  anxiety  from  the  dread  of  enemies  above  and  be- 
hind— the  crow,  the  raven,  the  hawk,  the  rat,  the  weasel ; 
arid  also  protects  herself — she  will  protect  her  )roung — 
from  the  sudden  showers  of  summer.  Offer  at  first  a 
few  crumbs  of  bread ;  the  little  ones,  for  some  hours, 
will  be  in  no  hurry  to  eat;  but  when  they  do  begin, 
supply  them  constantly  and  abundantly  with  chopped 
egg,  shreds  of  meat  and  fat,  curd,  boiled  rice,  mixed  with 
cress,  lettuce,  and  the  green  of  onions.  Melted  mutton 
suet  poured  over  barley  or  Indian-meal  dough,  and  cut 
up  when  cold ;  also,  bullock's  liver  boiled  and  minced, 
are  excellent  things.  Barley  or  Indian  meal,  mixed 
thick  and  stiff  with  water  or  milk,  nettle  tops,  leeks,  and 
many  other  things,  might  be  added  to  the  list;  but  it  is 
probable  that  a  few  of  these  may  now  and  then  be  re- 
fused by  some  fanciful  little  rogues.  Little  turkeys  do 
not  like  their  food  to  be  minced  much  smaller  than  they 
can  swallow  it;  indolently  preferring  to  make  a  meal  at 
three  or  four  mouthfuls  to  troubling  themselves  with  the 
incessant  pecking  and  scratching  in  which  chickens  so 
much  delight.  But  at  any  rate,  the  quantity  consumed 
costs  but  little;  the  attention  to  supply  it  is  everything. 

The  young  of  the  turkey  afford  a  remarkable  instance 
of  hereditary  and  transmitted  habits.  From  having 
been. tended  for  many  generations  with  so  much  care, 
they  appear  naturally  to  expect  it  almost  as  soon  as  they 
are  released  from  the  shell.  We  are  told  that  young 
pointers,  the  descendants  of  well-educated  dogs,  will 
point  at  the  scent  of  game  without  any  previous 
training;  and  so  turkey  chicks  seem  to  wait  for  the  at- 
tention of  man  before  they  can  have  any  experience  of 
the  value  or  nature  of  those  attentions.  Food  which 
they  would  refuse  from  a  platter,  they  will  peck  greed- 
ily from  the  palm  of  a  hand  ;  a  crumb  which  would  be 
disdained,  if  seen  accidentally  on  the  ground,  will  be 


162  THE    TURKEY. 

relished  from  the  tip  of  a  finger.  The  proverb  that  "The 
master's  eye  fattens  the  horse,"  is  applicable  to  them, 
not  in  a  metaphorical,  but  in  a  literal  sense ;  for  they 
certainly  take  their  food  with  a  better  appetite  if  their 
keeper  stays  to  distribute  it,  and  see  them  eat  it,  than  if 
he  merely  "set  it  down  and  left  them  to  help  themselves. 

I  believe  this  to  be  the  case  with  more  domesticated 
animals  than  we  are  aware  of,  and  appears  natural 
enough  if  we  remember  how  much  more  we  enjoy  a  meal 
in  the  society  of  those  we  love  and  respect,  than  if  we 
partook  of  it  in  indifferent  or  disagreeable  company. 

However,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  young  turkeys, 
pampered  and  spoiled  for  about  three  hundred  genera- 
tions, have  at  length  acquired  an  innate  disposition  to 
rely  on  the  care  of  man.  When  the  early  voyagers 
discovered  new  islands,  the  birds  upon  them  were  quite 
tame,  and  easily  killed  by  sticks  and  stones,  being  fear- 
less of  man  ;  but  they  soon  learned  to  know  their  enemy, 
and  this  newly-acquired  sagacity  was  possessed  by  their 
offspring,,  which  had  never  seen  a  man.  Wild  and 
domesticated  turkeys  are,  in  fact,  from  the  same  original 
type;  it  is  only  necessary  to  compare  them,  when 
hatched  together  under  a  hen,  to  be  convinced  of  the 
principle  of  hereditary  transmission  of  habits — the  wild 
young  ones  instantly  fly  from  man,  the  tame  ones  are 
indifferent  to  his  presence.  Young  of  rabbits,  wild  and 
tame,  show  this  contrast  more  strongly  than  any  crea- 
tures with  which  I  am  acquainted. 

The  turkeys,  then,  are  hatched,  and  we  are  rearing 
them.  Abundant  food  for  the  mother  and  her  young, 
constant  attention  to  their  wants,  are  the  grand  desid- 
erata. An  open  glade,  in  a  grove,  with  long  grass  and 
shrubs  here  and  there,  is  the  best  possible  location.  A 
great  deal  is  said  about  clear  and  fresh  water  for  tur- 
keys ;  but  I  have  observed  that  if  left  to  their  own  choice, 
they  will  be  as  content  and  healthy  with  the  rinsings 
of  the  scullery,  or  the  muddiest  pool,  as  with  the  purest 
spring.  The  long  grass  will  afford  them  cover  from 
birds  of  prey;  the  hen  will  herself  drive  off  four-footed 
enemies  with  great  courage.  Insects,  too,  will  abound 
in  such  a  situation.  When  the  little  creatures  are  three 


THE    TURKEY.  163 

or  four  days  old,  they  will  watch  each  fly  that  alights 
on  a  neighboring  flower,  fix  it  with  mesmeric  intensity, 
and  by  slow  approach  often  succeed  in  their  final  rush. 
But  in  the  best  position  you  can  station  them,  forget 
them  not  for  one  hour  in  the  day.  If  you  do,  the  little 
turkeys  will  for  a  time  loudly  yelp, 

"  O  then  remember  me," 

in  notes  less  melodious  than  those  of  aprima  donna, 
and  then  they  will  be  sulky  and  silent.  When  you 
at  length  bring  their  delayed  meal,  some  will  eat, 
some  will  not.  Those  that  will  not,  can  only  be  saved 
by  a  method  at  all  other  times  unjustifiable;  namely,  by 
cramming;  but  it  must  be  done  most  gently.  The  soft 
crumb  of  bread  rolled  into  miniature  sausages  should  be 
introduced  till  their  crops  are  full.  For  drink,  many 
would  give  wine.  I  advise  milk.  The  bird  wants 
material,  not  stimulant.  It  has  been  actually  wire- 
drawn. It  has  grown  all  the  hours  you  have  neglected 
it,  without  anything  to  grow  from.  Like  a  young  plant 
in  the  fine  spring  season,  it  will  and  must  grow ;  but  it 
has  no  roots  in  the  fertile  earth  to  obtain  incessant 
nourishment.  The  roots  which  supply  its  growth  are  in 
its  stomach,  which  it  is  your  office  to  replenish.  "  Pre- 
vention is  better  than  cure."  Such  a  case  ought  never 
to  occur  in  a  well-cared-for  poultry  pard. 

The  time  when  the  turkey  hen  may  be  allowed  full 
liberty  with  her  brood,  depends  so  much  on  season, 
situation,  &c.,  that  it  must  be  left  to  the  exercise  of  the 
keeper's  judgment.  Some,  whose  opinion  is  worthy  of 
attention,  think  that  if  the  young  are  thriving,  the 
sooner  the  old  ones  are  out  with  them  the  better,  after 
the  first  ten  days  or  so.  A  safer  rule  may  be  fixed  at 
the  season  called  "shooting  the  red,"  a  "disease,"  as 
some  compilers  are  pleased  to  term  it;  being  about  as 
much  a  disease  as  when  the  eldest  son  of  the  turkey's 
master  and  mistress  shoots  his  beard.  When  young 
turkeys  approach  the  size  of  a  partridge,  or  before,  the 
granular  fleshy  excrescences  on  the  head  and  neck  begin 
to  appear ;  soon  after,  the  whole  plumage,  particularly 
the  tail  feathers,  start  into  rapid  growth,  and  the  "  dis- 


164  TTJK    TVRKKV. 

ease"  is  only  to  be  counteracted  by  liberal  nourishment. 
If  let  loose  at  this  time,  they  will  obtain  much  by  foraging, 
and  still  be  thankful  for  all  you  choose  to  give  them. 
Caraway  seeds,  as  a  tonic,  are  a  great  secret  with  some 
professional  people.  They  will  doubtless  be  beneficial,  if 
added  to  plenty  of  barley  or  Indian  meal,  boiled  potatoes, 
chopped  vegetables,  and  refuse  meat.  And  now  is  the 
time  that  turkeys  begin  to  be  troublesome  and  voracious. 
What  can  you  expect  else  from  a  creature  that  is  to 
grow  from  the  size  of  a  robin  to  12  or  15  Ibs.  in  eight  or 
nine  months?  They  will  jump  into  the  potato  ground, 
scratch  the  ridges  on  one  side,  eat  every  grub,  wire  worm, 
or  beetle  that  they  find,  and  every  half-grown  potato. 
From  thence  they  will  proceed  to  the  ruta-bagas  ;  before 
the  bulbs  are  formed,  they  will  strip  the  green  from  the 
leaves,  thereby  checking  the  future  growth  of  the 
root.  At  a  subsequent  period,  they  will  do  the  same  to 
the  white  turnips,  and  here  and  there  take  a  piece  out 
of  the  turnip  itself.  They  are  seldom  large  enough 
before  harvest  to  make  so  much  havoc  among  the 
standing  grain,  as  cocks,  hens,  and  Guinea  fowls,  or  they 
have  not  yet  acquired  the  taste  for  it ;  but  when  the 
Indian  corn  begins  to  ripen  in  August  or  September,  and 
the  young  wheat  comes  up  in  October  and  November  they 
will  exhibit  their  graminivorous  propensities,  to  the  great 
disadvantage  of  the  farmer.  The  farmer's  wife  sees  them 
not,  says  nothing,  but  at  Christmas  boasts  of  the  large 
amount  of  her  turkey  money.  One  great  merit  in  old 
birds,  (besides  their  ornamental  value,  which  is  our 
special  recommendation,)  is,  that  in  situations  where 
nuts,  acorns,  and  mast  are  to  be  had,  they  will  lead  off 
their  orood  to  these,  and  comparatively,  (that  is  all,) 
abstain  from  ravaging  other  crops.  It  is,  therefore,  not 
fair  for  a  small  occupier  to  be  overstocked  with  turkeys, 
(as  is  too  often  the  case,  and  with  other  things  also,)  and 
then  let  them  loose,  like  so  many  harpies,  to  devastate 
and  plunder  their  neighbors'  fields. 

FATTENING. 

ON  the  first  of  October,  it  will   be  time  to  begin  to 
think  of  fattening  some  of  the  earliest  broods,  in  order 


THE  TURKEY.  165 

to  supply  public  houses,  and  such  families  as  require 
turkeys  early  in  the  season;  but  they  are  like  every 
other  immature  production,  inferior  in  quality.  To 
eat  turkey  poults  is  a  wasteful  piece  of  luxury ;  those 
who  order  them  are  occasionally  deceived  by  a  small 
hen  of  the  previous  year.  In  the  Italian  markets,  hen 
turkeys  sell  for  a  cent  a  pound  more  than  the  cocks ;  and 
there  are  turkey  butchers  of  whom  you  may  buy  the 
half  or  a  quarter  of  a  bird.  A  hen  will  be  five  or  six 
weeks  in  fatting  ;  a  large  stag,*  two  months,  or  longer, 
in  reaching  his  full  weight.  The  best  diet  is  barley 
or  Indian  meal,  mixed  with  water,  given  in  troughs, 
that  have  a  flat  board  over  them,  to  keep  dirt  from 
falling  in.  A  turnip  with  the  leaves  attached,  or  a 
hearted  cabbage,  may  now  and  then  be  thrown  down 
to  amuse  them.  Some  use  plain  oats,  but  barley  or 
Indian  meal  is  preferable,  acting  more  quickly. 

Cramming  is  unnecessary,  though  it  may  hasten  the 
progress.  In  some  forests,  where  there  are  immense 
quantities  of  mast,  turkeys  will  get  perfectly  fat  upon 
them  ;  but  this,  although  no  doubt  profitable  to  the 
"  gude  wife,"  is  by  no  means  pleasant  to  every  palate 
after  the  bird  has  been  on  the  spit.  Beech  mast,  how- 
ever, in  small  quantities,  and  as  the  substratum  of 
fatting,  rather  improves  the  flavor  than  otherwise. 
Acorns,  which  they  will  often  swallow  whole,  do  not 
come  amiss.  When  they  have  arrived  at  the  desired 
degree  of  fatness,  those  which  are  not  wanted  for  im- 
mediate use  must  have  no  more  food  given  them  than 
is  just  sufficient  to  keep  them,  in  that  state  ;  otherwise 
the  flesh  will  become  red  and  inflamed,  and  of  course 
less  palatable  and  wholesome.  But  with  the  very  best 
management,  after  having  attained  their  acme  of  fat- 
tening, they  will  frequently  descend  again,  and  that  so 
quickly,  and  without  apparent  cause,  as  to  become 
quite  thin.  Cock  birds  play  this  game  oftener  than 
hens.  The  turkey  differs  from  the  rest  of  our  poultry 
in  being  fit  for  the  table  after  its  youth  is  past.  Many 

*  When  a  cock  turkey  arrives  at  the  age  of  two  yeart ,  he  is  called  a  "  stag." 


166  THE    TURKEY. 

of  the  large  birds  that  are  brought  to  market  are  Dot 
less  than  eighteen  months  old ;  some  double  that  age. 
Nor  are  they  the  worse  for  it,  provided  the  lady  of  the 
house  be  informed  of  the  circumstance,  and  so  enabled 
to  leave  a  due  interim  between  the  killing  and  the 
cooking. 

Almost  every  district  or  country,  however,  has  a  pe- 
culiar mode  of  fattening  turkeys,  and  everywhere  it 
depends  on  local  resources.  In  one  place,  it  is  acorns, 
hickory  nuts,  beech  mast,  or  chestnuts,  sometimes 
boiled,  and  mixed  with  Indian  or  barley  meal ;  others 
prefer  to  feed  them,  every  morning,  a  month  previous 
to  killing,  with  boiled  potatoes  mashed  with  the  meal 
of  buckwheat,  barley,  Indian  corn,  or  beans,  according 
to  their  cheapness  or  abundance,  made  into  a  paste,  of 
which  the  turkeys  are  allowed  to  eat  as  much  as  they 
please.  Every  evening,  the  remains  of  the  paste  is 
removed,  and  thrown  away  ;  the  trough,  or  vessel,  in 
which  it  was  kept,  is  thoroughly  cleaned  for  the  next 
morning ;  because,  if  the  weather  be  warm,  the  paste 
is  liable  to  become  sour,  and  endanger  their  health. 
For  eight  days  previous  to  slaughtering  time,  the  tur- 
keys are  allowed,  in  the  evening  before  going  to  roost, 
a  small  quantity  of  barley  or  Indian-meal  dough, 
which,  in  the  course  of  that  period,  will  render  them 
exceedingly  plump,  delicious,  and  fat. 

It  has  been  asserted,  in  fact  proved,  by  a  late  trial 
made  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  R.  L.  Colt,  of  Paterson,  New 
Jersey,  that  turkeys  fatten  faster,  and  with  less  ex- 
pense, by  caponising  them,  which,  also,  produces 
better  and  sweeter  flesh.  But  how  far  this  will  prove 
profitable,  future  experiments  will  show. 


THE    GUINEA   FOWL. 


ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY. 

The  Africana,  which  most  people  call  a  Numidica,  is  like  a 
Meleagris,  except  that  it  bears  on  its  head  a  red  helmet 
and  comb,  both  of  which  are  blue  in  the  Meleagris. 

COLUMELLA. 

THE  Guinea  fowl,  in  its  natural  habitat — that  is  in 
a  state  of  nature — appears  to  be  exclusively  confined 
to  the  burning  wastes  of  Central  Africa,  although  it  is 
found  wild  on  the  islands  of  Ascension,  Hayti,  Cuba, 
and  Jamaica,  where  they  sometimes  do  much  injury  to 
crops  and  are  shot  as  game.  In  Africa,  it  frequents 
the  open  glades  and  borders  of  forests,  the  banks  of 
rivers,  and  other  localities  where  grain,  seeds,  berries, 
insects,  &c.,  offer  an  abundant  supply  of  food.  It  is 
gregarious  in  its  habits,  associating  in  considerable 
flocks,  which  wander  about  during  the  day,  and  col- 
lect together  on  the  approach  of  evening.  They  roost 
in  clusters  on  the  branches  of  trees,  or  large  bushes, 
ever  and  anon  uttering  their  harsh  grating  cry,  till 
they  settle  fairly  for  the  night. 

The  Gruinea  fowl  does  not  trust  much  to  its  wings 
as  a  means  of  escape  from  danger  ;  indeed,  it  is  not 
without  some  difficulty  that  these  birds  can  be  forced 
to  take  to  flight,  and  then  they  wing  their  way  only 
to  a  short  distance,  when  they  alight,  and  trust 
to  their  svviftnesss  of  foot.  They  run  with  very 
great  celerity,  are  shy  and  wary,  and  seek  refuge 


168 


THE    GUINEA    FOWL. 


amongst  the  dense  underwood,  threading  the  mazes  of 
their  covert  with  wonderful  address.  The  female  in- 
cubates  in  some  concealed  spot  on  the  ground  ;  for  the 
male,  as  in  the  case  of  the  turkey,  will  break  the  eggs 
if  he  discovers  them.  This  habit,  unnatural  as  it  may 
be  deemed,  appears  to  be  very  common  among  galli- 
naceous birds.  The  domestic  cock,  however,  evidently 
shares  in  the  triumph  of  the  hen,  when  she  has  laid 
her  eggs,  and  answers  her  peculiar  note  or  cackle  of 

joy- 
it  cannot  be  for  a  moment  doubted  that  the  ancient 
Greeks  and  Romans  were  well  acquainted  with  two  or 
three  species  of  the  Gruinea  fowl,  the  descriptions  of 
which  hardly  answer  to  those  of  the  present  day  ;  con- 
sequently it  is  not  easy  to  trace  out  its  history.  In 
fact,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  that  a  bird  noticed  by 
Aristotle,  Clytus,  Pliny,  Yarro,  and  Columella,  should 
not  ages  since  have  pervaded  Europe  ;  it  is  not  until 
after  the  introduction  of  the  turkey  from  America, 
that  the  Gruinea  fowl  became  naturalised  in  Western 
Europe.  Must  we  not,  then,  pardon  Belon  and  Aldro- 
vandi  for  considering  the  turkey  as  the  Meleagris, 
seeing,  if  our  suspicions  be  correct,  that  they  did  not 
know  the  Gruinea  fowl  ?  In  short,  from  ancient  times, 
through  the  middle  ages,  and  to  a  comparatively  re- 
cent period,  we  lose  all  trace  of  this  bird,  and  what 
is  more,  it  appears  that  the  modern  Europeans  re- 
ceived it  not  from  Africa,  its  native  country,  but  from 
the  Western  World,  to  which,  with  negroes  torn  from 
their  homes  in  Gruinea  and  condemned  to  slavery,  it 
was  transported  also.  This  bird  is,  indeed,  so  common 
in  several  of  the  West-India  Islands,  that  some  have 
thought  it  to  be  indigenous  there  ;  but  this  is  a  mis- 
take. In  fact,  in  an  old  work,  (Observ.  sur  les  Gout, 
de  PAsie,)  we  are  informed  that,  in  the  year  1508, 
or  about  that  time,  great  numbers  of  these  birds  were 
carried  into  America  by  the  vessels  which  traded  in 
slaves  ;  but  that  the  Spaniards,  instead  of  attempting 


THE    GUINEA     FOWL.  169 

to  tame  them,  or  render  them  domestic,  turned  them 
at  large  into  the  wild  savannas,  where  they  have  in- 
creased in  such  prodigious  numbers,  that  they  may 
well  appear  to  be  indigenous. 

Though  extensively  spread,  the  Guinea  fowl  is  not 
even  now  a  very  common  bird.  It  is  kept  in  India, 
but,  according  to  Colonel  Sykes,  is  to  be  seen  only  in 
a  domestic  state,  and  is  bred  almost  exclusively  by 
European  gentlemen.  It  thrives,  he  adds,  as  well  as 
in  its  native  country. 

In  England,  the  Gruinea  fowl  is  less  generally  kept 
than  the  turkey,  nor  is  it  abundant  in  France.  In 
the  colder  latitudes  of  Europe,  this  bird  is  very  rare, 
and  is,  in  fact,  seldom,  if  ever,  to  be  seen  in  Sweden, 
Norway,  or  Northern  Russia.  It  is  not  noticed  by 
Linnseus  in  his  "  Fauna  Suecica,"  though  he  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  species.  In  various  parts  of 
North  America,  it  is  found,  and  thrives  well. 

If,  then,  in  modern  days,  Western  Europe  received 
the  G-uinea  fowl  from  America,  or  the  adjacent  islands, 
how  happens  it  that,  living  as  it  did  in  the  vivaria  of 
the  Romans,  it  should  not  have  spread  itself  over  Eu- 
rope, and  been  common  in  England,  from  early  times? 
We  are  assured  that  it  has  been  so.  Mr.  H.  D.  Rich- 
ardson says,  "  it  would  be  difficult  to  determine  the 
precise  period  at  which  the  Gruinea  fowl  was  first 
brought  into  Grreat  Britain  ;  its  introduction  must,  at 
all  events,  have  taken  place  at  a  remote  date,  for  we 
are  informed,  in  Kennet's  "  Parochial  Antiquities," 
that  it  was  known  in  England  as  early  as  the  year 
1277."  If  this  be  the  case,  how  happens  it  that  we 
see  no  notice  taken  of  it  among  such  birds  as  peions, 
or  peacocks,  cranes,  bustards,  and  other  birds,  which 
figured  in  the  feasts  of  our  British  ancestors,  nor  even 
at  a  later  time,  than  the  turkey  graced  the  board? 
Again,  had  the  Gruinea  fowl  been  common,  would  Be- 
lon  and  Aldrovandi  have  ever  regarded  the  turkey  as 
the  Meleagris? 

S 


170  THE    GUINEA    FOWL. 


THE    GUINEA    HEN. 

STNONYMES. — Numida  mcleagris,  of  Naturalists;  Pintade,  of  the 
French;  Pintado,,  of  the  Spaniards;  Perlhuhn,  of  the  Germans;  Comc- 
Sack,  in  Norfold.  England  ;  Guinea  Hen,  Guinea  Fowl,  of  the  English  and 
Anglo-Americans. 

The  plumage  of  this  bird  is  singularly  beautiful, 
being  spangled  over  with  an  infinity  of  white  spots  on 
a  black  ground,  shaded  with  grey  and  brown.  The 
spots  vary  from  the  size  of  a  pea  to  extreme  minute- 
ness. Rarely,  the  black  and  white  change  places, 
causing  the  bird  to  appear  as  if  covered  with  a  net- 
work of  lace.  A  white  variety  is  not  uncommon,  but 
is  less  hardy,  and  it  is  doubtful  how  long  either  this, 
or  the  former  one,  would  remain  permanent ;  probably 
but  for  few  generations.  Pied  birds,  blotched  with 
patches  of  white,  are  frequent,  but  are  not  compara- 
ble, in  point  of  beauty,  with  those  of  the  original  wild 
color.  The  head  and  face  are  remarkable.  The  scar- 
let wattles,  naked  skin,  distinct  mark  of  the  eye  brow, 
bright,  glancing  eyes,  and  comical,  quick  expression, 
make,  at  a  front  view,  a  perfect  miniature  of  a  clown, 
dressed  and  painted  for  the  circus  or  pantomime. 

DISTINCTION  BETWEEN  THE  COCK  AND  HEN. 

IT  is  not  every  one  who  knows  a  cock  from  a  hen 
of  this  species.  An  unerring  rule  is,  that  the  hen 


THE    GUINEA    FOWL.  171 

alone  uses  the  call  note  "  come  back,"  "  come  back," 
accenting  the  second  syllable  strongly,  from  which 
they  are  often  called  "  come  backs."  The  cock  has 
only  the  harsh,  shrill  cry  of  alarm,  which,  however,  is 
also  common  to  the  female. 

PAIRING. 

THERE  is  one  circumstance,  in  regard  to  the  habits 
of  the  Guinea  cock,  which  may  not  generally  be 
known ;  that  is,  he  is  monogamous,  or  having  one 
wife  only,  pairing  with  his  mate,  like  a  partridge,  or 
pigeon,  and  remaining  faithful  to  her,  (perhaps  with 
one  or  two  trifling  peccadilloes,)  so  long  as  they  con- 
tinue to  live  together.  It  is  generally  supposed  that 
he,  like  the  common  cock,  is  pleased  with  a  plurality 
of  wives ;  and  the  supposition  is  acted  on  with  bad 
practical  effect.  In  the  case  where  a  Guinea  cock 
and  two  hens  are  kept,  (a  usual  number,)  it  will  be 
found,  on  close  observation,  that  though  the  three  keep 
together  so  as  to  form  one  "  pack,"  according  to  their 
original  instinct,  yet  that  the  cock  and  one  hen  will 
be  unkind  and  stingy  to  the  other  unfortunate  female, 
keep  her  at  a  certain  distance,  merely  suffering  her 
society,  and  making  her  feel  that  she  is  with  them 
only  on  sufferance.  The  neglected  hen  will  lay  eggs, 
in  appearance,  like  those  of  the  other,  but  not  so  many, 
probably,  in  the  same  nest.  If  they  are  to  be  eaten, 
all  well  and  good  ;  but  if  a  brood  is  wanted  and  the 
eggs  of  the  despised  one  chance  to  be  taken  for  the 
purpose  of  hatching,  the  result  is  disappointment  and 
addled  eggs.  If  the  produce  of  the  favorite,  or  rather 
the  lawful  wife,  are  selected,  at  the  end  of  the  month, 
you  have  so  many  strong  chicks  ;  if  a  mixture  of  eggs 
come  to  hand,  the  hatch  is  in  proportion  Therefore, 
let  all  those  who  wish  to  succeed  with  Guinea  fowls, 
match  their  birds  as  strictly  as  the  couples  in  a 
country  dance.  The  best  way  to  commence  keeping 
them  is,  to  procure  a  sitting  of  eggs  from  some  friend, 
on  whom  you  can  depend,  for  their  freshness :  and 


172  THE    GUINEA    FOWL. 

also,  if  possible,  from  a  place  where  only  a  single 
pair  is  kept. 

Their  amours  are  conducted  with  the  most  strict 
decorum  and  privacy.  The  cock,  however,  is  properly 
polite  and  attentive  to  his  own  hen,  in  public,  walking 
very  close  by  her  side,  so  as  to  touch  her  wings  with 
his  own,  offering  her  tit-bits,  now  and  then  a  worm, 
or  a  grain  of  corn  ;  he  has  also  a  habit  of  running 
very  quick  for  a  few  steps,  and  then  walking  affectedly 
on  tiptoe,  with  a  mincing  air,  like  the  dandy  in  a 
Christmas  pantomime,  setting  up  his  back  and  in- 
creasing his  apparent  height.  These  latter  symptoms 
are  less  evident  in  youth,  when  it  is  necessary  to  make 
the  selection,  and  the  call  note  will  be  found  the  safest 
guide.  He  attends  his  own  hen  to  the  nest,  waits  for 
her  close  at  hand,  till  she  has  made  her  contribution 
to  the  treasury  already  there ;  and  will  occasionally 
betray  the  situation  of  the  secret  hoard,  by  his  extreme 
solicitude  in  announcing  the  approach  of  intruders. 

LAYING. 

OF  all  known  birds,  this,  perhaps,  is  the  most  pro- 
lific of  eggs.  Week  after  week  and  month  after 
month  see  little  or  no  intermission  of  the  daily  deposit. 
Even  the  process  of  moulting  is  sometimes  insufficient 
to  draw  off  the  nutriment  the  creature  takes  to  make 
feathers  instead  of  eggs.  As  the  body  of  a  good  cow 
is  a  distillery  for  converting  all  sorts  of  herbage  into 
milk,  and  nothing  else,  or  as  little  else  as  possible,  so 
the  body  of  the  Gruinea  hen  is  a  most  admirable  machine 
for  producing  eggs  out  of  insects,  vegetables,  garbage, 
or  grain. 

Eggs  of  the  Guinea  fowl  are  occasionally  produced 
covered  with  wrinkles,  as  if  the  shell  had  shrunk  in 
the  process  of  hardening.  These  sometimes  are  con- 
fined to  one  end,  (the  smaller,)  and  sometimes  extend 
over  the  whole  surface.  They  are  evidently  the  re- 
sult of  weakness  or  over-exertion  of  the  egg  organs, 
appearing  in  young  and  healthy  birds  onl  y  at  the  close 


THE    GUINEA    FOWL.  173 

of  their  long-laying  season ;  in  old  and  weak  ones, 
showing  themselves  in  the  first-laid  eggs,  and  increas- 
ing in  depth  and  extent  as  the  season  advances.  The 
same  thing  is  less  frequently  seen  among  turkeys  that 
are  about  to  cease  laying.  Such  eggs  are  quite  good 
for  the  table,  but  should  not  be  taken  for  the  purpose 
of  hatching.  They  appear  to  contain  a  less  portion  of 
yolk  than  the  perfect  egg. 

INCUBATION. 

FROM  their  great  aptitude  for  laying,  which  is  a 
natural  property,  and  not  an  artificially-encouraged 
habit,  as  before  observed,  and  also  from  the  very  little 
disposition  they  show  to  sit,  it  is  believed,  that  these 
birds,  in  their  native  country,  do  not  sit  at  all  on  their 
eggs,  but  leave  them  to  be  hatched  by  the  sun,  like 
ostriches,  to  which  they  bear  a  close  affinity.  It  is 
certain  that  the  sands  of  tropical  Africa  are  more  than 
hot  enough  to  hatch  them,  and  that  the  young  birds 
are  unusually  vivacious  and  independent,  if  they  have 
but  a  supply  of  proper  food,  which  they  would  find  in 
the  myriads  of  insects  engendered  there. 

They  are  in  season  from  the  middle  of  December 
till  May  ;  and  their  period  of  incubation  lasts  at  least 
twenty-six  days. 

A  Bantam  hen  is  the  best  mother,  being  lighter,  and 
less  likely  to  injure  the  eggs  by  treading  on  them  than  a 
full-sized  fowl.  She  will  well  cover  nine  eggs,  and 
incubation  will  last  about  a  month.  The  young  are  ex- 
cessively pretty.  When  first  hatched,  they  are  so  strong 
and  active  as  to  appear  not  to  require  the  attention  re- 
ally necessary  to  rear  them.  Almost  as  soon  as  they 
are  dry,  from  the  moisture  of  the  egg,  they  will  peck 
each  other's  toes,  as  if  supposing  them  to  be  worms, 
will  scramble  with  each  other  for  a  crumb  of  bread, 
and  will  domineer  over  any  little  Bantam,  or  chicken, 
that  may  perhaps  have  been  brought  off  in  the  same 
clutch  with  themselves.  No  one,  who  did  not  know, 
would  guess,  from  their  appearance,  of  what  species 


174  THE    GUINEA    FOWL. 

of  bird  they  were  the  offspring.  Their  orange-red  bills 
and  legs,  and  the  dark,  zebra-like  stripes,  with  which 
they  are  regularly  marked,  from  head  to  tail,  bear  no 
traces  of  the  speckled  plumage  of  their  parents. 

FEEDING  AND  MANAGEMENT. 

HARD-BOILED  egg,  chopped  fine,  small  worms,  mag- 
gots, bread  crumbs,  chopped  meat,  or  suet,  whatever, 
in  short,  is  most  nutritious,  is  their  most  appropriate 
food.  This  need  not  be  offered  to  them  in  large  quan- 
tities, as  it  would  only  be  devoured  by  the  mother 
Bantam,  as  soon  as  she  saw  that  her  little  ones  had 
for  the  time  satisfied  their  appetites  ;  but  it  should  be 
frequently  administered  to  them  in  small  supplies. 
Feeding  three,  four,  or  five  times  a  day,  is  not  nearly 
often  enongh ;  every  half  hour,  during  daylight,  they 
should  be  tempted  to  fill  their  little  craws,  which  are 
soon  emptied  again  by  an  extraordinary  power  and 
quickness  of  digestion.  The  newly-hatched  Guinea 
fowl  is  a  tiny  creature,  a  mere  infinitesimal  of  the 
full-grown  bird  ;  its  growth  is  consequently  very  rapid, 
arid  requires  incessant  supplies.  A  check  once  re- 
ceived can  never  be  recovered.  In  such  cases,  they 
do  not  mope  and  pine,  for  a  day  or  two,  like  young 
turkeys  under  similar  circumstances,  and  then  die ; 
but  in  half  an  hour  after,  being  in  apparent  health, 
they  fall  on  their  backs,  give  a  convulsive  kick  or  two, 
and  fall  victims  to  starvation.  The  demands  of  na- 
ture for  the  growth  of  bone,  muscle,  and  particularly 
of  feather,  are  so  great,  that  no  subsequent,  abundant 
supply  of  food  can  make  up  for  a  fast  of  a  couple  of 
hours.  The  feathers  still  go  on,  grow  !  grow  !!  grow  !!! 
in  geometrical  progression,  and  drain  the  sources 
of  vitality  still  faster  than  they  can  be  supplied,  till 
the  bird  faints  and  expires  from  want  of  fullness. 

This  constant  supply  of  suitable  food,  it  is  believed, 
is  the  great  secret  in  rearing  the  more  delicate  birds, 
turkeys,  Guinea  fowls,  pheasants,  &c.,  never  to  suffer 
the  growth  of  the  chick,  (which  goes  on  whether  it 


THE    GUINEA    FOWL.  175 

has  food  in  its  stomach  or  not.)  to  produce  exhaustion 
of  the  vital  powers,  for  want  of  the  necessary  aliment. 
Young  turkeys,  as  soon  as  they  once  feel  languid, 
from  this  cause,  efuse  their  food  when  it  is  at  last 
offered  to  them,  (just  like  a  man  whose  appetite  is 
gone,  in  consequence  of  having  waited  too  long  for  his 
dinner,)  never  would  eat  more,  were  it  not  forced 
down  their  throats,  by  which  operation  they  may 
frequently  be  recovered ;  but  the  little  Gruinea  fowls 
give  no  notice  of  this  faintness,  till  they  are  past  all 
cure  ;  and  the  struggle  of  a  few  minutes  shows  that 
they  have,  indeed,  outgrown  their  strength,  or  rather 
that  the  material  for  producing  strength,  has  not  been 
supplied  to  them  in  a  degree  commensurate  with  their 
growth. 

A  dry,  sunny  corner  in  the  garden  will  be  the  best 
place  to  coop  them  with  their  Bantam  mother.  As 
they  increase  in  strength,  they  will  do  no  harm,  but 
a  great  deal  of  good,  by  devouring  worms,  grubs  cat- 
erpillars, maggots,  and  all  sorts  of  insects.  By  the 
time  their  bodies  are  little  bigger  than  those  of  spar- 
rows, they  will  be  able  to  fly  with  some  degree  of 
strength  ;  and  it  is  very  pleasing  to  see  them  essay 
the  use  of  their  wings  at  the  call  of  their  fostermoth- 
er,  or  the  approach  of  their  feeder.  It  is  one  out  of 
millions  of  instances  of  the  Provident  Wisdom  of  the 
Almighty  Great  ,  that  the  wing  and  tail  feathers  of 
young  gallinaceous  birds,  with  which  they  require  to 
be  furnished,  at  the  earliest  possible  time,  as  a  means 
of  escape  from  their  numerous  enemies,  exhibit  the 
most  rapid  growth  of  any  part  of  their  frame.  Other 
additions  to  their  complete  stature  are  successively 
and  less  immediately  developed.  The  wings  of  a 
chicken  are  soon  fledged  enough  to  be  of  great  assist- 
ance to  it ;  the  spurs,  comb,  and  ornamental  plumage 
do  not  appear  till  quite  a  subsequent  period. 

When  the  young  Gruinea  fowls  are  about  the  size  of 
quails,  or  perhaps  a  little  larger,  their  mother  Bantam, 
(which  we  suppose  to  be  a  tame,  quiet,  matronly  crea- 


176  THE    GUINEA    FOWL. 

ture,)  may  be  suffered  to  range  loose  in  the  orchard 
and  fields  and  no  longer  be  permitted  to  enter  the  gar- 
den, lest  her  family  should  acquire  a  habit  of  visiting 
it  at  a  time  when  their  presence  would  be  less  wel- 
come than  formerly.  They  must  still,  however,  re- 
ceive a  bountiful  and  frequent  supply  of  food  ;  they 
are  not  to  be  considered  safe  till  the  horn  on  their  heads 
is  fairly  grown.  Indian  meal,  as  a  great  treat,  cooked 
potatoes,  boiled  rice,  anything  in  short,  that  is  eatable, 
may  be  thrown  down  to  them.  They  will  pick  the 
bones  left  after  dinner  with  great  satisfaction,  and  no 
doubt,  benefit  to  themselves.  The  tamer  they  can  be 
made,  the  less  troublesome  will  those  birds  be  which 
you  retain  for  stock  ;  the  more  kindly  they  are  treated, 
the  more  they  are  petted  and  pampered,  the  fatter  and 
better-conditioned  will  the  others  become,  which  you 
design  for  your  own  table,  or  as  presents  to  your 
friends,  and  the  better  price  will  you  get,  if  you  send 
them  to  market. 

At  a  certain  period,  they  will  have  got  beyond  the 
management  of  their  good  little  Bantam  mother,  and 
will  cast  off  her  authority.  They  will  form  what  has 
appropriately  been  called  a  "pack  ;"  prowling  about 
in  a  body,  after  insects,  and  seeds,  or  grazing  together, 
(for  they  eat  a  great  deal  of  grass,)  still  in  a  pack; 
fiercely  driving  away  any  intruder  on  their  society, 
and  all  giving  tongue,  in  one  chorus,  at  the  approach 
of  any  danger.  When  fully  grown,  they  weigh  from 
3  to  4  Ibs. 

Birds,  thus  reared  on  the  spot  where  they  are  meant 
to  be  kept,  are  sure  to  thrive  better,  and  give  less 
trouble  than  those  procured  from  a  distance  ;  they 
sometimes,  will  not  remain  in  their  new  home,  but 
wander  about  in  search  of  their  old  haunts  till  they 
either  find  them,  or  are  themselves  lost,  destroyed,  01 
stolen. 

It  is  of  no  use  to  shut  up  these  fowls  to  fatten,  un- 
less, they  have  previously  been  made  particularly 
tame,  as  they  would  sulk,  pine,  and  die,  before  they 


THE    GUINEA    FOWL.  177 

became  reconciled  to  confinement,  in  spite  of  its  extra 
diet.  The  only  plan,  therefore,  is  to  keep  them  in 
high  condition  during  the  winter,  by  liberal  hand-feed^ 
ing.  The  best  practice  is  not  to  kill  them  with  the 
knife,  like  other  poultry,  but  to  dislocate  their  necks, 
leaving  the  blood  in  them  to  remedy  the  dryness  ot 
their  flesh,  which  is  the  great  fault  an  epicure  would 
find  with  them.  They  should  also  remain  in  the  lar- 
der as  long  as  possible  before  being  cooked.  It  was 
formerly  the  fashion  for  farmers'  wives  and  daughters 
to  make  tippets  and  muffs  of  the  smaller  feathers, 
which  much  resemble  chinchilli  fur  in  appearance, 
and  were  both  elegant  and  useful. 

This  bird  is  no  great  favorite  with  poultry  keepers, 
in  general,  but  is  one  of  those  unfortunate  beings, 
which,  from  having  been  occasionally  guilty  of  now 
and  then  a  trifling  fault,  has  acquired  a  much  worse 
reputation  than  it  really  deserves.  Notwithstanding 
this,  it  is  useful,  ornamental,  and  interesting  during 
life,  and  a  desirable  addition  to  the  table,  if  properly 
dressed,  when  dead. 


THE  PEA  FOWL, 


ORIGIN  AND   HISTORY. 

The  peacock  view,  still  exquisitely  fair, 
When  clouds  forsake,  or  when  invest  the  air  -, 
His  gems  now  brightened  by  a  noon-tide  ray  ; 
He  proudly  waves  his  feathers  to  the  day, 
A  strut  majestically  slow  assumes, 
And  glories  in  the  beauty  of  his  plumes. 

PARAPHRASE  OF  THE  BOOK  or  JOB. 

THE  common  pea  fowl  has  probably  been  tamed  and 
domesticated  ever  since  there  have  existed  human 
eyes  to  admire  it.  It  is  said  to  have  been  brought 
from  the  barbarians  into  Greece ;  and  being  for  a  long 
time  rare,  it  was  then  exhibited  for  money  to  the  ad- 
mirers of  beauty  in  a  similar  manner  as  menagerie 
birds  are  with  us,  at  the  present  day.  At  Athens, 
both  men  and  women  were  admitted  to  examine  it 
every  new  moon,  and  profit  was  made  by  the  show ; 
and,  as  Antyphon  says  in  his  speech  against  Crasistra- 
tus,  the  male  and  female  were  valued  at  1,000 
drachmae,  or  about  $150  the  pair. 

The  remarkable  point  in  this  account  is,  that  the 
creature  was  not  gratuitously  exhibited,  like  the  tri- 
umphal spoils  of  conquered  nations,  but  was  made  a 
wild-beast  show,  for  a  consideration,  and  as  a  matter 
of  gain.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  the  price  of 
admission,  what  sort  of  u  brass  band"  performed  before 
the  doors,  and  whether  -the  pictorial  representations, 


THE    PEA    FOWL.  179 

hung  outside,  at  all  outrivalled  the  brilliant  display  of 
Barnum's  Museum,  in  Broadway. 

So  charming  is  the  perfect  combination  of  grace  and 
splendor  diplayed  by  these  most  lovely  creatures,  so 
excellent  is  their  flesh,  so  hardy  are  they  in  their 
adult  state,  that  were  it  not  for  certain  inconveniences 
attendant  upon  keeping  them,  and  also,  perhaps,  for 
the  indifference  with  which  everything  not  rare  is  apt 
to  be  regarded  by  us,  they  would  be  sought  after  as 
never- tiring  objects  wherewith  to  gratify  the  sense  of 
sight.  Who  does  not  remember  the  thrill  of  delight 
with  which,  in  childhood,  he  first  gazed  upon  their 
brilliant  gorgeousness  ?  Peacocks  and  gold  fill  our 
youthful  imaginations  as  fit  elements  of  the  magnifi- 
cence of  Solomon ;  and  no  fable  more  fitly  chose  its 
decorations  than  that  which  attached  these  feathered 
gems,  in  association  with  the  many-colored  Iris,  to  the 
train  of  the  imperial  Juno,  who  adorned  its  tail  with 
the  hundred  eyes  of  Argus — eyes  which  the  poet  calls 
"star-like  gems."  Even  the  hen  of  the  pea  fowl, 
though  sober  in  her  coloring,  is  harmoniously  shaded, 
and  every  movement  is  coincident  with  the  line  of 
beauty. 

But  the  most  extraordinary  peacock  in  the  world, 
altogether  unique,  and  likely  to  remain  so,  whose  va- 
lue reduces  that  of  the  Athenian  birds  to  a  mere 
nothing,  and  which  is  only  to  be  approached  in  this 
respect  by  the  goose  which  lays  golden  eggs,  if  we 
could  find  her,  is  kept  at  Windsor  Castle,  and  long 
may  her  Majesty,  Queen  Victoria,  continue  in  posses- 
sion of  it.  Not  being  larger  than  an  ordinary  hen,  it 
consumes  but  little  food  ;  and  does  no  mischief  in  the 
gardens,  but  rarely  permitted  to  go  abroad.  It  would 
be  cheap  at  .£30,000  ;  for,  independent  of  its  worth  as 
a  trophy,  and  the  strange  history  attached  to  it,  its 
tail  is  made  up  of  diamonds,  and  the  rest  of  its  body 
is  composed  of  other  costly  materials,  of  which  gold  is 
the  least  precious !  It  is  a  specimen  of  ornamental 
poultry,  and  not  unsuitable,  perhaps,  to  the  monarch 


180  THE    PEA    FOWL. 

of  Great  Britain ;  but  if  I  may  presume  to  guess  at 
the  tastes  of  the  royal  owner,  more  pleasure  is  derived 
from  the  sight  of  her  living  models  than  from  the  in- 
animate splendors  of  this  glittering  toy,  although  it 
does  so  far — 

Outshine  the  wealth  of  Ormus  and  of  Ind, 
Or  where  the  gorgeous  East  with  richest  hand 
Showers  on  her  kings  barbaric  pearl  and  gold. 

MILTON. 

That  the  peacock  should,  in  all  times,  have  been 
admired  for  its  singular  beauty  is  not  surprising. 
"When  it  moves  along  in  state  with  its  wings  lowered 
to  the  ground  and  its  tail  spread,  the  rays  of  the  sun 
glancing  upon  its  gorgeous  plumes,  iridiscent  with 
metallic  effulgence,  the  eye  of  every  beholder  is  ar- 
rested, and  all  gaze  with  admiration  on  the  glorious 
spectacle.  When  we  talk  of  the  peacock  spreading  its 
tail,  we  use  popular  language.  The  gem-adorned 
plumes,  with  their  loose  silken  barbs,  are  not  the  tail, 
but  the  tail  coverts.  The  tail  is  beneath  these,  and 
hidden  by  them,  and  consists  of  rather  short,  stiff 
rust-colored  feathers,  which  serve  as  a  support  to  the 
train. 

I  would  here  willingly  give  an  account  of  the  habits 
and  manners  of  the  wild  pea  fowls  in  the  jungles  of 
India,  parallel  to  that  of  the  wild  turkey  of  the  Ameri- 
can forests,  but  no  Wilson,  no  Audubon,  no  Bonaparte, 
has  written  their  history,  and,  for  myself,  I  have  never 
seen  one  in  its  native  woods.  I  might,  indeed,  tran- 
scribe much  respecting  pea-fowl  shooting  from  the 
works  of  various  writers,  sportsmen  in  India  ;  but  from 
all  this  we  gain  no  positive  information.  The  reader 
must,  therefore,  pardon  me  for  the  meagre  history  of 
the  wild  bird.  However,  what  it  is  in  captivity  in  our 
country,  thftt  it  is  in  the  forests  of  India,  domestication 
having  littVe  influenced  its  nature. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  splendor  of  this 
bird  first  attracted  the  notice  of  the  ancients,  yet  in 
luxurious  R,orne,  its  beauty  was  not  its  safeguard  :  on 


THE    PEA    FOWL.  181 

the  contrary,  it  was  slaughtered  in  very  wantonness, 
for  the  sake  of  a  few  parts  only  deemed  worthy  of 
being  introduced  as  small  items  in  the  dishes  of  royal 
lunatics  or  noble  madmen.  The  sneer  of  Martial  must, 
in  his  day,  have  been  biting  ;  he  saw  the  peacock  in  its 
glory,  and  then  beheld  it  murdered  for  the  sake  of  its 
brains.  "Well  might  he  say — 

"  Oft  as  the  bird  his  gem-started  plumes  displays 
In  admiration  dost  them  stop  to  gaze, 
And  canst  thou  then,  hard-hearted,  take  its  life, 
And  coollj7  give  it  to  your  hireling's  knife." 

Of  the  favorite  dishes  of  the  Emperor  Yitellius,  called 
the  buckler  of  Minerva,  was  prepared  with  the  livers 
of  a  choice  fish,  the  scarus,  (Scarus  creticus,)  the 
tongues  of  flamingos,  and  the  brains  of  peacocks.  The 
bird  figured  also  in  the  feasts  of  Hortensius  and  other 
sensualists. 

GEOGRAPHICAL    DISTRIBUTION. 

THE  pea  fowl  is  extensively  spread  in  a  wild  state, 
in  India  and  the  Indian  Islands.  It  is  abundant  in  the 
dense  woods  of  the  Grhauts,  and  is  readily  domestica- 
ted, many  of  the  Hindoo  temples  in  the  Dukhun,  as 
Colonel  Sykes  informs  us,  having  considerable  flocks 
of  them.  On  comparing  specimens  of  the  wild  bird 
with  the  domesticated  pea  fowl  of  our  country,  he- 
found  no  difference  in  any  respect.  "  Irides  intense 
red-brown,"  or  rather,  he  should  say,  blood-red. 

The  wild  pea  fowl  associates  in  numbers,  and  where 
a  favorite  feeding  ground  invites  them,  hundreds  some- 
times collect  together,  but  they  are  very  wary,  and  run 
with  extreme  velocity. 

Colonel  Williamson,  in  his  account  of  peacock  shoot- 
ing, states  that  he  has  seen  them  in  astonishing  num- 
bers about  the  passes  in  the  jungletery  district 
Whole  woods  were  covered  with  their  beautiful  plu- 
mage, to  which  the  rising  sun  imparted  additional 
brilliancy ;  he  states  that  small  patches  scattered 
about,  cultivated  with  mustard  which  was  then  in 
bloom,  induced  the  birds  to  collect  there  for  the  sake 


182  THE    PEA    FOWL. 

of  feeding  on  the  plant,  and  he  speaks  of  the  beauty 
of  the  scene  as  enchanting,  and  so  indeed  it  must  have 
been  ;  for  he  adds,  "  I  speak  within  bounds  when  I 
assert  that  there  could  not  be  less  than  twelve  or 
fifteen  hundred  pea  fowls  of  various  sizes  within  sight 
of  the  spot  where  I  stood  for  near  an  hour." 

The  common  peacock  was,  till  lately  supposed  to  be 
the  only  species  of  its  genus  ;  but  both  preserved  and 
living  specimens  of  the  Aldrovandine  pea  fowl,  which, 
for  a  long  while,  was  supposed  fabulous,  have  been 
recently  introduced  into  England.  But  there  is  also  a 
third  sort,  which,  on  account  of  the  confusion  of 
synonymes,  has  not  received  from  naturalists  the  atten- 
tion it  deserves.  The  difficulty  has  been  increased  by 
the  conversion  of  "Japan"  into  "japanned"  by  some 
writers.  Japonensis,  or  Japonicus,  are  not,  however, 
synonymous  with  Javanensis  nor  Javanicus ;  Java 
and  Japan  are  countries  separated  by  many  hundreds 
of  miles  of  distance,  even  by  many  degrees  of  lati- 
tude and  longitude.  Yet  Sir  W.  Jardine,  in  the  "  Na- 
turalist's Library"  gives  the  Pavo  Javanensis  as  the 
same  as  the  Japan  peacock.  His  figure  represents  the 
Java  bird,  as  also  does  that  in  Griffith's  edition  of 
Cuvier's  "  Animal  Kingdom,"  although  the  title 
"  Japan  Peacock"  is  added  to  it.  It  is  possible  that 
both  species  may  be  indigenous  in  one  or  both  of  these 
respective  countries,  in  which  case,  the  specific  names 
are  not  wrong,  but  only  confused. 

The  Japan  peacock  is  somewhat  less  in  size  than 
the  common,  the  white  patches  of  naked  skin  on  the 
cheeks  are  smaller,  the  wings  are  blue-black,  edged  with 
metallic-green  instead  of  being  mottled  like  tortoise 
shell,  the  imbricated  feathers  on  the  back  are  smaller 
and  less  conspicuous,  and  the  whole  coloring  of  the 
bird  is  of  a  darker  tone.  The  hen,  on  the  contrary, 
is  much  lighter  than  the  common  sort,  with  a  tendency 
to  spangled,  perhaps  even  ocellated,  plumage  all  over 
her  body,  and  she  has  scarcely  any  glistening  feathers 
on  the  neck ;  her  size  is  also  inferior,  and  her  propor- 
tions more  slender. 


THE    PEA    FOWL. 


183 


THE    PEACOCK. 


SYNONYMES.— Pavo  cristatus,  of  Naturalists  ;  Mohr,  of  the  MahrattM  ; 
Paon,  of  the  French ;  Pavnn,  Pavo  real,  of  the  Spaniards  ;  Pfau, 
Pfauhahn,  of  the  Germans  ;  Peacock,  of  the  English  and  Anglo- Ameri- 


The  pea  fowl  is  too  weJ  known  to  require  a  detailed 
description.  There  are  two  varieties  of  this  species, 
the  "pied"  and  the  "white."  The  first  has  irregular 
patches  of  white  about  it,  like  the  pied  Gruinea  fowl, 
the  remainder  of  the  plumage  resembling  the  original 
sort.  The  white  have  the  ocellated  spots  on  the  tail 
faintly  visible.  These  last  are  tender,  and  are  much 
prized  by  those  who  prefer  rarity  to  real  beauty.  They 
are  occasionally  produced  by  birds  of  the  common  kind, 
'in  cases  where  no  intercourse  with  other  white  birds 
can  have  taken  place.  In  one  instance,  in  the  same 


184  THE    PEA    FOWL. 

brood,  whose  parents  were  both  of  the  usual  colors, 
there  were  two  of  the  common  sort,  one  white  cock, 
and  one  white  hen. 

As  might  be  expected  of  a  bird  that  has  been  reared 
in  captivity  for  several  thousand  years,  the  pea  fowl 
has  been  rendered  very  tame,  and  capable  of  consider- 
able attachment  to  man  in  almost  every  country  in 
the  globe.  By  regular  feeding,  it  has  easily  been  made 
to  take  its  place  as  a  liveried  attendant  at  the  front 
door,  in  order  to  show  himself,  and  await  with  great 
punctuality,  for  his  meals.  Indeed,  so  charming  is 
the  perfect  combination  of  grace  and  splendor,  displayed 
by  these  most  lovely  creatures,  so  excellent  is  their 
flesh,  so  hardy  are  they  in  their  adult  state,  that,  were 
it  not  for  certain  inconveniences,  attendant  upon  keep- 
ing them,  and  also,  perhaps,  for  the  indifference  with 
which  everything  not  rare  is  apt  to  be  regarded  by  us, 
they  would  be  sought  after  as  never-tiring  objects 
wherewith  to  gratify  the  sense  of  sight.  "  Thus  does 
curiosity,  in  minds  essentially  vulgar,  predominate 
over  the  lasting  sense  of  beauty  ;  and  the  glories  of  the 
visible  heavens,  no  less  than  the  splendors  of  the  pea- 
cock, are  passed  with  indifference  by  unreflecting 
millions,  because  both  are  every-day  sights." 

The  natural  disposition  of  the  peacock  is  selfish  and 
gluttenous,  and  it  is  only  by  pampering  this  weakness 
that  he  can  be  persuaded  into  obedience  and  attach- 
ment. He  is  vain,  and  at  the  same  time  ungallant. 
He  is  far  from  manifesting  the  politeness  and  attention 
which  the  common  cock  shows  towards  his  mates. 
The  peacock  will  greedily  snatch  from  the  mouth  of 
his  hens  those  tit-bits  and  delicate  ^morsels  which  the 
cock  would  either  share  with  his  favorites,  or  yield  to 
them  entirely.  The  peahen,  in  return,  cares  less  for 
her  lord  and  master,  and  is  more  independent  of  him, 
when  once  her  amorous  inclinations  have  been  in- 
dulged. She  then  regards  the  display  of  his  tail,  his 
puffings  and  strutting?,  and  all  the  rattling  of  his 


THE    PEA    FOWL.  185 

quills,  with  the  coolest  indifference.  Nor  does  he  seem 
to  care  much  about  her  admiration,  or  to  make  all 
this  exhibition  of  his  attractions  to  secure  her  notice, 
but  is  content,  if  he  can  get  some  astonished  hen,  or 
silly  bewildered  duck,  up  a  corner,  to  wonder  what  all 
this  fuss  is  about.  Like  other  vain  coxcombs,  he  ex- 
pects the  lady  to  make  the  first  advances.  Although 
occasionally  cruel,  the  peacock  is  shy  of  fighting,  par- 
ticularly when  in  full  plumage ;  nor  do  these  birds  so 
frequently  engage  with  each  other  as  with  those  of  a 
different  species,  such  as  drakes,  cocks,  &c.  One,  out 
of  feather,  was  seen  to  keep  up  a  three-hour  struggle 
with  a  musk  drake ;  had  it  been  in  full  plumage,  it 
would  not  have  shown  fight  at  all. 

Another  objection  to  them,  is  their  alleged  wanton 
destructiveness  towards  the  young  of  other  poultry,  a 
propensity  respecting  which,  the  accounts  are  very 
contradictory.  It  is  believed,  however,  that  the  pea- 
cock becomes  more  cruel  as  he  advances  in  life,  al- 
though they  often  vary  in  their  dispositions.  A  writer 
on  this  point  says,  "  I  have  known  them  to  kill  from 
twelve  to  twenty  ducklings,  say  from  a  week  to  a 
fortnight  old,  during  one  day  ;  but  if  they  come  across 
a  brood  of  young  chicks  or  ducklings,  a  few  days  old, 
they  would  destroy  the  whole  of  them."  And  yet,  in 
the  face  of  all  this  condemnatory  evidence,  we  now 
and  then  see  a  favorite  bird,  with  neck  of  lapis  lazuli, 
back  of  emerald,  wings  of  tortoise  shell,  and  tail  out- 
shining the  rainbow,  in  some  old-fashioned  farm  yard, 
the  pet  of  his  mistress,  who  is,  perhaps,  the  most  suc- 
cessful poultry  woman  in  the  neighborhood,  and  whose 
stock  shows  no  sign  of  any  murderous  thinning.  The 
peahen,  which,  when  she  has  eggs  or  young,  seems 
really  a  more  guilty  party,  is  not,  in  general,  even 
suspected.  So  true  is  it  that  "  one  man  may  steal  a 
horse,  while  another  must  not  look  over  a  hedge." 

Nervous  and  fastidious  persons  object  to  their  cry, 
or  call,  which,  indeed,  is  not  melodious ;  and  a  strip 
of  woollen  cloth  is  sometimes  hung  round  their  necks 


186  THE    PEA.    FOWL. 

in  the  fashion  of  a  collar,  to  silence  them  ;  the  appen- 
dage, however,  is  anything  but  an  ornament,  and  the 
effect  is  not  permanent.  But  it  must  be  regarded  ds 
an  unhealthy  symptom,  when  any  natural  or  rural 
sound  is  displeasing  to  the  ear.  The  bleating  of  sheep, 
the  pattering  of  rain,  the  hum  of  bees,  the  pealing 
thunder,  the  laughter  of  children,  the  breezy  rustling 
of  a  grove,  the  lashing  of  wintry  waves,  and  the  sigh- 
ing of  summer  winds,  have  all  been  felt  by  listeners  in 
their  happiest  moods  to  be  most  musical, — to  have  an 
effect  more  touching  than  any  music ;  and  should, 
therefore,  be  welcome,  instead  of  distasteful,  to  the 
healthy  sense.  And  even  the  screams  of  pea  fowl, 
ringing'  from  a  distance  on  a  summer's  evening,  will 
suggest  an  abundance  of  images  and  recollections 
that  cannot  fail  to  interest  any  but  the  most  dull  and 
unimaginative  minds. 

RANGE    AND    DOMESTIC    ACCOMMODATION. 

THE  causes  which  disincline  many  persons  from  in- 
dulging themselves  with  the  daily  spectacle  of  this  in- 
approachable model  of  beauty,  are,  in  the  first  place, 
the  depredations  that  it  commits  upon  gardens.  For 
this,  there  is  no  help.  The  dislike  which  these  birds 
have  to  enter  a  fowl  house,  and  their  decided  determi- 
nation to  roost  on  trees,  or  lofty  buildings,  prevents 
our  exercising  a  control  which  should  restrain  them 
from  mischief  till  an  eye  can  be  kept  upon  their  move- 
ments. At  the  first  dawn,  or  at  the  most  unsuspected 
moments,  they  will  steal  off  to  the  work  of  plunder. 
A  mansion,  therefore,  the  fruit  and  vegetable  garden 
of  which  is  at  a  distance,  is  almost  the  only  place 
where  they  can  be  kept  without  daily  vexation.  The 
injury  they  do  to  flowers  is  comparatively  trifling; 
though,  like  the  Gruinea  fowl,  they  are  great  eaters  of 
buds,  cutting  them  out  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves  as 
cleanly  as  a  surgeon's  dissecting  knife  would  do. 
They  must  also  have  a  dusting  hole,  which  is  large  and 
unsightly  ;  but  this  can  be  provided  for  them  in  some 


TFE    PEA    FOWL.  187 

out-of-the-way  nook  ;  and  by  feeding  and  encourage- 
ment, they  will  soon  be  brought  to  dispose  themselves 
into  a  tableaux  vivant,  at  whatever  point  of  view  the 
tasteful  eye  may  deem  desirable.  No  one  with  a  very 
limited  range  should  attempt  to  keep  them  at  all. 
But  where  they  can  be  kept,  they  should  be  collected 
in  considerable  numbers,  that  their  dazzling  effect  may 
be  as  impressive  as  possible.  It  should  be  understood, 
however,  that  no  vineyard  be  at  hand  The  greenness 
and  sourness  of  the  grapes,  which  caused  the  fox  to 
refrain,  would  be  but  a  weak  argument  with  them. 

Old  birds,  received  at  a  distance,  are  difficult  to 
settle  in  a  new  home.  Housing  they  do  not  like,  and 
will  scarcely  bear.  Most  liberal  feeding  is  the  best 
bond  of  attachment,  but  even  with  that,  they  will  un- 
expectedly be  off,  and  will,  perhaps,  be  stopped  on  the 
high  road,  like  other  suspicious  vagrants.  It  is  recom- 
mended to  procure  a  sitting  of  eggs,  place  them  under 
a  hen  turkey,  and  have  the  pleasure  of  watching  their 
whole  progress,  literally  ab  ovo.  Those  who  are  im- 
patient to  have  a  full-grown  stock,  should  still  select 
birds  not  more  than  three  years  old. 

LAYING-,    BROODING-,    AND    SUBSEQUENT    TREATMENT. 

IN  general,  the  peahen  makes  her  nest  on  the  bare 
ground,  amongst  nettles,  or  rank  weeds  ;  sometimes 
she  chooses  the  shelter  of  a  young  fir.  The  egg  very 
much  resembles  that  of  the  ostrich  in  miniature,  being 
smooth,  but  indented  all  over  with  little  dimples,  as  if 
pricked  with  a  large  pin.  It  is  somewhat  bigger  than 
a  turkey's  egg,  bulging  considerably  at  the  larger 
end,  of  a  dull,  yellowish- white,  and  occasionally,  but 
not  always,  spotted,  or  rather  freckled,  with  a  few 
small  reddish-brown  marks.  The  newly-hatched 
chicks  are  streaked  on  the  head  and  neck  with  alter- 
nate stripes  of  dingy-yellow  and  pale-brown ;  the  legs 
are  of  a  dusky-yellowish  tinge. 

The  probable  term  of  life  of  the  pea  fowl  is  eighteen 
or  twenty  years ;  and  the  young*  poults  may  be  eaten 


188  THE    PEA    FOWL. 

at  nine  months  old.  The  female  does  not  lay  till  her 
third  summer  ;  but  she  then  seems  to  have  an  in- 
stinctive fear  of  her  mate,  manifested  by  the  secrecy 
with  which  she  selects  the  place  for  her  nest ;  nor,  if 
the  eggs  are  disturbed,  will  she  go  there  again.  She 
lays  from  four  or  five  to  seven.  If  these  are  taken,  she 
will  frequently  lay  a  second  time,  in  the  course  of  the 
summer,  which  plan  is  recommended  to  those  who 
are  anxious  to  increase  their  stock.  She  sits  from 
twenty-seven  to  twenty-nine  days.  A  common  hen 
will  hatch  and  rear  the  young  ;  but  the  same  objec- 
tion lies  against  her  performing  that  office,  except  in 
very  fine,  long  summers,  for  the  pea  fowl,  as  for  tur- 
keys ;  namely,  that  the  poults  require  to  be  brooded 
longer  than  the  hen  is  able  conveniently  to  do.  A  tur- 
key will  prove  a  much  better  foster  mother  in  every 
respect.  The  peahen  should,  of  course,  be  permitted 
to  take  charge  of  one  set  of  eggs.  Even  without  such 
assistance  she  will  be  tolerably  successful. 

The  chicks  are  engaging  little  things,  most  elegant 
in  appearance,  very  tame  and  confident.  They  may 
be  made  to  sit  upon  the  hand  to  peck  flies  from  the 
window.  The  same  Wise  Provision  is  evinced  by 
them,  as  in  the  Guinea  fowl,  but  still  in  a  greater 
degree.  The  demands  of  nature  for  the  growth  of 
bone,  muscle,  and  particularly  of  feathers,  are  so  great, 
that  no  subsequent  abundant  supply  of  food  can  make 
up  for  a  fast  of  a  couple  of  hours.  The  feathers  still 
go  on,  grow !  grow !  !  grow !  ! !  in  geometrical  pro- 
gression, and  drain  the  sources  of  vitality  still  faster 
than  they  can  be  supplied,  till  the  young  birds  faint 
and  expire  from  want  of  fullness. 

Their  native  jungle,  in  India,  tall  dense,  sometimes 
impervious,  swarming  with  reptiles,  quadrupeds,  and 
even  insect  enemies,  would  be  a  most  dangerous  habi- 
tation for  a  little  tender  thing,  that  can  but  run  and 
merely  squat.  Accordingly,  they  escape  from  the  egg 
with  their  quill  feathers  very  highly  developed.  In 
three  days,  they  will  fly  up  and  perch  upon  anything 


THE    PEA    FOWL.  189 

~ 

a  yard  in  height ;  in  a  fortnight,  they  will  roost  on 
trees,  or  the  tops  of  sheds ;  and  in  a  month  or  six 
weeks,  you  would  see  them  on  the  ridge  of  the  barn, 
if  there  are  any  intermediate  low  stables,  or  other 
building,  that  would  help  them  to  mount  from  one  to 
to  the  other. 

If  fatted,  the  pea  fowls  should  be  shut  up  together 
with  any  turkeys  they  may  have  been  in  the  habit  of 
associating  with,  and  fed  exactly  the  same.  If  con- 
fined alone,  they  pine.  They  are,  however,  an  excel- 
lent viand  at  a  much  more  advanced  age,  and  without 
any  more  fatting,  provided  they  have  been  well  fed, 
and  killed  at  a  proper  season ;  that  is,  when  they  are 
not  renewing  their  plumage,  and  are  in  the  larder 
hung  up  a  sufficient  time  before  cooking.  A  disregard 
to  these  points  has  probably  led  to  their  being  so  little 
appreciated  as  a  dainty  dish.  Pork,  in  the  dog  days, 
and  illegal  oysters,  might,  in  a  similar  manner,  give  a 
bad  repute  to  other  good  things,  did  we  not  manage  them 
better.  When  dressed  for  table,  they  should  be  larded 
over  the  breast,  covered  with  paper,  roasted  by  a  gentle 
fire,  and  served  with  brown  gravy,  exactly  like  par- 
tridges or  pheasants.  When  moulting,  extra  diet  and 
varieties  of  food,  including  hemp  seed  and  animal  sub- 
stances, are  most  desirable. 


THE    TAME    DUCK. 


ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY, 

It  would  be  curious  to  know  when  this  species  was  first  domesti- 
cated ;  but,  reader,  the  solution  of  such  a  question  is  a  task  on  which  I 
shall  not  venture. 

AUDUBON. 

IN  regard  to  the  origin  of  the  ordinary  farmyard 
duck,  but  one  leading  opinion  seems  to  have  prevailed 
in  all  the  compilations  from  Aldrovandi  down  to  Au- 
dubon,  that  it  is  nothing  more  than  the  tame  descend- 
ant of  the  common  wild  duck,  (Anas  boschas,)  of 
Europe,  or  the  old  English  mallard.  It  is  a  pity  to 
disturb  so  plausible  and  general  a  belief ;  but  an  at- 
tempt to  approximate  to  the  solution  of  Audubon's 
problem  "when  this  species  was  first  domesticated," 
has  raised  some  doubts  upon  the  subject,  which  it  is 
of  no  use  to  suppress.  One  thing,  however,  is  very 
certain — the  wild  breed  and  the  tame  will  freely  inter- 
mix, and  the  progeny  partake  rather  more  decidedly 
of  the  habits  and  manners  of  the  former,  than  of  the 
latter. 

There  are,  indeed,  many  points,  irrespective  of  the 
varied  colors  in  our  domestic  breeds,  in  which  the 
tame  and  wild  ducks  differ.  For  instance,  the  tame 
duck  is  polygamous,  but  the  wild  species  mates. 
Again,  the  feet  of  the  wild  duck  are  black  while  those 
of  the  tame  birds  are  flesh-colored  or  red. 


THE  TAME  DUCK.  191 


THE  WILD  DUCK. 

As  to  its  history,  one  thing,  I  think,  may  be  demon- 
strated, that  is,  that  the  date  of  its  first  appearance  in 
domestication  on  the  European  continent  is  not  very 
remote,  however  high  may  be  its  antiquity  in  India 
and  China.  In  pursuing  this  sort  of  inquiries,  which 
are  daily  becoming  more  interesting  and  more  impor- 
tant in  their  conclusions,  one  regrets  that  untranslated 
works  on  natural  history  or  farming,  (if  such  there  be,) 
in  the  oriental  languages,  are  sealed  records  to  almost 
every  one  who  has  the  leisure  to  make  use  of  their 
contents.  It  is  extremely  probable  that  great  light 
might  be  thrown  on  the  origin  and  history  of  our  do- 
mesticated animals  by  a  careful  inspection  of  such 
works.  As  it  is,  we  are  left  to  obtain  our  evidence 
from  imperfect  and  more  recent  traces,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  geology. 

If  the  swan  and  the  pelican  were  forbidden  to  the 
Israelites,  and  their  carcasses  to  be  held  in  abomination, 
(see  Leviticus,  xi.  18,)  the  duck  would  probably  be 
included  in  the  list  of  unclean  birds  ;  or,  rather,  we 
may,  without  violence,  suppose  that  the  Hebrew  words 
translated  "  swan"  and  "pelican,"  are  used  generi- 


192  THE    TAME    DUCK. 

cally  for   all  web-footed  fowls.     But,   as   Scott  says 
"  here  the  critics  find  abundance  of  work." 

I  have  already  alluded  to  the  artificial  incubation 
of  the  eggs  of  fowls  in  Egypt;  the  sarns  thing  occur* 
with  ducks'  eggs  in  China.  The  rearing  of  ducks  as 
well  as  pigs  there  is  a  matter  of  considerable  im- 
portance. Thousands  of  ducks  are  hatched  by  artificial 
warmth,  the  eggs  being  laid  in  boxes  of  sand,  which 
are  placed  on  a  brick  hearth,  a  proper  temperature 
being  maintained  around  them,  until  the  ducklings 
emerge  from  their  shells.  The  ducklings,  it  is  said, 
are  at  first  fed  with  cray  fish  and  crabs  boiled  and  cut 
small,  and  afterwards  mixed  with  boiled  rice.  In 
about  a  fortnight,  they  are  able  to  shift  for  themselves  ; 
they  are  then  provided  with  an  old  stepmother,  who 
leads  them  where  they  are  to  find  provender,  being 
first  put  on  board  a  "  sampan,"  or  boat  which  is  destined 
for  their  habitation,  and  from  which  the  whole  flock, 
300  or  400  in  number,  go  out  to  feed  and  return  at 
command.  This  method  is  used  nine  months  out  of 
the  twelve  ;  for,  in  the  colder  months,  it  does  not  suc- 
ceed, and  is  so  far  from  a  novelty  that  it  may  be  seen 
everywhere,  more  especially  about  the  time  of  cutting 
the  rice,  when  the  masters  of  the  duck  boats  row  up 
and  down  the  rivers,  according  to  the  opportunity  of 
procuring  food,  which,  during  that  season,  is  found  in 
plenty  at  the  ebb  of  the  tide  on  the  rice  plantations 
which  are  overflowed  at  high  water.  It  is  curious  to 
see  how  the  ducks  obey  their  master  ;  for,  some  thou- 
sands belonging  to  different  boats,  will  feed  upon  the 
same  spot,  and  on  a  signal  given,  follow  the  leader  to 
their  respective  crafts,  without  a  stranger  being  found 
among  them.  The  communication  between  the  bank 
and  the  boat,  is  by  means  of  a  narrow  plank ;  and 
it  is  stated  by  a  gentleman  long  resident  in  the  Ce- 
lestial Empire  that  the  first  duck  which  gains  the 
boat  is  ordinarily  rewarded  with  a  handful  of  rice, 
but  that  the  last  undergoes  a  smart  chastisement.  Of 
this  discipline,  the  birds  become,  from  its  repetition, 


THE    TAME    PUCK  193 

soon  aware,  hence  each  strives  to  be  foremost ;  one  un- 
fortunate must  of  course  be  the  last,  and  undergo  its 
punishment. 

Among  the  ancient  Egyptians,  ducks  were  in  great 
request,  and  Herodotus  informs  us  that  they  were 
eaten  salted,  without  any  other  preparation. 

"  G-oose  and  duck  painting,  seems  to  have  been  a 
favorite  subject  among  the  Egyptians.  In  Rosellini's 
plates,  (No.  iv.  M.  C.,)  there  is  a  picture  from  a  tomb 
at  Thebes,  which  represents  a  continuous  subject ;  it 
lies  in  one  compartment,  and  is  read  from  right  to  left. 
On  the  extreme  right,  four  men  are  pulling  a  long  rope 
attached  to  a  net,  in  which  a  num  ber  of  birds,  appa- 
rently ducks,  are  caught  upon  a  lake  or  some  water; 
a  fifth  man,  a  little  in  advance  of  the  four,  has  also 
hold  of  the  rope,  and  seems  to  be  giving  a  signal  to  the 
rest,  while  a  man  hid  among  some  plants,  (papyri  ?) 
appears  to  be  giving  a  signal  and  recommending  care 
and  silence.  Further  on  the  left,  are  two  men  carry- 
ing the  ducks  on  their  shoulders,  and  a  little  further, 
a  man  putting  them  into  earthern  vessels,  formed  like 
Roman  amphorce,  after  the  feathers  have  been  plucked 
and  the  legs  cut  off,  the  heads  of  the  ducks  were  kept 
on,  and  in  this  state  they  seemed  to  have  been  put 
into  the  amphorce,  probably  containing  salt  or  pickle. 
In  the  extreme  left  of  the  picture,  two  men  are  seated, 
one  of  whom  seems  as  if  he  were  rubbing  something 
into  a  duck  ;  one  hand  is  closed  as  it  would  be  if  it 
were  full  of  salt,  and  with  the  other  he  is  raising  one 
of  the  wings,  apparently  for  the  purpose  of  rubbing  in 
the  salt.  The  other  figure  appears  to  us  to  be  pluck- 
ing the  feathers  off  the  neck  of  a  duck  ;  but  Rosellini 
describes  him  as  sprinkling  a  handful  of  salt  upon  it. 
These  two  seated  figures  are  placed  near  a  frame  work, 
formed  by  two  upright  poles  and  a  third  placed  across. 
From  this  cross  poll,  the  geese,  which  are  plucked  and 
ready  for  the  amphorse,  are  suspended  by  the  neck. 
This  painting,  according  to  Rosellini,  is  on  the  tomb 
of  a  royal  scribe  called  Titi,  who  exorcised  his  art  in 
9 


104 


THE    TAME    DUCK. 


the  reigns  of  Thutmes  IV.  and  of  Ameno  II.,  in  the 
beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  before  the  Chris- 
tian era,  and  hence,  if  Rosellini's  interpretation  of  the 
inscriptions  is  right,  the  picture  is  3,600  years  old." 

In  other  delineations  of  the  same  work,  ponds 
in  gardens,  with  tame  ducks,  geese,  and  fishes,  sur- 
rounded by  fruit  trees,  are  presented.  It  is  somewhat 
remarkable,  that,  esteemed  as  the  duck  was  by  the  an- 
cient Egyptians,  neither  this  bird  in  a  tame  state,  nor 
the  goose,  though  wild  fowls  are  abundant,  is  to  be  seen 
as  of  extraordinary  occurrence  in  the  villages  ;  the  same 
observation  applies  to  Syria,  and  also  to  Persia  and 
"Western  Asia  in  general.  These  aquatic  birds  are 
rarely  eaten  by  the  Moslems ;  and,  as  there  is  every 
reason  to  believe,  were  rejected  by  the  ancient  He- 
brews. The  wild  duck  abounds  in  Syria  and  other 
parts  of  Western  Asia,  where  marshes  and  lakes  afford 
it  a  congenial  habitation.  Wild  fowls  swarm  also  on 
the  lake  t)f  Tiberias. 

It  may  be  shown,  however  from  negative  evidence, 
that  the  Romans  at  the  time  of  our  Saviour,  and  sub- 
sequently, were  not  acquainted  with  the  domesticated 
duck.  I  can  find  no  passage  plainly  declaring  that 
they  were,  but  many  implying  that  they  were  not. 

Columella,  after  having  given  directions  for  the 
rearing  of  geese,  which,  with  one  or  two  laughable 
exceptions,  are  more  sensible  and  practical  than  are  to 
be  found  in  modern  works,  proceeds  to  offer  instruc- 
tions for  making  the  nessotrophion,  or  duckery.  He 
speaks  of  it  as  a  matter  of  curiosity  rather  than  profit ; 
"  for  ducks,  teal,  mallard,  phalerides,"  says  he,  "  and 
such  like  birds,  are  fed  in  confinement."  Then  it  is 
to  be  surrounded  with  a  wall  fifteen  feet  high,  and 
roofed  with  netting,  in  order  "that  the  domestic  birds 
may  have  no  power  of  flying  out,  nor  eagles  and 
hawks  of  flying  in."  His  mcde  of  increasing  his  stock 
shows  that  ducks  had  not  at  that  time  become  natu- 
ralised as  prolific  inmates  of  the  Roman  poultry  yards. 
*-*  When  any  one  is  desirou«  of  establishing  a  duckery," 


THE    TAME    DUCK.  195 

continues  he,  "it  is  a  /ery  old  mode  to  collect  the 
eggs  of  the  above-mentioned  birds,  (such  as  teal,  mal- 
lard, &c.,)  and  to  place  them  under  common  hens; 
for  the  young  thus  hatched  and  reared,  cast  off  their 
wild  tempers,  and  undoubtedly  breed,  when  confined 
in  menageries.  For  if  it  is  your  plan  to  place  fresh- 
caught  birds  that  are  accustomed  to  a  free  mode  ot 
life  in  captivity,  they  will  be  but  slow  breeders  in  a 
state  of  bondage." 

Cicero  also  speaks  of  hatching  ducks'  eggs  under 
hens,  (De  Natura  Deorum,  II.,)  but  there  is  nothing 
in  the  passage  from  which  to  infer  that  those  ducks 
were  domesticated,  but  rather  the  contrary  ;  as  he  re- 
marks how  soon  they  abandon  their  foster  mother  and 
shift  for  themselves. 

Pliny  describes  the  flight  of  ducks,  as  rising  imme- 
diately from  the  water  into  the  higher  regions  of  the 
atmosphere  ;  a  performance  that  would  make  our  duck 
keepers  uneasy.  The  very  little  mention  that  he 
makes  of  ducks  at  all,  shows  that  he  did  not  habitually 
see  them  in  domestication. 

"  Suppose  it,  however,  to  be  proved,"  says  Dixon, 
"that  the  tame  duck  is  a  comparative  novelty  in  the 
West,  it  by  no  means  follows  that  it  is  so  on  the  Asi- 
atic continent  and  islands,  nor,  as  a  corollary,  that  it 
is  a  tamed  descendant  of  our  mallard.  If  the  skele- 
tons of  one  and  the  other  were  placed  side  by  side,  it 
would  require,  not  a  skillful  comparative  anatomist, 
but  only  an  observant  sportsman,  or  even  an  ordinary 
cook,  to  point  out  which  was  which.*  Nor  has  suffi- 
cient weight  been  attached  to  the  circumstance  of  one 
bird  being  polygamous,  and  the  other  monogamous." 
When  I  come  to  speak  of  the  domestic  goose,  it  will 
be  seen  how  little  such  a  difference  is  likely  to  be  the 
result  of  domestication.  Let  us  not  forget,  too,  that 
the  domestication  of  wild  races  is  an  art  that  demands 
quiet,  peace,  patience,  and  superabundance,  not  merely 

* "  You  need  not  be  at  a  loss  to  know  a  wild  duck.    The    claws  in  the  wUd 
species  are  black— COL.  HAWKER 


196 

for  its  successful  issue,  but  for  its  being  exercised  at 
all,  and  was  little  likely  to  be  much  practised  by  any 
European  nation,  in  the  interva*  between  the  fall  of 
the  Roman  Empire  and  the  present  day,  with  a  crea- 
ture that  required  a  course  of  generations  to  reclaim 
it.  I  am  inclined,  therefore,  to  consider  the  race  of 
farmyard  ducks  as  an  importation,  through  whatever 
channel,  from  the  East,  and  to  point  out  the  discovery 
of  the  passage  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  (1493,)  as 
the  approximate  date.  The  early  voyagers  speak  of 
finding  them  in  the  East  Indies  exactly  similar  to 
ours  ;  and  the  transmission  of  a  few  pairs  would  be  a 
much  easier  task  than  to  subdue  the  shyness  and 
wildness  of  the  wild  mallard,  and  induce  an  alteration 
in  its  bony  structure. 

The  mallard,  though  not  gone,  is  fast  diminishing 
as  a  permanent  inhabitant  of  England  ;  the  tame  duok, 
so  much  larger  and  heavier,  if  its  descendant,  can 
hardly  be  called  a  degenerate  one.  The  mallard  is 
very  widely  diffused  over  the  continental  part  both  of 
the  Old  and  the  New  World,  and  therefore  its  supposed 
adaptation  to  domestic  life  is  as  likely  to  have  occur- 
red in  Asia  as  in  Europe.  Its  dislike  to  salt  water 
has  made  it  less  cosmopolitan  among  the  islands. 
Dampier,  in  his  "Voyages,"  repeatedly  mentions  that  in 
the  East  Indies,  "the  tame  fowls  are  ducks  and  dung- 
hill fowls,  both  in  great  plenty  ;  he  does  not  describe 
the  ducks,  except  as  "  the  same  with  ours."  He  was 
doubtless  correct  in  believing  them  to  be  the  same  ; 
although  we  know  that  the  old  travellers,  and  many 
of  the  modern  emigrants,  are  not  very  precise  in  their 
zoology,  and  indeed  might  sometimes  be  excusably 
puzzled.  For  instance,  when  Captain  Wallis,  soon 
after  he  had  discovered  Otaheite,  saw  animals  lying 
on  the  shore  with  their  fore  feet  growing  behind  their 
heads,  rising  every  now  and  then,  and  running  a  little 
way  in  an  erect  posture  ;  he  was  naturally  incited 
with  curiosity  to  inspect  them  more  closely  ;  and  after- 
wards found  that  they  were  dogs  with  their  fore  legs 


THE    TAME    DUCK,  197 

tied  behind  them,  brought  down  by  the  natives  as  a 
peace-offering  and  a  festival  dish. 

One  of  the  most  valid  arguments  in  favor  of  the  de- 
rivation of  the  tame  duck  from  the  mallard,  is  to  be 
found  in  the  readiness  with  which  the  former  returns 
to  a  wild  or  a  half-wild  state.  In  Norfolk,  England, 
there  is  a  breed  called  "marsh  ducks,"  more  from 
their  habits  and  place  of  birth  than  from  any  peculiar- 
ity of  race.  They  are  mostly  of  plumage  generally 
similar  to  the  mallard,  though  an  ornithologist  would 
immediately  distinguish  them  ;  their  size  and  the 
firmness  of  their  bones  are  intermediate  between  the 
wild  bird  and  the  common  farmyard  duck.  They  are 
turned  out  on  the  marshes  to  forage  for  themselves  ; 
indeed,  it  would  be  next  to  impossible  to  keep  them 
at  home  ;  and  of  the  number  which  are  annually  lost 
to  their  masters,  it  would  seem  likely  that  quite  as 
many  assume  an  independent  condition,  as  are  killed 
by  birds,  beasts,  or  men,  of  prey ;  but  still  they  do 
not  appear  to  be  ever  found  actually  and  entirely  wild. 

CHOICE  OF   VARIETIES. 

THE  variety,  at  present,  most  in  request,  is  the 
"  dark-colored  Rouen,  or  Rhone  duck,"  originally  from 
France,  but  common  both  in  England  and  in  this 
country.  The  "  English,"  or  "  Aylesbury"  white  va- 
riety, though  handsome  and  strong,  is  inferior  in  fla- 
vor, the  flesh  being  too  light-colored  and  "  chickeny," 
as  it  is  termed.  Great  numbers  of  these  fowls,  how- 
ever, are  fattened  in  Buckinghamshire,  England,  for 
the  London  markets,  where,  in  consequence  of  their 
large  size,  they  command  high  prices.  There  is 
also  the  "  crested,"  or  "  topknot  duck,"  a  beautiful 
ornamental  tame  variety,  which  breeds  early,  lays 
freely,  and  hatches  well.  They  occur  pure  white, 
black,  or  mixed  with  black  and  white.  Then  there  is 
the  "  musk"  or  "  Muscovy"  duck,  which,  from  its 
large  size,  and  peculiar  habits,  demands  a  more  ex- 
tended notice. 


198  THE    TAME    DUCK 


THE    MUSK    DUCK. 

S — Jlnas  moschata,  of  Linnaeus  ;  Jlnas  sylves 
of  Ray  ;  Cane  musquee,  of  the  French  ;  bisamduftend  Ente,  of  the  Ger- 
mans ;  Pata  real,  Pata  grunde,  Pata  almisclada,  of  the  Spaniards ; 
Musk  Duck,  Muscovy  Duck,  of  the  English  and  Anglo-Americans. 

The  musk  duck,  so  termed  from  the  strong  scent  of 
musk  which  its  skin  exhales,  is  undoubtedly  the  type 
of  a  genus  very  distinct  from  that  of  the  common  kind. 
In  this  species,  the  feathers  are  large,  lax,  and  powdery, 
the  cheeks,  are  extensively  naked,  and  the  base  of  the 
bill  is  carunculated.  This  duck  greatly  exceeds  the 
ordinary  kind  in  size,  and  the  male  is  far  larger  than 
the  female.  The  general  color  is  glossy  blue-black, 
varied  more  or  less  with  white,  the  head  is  crested, 
and  a  scarlet  fleshy  space  surrounds  the  eye,  contin- 
ued from  scarlet  caruncles  at  the  base  of  the  beak. 
Tail  destitute  of  the  curled  feathers  so  conspicuous  in 
the  tail  of  the  common  drake.  In  a  wild  state,  the 
drake  is  of  a  brownish-black,  with  a  broad  white  patch 
on  the  wings,  the  female  being  smaller  and  more  ob- 
scurely colored.  But  in  a  state  of  domestication,  it 
exhibits  every  variety  of  color,  like  the  common  duck. 

The  tropical  regions  of  South  America  are  the  na- 
tive country  of  the  musk  duck,  which  may  account 
for  its  dislike  to  a  cold  bath  in  our  northern  climate. 
Its  frizzled  crest  is  analogous  to  that  of  some  curas- 
sows,  natives  of  the  same  continent.  It  is  fond  of 
warmth,  passing  the  night,  at  the  north,  not  in  the  open 
air,  but  in  the  fowl  house  with  the  cock  and  hens ; 


THE    TAME    DUCK.  199 

and  selecting  by  day,  the  most  sunny  corner  to  bask 
and  doze  in. 

"  Can  a  duck  swim  ?"  is  a  pert  question  sometimes 
asked  with,  little  expectation  of  an  answer  in  the  neg- 
ative. Here,  however,  is  a  duck,  which,  if  it  can 
swim,  performs  that  action  in  such  a  clumsy  way  as 
hardly  to  deserve  the  name  of  swimming.  Those  who 
expect  that  its  singular  appearance  would  render  it  a 
curious,  if  not  an  elegant  companion,  among  our  more 
attractive  ducks  will  be  disappointed  ;  for  it  will  nev- 
er go  near  the  water,  if  it  can  help  it,  but  will  prefer 
the  farm  yard,  the  precincts  of  the  kitchen,  or  even 
the  piggery  itself,  to  the  clearest  stream  that  ever 
flowed.  In  fact,  it  hates  water,  except  some  dirty 
puddle  to  drink  and  drabble  in.  When  thrown  into  a 
pond,  it  gets  out  again  as  fast  as  it  can.  It  does,  in- 
deed, sometimes  seem  to  enjoy  an  occasional  bath, 
and  so  does  a  sparrow  or  a  Canary  bird.  Its  very 
short  leg  does  not  appear  to  be  mechanically  adapted 
for  the  purpose  of  swimming.  It  waddles  on  the  sur- 
face of  a  pond  as  much  as  it  does  on  dry  land  ;  it  is 
evidently  out  of  its  place  in  either  situation.  Its  pro- 
per mode  of  locomotion  is  through  the  air  ;  its  congenial 
haunts  are  among  the  branches  of  trees. 

The  female  of  the  musk  duck  has  considerable  pow- 
ers of  flight,  and  is  easy  and  self-possessed  in  the  use 
of  its  wings.  It  is  fond  of  perching  on  the  tops  of 
barns,  walls,  &c.  Its  feet  appear  by  their  form  to  be 
more  adapted  to  such  purposes  than  those  of  most 
other  ducks.  If  allowed  to  spend  the  night  in  the 
hen  house,  the  female  will  generally  go  to  roost  by 
the  side  of  the  hens,  but  the  drake  is  too  heavy  to  mount 
thither  with  ease.  His  claws  are  sharp  and  long  ;  and 
he  approaches  the  tribe  of  "  scratchers,"  (rasores, ) 
in  an  un-scientific  sense,  being  almost  as  dangerous  to 
handle  incautiously  as  an  ill-tempered  cat ;  and  will 
occasionally  adopt  a  still  more  offensive  and  scarcely 
describable  means  of  annoyance.  He  manifests  little 
affection  to  his  femab  partner,  and  none  towards  her 


200  THE    TAME    DUCK 

offspring.  The  possession  of  three  or  four  mates  suits 
him  and  them,  better  than  to  be  confined  to  the  com- 
pany of  a  single  one.  He  bullies  other  fowls,  some- 
times by  pulling  their  feathers,  but  more  frequently 
by  following  them  close,  and  repeatedly  thrusting  his 
face  in  their  way,  with  an  offensive  and  satyr-like  ex- 
pression of  countenance ;  or  salaciously  pursuing 
them,  whether  male  or  female,  until  he  has  accom- 
plished .his  purpose,  or  at  least  has  made  an  attempt. 

The  musk  duck,  though  a  voracious  feeder,  is  easily 
fattened,  a  prolific  breeder,  and  consequently,  may  be 
profitably  reared.  The  male  pairs  readily  with  the 
common  tame  duck,  producing,  by  the  cross,  a  hybrid, 
or  mongrel,  which  is  incapable  of  "breeding  in  a  line." 
The  female,  however,  will  pair  with  the  common  drake 
and  produce  a  good  sort.  The  hybrid  generally  has  a 
deep-green  plumage,  and  is  destitute  of  the  red  car- 
uncled  membrane  on  the  cheeks,  as  well  as  of  the 
musky  odor  of  the  gland  on  the  rump. 

Her  eggs  are  scarcely  distinguishable  from  those  of 
the  common  duck  ;  they  are  well  flavored.  The  time 
of  incubation  is  five  weeks  ;  but  in  all  birds  that  I 
have  observed,  the  duration  of  that  period  varies  so 
much  according  to  circumstances,  that  a  mean  of 
many  observations  must  be  taken  to  arrive  at  a  correct 
standard.  The  time  required  by  the  hybrid  eggs  be- 
tween this  and  the  common  duck,  is  intermediate 
between  the  respective  periods. 

The  newly-hatched  young  resemble  those  of  the 
common  tame  duck  ;  they  are  covered  with  down,  the 
shades  of  which  indicate  the  color  of  the  future  feath- 
ers ;  and  they  do  not  for  some  time  show  any  appear- 
ance of  the  tuberculated  face.  They  are  delicate,  and 
require  some  care  while  young,  but  are  quite  hardy 
when  full  grown.  Their  food  should  be  anything  that 
is  nutritious,  both  plenty  and  a  variety  of  it. 

The  musk  duck  is  excellent  eating,  if  killed  just  be- 
fore it  is  fully  fledged  ;  but  it  is  longer  in  becoming  fit 


THE    TAME    DUCK,  201 

for  the  table  than  the  common  duck.  The  flesh  is 
at  first  high-flavored  and  tender,  but  an  old  bird  would 
be  rank,  and  the  toughest  of  tough  meats.  It  is 
strange  that  a  dish  should  now  be  so  much  out  of 
fashion  as  scarcely  ever  to  be  seen  or  tasted,  which, 
under  the  name  of  Gruinea  duck,  graced  every  feast 
in  England  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  and  added 
dignity  to  every  table  at  which  it  was  produced. 

RANGE  AND  DOMESTIC  ACCOMMODATION  OF  THE  COMMON 
TAME  DUCK. 

IT  is  not  in  all  situations  that  common  ducks  can 
be  kept  with  advantage ;  they  require  water  much 
more,  even,  than  the  goose ;  they  are  no  grazers,  yet 
they  are  hearty  feeders,  and  excellent  "  snappers-up 
of  unconsidered  trifles;"  nothing  comes  amiss  to  them — 
green  vegetables,  especially  when  boiled,  the  rejecta- 
menta of  the  kitchen,  meal  of  all  sorts  made  into  a 
paste,  grains,  bread,  oatcake,  animal  substances, 
worms,  slugs,  and  crushed  snails,  insects  and  their 
larvae,  are  all  accepted  with  eagerness.  Their  appe- 
tite is  not  fastidious ;  in  fact,  to  parody  the  line  of  a 
song,  "  they  eat  all  that  is  luscious,  eat  all  that  they 
can,"  and  seem  to  be  determined  to  reward  their  own- 
er by  keeping  themselves  in  first-rate  condition  if  the 
chance  of  so  doing  is  afforded  them.  They  never  need 
cramming — -give  them  enough,  and  they  will  cram 
themselves ;  yet  they  have  their  requirements,  and 
ways  of  their  own.  which  must  be  conceded.  Con- 
finement will  not  do  for  them  ;  a  paddock,  a  pasture, 
an  orchard,  a  green  lane,  and  a  pond ;  a  farm  yard, 
with  barns,  and  water,  a  common,  smooth  and  level, 
with  a  sheet  of  water,  and  nice  ditches,  abounding  in 
the  season  with  tadpoles  and  the  larvae  of  aquatic  in- 
sects, are  the  localities  in 'which  the  duck  delights, 
and  in  such  are  they  kept  at  little  expense.  They  trav- 
erse the  green  sward  in  Indian  file,  (an  instinctive 
habit,)  and  thus  return  at  evening  to  their  dormitory, 


202  THE    TAME    DUCK. 

or  emerge  from  it  to  the  edge  of  the  pond,  cr  sheet  of 
water,  over  which  they  scatter  themselves  ;  thus  also, 
they  come  to  the  call  of  their  feeder. 

Ducks  should  always  have  a  lodging-place  of  their 
own,  they  should  be  separate  from  fowls,  and  never 
housed  beneath  their  perches  ;  yet  where  fowls  are 
kept,  a  little  contrivance  will  suffice  to  make  their 
berth,  even  in  a  fowl  house,  tolerably  comfortable.  In 
winter,  a  thin  bedding  of  straw,  rushes,  or  fern  leaves 
should  be  placed  on  the  floor  of  their  dormitory,  and 
frequently  changed. 

As  respects  the  accommodation  of  the  tame  duck, 
Mascall  says,  "  Yee  must  make  a  ponde  of  two  feeie 
deepe,  so  long  and  wyde  as  the  place  will  serve,  and 
that  the  water  there  may  run  full  continuallye  to  the 
brimme  thereof,  that  the  bankes  may  not  be  marde, 
and  also  made  with  plaister,  and  cimmond,  (cement  ?) 
in  the  bottom,  and  all  about  the  sydes  paved  with 
smooth  stone,  that  no  weedes  do  grow  therein,  but 
that  the  fowle  may  have  clear  water  still  run  thorow. 
And  in  the  midst  yee  shall  make  a  mount  of  earth, 
and  thereon  sowe  beannes  of  Egypt,  and  such  other 
green  herbes  as  commonly  comes  in  water,  to  cover 
and  hyde  those  fowle  therein ;  for  some  of  them  loves 
to  be  hid  in  tuftes  of  grasse,  roses,  (rushes  ?)  sedge, 
and  such  ;  notwithstanding,  yee  muste  not  cover  their 
holes,  for  the  water  must  be  once  in  the  day  without 
weedes." 

Where  there  is  much  extent  of  water  or  shrubbery, 
within  the  range  of  ducks,  they  are  liable  to  lay  and 
sit  abroad,  unless  they  are  constantly  looked  after,  and 
driven  home  at  night,  and  provided  with  proper  shelter 
or  pens.  These  may  be  made  of  rough  boards,  or  of 
rustic  work,  thatched  with  straw,  as  denoted  in  the 
following  cut.  They  may  also  be  made  after  the  mode 
of  the  poultry  house,  at  p.  86. 


THE  TAME  DUCK.  203 


DUCK  POND  AND  HOUSES. 

The  internal  arrangement  of  these  houses  may  vary, 
according  to  the  means  and  taste  of  the  proprietor,  only 
providing  the  ducks  with  nests  or  nest  boxes,  in  order 
that  they  may  lay  and  incubate  undisturbed,  and 
affording  proper  protection  for  the  young. 

PAIRING  AND  LAYING. 

ONE  drake,  according  to  M.  Parmentier,  is  sufficient 
for  eight  or  ten  ducks,  while  Columella  limits  the 
number  of  ducks  to  six  ;  and  others  to  four  or  five. 
They  begin  to  lay  towards  the  end  of  February,  and 
sometimes  earlier,  but  so  far  from  producing  the  lim- 
ited number  of  about  sixteen  eggs,  some  will  lay  as 
many  as  fifty,  and  even  nearly  double  that  number. 
They  do  not,  usually  continue  to  lay,  however,  later 
than  May  or  June,  unless  they  are  very  well  fed — the 
great  secret  for  rendering  them  prolific,  provided  they 
do  not  become  too  fat. 

At  the  laying  season,  ducks  require  to  be  closely 
looked  after,  inasmuch  as  they  are  not  so  easily  brought 
to  lay  in  the  nests  prepared  for  them  as  common  fowls  ; 
but  will  stray  away  to  hedges  and  other  by-places  to 
lay,  and  will  even  sometimes  drop  their  eggs  in  the 
water.  When  they  succeed  in  laying  oat  their  num- 


204  THE    TAME    DUCK. 

ber  of  eggs  without  their  nest  being  discovered,  they 
will  hatch  them,  and  not  make  their  appearance  till 
they  bring  their  young  family  home  to  the  yard,  ex- 
cept in  raw,  cold  weather.  As  ducks  usually  lay  either 
at  night,  or  very  early  in  the  morning,  it  is  a  good 
way  to  secure  their  eggs,  to  confine  them  during  the 
period  when  they  must  lay,  a  circumstance  easily  as- 
certained by  feeling  the  vent. 

It  will  accordingly  be  requisite  at  the  approach  of 
the  laying  season,  in  spring,  to  give  them  food  in  a 
particular  place  three  or  four  times  a-day,  to  prevent 
them  from  wandering,  and  when  once  they  can  be 
got  to  lay  in  a  nest  prepared  for  them,  they  will  prob- 
ably continue  to  do  so,  without  laying  elsewhere. 

The  eggs  of  the  duck  are  readily  known  from  those 
of  the  common  fowl  by  their  bluish  color  and  larger 
size,  the  shell  being  smoother,  not  so  thick,  and  with 
much  fewer  pores.  When  boiled,  the  white  is  never 
curdy  like  that  of  a  new-laid  hen's  egg,  but  transpa- 
rent and  glassy,  while  the  yolk  is  much  darker  in 
color.  The  flavor  is  by  no  means  so  delicate.  For 
omelets,  however,  as  well  as  for  puddings  and  pastry, 
duck  eggs  are  much  better  than  hens'  eggs,  .giving  a 
finer  color  and  flavor,  and  requiring  less  butter. 

INCUBATION. 

THE  tame  duck  is  not  naturally  disposed  to  incubate, 
but  in  order  to  induce  her  to  do  so,  towards  the  end  of 
laying,  two  or  three  other  eggs  may  be  left  in  each 
nest,  taking  care  every  morning  to  take  away  the 
oldest  laid,  that  they  may  not  be  spoiled.  From  eight 
to  ten  eggs  may  be  given,  according  to  the  size  of  the 
duck,  and  her  ability  to  cover  them,  taking  particular 
care  not  to  sprinkle  them  with  cold  water,  as  some 
authors  wrongly  advise.  This  precaution,  at  the  best, 
is  superfluous,  if  it  be  not  hurtful.  The  duck  requires 
some  care  when  she  sits ;  for  as  she  cannot  go  to  her 
food,  attention  must  be  paid  to  place  it  before  her  ; 
and  she  will  *>«  content  w'th  it,  whatever  he  its  qual- 


THE    TAME    DUCK.  205 

ity ;  it  has  even  been  remarked,  that  when  ducks  are 
too  well  fed,  they  will  not  sit  well.  The  period  of  in- 
cubation is  about  thirty  days,  which  is  somewhat  lon- 
ger than  that  of  the  wild  species. 

The  first  broods  of  the  season  are  usually  the  best, 
because  the-  heat  of  summer  helps  much  to  strengthen 
the  ducklings ;  the  cold  always  preventing  the  later 
broods  from  getting  strong. 

The  duck  is  apt  to  let  her  eggs  get  cold,  when  she 
hatches.  Yet  Reaumur  says,  he  had  one  of  the  com- 
mon species,  which  only  left  the  nest  once  a  day, 
towards  eight  or  nine  in  the  morning ;  and  before  leav- 
ing it,  covered  the  eggs  over  with  a  layer  of  straw, 
which  she  drew  from  the  body  of  the  nest,  to  screen 
them  from  the  impression  of  the  air.  This  layer, 
above  an  inch  thick,  secured  the  eggs  so  well,  that 
it  was  impossible  to  guess  that  they  were  there.  But, 
every  duck  is  far  from  giving  the  same  proofs  of  so 
much  foresight  for  the  preservation  of  the  warmth  of 
the  eggs,  as  this  one  was,  and  it  often  happens  that 
they  let  them  cool.  The  ducklings  are  no  sooner  ex- 
cluded, than  the  mother  takes  them  to  the  water, 
where  they  dabble  and  eat  at  the  very  first,  and  many 
of  them  perish,  if  the  weather  is  cold. 

AU  these  reasons  often  induce  poultry  keepers  to 
have  ducks'  eggs  hatched  by  hens  or  turkey  hens  ; 
and  being  more  assiduous  than  ducks,  these  borrowed 
mothers  take  an  affection  for  the  young,  to  watch 
over,  which  requires  great  attention  ;  because,  as  these 
are  unable  to  accompany  them  on  the  water,  for  which 
they  show  the  greatest  propensity  as  soon  as  they  are 
excluded,  they  follow  the  mother  hen  on  dry  land,  and 
get  a  little  hardy  before  they  are  allowed  to  take  to 
the  water  without  any  guide.  Yet,  they  can  do  with- 
out a  mother  as  soon  as  they  are  excluded  from  the 
shell. 

REARING-  AND  FEEDING  THE  YOUNG-. 

THE  best  mode  of  rearing  ducklings  depends  very 
much  upon  the  situation  in  which  they  are  hatched. 


203 


THE    TAMK    DFCK. 


For  the  first  month,  the  confinement  of  their  mother, 
under  a  coop  is  better  than  too  much  liberty.  All 
kinds  of  sopped  food,  buckwheat  flour,  Indian  or 
barley  meal  and  water  mixed  thin,  worms,  &c.,  suit 
them.  No  people  are  more  successful  than  cottagers, 
who  keep  them  for  the  first  period  of  their  existence 
in  pens  two  or  three  yards  square,  cramming  them 
night  and  morning  with  dried  pellets  of  flour  and 
water,  or  egg  and  flour,  till  they  are  judged  old  enough 
to  be  turned  out  with  their  mother  to  forage  on  the 
common  or  the  village  pond. 

"When  ducklings  have  been  hatched  under  a  com- 
mon hen,  or  a  turkey  hen,  they  are  not  generally 
allowed  to  go  to  the  water  till  they  become  a  little 
hardy,  by  remaining  on  land  ;  but  the  moment  they 
see  water,  they  naturally  plunge  into  it,  to  the  great 
alarm  of  their  foster  mother,  which  cannot  follow  them ; 
a  circumstance  which  has  been  remarked  by  the  earli- 
est writers,  and  is  finely  depicted  by  M.  Rosset  in  his 
"  Poeme  de  1' Agriculture." 

It  is  necessary,  to  prevent  accidents,  to  take  care 
that  such  ducklings  come  regularly  home  every  eve- 
ning ;  but  precautions  must  be  taken  before  they  are 
permitted  to  mingle  with  the  old  ducks,  lest  the  latter 
ill-treat  and  kill  them,  though  ducks  are  by  no  means 
so  pugnacious  and  jealous  of  new-comers  as  common 
fowls  uniformly  are. 

FATTENING. 

ACCORDING  to  Grervase  Markham,  pulse,  or  any  kind 
of  grain,  will  fatten  ducks  or  ducklings  in  a  fortnight  ; 
but  if  he  had  tried  this,  he  would  have  found  that  his 
receipt  was  not  always  successful. 

Lawrence  says  that  butchers'  offal  is  excellent  for 
fattening  ducks,  as  it  does  not  give  the  flesh  the  rank, 
disagreeable  flavor  which  it  always  imparts  to  pork. 
Acorns,  on  the  contrary,  while  they  are  good  for  fat- 
tening, injure  the  flavor  of  the  flesh,  and  barley  in 


THE    TAME    DUCK.  207 

any  form  is  apt  to  render  the  flesh  insjpid,  and  woolly, 
or,  as  it  is  termed,  "  chickeny." 

As  the  duck  is  both  a  voracious  feeder  and  fond  of 
liberty,  it  will  fatten  very  well  when  allowed  to  roam 
about,  provided  it  has  abundance  of  food ;  but  it  ex- 
pedites the  process  of  fattening,  to  have  recourse  to 
coops,  quiet,  and  darkness. 

In  Lower  Normandy,  where  great  numbers  of  ducks 
are  reared  and  fattened,  the  poulterer  prepares  a  paste 
with  the  flour  of  buckwheat,  made  into  gobbets,  with 
which  they  are  crammed  thrice  a-day,  for  eight  or  ten 
days,  when,  though  not  full  fat,  they  are  sufficiently 
marketable  to  bring  a  remunerating  price. 

In  Languedoc,  when  ducks  have  been  rendered  tol- 
erably fat  by  being  at  large,  they  are  cooped  up  by 
eights  or  tens  in  a  dark  place,  whence  thpy  are  taken 
out  morning  and  evening  to  be  crammed.  This  is 
done  by  a  girl,  who  crosses  their  wings  on  her  knees, 
opens  their  bill  with  her  left  hand,  while  with  her 
right  she  stuffs  them  with  boiled  maize.  Many  ducks 
are  suffocated  by  the  operation,  and  killed  outright, 
but  their  flesh  is  not  the  worse  for  the  table,  provided 
that  they  be  immediately  bled.  It  requires  a  fortnight 
to  complete  the  process,  which  increases  the  size  of 
their  liver  enormously,  and  oppresses  their  breathing 
in  a  distressing  manner.  The  sign  of  their  being  suf- 
ficiently fat  is,  when  the  tail  opens  like  a  fan,  from  the 
fat  pressing  on  the  roots  of  the  feathers. 


THE  DOMESTIC  GOOSE. 


ORIGIN  AND  HISTORY. 


A  team  of  twenty  geese,  a  snow-white  train ! 
Fed  near  the  limpid  lake  with  golden  grain, 
Amuse  my  pensive  hours. 

POPE. 


THE  domestication  of  the  common  goose,  like  that 
of  the  domestic  fowl,  hides  itself,  as  we  pursue  it,  in 
the  remotest  depths,  and  obscurest  mists  of  ancient  his- 
tory. It  has  already  been  hinted  that,  by  the  Hebrews, 
as  by  many  modern  naturalists,  it  would  probably  be 
classed  generically  with  the  swan,  and  so  be  included 
in  their  list  of  unclean  birds.  Among  the  Greeks  and 
Romans,  it  seems  to  have  been  the  only  really  domesti- 
cated water  fowl  they  possessed ;  and  appears  to  have 
held  exactly  the  same  place  in  their  esteem,  that  it  still 
retains  with  us,  after  the  lapse  of  two  or  three  thous- 
and years  !  Indeed,  a  modern  writer  may  escape  great 
part  of  the  trouble  of  composing  the  natural  history  of 
the  domestic  goose,  if  he  will  only  collect  the  materials 
that  are  scattered  amongst  ancient  authors.  A  very 
early  notice  of  them  occurs  in  Homer.  Penelope,  re- 
lating her  dream,  says,  "  I  have  twenty  geese  at 
home,  that  eat  wheat  out  of  water,  and  I  am  delighted 
to  look  at  them." 

The  alarm  given  at  the  approach  of  the  army  of  the 


THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE.  209 

Gran  Is  by  the  geese  kept  in  the  capitol  of  Rome,  oc- 
curred so  long  back  as  A.  u.  c.  365,  or  388  years  before 
Christ.  The  passage  is  worth  extracting — 

"  Thus  they  were  employed  at  Veii,  whilst,  in  the 
mean  time,  the  citadel  and  capi^ol  in  Rome  were  in 
utmost  danger.  The  Grauls  either  perceived  the  track 
of  a  human  foot,  where  the  messenger  from  Yeii  had 
passed,  or,  from  their  own  observation,  had  remarked 
the  easy  ascent  at  the  rock  of  Carmentis  ;  on  a  moon- 
light night,  therefore,  having  first  sent  forward  a  per- 
son unarmed  to  make  trial  of  the  way,  handing  their 
arms  to  those  before  them  ;  when  any  difficulty  oc- 
curred, supporting  and  supported  in  turns,  and  draw- 
ing each  other  up  according  as  the  ground  required, 
they  climbed  to  the  summit  in  such  silence,  that  they 
not  only  escaped  the  notice  of  the  guards,  but  did  not 
even  alarm  the  dogs,  animals  particularly  watchful 
with  regard  to  any  noise  at  night.  They  were  not  un- 
perceived,  however,  by  some  geese,  which  being  sacred 
to  Juno,  the  people  had  spared,  even  in  the  present  great 
scarcity  of  food  ;  a  circumstance  to  which  they  owed 
their  preservation  ;  for  the  cackling  of  these  creatures, 
and  the  clapping  of  their  wings,  Marcus  Manlius  was 
roused  from  sleep, — a  man  of  distinguished  character 
in  war,  who  had  been  consul  the  third  year  before  ;  and 
snatching  up  his  arms,  and  at  the  same  time  calling  to 
the  rest  to  do  the  same,  he  hastened  to  the  spot,  where, 
while  some  ran  about  in  confusion,  he,  by  a  stroke 
with  the  boss  of  his  shield,  tumbled  down  a  Graul  who 
had  already  got  footing  on  the  summit ;  and  this  man's 
weight,  as  he  fell,  throwing  down  those  who  were 
next,  he  slew  several  others,  who,  in  their  consterna- 
tion, threw  away  their  arms  and  caught  hold  of  the 
rocks,  to  which  they  clung.  By  this  time,  many  of  the 
garrison  had  assembled  at  the  place,  who,  by  throwing 
javelins  and  stones,  beat  down  the  enemy,  so  that  the 
whole  band,  unable  to  keep  either  their  hold  or  foot- 
ing, were  hurled  down  the  precipice  in  promiscuous 


210  THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE. 

Lucretius,  referring  to  this  event,  attributes  the 
vigilance  of  the  geese  to  their  fine  sense  of  smell: 
"  The  white  goose,  the  preserver  of  the  citadel  of  the 
descendants  of  Romulus,  perceives  at  a  great  distance 
the  odor  of  the  human  race."  - 

Virgil,  alluding  to  the  same  occurrence,  ascribes  the 
preservation  of  the  capitol  to  a  "  silver  goose."  Both 
these  poets,  therefore,  inform  us  that  the  domestic 
goose  of  their  days  differed  as  much  from  the  grey-lag 
or  _the  white- fronted,  as  it  does  at  present,  a  circum- 
stance which  the  reader  is  requested  to  bear  in  mind. 

Pliny,  about  four  hundred  years  later,  remarks  : 
"  The  goose  is  carefully  watchful ;  witness  the  de- 
fence of  the  capitol,  when  the  silence  of  the  dogs  would 
have  betrayed  everything.  *  *  *  #  *  It  is  possible, 
also,  that  they  may  have  some  discernment  of  wisdom. 
Thus  one  is  said  to  have  stuck  perpetually  to  the  phi- 
losopher Lacydis,  never  leaving  him,  either  in  public, 
in  the  baths,  by  night,  nor  by  day.  Our  folks  are  wiser, 
who  are  aware  of  the  goodness  of  their  liver.  In  those 
that  are  crammed,  it  increases  to  a  great  size  ;  when 
taken  out,  it  is  laid  to  swell  in  milk  mixed  with  honey. 
And  it  is  not  without  cause  that  it  is  a  matter  of  de- 
bate who  was  the  first  to  discover  such  a  dainty, 
whether  Scipio  Metellus,  of  consular  dignity,  or  M. 
Seius,  a  Roman  knight  at  the  same  epoch.  But, 
(what  is  certain,)  Messalinus  Cotta,  the  son  of  Messala, 
the  orator,  discovered  the  method  of  cooking  the  web 
of  their  feet,  and  fricasseeing  them  in  small  dishes 
along  with  cock's  combs.  I  am  ready  heartily  to  at- 
tribute the  merit  to  the  kitchen  of  either.  It  is  won- 
derful that  this  bird  should  travel  on  foot  from  the 
Morini,  (in  the  north  of  France,)  to  Rome.  Those 
which  are  tired  are  carried  to  the  front ;  so  that  the 
rest  push  them  on  by  a  natural  crowding.  *  *  *  *  * 
In  some  places  they  are  plucked  twice  a  year." 

It  is  very  natural  to  inquire  whence  so  remarkable 
and  valuable  a  bird  was  originally  obtained  ;  but  the 
conclusion  generally  arrived  at  appears  to  be  inconsist 


THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE.  211 

ent,  not  merely  with  truth,  but  even  with  probability  ; 
namely,  that  it  results  from  the  crossing  and  intermix- 
ture of  several  wild  species.  None  of  these  ancient 
accounts  indicate  any  such  fact ;  but  on  the  contrary, 
declare  that  the  domestic  goose  was  in  the  earliest 
ages,  (dating  with  respect  to  man,)  exactly  what  it  is 
now.  The  very  same  arguments  that  are  used  to 
show  that  the  domesticated  goose  is  a  combination  of 
the  "grey-legged,"  (Anser  palustris,)  "white-front- 
ed," or  "laughing  goose,"  (A.  albifrons^)  and  "bean 
goose,"  (A.  fcrus,)  would  equally  prove  that  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  race  of  men  is  derived  from  a  mixture  of  the 
Red  Indian,  the  Yellow  Chinese,  and  the  tawny  Moor. 

But  the  supposition  that  all  our  domesticated  crea- 
tures must  necessarily  have  an  existing  wild  original, 
is  a  mere  assumption  ;  and  it  has  misled,  and  is  likely 
to  mislead,  investigators,  as  far  from  the  truth  as  did 
the  old  notion  about  fossil  organic  remains,  that  they 
were  Lithoschemata,  as  Aldrovandi  has  it,  sketches 
in  stone,  abortive  efforts  of  Nature,  imperfect  embryos, 
instead  of  fragmentary  ruins  of  a  former  state  of 
things.  Some  naturalists  seem  already  to  have  had 
misgivings  that  such  a  theory  respecting  domestic 
animals  is  not  tenable.  According  to  popular  opinion, 
the  domestic  goose  is  usually  considered  as  having  been 
derived  from  the  "grey-legged  goose,"  but  such  a  cir- 
cumstance is  rendered  highly  improbable  from  the 
well-known  fact  that  the  common  gander,  after  attain- 
ing a  certain  age  is  invariably  (?)  white ! 

The  origin  of  the  domestic  goose  is  indeed  unknown 
if  we  look  to  man,  or  his  influence,  to  have  originated 
so  valuable  and  peculiar  a  species  ;  but  not  unknown 
if  we  believe  it  to  have  been  created  by  the  same  Al- 
mighty Power  who  animated  the  Mammoth,  the  Plesi- 
Osaurus,  the  Dinornis,  and  the  Dodo.  For  let  us  grant 
that  the  grey-legged  goose  is  the  most  probable  exist- 
ing parent  to  the  domestic  sort.  Now,  even  that  is 
becoming  a  rare  bird ;  and  the  more  scarce  a  creature 
is  in  a  wild  state,  the  scarcer  it  is  likely  still  to  be- 


212  THE    DOMESTIC   .GOOSE. 

come.  Suppose  the  grey-legged  goose  extinct ;  by  no 
means  an  impossibility.  Then  those  who  must  have  a 
wild  original  from  which  to  derive  all  our  domestic 
animals  would  be  compelled  to  fall  back  on  some  other 
species  still  less  probable.  It  is  surely  a  simpler 
theory  to  suppose  that  creatures  that  were  cotemporary 
with  the  mammoth,  have,  like  it,  disappeared  from  the 
earth  in  their  wild  state,  but  have  survived  as  depen- 
dents on  man,  than  to  engage  in  attempts  at  reconcil- 
ing incongruities  and  discrepancies,  which,  after  all, 
cannot  satisfy  the  mind,  but  leave  it  in  as  doubtful 
a  state  as  ever. 

Still  less  is  the  "  white-fronted,"  the  ancestor  of  the 
domestic  goose.  Entirely  white  specimens  of  the 
Anas  albifrons  are  indeed  occasionally  hatched  in  con- 
finement, and  the  common  goose  may  now  and  then 
exhibit  traces  of  an  admixture  or  dash  of  blood  with 
it,  as  it  certainly  does  occasionally,  of  a  cross  with  the 
China  goose  (A.  cygnoides) ;  but  these  are  mere  im- 
purities which  wear  out,  and  the  race  returns  to  the 
well-known  domestic  type.  And  it  will  be  allowed  by 
most  persons  who  have  possessed  a  variety  of  these 
birds,  and  who  have  watched  and  tended  them  day  by 
day,  that  the  domestic  goose  is  sufficiently  separated 
from  the  grey-legged  by  the  color  of  its  feet  and  legs  ; 
from  the  white-fronted,  by  the  extreme  difference  of  its 
voice,  manner,  time  of  incubation,  color  of  the  eyes, 
greater  thickness  of  neck,  convexity  of  profile,  and 
many  other  particulars  that  are  more  easily  perceived 
than  described. 

It  might  be  urged,  as  a  further  essential  difference, 
that  the '  domestic  goose  is  polygamous,  whereas  all 
wild  geese  that  we  are  acquainted  with  are  monoga- 
mous. It  is  true  that  wild  geese,  in  captivity,  will 
couple  with  the  females  of  other  species,  but  that  takes 
place  by  their  utterly  neglecting  their  own  mate  for 
the  time,  not  by  entertaining  two  or  more  mistresses 
at  once.  It  will  be  replied,  that  habits  of  polyamy  are 
the  effects  of  domestication ;  but  what  proof  have  we 


THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE.  213 

of  such  an  assertion  ?  Domestication  has  not  yet  in- 
duced the  pigeon  nor  the  Guinea  fowl  to  consort  with 
more  than  one  partner,  and  the  swan,  called  "  domes- 
tic," by  some  writers,  remains  obstinately  and  even 
fiercely  faithful  in  its  attachments. 


THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE. 

SYNOHTTMEB. — Jlnser  palustris  (?.,)  of  Naturalists  ;  Oie  commune,  of  the 
French  ;  Gemeine  Oans,  of  the  Germans  ;  Ansa  do?nestica,  of  the  Span- 
iards ;  Goose,  Common  Goose,  of  the  English  and  Anglo-Americans. 

Of  the  domestic  goose  there  really  is  but  one  variety, 
individuals  of  which  are  found  varying  from  entirely 
white  plumage,  through  different  degrees  of  patched- 
ness  with  grey,  to  entirely  grey  coloring.  The  gan- 
ders are  generally,  not  invariably  white.  Such  are 
sometimes  called  "  Embden  geese,"  from  a  town  of 
Hanover,  of  that  name,  famous  also  for  groats.  High 
feeding,  care,  and  moderate  warmth,  will  induce  a 
habit  of  prolificacy,  which  becomes,  in  some  measure, 
hereditary.  The  season  of  the  year  at  which  the 
young  are  hatched,  influences  their  future  size  and 
development.  After  allowing  for  these  causes  of  diver- 
sity, it  will  be  found  that  the  domestic  goose  consti- 
tutes only  one  species  or  permanent  variety. 


214  THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE. 


RANGE    AND    DOMESTIC    ACCOMMODATION. 

WITH  respect  to  the  range  and  domestic  accom^ia- 
tion  of  geese,  they  require  a  dormitory  apart  from  oth<s.r 
fowls  similar  to  the  one  shown  at  p.  2Q3  for  the  tame 
duck,  or  the  rustic  poultry  house  at  p.  86,  and  a  green 
pasture,  or  common,  with  a  convenient  pond  or  stream 
of  water  attached. 

Mascall,  following  Columella,  directs  as  most  proper 
for  geese  to  "  have  a  large  court,  close  paled  or  walled, 
of  nyne  foot  hye,  that  no  vermin  may  enter,  and  all 
about  within  the  same  to  make  alleys  and  galleries, 
with  partitions  and  chambers  for  one  alone  to  sleep  in 
and  over  the  same,  to  set  your  house  for  them,  made 
strong  with  stone  or  brick  four  foote  square,  plaste 
about  your  courte,  and  to  eche  house  a  close  door  for 
them  to  come  in  and  out  to  lay,  and  also  to  shut  them 
in  when  ye  shall  have  cause.  Then,  if  there  be  not  a 
ponde  or  river  nye  unto  them,  and  to  the  house  yee 
must  then  make  one,  else  to  seeke  their  water  farre 
off,  which  is  not  good,  for  geese  that  sitte  must  have 
water  to  bathe  them  when  they  rise  from  their  neast, 
or  else,  as  some  say,  their  egges  will. not  prosper  If 
there  be  no  water,  must  make  a  ponde,  clay  it  in  the 
bottom  for  the  water  to  remain  ;  and  make  it  some- 
what deep,  that  they  may  plunge  therein  ;  for  a  say- 
ing is,  a  goose  will  not  live  withoute  bathing  and 
washing  her  often,  no  more  than  a  beast  without  pas- 
ture." 

"All  men,"  says  Markham,  "must  understand, 
that,  except  he  have  either  pond  or  streame,  he  can 
never  keepe  geese  well."  Yet  if  we  are  to  trust  M. 
Parmentier,  the  vicinity  of  rivers  and  ponds  is  not  ab- 
solutely necessary  to  the  most  successful  rearing  of 
geese ;  for  in  districts  destitute  of  these  advantages,  a 
small  reservoir,  where  they  can  bathe,  will  be  quite 
sufficient. 

In  France,  geese  are  put  up  in  thirties  in  the  same 
lodge,  with  roqfe  and  partitions  tD  separate  them,  never 


THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE.  215 

allowing  more  than  eight  under  one  roof.  All  damp 
must  be  avoided,  for  geese  at  all  times  are  fond  of  a 
clean,  dry  place  to  sleep  in,  however  much  they  may 
like  to  swirn  in  water.  It  is  not  a  good  method  to 
keep  geese  with  other  poultry  ;  for  when  confined  in 
the  poultry  yard,  they  become  very  pugnacious,  and 
will  very  much  harrass  the  hens  and  turkeys. 

Columella  advises  to  pasture  geese  in  marshy  or 
moist  ground,  and  to  sow  for  them  vetches  or  tares, 
mellilot,  clover,  and  fenugreek,  but  more  particularly 
chiccory,  and  lettuce,  of  which,  he  says,  they  are  very 
fond. 

"  Grrasse,  says  Markham,  u  they  must  necessarily 
have,  and  the  worst,  and  that  which  is  the  most  use- 
lesse,  is  the  best,  as  that  which  is  moorish  and  unsa- 
voury for  cattell." 

In  allowing  geese  to  range  at  large,  it  is  requisite  to 
be  aware  that  they  are  very  destructive  to  all  garden 
and  farm  crops,  as  well  as  to  young  trees,  and  must, 
therefore,  be  carefully  excluded  from  orchards  and 
cultivated  fields.  It  is  usual  to  prevent  them  getting, 
through  the  gaps  in  fences,  by  hanging  a  stick  or 
"  yoke"  across  their  breasts. 

If  we  traverse  a  pasture  or  common,  on  which  geese 
are  kept,  we  find  the  flocks  of  the  respective  owners 
keeping  together,  and  if  by  chance  they  mingle  on  the 
pond  or  sheet  of  water,  they  separate  towards  evening 
and  retire,  each  flock  to  its  own  domicile.  On  exten- 
sive commons  where  many  thousands  of  geese  are 
kept,  this  rule  is  scarcely  ever  broken  ;  the  flocks  of 
young  geese  brought  up  together,  as  their  parents  were 
before  them,  form  a  united  band,  and  thus  distinct 
groups  herd  together,  bound  by  the  ties  of  habit. 

PAIRING-. 

IT  was  ascertained  bv  M.  St.  Grenis,  of  France,  that 
geese  will  pair  like  pigeons  and  partridges ;  and  in  the 
course  of  his  experiments,  he  remarked,  that,  if  the 
number  of  the  ganders  exceed  that  of  the  geese  by 


216  THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE. 

two,  and  even  by  three,  including  the  common  father, 
no  disturbance  nor  disputes  occur,  the  pairing  taking 
place  without  any  noise,  and  no  doubt  by  mutual 
choice.  Besides  the  common  father,  he  left  two  of  the 
young  ganders  unprovided  with  female  companions  ; 
but  the  couples  which  had  paired,  kept  constantly  to- 
gether, and  the  three  single  ganders  did  not,  during 
temporary  separations  of  the  males  and  females,  offer 
to  approach  the  latter.  He  also  remarked,  that  gan- 
ders are  more  commonly  white  than  the  females. 

Those  who  breed  geese,  generally  assign  one  gander 
to  four  or  five  females.  M.  Parmentier  recommends 
the  gander,  to  be  selected,  of  a  large  size,  of  'a  fine 
white,  with  a  lively  eye,  and  an  active  gait ;  while  the 
breeding  goose,  he  says,  ought  to  be  brown,  ash-grey, 
or  party-colored,  and  to  have  a  broad  foot.  The  grey 
geese  are  supposed  to  produce  the  finest  goslings, 
while  the  party-colored  ones  produce  better  feathers, 
and  are  not  so  apt  to  stray  from  home. 

"Whatever  care  may  be  taken  in  selecting  grey  geese, 
with  white  ganders,  Stephanus  assures  us,  that  a  black 
sort  will  frequently  be  produced,  which  he  says,  "are 
skant  so  fruitful  as  the  other,  nor  so  good  to  house  ; 
wherefore,  nourish  as  few  blacke  geese  as  ye  may,  for 
their  flesh  is  not  so  good,  being  much  dryer."  And 
again  :  "  They  are  better  to  be  all  white  than  grey, 
or  mixtewith  two  colors,  and  the  blacke  color  is  worste 
of  all,  and  of  leaste  goodnesse." 

LAYING-. 

WHEN  well  fed,  in  a  mild  climate,  geese  will  lay 
twice  or  three  times  a  year,  from  five  to  twelve  eggs 
each  time,  and  some  more,  that  is,  when  they  are  left 
to  their  own  way ;  but  if  the  eggs  be  carefully  re- 
moved as  soon  as  laid,  a  goose  may  be  made,  by  abun- 
dant feeding,  to  lay  from  twenty  to  fifty  eggs  without 
intermitting.  They  begin  to  lay  early  in  the  spring, 
usually  in  March,  and  it  may  be  known  when  an  indi- 
vidual is  about  to  lay,  by  her  carrying  about  straws  to 


THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE.  217 

form  her  nest  with  ;  but,  sometimes,  she  will  only 
throw  them  about. 

When  this  is  observed,  the  geese  should  be  watched, 
lest  they  lay  in  some  by-place,  and  the  eggs  be  lost. 
"  Wherefore,"  says -Mascall,  "  towarde  night,  ye  must 
take  them  up,  and  feele  how  many  be  ready  to  lay, 
which  ye  shall  perceive  if  shee  be  nye  laying,  yee  shall 
feele  the  end  of  her  egge  harde  at  her  vent.  Then 
shutte  her  up,  and  put  her  alone  in  a  neast  till  she  have 
layd,  so  she  will  seeke  that  place  agayne  to  lay." 

It  is  an  essential  precaution,  M.  Parmentier  says,  as 
soon  as  it  is  perceived  that  geese  want  to  lay,  to  coop 
them  up  under  their  roof,  where  nests  made  of  straw 
have  been  previously  prepared.  If  they  can  once  be 
induced  to  lay  in  this  nest,  they  will  continue  to  do  so 
till  their  number  of  eggs  is  completed. 

In  order  to  have  early  goslings,  geese  should  be 
brought  to  lay  early  by  keeping  them  in  a  warm,  clean 
place,  and  feeding  them  on  stimulant  food. 

INCUBATION. 

WHEN  a  goose  is  observed  to  keep  her  nest  longer 
than  usual,  after  laying  an  egg,  it  is  a  pretty  sure  in- 
dication that  she  is  desirous  of  sitting.  The  nest  for 
hatching  should  be  made  of  clean  straw,  lined  with 
hay,  and  from  fourteen  to  eighteen  eggs  will  be  as 
many  as  a  large  goose  can  conveniently  cover.  Dur- 
ing the  period  of  incubation,  the  gander  is  very  atten- 
tive to  his  favorite,  sits  by  her,  and  is  vigilant  and 
daring  in  her  defence. 

The  goose  sits  about  one  month,  and  requires  to 
have  food  and  water  placed  near  her,  that  she  may  not 
be  so  long  absent  as  to  allow  the  eggs  to  cool,  which 
might  cause  her  to  abandon  her  task.  It  is  the  prac- 
tice of  some  to  put  vinegar  in  the  water,  and  of 
others  to  lift  them  off  the  nests  to  make  them  drink, 
but  neither  of  these  is  necessary. 

It  is  an  economical  way  of  getting  a  great  number 
of  goslings,  to  employ  turkey  hens  to  hatch.  The 
10 


THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE. 

common  fowl  has  been  equally  praised  for  filling  this 
important  function  ;  but  the  eggs  of  the  goose  being 
very  large,  and  their  shell  very  hard,  a  hen  is  not  bulky 
enough  to  hatch  more  than  eight  or  ten,  even  if  we 
employ  the  Cochin-China,  or  great  Malay.  The  tur- 
key hen,  therefore,  deserves  to  be  preferred,  because 
she  can  hatch  twelve  or  fifteen.  This  function  of  the 
goose  being  thus  filled  by  another,  she  is  not  kept  from 
laying,  and  yields  eggs  in  great  abundance. 

Tn  the  environs  of  Toulouse,  in  France,  where  many 
hybrid  geese  are  reared,  increasing  with  the  common 
duck  and  the  large  musk  duck,  they  give  the  eggs  to 
the  common  fowl  to  hatch  ;  and  to  these  are  added 
two  or  three  of  the  large-sized  goose  eggs.  The  hy- 
brid bird  from  this  crossing  conducts  the  goslings  in  a 
superior  manner,  and  always  walks  at  their  head. 

CARE    OF    THE    GOSLINGS. 

LIKE  turkey  chickens,  goslings  are  a  month  in  hatch- 
ing, and  must  be  taken  from  under  the  mother,  lest,  if 
feeling  the  young  ones  under  her,  she  might  perhaps 
leave  the  rest  of  the  tardy  brood  still  unhatched.  After 
having  separated  them  from  her,  they  may  be  kept  in 
flat  pens,  or  baskets,  covered  with  a  cloth,  and  lined 
with  wool ;  and  when  the  whole  brood  is  come  forth, 
the  first  hatched  may  be  returned  to  the  mother. 

On  the  first  day  after  the  goslings  are  hatched,  they 
may  be  let  out,  if  the  weather  be  warm,  care  being 
taken  not  to  let  them  be  exposed  to  the  unshaded  heat 
of  the  sun,  which  might  kill  them.  The  food  given 
is  prepared  with  some  barley  or  Indian  meal,  coarsely 
ground,  bran,  and  raspings  of  bread,  which  are  still 
better,  if  soaked  and  boiled  in  milk,  or  lettuce  .leaves, 
and  crusts  of  bread  boiled  in  milk. 

Afterwards,  advantage  must  be  taken  of  a  fine  warm 
sun  to  turn  them  out  for  a  few  hours ;  but  cold  and 
rain  being  very  hurtful  to  them,  they  must  in  bad 
weather  be  cooped  up,  and  prevented  from  mixing  with 
the  larger  ones,  unless  they  have  strength  enough  to 


THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE.  21 9 

defend  themselves  against  any  hostile  attack,  to  which 
new-comers  are  usually  exposed.  To  such  goslings  as 
are  a  little  strong,  bran  or  Indian-meal  dough  may  be 
given  twice  a-day,  morning  and  evening,  continuing 
to  give  them  this  food  till  the  wings  begin  to  cross  on 
the  back,  and  after  tjais,  green  food,  which  they  are 
particularly  fond  of,  may  be  mixed  with  it,  such  as 
lettuce,  beet  leaves,  and  the  like. 

FATTENING. 

LIKE  other  fowls,  geese  may  be  brought  by  proper 
management  to  a  great  degree  of  fatness  ;  but  the 
period  at  which  they  are  at  the  fattest  must  be  chosen 
to  kill  them,  otherwise  they  will  rapidly  become  lean 
again,  and  many  of  them  would  die. 

(reese  may  be  fattened  at  two  different  periods  of 
their  lives,  in  the  young  state,  when  they  are  termed 
"  green  geese,"  and  after  they  have  attained  their  full 
growth.  The  methods  at  each  period  are  very  nearly 
the  same. 

The  writer  of  the  article  on  poultry,  in  Baxter's 
"  Library  of  Agriculture,"  recommends  steamed  po- 
tatoes, with  a  gallon  of  buckwheat  or  ground  oats  to 
the  bushel,  mashed  up  with  the  potatoes,  and  given 
warm.  This,  it  is  said,  will  render  geese,  cooped  in  a 
dark,  quiet,  cool  place,  fat  enough  in  three  weeks. 

M.  Parmentier  gives  very  copious  details  of  the 
French  methods  of  fattening.  The  whole  process,  he 
says,  consists  in  plucking  the  feathers  from  under  the 
belly  ;  in  giving  them  abundance  of  food  and  drink, 
and  in  cooping  them  up  more  closely  than  is  practised 
with  common  fowls,  cleanliness  and  quiet  being,  above 
all,  indispensable.  The  best  time  is  in  the  month  of 
November,  or  when  the  cold  weather  begins  to  set  in; 
if  it  is  longer  delayed,  the  paring  season  approaches, 
and  prevents  them  from  becoming  fat. 

When  there  are  not  many  geese  to  fatten,  they  are 
put  into  a  cask  with  holes  bored  in  it,  through  which 
they  may  thrust  their  heads  to  feed  ;  and  being1  natur- 


220  THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE. 

ally  voracious,  the  love  of  food  is  greater  than  the  love 
of  liberty,  and  they  fatten  rapidly.  The  food  consists 
of  a  paste,  made  of  buckwheat,  barley  or  Indian  meal, 
with  milk  and  boiled  potatoes. 

In  Poland,  a  similar  method  is  practised,  the  goose 
being  put  in  an  earthen  pot  without  a  bottom,  and  of 
a  size  not  to  allow  the  bird  to  move.  Similar  food 
as  that  just  mentioned  is  given  in  abundance,  and  the 
pot  is  so  placed  that  the  dung  may  not  remain  in  it. 
The  process  is  completed  in  a  fortnight,  and  the  geese 
are  sometimes  so  increased  in  size,  that  the  pots  have 
to  be  broken  to  get  them  out. 

When  the  great  number  of  geese  to  be  fattened  ren- 
ders the  preceding  plan  inconvenient  and  too  expensive, 
they  may  be  taken  from  the  pasture,  and  cooped  up 
twelve  together,  in  narrow  pens,  so  low  that  they  can 
neither  stand  upright,  nor  move  hi  any  direction. 
They  should  be  kept  scrupulously  clean  by  often  re- 
newing the  litter  of  the  pens.  A  few  feathers  may  be 
previously  plucked  out  from  the  rump  and  from  under 
the  wings.  A  quantity  of  cracked  Indian  corn,  suf- 
ficient for  once  feeding,  may  be  boiled  and  put  into  a 
feeding  trough,  with  clean  water  in  a  separate  vessel, 
from  which  they  may  be  permitted  to  eat  whenever 
they  feel  inclined.  At  the  commencement,  they  eat 
a  great  deal  constantly,  but  in  about  three  weeks,  their 
appetite  falls  off.  As  soon  as  1his  is  perceived,  they 
maybe  crammed,  at  first  twice  a-day,  and  towards  the 
end  of  the  process,  thrice  a-day.  For  this  purpose,  a 
tin  funnel  is  used,  with  a  pipe  five  inches  and  a  half  in 
length,  and  less  than  an  inch  in  diameter,  with  the 
end  sloped  off  like  the  mouth  piece  of  a  flageolet,  and 
rounded  at  the  edge,  to  prevent  it  scratching  the  throat 
when  it  is  introduced.  A  small,  round  bag  is  adjusted 
to  the  pipe,  through  which  grain  is  introduced  into  the 
crop.  The  operator  sits  squat  on  the  ground,  holds 
the  goose  with  one  hand,  introduces  the  pipe  of  the 
funnel  into  the  mouth  with  the  other,  and  presses  in 
the  food  till  the  crop  is  filled.  "Water  is  at  the  same 


THE    DOMESTIC    GOOSE.  221 

time  given  to  the  geese  to  drink,  and  must  always  be 
left  near  them,  as  the  cramming  renders  them  very 
thirsty.  A  woman  who  is  dexterous  will  cram  ten 
geese  in  an  hour.  In  less  than  a  month,  a  goose  may, 
in  this  way,  be  fattened  to  an  enormous  bulk. 

In  Belgium,  a  lean  goose  is  confined  in  a  small  coop 
made  of  fir,  narrow  enough  to  prevent  it  from  turning, 
while  there  is  a  place  behind  for  passing  the  dung,  and 
another  in  front  to  let  out  the  head.  Water  is  supplied 
in  a  trough  in  front,  having  some  bits  of  charcoal  in  it 
to  sweeten  it.  A  bushel  of  maize  is  considered  enough 
of  food  for  a  month.  It  is  soaked  in  water  the  day 
before  it  is  used ;  and  the  goose  is  crammed  morning 
and  evening,  while  it  is  allowed,  during  the  day,  to  eat 
and  drink  as  much  as  it  chooses.  About  the  twenty- 
second  day,  a  quantity  of  poppy  oil  is  mixed  with  the 
maize.  In  a  month,  it  is  seized  with  difficulty  of 
breathing,  and  a  lump  of  fat  under  each  wing  indicates 
that  it  is  time  to  kill  it,  lest  it  should  bechoaked  with 
fat,  and  die. 

By  this  process,  the  liver  of  the  goose  is  increased  so 
much,  that  it  will  weigh  from  one  to  two  pounds,  and 
will  besides  yield  about  three  ounces  of  fat,  which 
is  much  employed  in  French  cookery  for  dressing 
legumes,  &c. 

Among  six  geese,  the  fatteners  commonly  succeed 
with  no  more  than  four,  and  these  generally  the  young- 
est. The  Romans,  who  were  fond  of  enlarged  goose 
livers,  were  very  careful  to  keep  them  quiet  and  in  the 
dark.  In  some  places  on  the  continent,  they  nailed 
their  feet  to  a  board,  burnt  out  their  eyes  with  a  hot 
iron,  and  kept  them  before  a  large  fire,  allowing  them, 
however,  as  much  water  as  they  chose  to  drink  ;  but 
these  barbarous  practices  are  now  seldom  resorted  to. 

M.  Yiele,  of  France,  found,  by  experiment,  that 
geese  fattened  without  cramming,  cannot  be  brought 
to  weigh  above  12  or  13  Ibs.,  while  by  cramming,  they 
can  be  made  to  weigh  at  least  a  third  more. 


THE    CHINA    GOOSE. 


STNONYMES. — Anser  cygnoides.  Anas  cygnoides,  Cygnus  sinensis,  of 
Naturalists  ,  L'oie  de  G-uinee,  of  Buffon ;  Oie  de  Chine,  of  the  French  ; 
Chinesische  Gans,  Gans  von  Guinea,  of  the  Germans  ;  Ganso  de  China, 
G-inso  de  Guinea,  Ganso  de  cisne,  of  the  Spaniards  ;  China  Goose,  Hong- 
Kong  Goose,  Swan  Goose,  Chinese  Swan,  Guinea  Goose,  Spanish  GOOA«, 
African  Goose,  and  a  host  of  other  names,  of  the  English  and  Anglo- 
Americans 

THERE  is  a  venerable  joke  told  about  a  Spanish  Don 
who  knocked  at  a  cottage  door  to  ask  a  night's  lodging: 
"  Who's  there  ? — what  do  you  want  ?"  demanded  the 
inmates.  "  Don  Juan  Jose  Maria  Antonio  Pedro  Alonzo 
Carlos  Geronimo,  &c.,  &c.,  &c.,  wants  to  sleep  here 
to-night."  "  Get  along  with  you,"  was  the  reply,  "  how 
should  we  find  room  here  for  so  many  fellows."  It  will 
be  seen  by  the  list  of  names  at  the  head  of  this  article, 
that  the  China  goose  is  in  the  same  position  as  the 
Spanish  Don. 

Confusion,  therefore,  and  perplexity  are  the  certain 
lot  of  whosoever  attempts  to  trace  this  bird  in  our  books 
of  natural  history.  Its  place  of  birth  has  excluded  it 
from  all  monographs  or  limited  ornithologies.  In  very 
few  systematic  works  is  it  mentioned  at  all,  which  is  re- 
markable of  a  bird  so  striking  in  its  appearance,  which 
there  is  every  reason  to  believe  must  have  been  domes- 
ticated for  a  long  period.  The  uncertainty  that  has 
existed  as  to  its  correct  name  and  really  native  country 
may  be  one  cause  of  this.  Like  the  Jews,  or  the  Gipsies, 
it  has  not  been  allowed  to  claim  a  place  among  the 


THE    CHINA    GOOSE.  223 

natives  of  any  one  region ;  and  like  many  others  fur- 
nished with  a  variety  of  aliases,  it  ends  by  being  alto- 
gether excluded  from  society. 

The  old  writers  call  it  the  Guinea  goose,  for  the 
excellent  reason,  as  Willughby  hints,  that  in  his  time  it 
was  the  fashion  to  apply  the  epithet  "  Guinea"  to  every- 
thing of  foreign  and  uncertain  origin.  Thus,  what  at 
this  day  is  erroneously  called  the  "Muscovy  duck,"  was 
then  called  the  "  Guinea  duck."  Not  long  back,  it  was 
common  to  refer  every  strange  or  new  object  to  a 
French  source.  "  Spanish  goose"  is  another  title,  pro- 
bably as  appropriate  as  Guinea  goose.  Bewick  has 


THE    CHINA    GOOSE. 


given  an  admiral  wood  cut  of  this  bird,  but  he  has  evi- 
dently selected  the  gander,  which  is  taller  and  more  erect 
than  the  female,  though  to  both  may  be  applied  Wil- 
lughby's  description,  "  a  stately  bird,  walking  with  its 
head  and  neck  decently  erected."  Bewick  calls  it  the 
"  swan  goose."  The  tubercle  at  the  base  of  the  bill,  the 
unusual  length  of  neck,  and  its  graceful  carriage  in  the 
water,  give  it  some  claim  to  relationship  with  the  aris- 
tocracy of  lake  and  river.  Cuvier  goes  further,  calls  it 
at  once  Cygnus  sinensis,  (Chinese  swan,)  and  says  that 


224  THE    CHINA    GOOSE. 

this  and  the  Canada  goose  cannot  be  separated  from  the 
true  swans.  A  goose,  however,  it  decidedly  is,  as  is 
clear  from  its  terrestrial  habits,  its  powerful  bill,  its 
thorny  tongue,  and  its  diet  of  grass. 

There  is  something  in  the  aspect  of  this  creature,  the 
dark-brown  stripe  down  its  neck,  its  small  bright  eye,  its 
harsh  voice,  its  ceremonious  strut,  and  its  affectation  oi 
seldom  being  in  a  hurry,  which  seem  to  say  that  it  came 
from  China.  It  would  perfectly  harmonise  in  a  picture 
of  Chinese  still  life ;  or  in  a  Chinese  garden,  with  artifi- 
cially-arranged rocks,  dwarf  trees,  crooked  trellises,  and 
zigzag  pathways ;  or,  in  a  more  extended  landscape,  it 
would  group  well  on  a  broad  river,  beside  a  boat  filled 
with  shaven  fishermen,  with  their  trained  cormorants 
and  pig-tailed  children.  If  it  does  come  from  China,  it 
has  no  doubt  been  domesticated  for  many  hundred  years, 
perhaps  as  long  as  the  peacock  or  common  fowl.  An 
evident  proof  of  this  is  the  large  number  of  eggs  they 
may  be  made  to  lay  by  an  increased  supply  of  nourish- 
ing food.  This  is  very  different  from  the  disposition  to 
"lay  everlastingly,"  as  seen  in  the  Guinea  fowl,  and  some 
varieties  of  the  domestic  hen — the  black  Spanish,  for 
instance, — because  the  China  goose  does,  in  the  end,  feel 
a  strong  desire  to  incubate  as  soon  as  her  protracted 
laying  is  done,  whereas  entire  exemption  from  the 
hatching  fever  is  the  great  merit  of  the  ''  everlasting 
layers."  If  liberally  furnished  with  oats,  boiled  rice,  &c., 
the  China  goose  will,  in  the  spring,  lay  from  twenty  to 
thirty  eggs  before  she  begins  to  sit,  and  again  in  the 
autumn,  after  her  moult,  from  ten  to  fifteen  more.  It  is 
not,  as  in  the  Guinea  fowl,  a  spontaneous  flow  of  eggs, 
for  which  the  ordinary  diet  of  the  creature  is  sufficient, 
but  is  as  much  dependent  on  feeding  as  the  fatness  to 
which  a  bullock  is  brought.  A  goose  belonging  to  Mr. 
Dixon,  which  he  supplied  with  as  much  oats  as  she 
could  eat,  besides  grass,  potatoes,  and  cabbages,  laid 
eggs  larger  than  ordinary ;  one  of  them,  with  a  double 
yolk,  weighed  7\  oz.,  or  nearly  half  a  pound.  Double- 
yolked  eggs  are  very  rare,  except  among  birds  that  have 
been  long  domesticated. 

Another  proof  is  their  deficient  power  of  flight  coin- 


THE    CHINA    GOOSE.  225 

pared  with  the  rest  of  their  congeners,  owing  to  the 
larger  proportionate  size  of  their  bodies.  The  common 
domestic  goose  flies  much  more  strongly  than  her  sister 
from  China.  Indeed,  of  all  geese,  these  are  the  worst 
flyers.  There  is  no  occasion  to  pinion  them.  While 
the  Canada  goose  thinks  little  of  a  journey  from  the 
north  pole,  or  thereabouts,  to  Carolina ;  while  the 
Egyptian  goose  pays  an  occasional  visit  from  Africa  to 
Great  Britain,  while  the  merry  little  laughing  goose,  if 
tamed  and  allowed  the  use  of  its  wings,  is  almost  as 
much  at  ease  in  the  air  as  a  pigeon,  the  China  goose,  to 
get  out  of  the  way  of  a  frisky  spaniel  can  hardly  manage 
to  flutter  across  a  lawn. 

Said  the  tame  goose  to  the  wild  one,  "  On  such  a  day, 
I  shall  fly  away."  The  wild  goose  replied  to  the  tame 
one,  "  On  such  a  day,  I  shall  fly  away,  too,  if  it  be  the 
will  of  Allah."  At  the  appointed  time,  the  wild  goose 
performed  her  annual  migration  ;  the  tame  one  remained, 
and  cannot  fly  to  this  day.  If  China,  instead  of  Egypt, 
had  given  rise  to  the  above  fable,  we  should  believe  that 
the  Anas  cygnoides  was  the  vain-boastful  bird. 

The  prevailing  color  of  the  plumage  of  the  China 
goose  is  a  brown,  which  has  aptly  been  compared  to  the 
color  of  wheat.  The  different  shades  are  very  har- 
moniously blended,  and  are  well  relieved  by  the  black 
tuberculated  bill,  and  the  pure  white  of  the  abdomen. 
Their  movements  on  the  water  are  graceful  and  swan- 
like.  It  is  delightful  to  see  them  on  a  fine  day  in  spring 
lashing  the  water,  diving,  rolling  over  through  mere  fun, 
and  playing  all  sorts  of  antics.  Slight  variations  occur 
in  the  color  of  the  feet  and  legs,  some  having  them  of  a 
dull-orange,  others  black;  a  delicate  fringe  of  minute 
white  feathers  is  occasionally  seen  at  the  base  of  the  bill. 
These  peculiarities  are  hereditarily  transmitted,  but  do 
not  amount  to  more  than  mere  varieties. 

The  male  is  almost  as  much  disproportionately  larger 
than  the  female  as  the  musk  drake  is  in  comparison  with 
his  mate.  He  is  much  inclined  to  libertine  wanderings, 
without,  however,  neglecting  to  pay  proper  attention  at 
home.  If  there  is  any  other  gander  on  the  same  pre- 
mises, they  are  sure  to  disagree ;  one  of  the  two  had 
10* 


226 


THE    CHINA    GOOSE. 


better  be  got  rid  of.  Both  male  and  female  are,  perhaps, 
the  most  noisy  of  all  geese ;  at  night,  the  least  footfall  or 
motion  in  their  neighborhood  is  sufficient  to  call  forth 
their  clanging  and  resonant  trumpetings.  This,  to  a  lone 
country  house,  is  an  advantage  and  a  protection.  Any 
fowl  stealer  would  be  stunned  with  their  din  before  he 
captured  them  alive,  and  the  family  must  be  deaf  indeed 
that  could  sleep  on  through  the  alarm  thus  given.  But 
by  day  it  becomes  a  nuisance  to  the  majority  of  hearers, 
and  has  caused  them  to  be  relinquished  by  many  ama- 
teurs. One  is  inclined  to  address  them  asO'Connell  did 
the  uproarious  fellow  who  was  interrupting  his  speech, 
"I  wish  you  had  a  hot  potato  in  your  mouth." 


BREEDING  AND  REARING. 

THE  eggs  of  the  China  goose  are  somewhat  less  than 
those  of  the  domestic  kind,  of  a  short  oval,  with  a  smooth 
thick  shell,  white,  but  slightly  tinged  with  yellow  at  the 
smaller  end.  The  goslings,  when  first  hatched,  are  usu- 
ally very  strong.  They  are  of  a  dirty-green,  like  the 
color  produced  by  mixing  Indian  ink  and  yellow  ochre, 
with  darker  patches  here  and  there.  The  legs  and  feet 
are  lead  color,  but  afterwards  change  to  a  dull-red.  If 
there  is  anything  like  good  pasturage  for  them,  they 
requir  no  further  attention  than  what  their  parents  will 
afford  them.  After  a  time,  a  little  grain  will  strengthen 
and  forward  them.  If  well  fed,  they  come  to  maturity 
very  rapidly.  In  between  three  and  four  months  from  the 
time  of  their  leaving  the  shell,  they  will  be  full-grown 
and  ready  for  the  spit.  They  do  not  bear  being  shut  up 
to  fatten  so  well  as  common  geese,  and  therefore  those 
destined  for  the  table  are  the  better  for  profuse  hand- 
feeding.  Their  flesh  is  well-flavored,  short  and  tender ; 
their  eggs  are  excellent  for  cooking  purposes.  Hybrids 
between  them  and  the  common  goose  are  prolific ;  the 
second  and  third  cross  is  much  prized  by  some  English 
farmers,  particularly  for  their  ganders ;  and  in  many 
flocks,  the  blood  of  the  China  goose  may  often  be  traced 
by  the  more  erect  gait  of  the  birds,  accompanied  by  a 
faint  stripe  down  the  back  .of  the  neck.  With  the 


THE    CHINA    GOOSE.  227 

laughing,    or    white-fronted    goose,    they    also    breed 
freely. 

The  large  number  of  eggs  laid  by  these  birds  has  led 
some  persons  to  imagine  that,  like  Guinea  fowls,  they 
were  inexhaustible,  so  that,  when  at  last  the  goose  did 
make  her  nest  in  earnest,  (which  may  be  known  by  her 
mixing  her  own  down  with  the  straw,)  no  eggs  had  been 
reserved  for  the  poor  thing  to  sit  upon.  The  best  plan 
is  to  date  the  eggs  with  a  pencil  as  they  are  laid,  and 
consume  only  those  which  are  more  than  three  weeks 
old.  They  are  usually  very  late  with  their  broods,  but 
will  rear  them  well  enough  if  they  are  allowed  to  take 
their  own  time,  and  do  it  after  their  own  manner.  Their 
period  of  incubation  is  five  weeks.  They  are  steady 
sitters  when  they  once  begin  in  earnest,  and  exemplary 
parents.  The  goose,  on  leaving  her -nest  to  feed,  covers 
her  eggs  carefully.  Any  difficulty  in  rearing  them 
results  from  want  of  proper  management.  If,  for  in- 
stance, when  the  bird  does  at  length  sit,  she  is  insuffi- 
ciently supplied  with  eggs,  or  with  those  which  have 
been  kept  too  long ;  or  if  she  be  permitted  to  be  dis- 
turbed by  dogs,  &c. ;  if  she  be  suffered  to  steal  a  nest, 
and  sit  on  more  than  see  can  cover — things  will  go 
wrong.  The  great  number  of  eggs  laid  may  perhaps 
cause  an  uncertainty  that  each  one  is  properly  fecun- 
dated. 


THE  WHITE,  CHINA  GOOSE. 


"  Man  as  he  extends  his  dominion  over  earth  and  ocean,  is  gener- 
ally a  Destroyer,  occasionally  an  Enslaver,  and  so  far  a  Protector  ; 
hence,  sometimes,  even  a  Selecter  and  Improver,  but  never  a 
Creator. 


"  EVERY  like  is  not  the  same,"  is  a  principle  that  is 
beginning  more  and  more  to  influence  the  reasonings 
of  zoologists,  and  to  effect  their  conclusions  with  re- 
spect to  wild  animals.  But,  according  to  the  prevailing 
opinion  with  domestic  ones,  a  diametrically  opposite 
axiom  would  seem  to  hold  ;  as  the  latter  are  described 
and  catalogued  apparently  on  the  rule  that  "  Things 
may  be  unlike,  and  yet  the  same."  The  various  kinds 
of  domestic  fowls  are  supposed  to  be  "  varieties"  —  by 
which,  it  is  presumed,  is  meant  transmutable,  or  at 
least,  transmuted  forms—  of  one,  or  at  most,  two  or 
three  wild  originals  ;  and  the  history  of  the  common 
domestic  goose  is  quietly  settled  by  considering  it  as 
the  result  of  a  fusion  of  ti.ree  or  four  different  species 
melted  and  mixed  into  one.  Believe  it  !  those  who 
may,  and  classify  it  with  the  marvellous  story  of  the 
"  bernicle  goose  originating  from  a  worm  engendered 
in  the  sea  from  rotten  wood  !" 

But,  before  finally  determining  to  fix  the  appellation 
of  species,  or  variety,  to  any  particular  race  of  animals, 
it  will  be  necessary  first  to  settle  the  question  of  what 
is  meant  by  the  terms  Genus,  Species,  and  Variety. 
They  are  all  understood  to  denote  certain  degrees  of 


THE    WHITE,  CHINA    GOOSE.  229 

difference,  that  are  made  use  of  to  assist  in  classifica- 
tion ;  but  the  precise  lines  of  demarcation  of  each  are 
extremely  difficult  to  define.  It  is  generally  assumed 
that  individuals  of  different  genera  will  refuse  to  breed 
together  ;  that  the  mules  between  different  species  are 
sterile  ;  and  that  varieties  are  merely  accidental,  and 
recent  instances  of  a  slight  alteration  in  the  external 
character  of  species,  which  do  not  affect  their  contin- 
uance as  a  race,  and,  perhaps,  disappear  altogether 
after  a  time.  But  in  opposition  to  this,  hybrids  have 
been  produced  between  the  Egyptian  goose  and  the 
penguin  duck,  also  between  the  common  fowl  and  the 
Guinea  fowl,  the  siskin  and  the  Canary  bird  ;  prolific 
mules  are  constantly  occurring  between  all  sorts  of 
species  of  geese  ;  and  it  is  well  and  practically  known, 
that  though  varieties  breed  freely  with  each  other, 
nothing  is  so  difficult  as  to  establish  a  cross  that  shall 
be  a  perfect  amalgamation  of  two  distinct  varieties. 
Even  individual  -peculiarities  are  reproduced  in  the 
course  of  generations.  For,  some  breeders  of  great 
experience  firmly  maintain  that  white  pea  fowls  are 
not  a  mere  accidental  variety  of  the  common  kind,  but 
a  distinct  sort ;  asserting  that  the  cases,  in  which 
white  birds  are  produced  from  colored  parents,  are  only 
a  breaking  out  of  mixed  blood,  the  "  crying  back,1  in 
fact,  to  a  cross  some  generations  past.  The  white 
pea  fowls  are  certainly  of  inferior  size,  and  in  their  pro- 
portions bear  more  resemblance  to  the  Japan  breed 
than  to  the  true  Pavo  cristatus. 

In  truth,  species  and  varieties  differ  only  in  degree. 
If  we  admit  that  the  latter  are  merely  recent  changes 
of  organization,  we  cannot  refuse  to  allow  that  the 
former  are  so  likewise ;  and  thence  proceeding  back- 
wards, we  must  apply  the  same  view  to  genera  and 
classes,  till  we  arrive  at  last  at  the  theory  of  the  de- 
velopment of  all  animated  beings  from  Monads,  as 
advocated  by  Lamarck,  and  more  recently  by  the  au- 
thor of  the  i{  Vestiges  of  Creation,"  This  is  one  mode 
of  explaining  the  diversity  of  Nature  ;  the  other  is  by 


230  THE    WHITE,    CHINA    GOOSE. 

supposing  that  animals  were  originally  created  as  we 
now  see  them,  and  that  any  apparent  gaps  in  the  chain 
or  network  are  caused  by  the  extinction  of  certain 
races,  not  by  the  uprising  of  new  forms  into  existence, 
since  the  creation  of  man,  at  least.  Besides,  we  have 
records  of  modern  exterminations  successively  going 
on,  from  the  Christian  era  to  the  present  day.  No 
undisputed  record,  however,  is  to  be  found  of  the  sud- 
den emergency  into  life  of  a  new  tribe  of  creatures. 
Foreign  introductions  there  have  been,  but  nothing 
more,  that  there  is  any  affirmative  evidence  to  prove.  I 
am  conscious  that  I  may  be  contradicted  by  such  in- 
stances as  the  New-Leicester  sheep,  and  the  very  re- 
markable rabbits  that  are  now  kept  in  a  state  of 
domestication  ;  but  Mr.  Bakewell  is  asserted  to  have 
studiously  concealed  and  destroyed  every  trace  of  the 
means  by  which  he  established  his  breed,"  and  the 
secrets  of  the  "  rabbit  fancy"  are  as  likely  to  be  made 
available  to  the  elucidation  of  natural  history,  as  are 
the  Eleusinian  Mysteries.  But  so  long  as  our  com- 
mercial relations  continue  as  widely  extended  as  they 
are  at  present,  the  sudden  and  unexplained  appear- 
ance of  any  living  novelty  in  Europe  or  in  this  country, 
is  by  no  means  of  necessity  its  first  appearance  on  any 
stage.  It  may  be  as  old  as  the  hills — not  a  sudden 
drop  from  the  clouds  in  these  latter  days,  nor  recently 
compounded,  like  Frankenstein's  monster,  from  the 
members  of  defunct  creatures,  not  yet  electrified  into 
life  in  a  pickle  jar,  like  Mr.  Cross'  mites.^  Milton's 
noble  lines,  though  true  at  the  Creation,  are  no  longer 
applicable — 

"  Meanwhile,  the  tepid  caves,  and  Jens,  and  shores, 

Bursting  with  kindly  rupture,  forth  disclosed 

Their  callow  young  ;  but  feathered  soon  and  fledge, 

They  summed  their  pens  ;  and,  soaring  the  air  sublime, 

With  clang  despised  the  ground.   *    *   And  straight  the  earth, 

Opening  her  fertile  womb,  teemed  at  a  birth 

Numerous  living  creatures,  perfect  forms 

Limbed  and  full-grown ;  out  o.f  the  ground  up  rose, 

As  from  his  lair,  the  wild  beast  where  he  wons 

In  forest  wild,  in  thicket,  brake,  or  den." 

If  such  views  be  correct,  it  will  follow  that  those 
who  are  searching  for  the  wild  originals  of  many  of 


THE    WHITE,    CHINA    GOOSE.  231 

our  domestic  animals,  are  altogether  pursuing  a  wrong 
scent.  They  might  just  as  well  search  for  the  wild 
original  of  the  Mammoth  or  the  Dodo.  It  is  an  as- 
sumption, unsupported  by  any  proof,  to  fix  upon  the 
wild  creature  that  nearest  resembles  any  given  tame 
one,  and  say,  "  Here  is  the  wild  original ;  the  dif- 
ferences which  we  see,  have  been  produced  by  time 
and  domestication  ;"  or,  if  there  is  nothing  wild  com- 
ing within  a  moderate  approach  to  it,  to  say,  as  of 
the  common  goose,  "it  is  a  combination  of  three  or 
four  other  species."  This  is  surely  not  philosophical  v 
reasoning  ;  it  is  a  begging  of  the  question  which  would 
not  be  admitted  in  the  exact  sciences.  What  a  daring 
leap  at  a  conclusion  it  is,  to  get  from  the  Asiatic  ar- 
gali,  the  American  argali,  or  the  Corsican  mouflon, 
any  or  all  of  them,  to  the  sheep,  at  a  single  vault ! 
Such  ratiocination  is  like  the  knight's  move  on  the 
chess  board,  hither  and  thither,  but  never  straight 
forward.  Nor  has  the  wide  gulf  between  cocks  and 
hens  and  the  jungle  fowls  been  as  yet  bridged  over  by 
any  isthmus  to  me  visible.  The  principle  here  sought 
to  be  indicated  as  a  guide  for  future  research  is,  that 
existing  varieties  and  species  which  cannot  be  exactly 
identified  in  a  wild  state,  are,  in  all  probability,  the 
remains  of  extinct  races,  the  fragments  of  a  ruin,  and 
not  newly-raised  "  seedlings,"  the  modern  sports  and 
freaks  of  Nature. 

And  now  to  the  white,  China  goose,  about  whose 
lineage,  the  reader,  it  is  hoped,  by  this  time,  is  inter- 
ested. It  was  brought  into  notice,  a  few  years  since, 
by  Mr.  Alfred  Whitaker,  of  Beckington,  in  Somerset, 
England,  who  speaks  of  it  in  the  following  words  : — 
"  The  white,  China  goose  is  of  a  spotless,  pure  white — 
more  swan-like  than  the  brown  variety,  with  a  bright 
orange-colored  bill,  and  a  large  orange-colored  knob  at 
its  base.  It  is  a  particularly  beautiful  bird,  either  in 
or  out  of  the  water,  its  neck  being  long,  slender,  and 
gracefully  arched  when  swimming.  It  breeds  three 
or  four  times  in  a  season,  but  I  was  not  successfnl 


232  THE    WHITE,    CHINA    GOOSE. 

with  them,  owing,  as  I  fancied,  to  my  having  no  wa- 
ter for  them,  except  a  rapid  running  stream.  A  quiet 
lake,  I  believe  to  be  more  to  their  taste,  and  more  con- 
ducive to  the  fecundity  of  the  eggs.  I  believe  my 
birds  are  still  in  the  neighborhood,  as  I  lent  them  to  a 
farmer  to  try  his  luck  with  them.  The  egg  is  quite 
small  for  the  size  of  the  bird,  being  not  more  than  half 
the  size  of  that  of  the  common  goose.  This  bird  de- 
serves to  rank  in  the  first  class  of  ornamental  poultry, 
and  would  be  very  prolific  under  favorable  circumstan- 
ces. You  will  see  both  varieties  of  brown  and  white, 
China  geese  on  the  water  in  St.  James's  Park.  My 
geese  were  from  imported  parents,  and  were  hatched 
on  board  ship  from  China." 

These  geese,  it  is  stated,  formerly  existed  in  the 
aviaries  of  the  London  Zoological  Society,  and  were 
there  considered  in  the  light  of  a  variety  of  the  Anser 
cygnoides ;  but  the  head  keeper  of  that  establishment 
speaks  most  decidedly  of  his  experience  of  the  perma- 
nence, not  only  of  this  variety,  but  also  of  that  of  the 
dark-legged  sorts  of  the  brown  kind,  thus  indicating 
three  races,  which,  I  repeat,  would  be  considered  as 
species  were  they  now  discovered  for  the  first  time. 

Mr.  Dixon,  in  speaking  of  these  birds,  says,  "  They 
are  larger  than  the  brown,  China  geese,  apparently 
more  terrestrial  in  their  habits ;  the  knob  on  the  head 
is  not  only  of  greater  proportions,  but  of  a  different 
shape.  If  they  were  only  what  is  commonly  meant 
by  a  variety  of  the  dark  sort,  it  is  a  question  whether 
the  bill  would  not  retain  its  original  jetty  black, 
whatever  change  occurred  to  the  feet  and  legs,  instead 
of  assuming  a  brilliant  orange  hue.  If  the  bird  were 
an  albino,  the  bill  would  be  flesh-colored,  and  the  eyes 
would  be  pink,  not  blue." 

Mr.  Knight,  of  Frome,  England,  in  whose  possession 
they  had  been  for  three  years,  states  that  he  has  been 
unable  to  obtain  any  young  from  the  eggs  of  the  goose, 
but  if  he  supplies  her  with  eggs  of  the  common  goose, 
she  invariably  hatches  and  rears  the  goslings.  Separ- 


THE    WHITE,    CHINA    GOOSE.  233 

ate  trials  of  each  of  the  pair  with  the  common  goose 
and  gander  have  been  made  by  him  unsuccessfully, 
although  the  white,  China  goose  lays  four  times  in  the 
year.  Another  gentleman,  who  also  had  a  pair  of  the 
same  lot,  from  China,  says,  "I  had  one  good  brood 
from  the  young  pair  which  I  kept,  but  since  that,  they 
have  bred  so  badly  that  I  have  parted  with  the  females 
and  kept  a  male  bird,  and  now  get  very  good  broods. 
My  friends,  to  whom  I  have  given  young  birds  from 
my  pair,  also  complain.  The  geese  sit  remarkably 
well,  never  showing  themselves  out  of  the  nest  by  day, 
but  whether  they  may  leave  the  nests  too  long  in  the 
cold  of  the  night,  I  cannot  tell.  The  time  of  incuba- 
tion I  consider  to  be  about  four  weeks  and  three  days. 
The  young  birds  of  the  crossed  breed,  in  appearance, 
follow  the  mother,  the  common  English  goose,  but 
they  do  remarkably  well." 


THE  AMERICAN  WILD  GOOSE. 


NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Every  portion  of  it,  (the  young  of  the  wild  goose  bred  in  the 
inland  districts,  and  procured  in  September.)  is  useful  to  Man  ; 
for  besides  the  value  of  the  flesh,  as  an  article  of  food,  the  fea- 
thers, the  quills,  and  the  fat,  are  held  in  request. 

AUDUBON. 


THE  history  of  the  "  Canada"  or  "  wild  goose,"  as  it 
is  usually  called,  both  in  a  state  of  nature  and  in  cap- 
tivity, has  been  so  well  and  so  fully  delineated  by  the 
ablest  ornithologists  of  Europe,  as  well  as  of  this  country, 
that  for  me  to  attempt  giving  complete  details  respecting 
it,  would  be  either  to  restate  the  same  facts  in  less  ap- 
propriate language,  perhaps,  or  to  draw  too  liberally 
from  the  stores  of  those  who  have  written  before  me  ; 
yet,  this  bird  is  by  far  too  important,  in  every  respect,  to 
be  entirely  omitted  in  the  present  series ;  and  there  are  a 
few  points  respecting  it  which  ought  to  be  brought  into 
more  prominent  notice.  Most  writers  on  poultry  call 
it  a  variety  of  the  common  goose.  But  it  is  no  more  a 
variety  of  goose  than  the  swan  is  a  variety  of  goose. 
Cuvier  seems  to  doubt  whether  it  is  a  goose  at  all,  and 
says  that  it  cannot  be  properly  separated  from  the  true 
swans.  Audubon  kept  some  three  years,  and  though 
the  old  birds  refused  to  breed  in  confinement,  their 

Smng,  which  he  had  captured  together  with  them,  did. 
e  states  their  period  of  incubation  to  be  twenty-eight 


THE    AMERICAN    WILL    GOOSE.  235 

days,  'which  is  a  shorter  time  than  one  would  have 
imagined.  That  circumstance  alone,  if  correct,  marks 
a  wide  distinction.  At  a  future  time,  probably,  our 
scientific  naturalists  will  deem  it  advisable  to  institute 
several  new  genera,  for  the  reception  of  various  water 
fowls,  that  are  now  huddled  into  one  or  two ;  particu- 
larly if  they  allow  the  diet  and  habits  of  the  birds,  as 
well  as  their  external  form,  to  influence  the  rules  of 
classification. 

In  a  state  of  nature,  the  Canada  goose  eats  worms 
and  soft  insects,  as  well  as  grass  and  aquatic  plants, 
which  the  typical,  or  geese  proper,  never  do.  In  a 
domestic  or  confined  state,  they  do  not  breed  till  they 
are  at  least  two  years  old,  and  so  far  approach  the  swan, 
like  which,  also,  the  male  appears  to  be  fit  for  reproduc- 
tion earlier  than  the  female.  But  Audubon  says,  "  That 
this  tardiness  is  not  the  case  in  the  wild  state,  I  feel 
pretty  confident;  for  I  have  observed,  having  broods  of 
their  own,  many  individuals,  which,  by  their  size,  the 
dullness  of  their  plumage,  and  such  other  marks  as  are 
known  to  the  practised  ornithologist,  I  judged  to  be  not 
more  than  fifteen  or  sixteen  months  old.  I  have,  there- 
fore, thought  that  in  this,  as  in  many  other  species,  a  long 
series  of  years  is  necessary  for  counteracting  the  original 
wild  and  free  nature  which  has  been  given  them ;  and 
indeed,  it  seems  probable  that  our  attempts  to  domesti- 
cate many  species  of  wild  fowls,  which  would  prove 
useful  to  mankind,  have  often  been  abandoned  in  despair, 
when  a  few  years  more  of  constant  care  might  have 
produced  the  desired  effect." 

The  Canada  goose,  in  spite  of  its  original  migratory 
habits,  which  it  appears  in  almost  every  case  to  forget  in 
a  reclaimed  state,  shows  much  more  disposition  for  true 
domestication  than  the  swan,  and  may  be  maintained 
in  perfect  health  with  very  limited  opportunities  of 
bathing. 

The  manner  in  which  these  birds  are  usually  kept  in 
Europe  and  this  country,  is  neither  consistent  with  their 
natural  habits,  nor  calculated  to  develope  their  useful- 
ness and  merit.  They  are  mostly  retained  as  orna- 
ments to  large  parks  or  inclosures,  where  there  is  an 


236  THE    AMERICAN    WILD    GOOSE. 

extensive  range  of  grass  and  water ;  so  far  all  is  as  it 
should  be.  But  they  are  there  generally  associated  with 
other  species  of  geese  and  water  fowls,  all  being  of  a 
sociable  disposition,  and  forming  one  heterogeneous 
flock.  In  the  breeding  season,  they  neither  can  agree 
among  themselves  to  differ  seriously,  nor  yet  live 
together  in  peace ;  the  consequence  is,  that  they  inter- 
rupt each  other's  love-making,  keep  up  a  constant 
bickering,  without  coming  to  the  decisive  quarrels  and 
battles  that  would  set  all  right ;  and  in  the  end.  we  have 
birds  without  mates,  eggs  unfertilised,  and  now  and  then 
a  few  monstrous  hybrids,  which,  however  much  some 
curious  persons  may  prize  them,  are  as  ugly  as  they  are  un- 
natural, and  by  no  means  recompense  by  their  rarity  for 
the  absence  of  two  or  three  broods  of  healthy  legitimate 
goslings.  Many  writers  speak  highly  of  the  half-bred 
Canada  goose.  They  are  very  large,  it  is  true,  and  may 
merit  approbation  on  the  table ;  but  with  whatever  other 
species  the  cross  is  made,  they  are  hideously  dis- 
pleasing. 

The  facility  with  which  the  Canada  goose,  captured 
wild,  is  tamed,  while  yet  it  retains  a  "trick  of  the  old 
nature,"  is  well  exemplified  in  a  story  related  by  Wilson, 
on  the  authority  of  a  correspondent  for  whose  veracity 
he  avouches ;  which  story,  he  observes,  is  paralleled  by 
others  of  the  same  import.  "  Mr.  Platt,  a  respectable 
farmer  on  Long  Island,  being  out  shooting  in  one  of  the 
bays,  which,  in  that  part  of  the  country,  abound  with 
water  fowl,  wounded  a  wild  goose.  Being  wing-tipped 
and  unable  to  fly,  he  caught  it  and  brought  it  home 
alive.  It  proved  to  be  a  female,  and  turning  it  into  his 
yard  with  a  flock  of  tame  geese,  it  soon  became  quite 
tame  and  familiar,  and  in  a  little  time  its  wounded  wing 
entirely  healed.  In  the  following  spring,  when  the  wild 
geese  migrated  to  the  northward,  a  flock  passed  over  Mr. 
Platt's  barn  yard,  and  just  at  that  moment,  their  leader 
happening  to  sound  his  bugle  note,  our  goose,  in  whom 
its  new  habits  and  enjoyments  had  not  quite  extinguished 
the  love  of  liberty,  remembering  the  well-known  sound, 
spread  its  wings,  moved  in  the  air,  joined  the  travellers, 
and  soon  disappeared.  In  the  succeeding  autumn,  the 


THE    AMERICAN    WILD    GOOSE. 

wild  geese,  as  was  usual,  returned  from  the  northward 
in  great  numbers  to  pass  the  winter  in  our  bays  and 
rivers.  Mr.  Platt  happened  to  be  standing  in  his  yard 
when  a  flock  passed  directly  over  his  barn.  At  that 
instant,  he  observed  three  geese  detach  themselves  from 
the  rest,  and,  after  wheeling  round  several  times,  alight 
in  the  middle  of  the  yard.  Imagine  his  surprise  and 
pleasure,  when,  by  certain  well-rernembered  signs,  he 
recognised  in  one  of  the  three  his  long-lost  fugitive.  It 
was  she  indeed !  She  had  travelled  many  hundred  miles 
to  the  lakes,  had  there  hatched  and  reared  her  offspring, 
and  had  now  returned  with  her  little  family  to  share 
vith  them  the  sweets  of  civilized  life !" 


THE    AMERICAN    WILD    GOOSE. 

SYNONYMES.— Jinser  canadensis,  of  Naturalists  ;  Oie  du  Canada,  of  the 
French  ;  Canadische  Gans,  of  the  Germans  ;  Ansa  de  Canada,  *.1nsa  sil- 
vestre  americana,  of  the  Spaniards  ;  Wild  Goose.  Canada  Goose,  of  the 
English  and  Anglo-Americans. 

The  Canada  goose  is  a  beautiful  species.  The  head, 
two  thirds  of  the  neck,  the  greater  quills,  the  rump,  and 
tail,  are  pitch-black  ;  the  back  and  wings  broccoli-brown 
edged  with  wood-brown  ;  the  base  of  the  neck  anteriorly, 
and  the  under  plumage  generally,  brownish-grey ;  a  few 
white  feathers  are  scattered  about  the  eye,  and  a  white 
cravat,  of  a  kidney  shape,  forms  a  conspicuous  mark  on 
the  throat ;  upper  and  under  tail  coverts,  pure  white ;  bill 
and  feet  black. 


238  THE    AMERICAN    WILD    GOOSE. 


GEOGRAPHICAL  DISTRIBUTION. 

THE  American  wild  geese,  in  a  state  of  nature,  make 
their  semi-annual  migrations  from  the  north  to  the 
south,  and  vice  versa,  which  are  sure  signals  of  the 
approach  of  winter,  or  a  returning  spring.  The  tracts 
of  their  vast  migratory  journeys  are  not  confined  to  the 
sea  coast  nor  its  vicinity,  for  in  their  aerial  voyages  to 
and  from  the  north,  these  birds  pass  over  the  interior  on 
both  sides  of  the  mountains,  as  far  west  at  least  as  the 
Osage  River.  "  I  have  never,"  says  Wilson,  "  yet  visited 
any  quarter  of  the  country  where  the  inhabitants  are 
not  familiarly  acquainted  with  the  regular  passing  and 
repassing  of  the  wild  geese."  It  is  an  opinion  with 
many  that  they  visit  the  lakes  to  breed.  Most,  however, 
it  would  appear,  wing  their  way  much  farther  north- 
ward ;  for,  from  the  Canadian  lakes,  they  migrate  to  still 
higher  latitudes  on  the  setting  in  of  spring.  Hearne 
saw  them  in  large  flocks  within  the  arctic  circle,  push- 
ing their  way  still  northward.  Captain  Phipps  observed 
them  on  the  coast  of  Spitzbergen  in  latitude  80°  27'  N. 
Audubon  found  them  breeding  on  the  coast  of  Labrador, 
and  states  that  the  eggs,  six  or  seven  in  number,  of  a 
greenish  white,  are  deposited  in  a  roughly-made  nest. 
Bonaparte  states  that  they  breed  everywhere  through- 
out the  Hudson's  Bay  Territory,  and  have  been  observed 
in  the  middle  of  July  on  the  Coppermine  River,  not 
far  from  its  debouchure,  accompanied  by  their  newly- 
hatched  young. 

The  destruction  of  the  Canada  geese  during  their 
migrations  is  enormous ;  the  autumnal  flight  lasts  from 
the  middle  of  August  to  the  middle  of  November.  Those 
which  are  taken  in  this  season,  when  the  frosts  begin, 
are  preserved  in  their  feathers,  and  left  to  be  frozen  for 
the  fresh  provisions  of  the  winter  stock.  The  feathers 
constitute  an  article  of  commerce,  and  are  sent  to 
England.  The  vernal  flight  of  these  geese  lasts  from 
the  middle  of  April  until  the  middle  of  May.  Their 
arrival  in  the  fur  countries,  from  the  south,  is  impatiently 
expected ;  it  is  the  harbinger  of  spring,  and  the  month  is 
named  by  the  Indians  the  "  goose  moon." 


THE    AMERICAN    WILD    GOOSE.  239 

About  three  weeks  after  their  first  appearance,  the 
Canada  geese  disperse  in  pairs  throughout  the  country, 
between  the  50th  and  67th  parallels,  to  breed,  retiring  at 
the  same  time  from  the  shores  of  Hudson's  Bay.  They 
are  seldom  or  never  seen  on  the  coasts  of  the  Arctic 
Sea.  In  July,  after  the  young  birds  are  hatched,  the 
parents  moult,  and  vast  numbers  are  killed  in  the  rivers 
and  lakes,  when,  (from  the  loss  of  their  quill  feathers,) 
they  are  unable  to  fly.  When  chased  by  a  canoe,  and 
obliged  to  dive  frequently,  they  soon  become  fatigued, 
and  make  for  the  shore  with  the  intention  of  hiding 
themselves,  but  as  they  are  not  fleet  they  fall  an  easy 
prey  to  their  pursuers.  In  the  autumn,  they  again 
assemble  in  flocks  on  the  shores  of  Hudson's  Bay,  for 
three  weeks  or  a  month  previous  to  their  departure 
southwards. 

The  flight  of  this  species  is  laborious  and  heavy,  and 
generally  in  single  file,  or  in  the  form  of  two  sides  of  a 
triangle,  the  leader,  some  old  gander,  being  the  apical 
bird.  From  time  to  time  this  leader  utters  his  deep 
"honk,"  which  is  responded  to  by  the  rest  of  the  flock, 
and  which  may  be  translated,  "  What  cheer,  ho!"  "All's 
well !"  Very  often,  however,  all  is  not  well,  for  the  line 
is  scattered  by  the  withering  fire  of  the  gunner ;  often, 
too,  they  meet  with  dense  fogs  in  which  they  become 
bewildered,  and  after  wheeling  about  alight  on  the 
ground,  where  the  unerring  rifleman  gives  them  a 
warm  reception.  In  some  districts,  the  sportsmen  take 
with  them  into  the  marshes  one  or  two  of  the  domes- 
ticated race,  which,  by  their  call  note,  attract  the 
flocks  passing  over  head,  and  allure  them  to  des- 
truction. 

Wilson  says,  that,  except  in  calm  weather,  the  flocks 
of  Canada  geese  rarely  sleep  on  the  water,  generally 
preferring  to  roost  all  night  in  the  marshes.  When  the 
shallow  bays  are  frozen,  they  seek  the  mouths  of  inlets 
near  the  sea,  occasionally  visiting  the  air  or  breathing 
holes  in  the  ice;  but  these  bays  are  seldom  so  com- 
pletely frozen  as  to  prevent  their  feeding  on  the  bars 
at  the  entrance 


240  THE    AMERICAN    WILD    GOOSE. 


PAIRING,  BREEDING,  AND  MANAGEMENT. 

IN  the  month  of  November,  it  is  recommended  that 
every  flock  of  wild  geese  be  reduced  to  two  pairs,  (or  at 
least  three  pairs,)  in  order  to  guard  against  accidents  to 
one.  Such  birds  should  be  retained,  as  differ  as  much, 
in  age,  as  maybe  consistent  with  their  breeding  powers ; 
and  also,  if  possible,  those  should  be  selected  which  have 
been  observed  to  entertain  a  mutual  dislike,  in  order  that 
they  may  fix  their  nests  at  a  distance  from  each  other. 
They  should  previously  have  become  attached  to  their 
keeper,  though  not  to  their  co-mates,  that  they  may 
suffer  him  to  approach  and  feed  them  and  their  goslings 
liberally,  and  so  bring  them  into  thoroughly  good  con- 
dition by  killing  time. 

The  stock  bird  ought  to  be  well  supplied  with  grain 
or  Indian  corn  during  winter,  when  the  grass  grows  little 
or  not  at  all,  to  promote  early  laying;  but  they  usually 
have  a  few  kernels  of  barley  or  maize  thrown  down  to 
them  now  and  then.  No  one  can  blame  them,  if  they 
occasionally  stray  out  of  bounds  in  search  of  food  ;  but 
they  are  then  accused  of  restlessness,  shyness,  and  so  on. 
It  is  no  migratory  impulse  that  sets  them  on  the  move, 
but  over-crowding  and  under-feeding;  in  proof  of  which, 
they  will  generally  return  of  their  own  accord.  I  am 
speaking  of  birds  that  have  been  bred  in  captivity  for 
several  generations.  Give  them  room  and  food  enough, 
and  they  will  stay  contentedly  at  home.  Curtail  their  sup- 
plies, and  they  become  like  "darkness,"  in  Spoffbth's  weil- 
known  glee ;  "  flies  away"  is  ever  and  again  the  burden 
of  their  song.  The  Canada  goose  is  a  very  large  bird, 
and  cannot  be  expected  to  live  and  get  fat  upon  air.  If 
a  farmer's  wife  were  to  treat  her  turkeys  as  the  Canada 
goslings  are  usually  served,  they  would  at  Christmas 
be  just  as  tough,  stringy,  and  uneatable,  if  indeed  they 
survived  the  pinching  regimen  so  long.  The  growing 
goslings  must  sensibly  miss  the  abundance  of  their  native 
breeding  places,  when  confined  to  these  short  commons ; 
and  it  is  not  just  in  us,  after  such  neglect  and  penurious- 
ness  on  our  part,  to  complain  that  they  neither  fat  well 
nor  reproduce  at  an  early  age. 


THE    AMERICAN    WILD    GOOSE.  241 

From  each  pair  of  geese,  properly  looked  after,  be- 
tween six  and  nine  goslings  may  fairly  be  calculated 
upon  ;  which,  killed  in  the  autumn,  when  really  plump, 
would  be  very  acceptable  at  home,  or  as  presents  to 
unprejudiced  persons.  Managed  thus,  they  would  be 
little,  or,  according  to  Audubon,  not  at  all  inferior  to  a 
fatted  cygnet.  And  their  picturesque  effect,  as  acces- 
saries in  landscape  gardening,  would  surely  be  greater 
in  distinct  uniformly-tinted  groups,  moving  here  and 
there  across  the  scene  with  a  decided  object,  namely, 
the  conducting  of  their  young,  than  as  a  motley  crowd 
of  diversely-colored,  variously-shaped  creatures,  huddled 
together  in  unmeaning  confusion.  The  woodland  park 
should  be  stocked  on  different  principles  to  the  aviary 
and  the  menagerie.  Thus  it  is,  as  a  spot  of  pure  white, 
that  the  swan  gives  such  a  sparkling  brilliancy  to  the 
picture  ;  and  the  point  of  deepest  shade,  (an  adjunct  of 
no  less  importance  to  the  painter,)  may  be  made  more 
intense  and  effective  by  the  judicious  employment  of  thfe 
Canada  goose. 

When  a  pair  are  received  from  a  distance,  the  best 
way  of  settling  them  in  their  new  abode  is  to  confine 
them  with  hurdies  and  netting,  as  near  as  possible  to 
the  spot  where  it  is  wished  they  should  eventually 
make  their  nest.  Those  from  the  hands  of  dealers  will 
generally  be  cowed  or  timidly  tame ;  but  young  birds 
fresh  taken  from  their  parents,  or  adult  ones  that  have 
been  removed  from  their  old  home  to  a  new  one,  will 
sulk  and  be  shy.  For  the  first  few  hours,  they  need 
have  nothing  to  eat,  only  plenty  of  water  to  drink. 
Their  keeper  should  show  himself  to  them,  aftd  speak  to 
them  kindly,  as  often  as  his  leisure  will  permit ;  when  he 
guesses  that  they  begin  to  feel  the  cravings  of  hunger,  a 
small  handful  of  grain  may  be  thrown  down  to  them,  a 
cabbage  on  two,  and  half  a  dozen  earth  worms.  It  is,  of 
course,  supposed  that  they  have  been  located  on  the 
grass.  It  is  likely  that,  at  first,  they  will  not  eat  in  the 
presence  of  a  stranger ;  they  may  be  left  for  an  hour  or 
so  when,  if  they  have  availed  themselves  of  his  absence, 
he  may  give  them  a  little  more  from  time  to  time.  Pro- 
ceeding thus  by  kindness,  familiarity,  and  very  frequent 
11 


242  THE    AMERICAN    WILD    GOOSE. 

visits,  he  will  soon  secure  their  confidence,  and  be  able 
to  form  his  own  judgment  when  they  may  be  suffered 
to  range  at  large. 

The  young  are  active,  self-helping  little  things.    Their 
down  is  of  a  dirty-grey,  a  color  very  difficult  to  describe, 
with  darker  patches  here  and  there  like  the  young  of 
the  China  goose.     Their  bill,  eyes,  and  legs  are  black. 
They  give  no  trouble  in  rearing.     The  old  ones  lead 
them  to  the  places  where  suitable  food  is  to  be  obtained. 
The  keeper,  by  a  liberal  supply  of  grain  or  Indian  corn, 
can   bring  them  forward  for  the  table  better  than  by 
shutting  them  up  to  fat ;  and  before  Christmas,  the  pa- 
rents should  be  again  alone  in  their  domain.     They  will 
continue  to  increase  in  size  and  beauty  for  some  years, 
and  should  have  been  pinioned  at  the  first  joint  of  the, 
wing,  reckoning  from  the  tip,  in  the  manner  described 
for  the  swan ;  the  young  that  are  to  be  eaten  had  better 
remain  unmutilated.     Old  birds,  killed  in  the  autumn, 
after  they  have  recovered  from   moulting,  and  before 
they  have  begun  to  think  about  the  breeding  time,  would 
make  excellent  meat  if  cut  into  small  portions,  stewed 
slowly  five  or  six  hours  with  savory  condiments,  and 
made  into  pies  the  next  day.     "  'Tis  the  soup  that  makes 
the  soldier,"  say  the  French.     By  roasting  or  broiling 
similar  "joints,"  we  lose  the  large  quantity  of  nutriment 
contained  in  the  bones  and  cartilages,  besides  having  to 
swallow  tough,  what  we  might  easily  make  tender.     The 
young,  as  well  as  the  old,  in  some  parts  of  this  coun- 
try, are  salted  and  boiled  ;  they  would  probably  please 
most  palates  better,  if  cooked  and  served  swan  fashion. 
The  young  male   has  a  frequent  disposition   to  neglect 
his  own  mate,  and  give  himself  up  to  unlicenced  com- 
panionship.     Mr.    Dixon    had    one    that   deserted    his 
partner,  to  her  evident  grief,  and  made  most  furious  love 
to  one  of  a  flock  of  tame  geese,  separating  her  from  the 
rest,  not  permitting  any  other  water  bird  to  swim  near 
her,  stretching  out  his  neck  stiffly  on  a  level  with  the 
water,  opening  his  red-lined  throat  to  its  utmost  extent, 
hissing,  grunting,  sighing,  trumpeting,  winking  his  bright, 
black  eyes,  tossing  his  head  madly,  and  all  kinds  of  folly. 
Mr.  D.  did  not  choose  to  permit  such  conduct ;  but  as  often 


THE    AMERICAN    WILD    GOOSE.  243 

as  he  killed  and  roasted  the  object  of  his  affections,  the 
Canadian  gander  immediately  selected  another  leman,  in- 
variably the  ugliest  of  the  surviving  females.  One  short, 
squat,  rough-feathered,  ill-marked  goose,  with  a  thick 
bill  and  a  great  grey  topknot,  was  his  special  favorite. 
When  the  Michaelmas  murders  had  extirpated  the 
whole  race  he  so  admired,  he  returned  reluctantly  and 
coldly  to  his  former  love.  The  best  remedy  in  such  a 
case  is  to  divorce  them  at  once,  and  exchange  one  out  of 
the  pair  for  another  bird. 

A  similar  incident  is  related  in  the  seventh  volume  of 
the  "American  Agriculturist,"  by  Col.  Minot  Thayer,  of 
Braintree,  Massachusetts,  in  the  following  words : — "  A 
few  years  since,  a  neighbor  of  mine  shot  at  a  flock  while 
passing  to  the  south,  wounded  one  in  the  wing,  took  him 
alive,  and  very  soon  domesticated  him.  He  soon  became 
very  tame,  and  went  with  the  other  geese.  I  bought 
him,  and  kept  him  three  years,  and  then  mated  him  with 
an  old  native  goose.  They  had  several  broods  of  young 
ones,  and  the  old  goose  became  very  feeble ;  so  much 
so,  that  she  could  not  sit  long  enough  to  hatch  out  her 
eggs.  I  accordingly  put  them  under  another  goose,  where 
they  did  very  well.  In  the  fall  of  the  year,  I  gave  her 
away,  and  mated  the  wild  gander  with  another.  In  the 
spring  following,  about  six  months  after,  I  heard  that  the 
old  goose  had  got  better,  and  was  in  good  health.  She 
was  brought  home  and  put  into  my  poultry  yard.  The 
wild  gander  and  his  new  mate  were  at  a  distance  of 
about  eighty  rods,  in  another  pasture.  As  soon  as  the 
old  goose  was  put  into  the  yard,  she  made  a  loud  noise, 
which  the  wild  gander  heard.  He  immediately  left  his 
new  mate,  and  came  down  to  the  yard,  recognised  his 
old  mate,  entered  into  close  conversation,  and  appeared 
extremely  happy  in  seeing  her  again.  His  other  mate 
followed  him,  and  wished  to  join  the  party,  but  he  ap- 
peared much  offended,  treated  her  with  the  greatest 
indifference,  and  drove  her  from  him 


THE  COMMON  SWAN. 


NATURAL  HISTORY. 


Emblem  of  modest  grace, 

Of  unaffected  dignity  and  ease, 

Of  pure  and  elegant  simplicity. 

EuDOaiA. 


THE  swan,  beyond  all  question,  is  the  bird  to  place, 
as  a  finishing  stroke  of  art,  on  thB  smooth  lake  which 
expands  before  our  mansions.  It  is  perfectly  needless, 
however  delightful,  to  quote  Milton  and  others,  lauding 
the  arched  neck,  the  white  wings,  the  oary  feet,  and 
so  on.  Its  superb  beauty  is  undeniable  and  acknowl- 
edged ;  and,  to  borrow  an  apt,  though  homely  meta- 
phor, I  do  not  wish,  if  it  can  conveniently  be  avoided, 
in  the  present  volume,  "  to  thresh  straw  that  has  been 
thrice  threshed  before,"  to  repeat  how  lovely  the  swan 
is  on  the  silver  lake,  "floating  double,  swan  and  sha- 
dow ;"  for  I  might  thus  run,  scissors  in  hand,  through 
the  whole  Corpus  Poet  arum  ;  my  object  being  simply 
to  point  out  the  chief  features  in  their  natural  history, 
and  the  best  mode  of  treating  them. 


THE    COMMON    SWAN.  245 


THE    COMMON    SWAN. 

SYNONYMES. — Cygnus  olor,  ofNaturalists  ;  Cygne  commun,  Cygne  muet, 
of  the  French  ;  Gemeiner  Schwan,  Stummer  Schwan,  of  the  Germans  ; 
Cisne  comun,  Cisne  mudo,  of  the  Spaniards  ;  Swan,  Common  Swan, 
Mute  Swan.  Cob,  (adult  male,)  Pen  Bird,  (adult  female,)  Cygnet, 
(young.)  of  the  English  and  Anglo-Americans. 

Those  who  wish  to  make  themselves  acquainted 
with  the  habits  and  dispositions,  as  well  as  the  mere 
figures  and  descriptions  of  animals,  should  know  that 
all  living  creatures  cannot  be  divided  into  two  distinct 
ranks  of  wild  and  tame,  but  that  there  is  a  most  per- 
plexing intermediate  multitude,  neither  wild  nor  yet 
tameable,  but  usually  spoken  of  as  "  familiar,"  or 
"half-domesticated,"  a  term  without  meaning,  dodg- 
ing, like  "squatters,"  on  the  ofFskirts  of  human,  so- 
ciety, but  determined  never  to  enlist  in  the  drilled  and 
disciplined  ranks,  playing  the  game  of  "  off  and  on," 
but  always  ending  with  the  "  off."  Such,  among  many 
others,  are  the  partridge,  rats  and  mice,  and  at  a  still 
greater  distance,  it  is  believed,  is  the  whole  genus  of 
swans. 


246  THE    COMMON    SWAN. 

Swans,  then,  are  ferce  natures  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  ;  yet,  although  capricious  birds,  wild  in  their 
very  nature,  like  most  living  creatures,  they  have  some 
attachment  to  place,  yet  they  are  called  "  tame 
swans,"  "  domestic  swans,  &c.  ;  but  never  were  epi- 
thets more  inappropriate,  unless  we  agree  to  say 
"  tame  hysena,"  "  tame  wolf,"  "  tame  rat,"  "  domestic 
pheasant,"  "  domestic  swallow."  They  will  come  to 
their  keeper's  call,  and  take  food  from  his  hand  ;  they 
will  keep  at  home,  when  they  are  completely  prevented 
from  ranging  out  of  bounds  abroad  ;  so  far  are  they 
tamed  and  domesticated,  but  no  further,  and  never  will 
be.  To  compare  the  relations  which  exist  between 
them  and  man,  with  those  by  which  we  retain  the 
goose  and  the  common  fowl,  is  about  as  correct  as  to 
believe  that  the  same  temper  and  disposition  influence 
the  faithful  dog  and  the  wildest  jackal  of  the  wilder- 
ness. I  put  the  case  thus  strongly,  in  order  that  it 
may  be  understood  clearly.  The  comparisons  may  be 
a  little  exaggerated,  but  they  will  serve  to  raise  the 
real  truth  into  higher  relief.  The  period  of  incubation 
is  about  forty  days. 

PAIRING-. 

LIKE  most  domesticated  animals,  as  before  observed, 
swans  have  some  attachment  to  place.  The  first, 
therefore,  is  to  settle  them,  agreeably  to  their  destined 
home.  Old  birds  are  less  likely  to  be  contented  with 
a  new  abode,  unless  very  distant  from  their  former 
one.  Cygnets  may  be  procured  every  autumn  ;  if  they 
have  been  put  up  to  fat  for  some  time  so  much  the 
better,  as  they  will  the  sooner  become  manageable, 
and  content  with  a  small  range.  The  disadvantage  of 
having  cygnets  to  begin  swan  keeping  with,  is,  that 
they  are  less  ornamental  till  they  have  attained  their 
perfect  plumage,  and  the  proper  orange  color  of  the 
bill,  and  that  they  do  not  breed  till  their  third  year, 
It  is  not,  however,  generally  Imown  that  the  male  is 
capable  of  increasing  his  kind  a  year  earlier  than  the 


THE    COMMON    SWAN.  247 

female,  so  that  a  brood  may  be  obtained  from  an  old 
hen,  and  a  cook  bird  in  his  second  year.  In  selecting 
a  pair,  the  great  thing  is  to  make  sure  of  having  two 
birds  of  opposite  sexes.  Two  cock  birds  will  not  live 
together,  and  their  mutual  aversion  would  soon  show 
that  all  was  not  right ;  but  two  hens  will — which  is 
the  case  also  with  pigeons. 

DISTINCTION    BETWEEN    THE    MALE  AND    FEMALE. 

IN  selecting  any  water  birds  whose  plumage  is  alike 
in  both  sexes,  and  which  cannot,  therefore,  be  distin- 
guished with  certainty,  the  best  rule  is  to  see  them  in 
the  water,  and  take  that  which  swims  deepest  for  the 
female  ;  and  that  which  floats  with  greatest  buoyancy 
for  the. male,  remembering  that,  as  a  general  rule,  all 
creatures  of  the  masculine  gender  have  the  largest 
lungs  in  proportion  to  their  size.  The  neck  of  the 
cock  swan  is  usually  thicker.  An  experienced  eye 
will,  besides,  detect  a  certain  feminine  gentleness  and 
modesty  in  the  one,  and  an  alacrity  and  boldness  in 
in  the  other,  which  is  a  tolerably  sa  fe  guide,  as  well  as 
an  appropriate  and  becoming  attribute  to  the  creatures 
themselves. 

FEEDING-,  MANAGEMENT,  ETC. 

SUPPOSING  the  reader  to  have  obtained  two  cygnets 
that  are  not  mere  friends,  but  actually  husband  and 
wife,  he  will  recollect  that  those  reserved  for  fatting 
are  never  pinioned,  lest  it  should  check  their  progress, 
and  he  will  request  the  operation  to  be  performed  be- 
fore he  has  them  home,  in  order  that  they  may  have 
the  fewest  possible  disagreeable  reminisences,  connect- 
ed with  the  spot  where  they  are  to  spend  their  lives. 
The  amputation  of  the  part  of  the  wing,  which  corre- 
sponds to  our  hand,  is  quite  sufficient  to  prevent  the 
flight  of  the  short- winged  species,  so  far  as  migration 
is  concerned,  disfigures  them  less  than  the  closer  prun- 
ing, and  still  leaves  them  the  means  of  escape  from  a 


248  THE    COMMON    SWAN. 

dog,  allows  them  now  and  then,  in  their  gambols,  to 
fancy  they  are  free,  and  to  enjoy  a  sort  of  half-run, 
half-fly,  from  the  lawn  into  the  water.  Kindness, 
comfort,  and  good  feeding  must  be  employed  to  keep 
them  at  home  as  .far  as  possible  ;  but  the  loss  of  the 
last  wing  will  not  be  enough  to  prevent  their  flight. 
It  is  recommended  that  the  female  be  pinioned  at  the 
wrist,  the  male  at  the  elbow,  trusting  to  their  mutual 
attachment  to  keep  the  less-maimed  bird  from  desert- 
ing her  mate.  But  however  it  be  done,  let  it  be 
set  about  in  a  workmanlike  manner ;  no  chopping — 
no  hacking — no  hewing — nor  butchering.  Many  cyg- 
nets are  annually  killed  by  the  clumsy  way  in  which 
their  wing  is  lopped  off.  They  suffer  from  the  shock 
to  their  nervous  system. 

A  skillful  operator  will  feel  for  the  joint,  divide  the 
skin,  and  turn  the  bone  neatly  out  of  the  socket.  He 
should  be  allowed  to  shed  just  one  drop  of  blood — no 
more.  I  would  be  as  hard  upon  him  as  Portia  was 
upon  the  flesh-cutting  Jew — 

"  This  bond  doth  give  thee  here  .no  jot  of  blood  ; 
The  words  expressly  are,  a  limb  of  swan  , 
Take  then  thy  bond,  take  thou  thy  limb  of  swan  ; 
But,  in  the  cutting  it,  if  thou  dost  shed          ; 
One  drop  of  cygnine  blood,  thy  clumsiness 
Shall  brand  the  name  of  '  Bungler'  on  thy  back. 
Therefore,  prepare  thee  to  cut  off  the  limb, 
Shed  thou  no  blood  ;  nor  cut  thou  less,  nor  more 
But  just  the  very  limb  ;  if  thou  tak'st   more 
Or  less,  than  just  the  limb,  thou  shalt  bewail 
The  consequence." 

If  any  brook  run  into  and  from  the  pond  where 
they  are  to  remain,  their  escape  through  that  channel 
must  be  prevented  by  netting,  hurdles,  pales,  or  other 
fencing,  which  should  be  continued  some  distance  in- 
land, lest  they  should  walk  away,  if  they  cannot  swim 
away.  This  precaution  will  be  found  particularly 
necessary  if  there  is  any  main  stream  in  the  immedi- 
ate neighborhood.  A  feeding  trough  may  be  fixed  for 
them  in  the  pond,  in  the  part  where  it  is  most  de- 
sirable that  they  should  be  accustomed  to  display  them- 
selves. The  trough  must  be  placed  in  the  pond  on  two 
firm  posts,  within  arm's  length  of  the  shore,  raised  high 


THE    COMMON    SWAN.  249 

enough  from  the  water  to  prevent  ducks  from  stealing 
the  food  contained  therein,  having  a  cover  which  lifts 
up  by  hinges,  and  so  forms  a  lid,  to  keep  out  rats,  and 
open  only  in  front.  Many  persons,  however,  feed  their 
swans  by  simply  throwing  the  corn,  or  grain,  into 
shallow  water.  They  will  skim  the  surface  for  the 
light  grains  which  float,  and  then  submerge  their  heads 
in  search  of  that  which  has  sunk.  But  it  is  cruel  to 
locate  a  pair  of  swans  for  the  sake  of  their  beauty  in  a 
new-made  piece  of  water  whose  banks  and  bottom  are 
as  barren  and  bare  as  the  inside  of  a  hand  basin.  A 
load  or  two  of  water  weeds  should  have  been  thrown 
in,  the  previous  spring,  to  propagate  themselves  and 
afford  pasturage.  Swan  food  exists  in  proportion  to 
the  shallowness  and  foulness,  not  to  the  extent  and 
clearness  of  the  water.  "  A  yard  of  margin  is  worth  a 
mile  of  deep  stream." 

In  confined  waters,  swans  require  a  liberal  supply 
of  food,  in  the  autumn,  when  the  weeds  run  short.  It 
should  be  remembered,  that  at  this  season,  they  have  to 
supply  themselves  with  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  as  well 
as  to  maintain  their  daily  strength.  If  they  have  not 
been  taught  to  eat  grain,  and  have  not  acquired  a  no- 
tion of  grazing,  they  will  perish  from  starvation. 
Young  birds  are  apt  to  be  fanciful  or  stupid,  and  have 
not  sense  enough  to  come  to  the  bank  and  eat  grass, 
nor  pick  up  the  threshed  corn,  or  grain,  which  may  be 
thrown  down  to  them.  Sometimes  they  may  be 
tempted  with  a  lock  of  un threshed  barley  or  oats, 
thrown,  straw  and  all,  into  the  water,  which  they  will 
instinctively  lay  hold  of  and  devour.  Cygnets,  which 
have  been  previously  put  up  to  fatten,  will  give  little 
or  no  trouble  in  this  respect,  besides  the  advantage  of 
being  accustomed  to  the  near  approach  of  their  feeder. 

The  weight  of  the  swan,  in  the  feathers,  varies  from 
25  to  28  Ibs.,  and  sometimes,  though  rarely,  30  Ibs. 
They  are  never  better  than  in  the  month  of  October, 
when  the  gastronomical  inquirer,  who  is  as  yet  unac- 
quainted with  their  merits,  is  recommended  to  give 
11* 


250  THE    COMMON    SWAN. 


them  a  fair  and  impartial  trial.  They  may  be  had  till 
Christmas,  after  which  they  are  good  for  nothing.  A 
bird  weighing  28  Ibs.  before  Christmas,  has  been  known 
to  shrink  to  17  or  18  pounds  by  the  end  of  January,  in 
spite  of  high  feeding.  Therefore,  "  make  hay  while 
the  sun  shines,"  Mr.  Epicure.  As  in  the  spring,  the 
snowdrop  gives  way  to  the  primrose  and  the  violet,  so, 
in  autumn,  the  swan  yields  its  place  on  the  board  to 
the  turkey  and  the  Gruinea  fowl.  If  to-day  is  lost,  to- 
morrow the  opportunity  will  have  flown,  in  higher  con- 
cerns than  in  mere  eating  and  drinking.  Now — or, 
perhaps,  never. 

The  "  swan  feasts,"  which  sometimes  have  occurred 
in  England,  that  seem  to  have  left  the  most  pleasing 
impressions  on  the  palates  of  the  partakers  have  been 
solemnised  in  the  course  of  the  month  of  September. 
As  to  the  mode  of  dressing,  those  artists,  who  are 
skilled  in  the  treatment  of  venison,  will  easily  cook 
swan,  namely,  with  a  meal  crust  over  it  to  keep  the 
gravy  in.  Instead  of  stuffing  it  with  sage  and  onions, 
like  goose,  (vulgar  condiments  to  vulgar  birds,)  use 
rump  steak  chopped  fine,  and  seasoned  with  Cayenne 
and  salt.  When  browned,  and  served  to  an  admiring 
circle,  let  it  have  rich  gravy  and  currant  jelly,  the 
latter  hot  as  well  as  cold,  in  respectful  attendance. 
And  is  that  all  ?  No  ;  the  best  remains  behind.  The 
hash,  next  day,  is  worth  riding  twenty  miles  to  eat. 
Nay,  more  ;  the  giblets  make  soup  before  which  ox 
tail  sinks  into  insignificance.  The  mere  writing  about 
it  has  made  me  hungry. 


CAPONISING  FOWLS. 


HISTORY. 

To  my  own  taste,  their  flesh  is  insipid,  flavorless,  and  fulsome, 
quite  inferior  to  that  of  other  Fowls,  as  we  usually  have  them  ; 
those  who  are  dissatisfied  with  a  fat  Pullet,  or  a  plump  Cockerel, 
must  surely  want  a  little  wholesome  exercise  of  mind  and  body 
to  restore  a  healthy  appetite.  Fasting,  or  hard  work  even, 
might  do  no  harm  in  such  cases. 

DlXOIT. 

THE  art  of  making  capons  has  been  practised  from 
the  earliest  antiquity,  in  Greece,  India,  and  China,  for 
the  purpose  of  improving  the  flesh  of  birds  for  the  table, 
in  tenderness,  juiciness,  and  flavor.  But  capons,  in 
point  of  fact,  are  getting  out  of  date,  and  are  taking 
rank  with  oxen  roasted  whole,  and  other  barbarisms  of 
the  middle  ages.  They  are  now  rarely  to  be  found  in 
the  London  markets  ;  and  when  procurable,  are  very 
expensive,  but  not  unjustly  so,  when  it  is  to  be  re- 
membered that  two  or  three  chickens  may  have  been 
sacrificed ,  before  ten  capons  have  been  nursed  into  con- 
valescence. That  they  may  be  had  in  considerable  abun- 
dance, in  China,  the  south  of  Europe,  and  in  a  few  in- 
stances in  our  own  country,  is  not  to  be  denied  ;  but 
wherever  they  may  be  found,  they  cannot  be  classed 
otherwise  than  in  the  list  of  uncalled-for  luxuries,  of 
unnecessarily  unnatural  vi  'lids,  such  as  diseased-goose 
liver  pies,  fish  crimped  al.  re,  or  even  those  frightful 
and  portentous  dishes  recalled  by  Dr.  Kitchener,  in 


252 


CAPON1SING    FOWLS. 


the    "  Cook's    Oracle."     One  thing,   however,  may  be 
harmlessly  resuscitated.     As — 


: the  toad,  ugly  and  venomous, 

Wears  yet  a  preciousl  jewel  in  his  head," 


so  the  capon,  which,  though  ugly,  is  not  half  veno- 
mous enough,  if  we  can  be  made  to  believe  all  we 
read,  carries  a  valuable  gem  in  the  part  that  is  usually 
antithetically  opposed  to  the  head. 


EXTRACTING    A    CRYSTAL    FROM    A    CAPON7S    LIVER. 

From  a  very  curious  and  ancient  work  on  natural 
history,  in  my  possession,  entitled  "  Ortus  Sanitatis," 
(the  garden  of  health,)  printed  and  published  at  Aus- 
burg,  in  1485,  by  Joan.  Cuba,  a  Dutch  botanist, 
who  travelled  through  Greece  and  the  East,  I  give 
above,  a  fac-simiie  of  a  wood  engraving,  representing 


CAPONISING    FOWLS.  253 

the  act  of  extracting  a  precious  stone  from  the  liver  of 
a  capon.  "The  Allectorius,"  says  the  author,  "is  a 
stone  like  a  crystal,  or  limpid  water.  It  is  found  in 
the  liver  of  a  capon  at  the  age  of  three  years.  It  is 
never  larger  than  a  bean.  After  this  stone  is  formed 
in  the  capon,  he  never  drinks."  The  Ortus  Sanitatis 
further  informs  us  that  ladies,  who  wear  the  jewel 
Allectorius,  are  sure  to  be  pleasing  in  the  eyes  of  their 
husbands. 

Aldrovandi  tells  us  that  in  capons,  which  were  more 
the  fashion  in  his  day  than  they  are  now,  the  hackle, 
the  tail  feathers,  and  the  spurs  grew  to  a  much  greater 
length  than  in  cocks. 

In  England,  the  art  of  making  capons,  it  seems,  is 
no  new  thing,  as  the  business  of  which  formerly  de- 
volved upon  females  ;  for  old  Leonard  Mascall,  in  his 
minute  directions  for  the  operation,  uses  the  femi- 
nine gender  throughout. 

MODE    OF    MAKING    CAPONS    AND    POULARDES. 

IF  young  cocks  are  emasculated,  so  as  to  deprive 
them  of  their  natural  reproductive  feelings,  it  has  a 
wonderful  effect  on  their  condition,  rendering  them 
also  more  easy  to  fatten.  They  are  never  afterwards 
subject  to  the  natural  process  of  moulting,  and  lose 
their  previous  strong  shrill  voice.  They  become  dull 
and  melancholy,  are  detested  by  the  hens,  buffeted 
about  by  the  other  cocks,  and  would  soon  fall  victims 
to  their  enmity,  were  they  not  removed  to  perform  the 
remaining  business  of  their  lives,  "  to  eat,  drink, 
sleep,  and  get  fat,"  with  all  possible  expedition.  In 
this  state,  they  are  called  "  capons." 

In  a  similar  manner,  young  pullets  may  be  capon- 
ised,  so  as  to  deprive  them  of  their  reproductive  pow- 
ers, and  render  them  more  easy  to  fatten.  When  thus 
operated  upon,  they  are  usually,  though  improperly, 
termed  "hen  capons,"  but  the  French  word,  "  pou- 
larde,"  is  much  to  be  preferred. 


254 


CAPON1SING    FOWLS. 


In  performing  the  operation,  the  first  thing  to  be 
considered  is  the  purchase  or  procurement  of  the  re- 
quisite instruments.  Those  most  approved  of  by  skill- 
ful operators,  consist  of  two  five  or  seven-pound  weights 
for  confining  the  fowls ;  a  scalpel  for  cutting  open  the 


SCALPEL. 


thin  skin  which  envelopes  the  testicles  ;  a  silver  retrac- 
tor for  stretching  open  the  wound  wide  enough  to  ope- 


RETRACTOR. 


rate  within  ;  a  pair  of  spring  forceps,  denoted  by  the 
letter  a,  in  the  following  page,  having  a  sharp,  cutting 
edge,  resembling  that  of  a  chisel,  with  a  bevel  half 
an  inch  in  its  greatest  width,  for  making  the  incision, 


CAPONISING    FOWLS. 


255 


Scalpel,      .... 
Silver  Ketractor, 
Spring  Forceps, 
Spoon,  with  hook, 
Double  Silver  Canula, 


$0.62  i 
1.50 
0.87£ 
0.75 
1.75 

$5.50 


and  securing  the  thin  membrane  covering  the  testicles; 
a  spoon-shaped  instrument) 
b,  with  a  sharp  hook  at  one 
end,  for  pushing  and  remov- 
ing the  testicles,  adjusting 
the  loop,  and  to  assist  in 
tearing  open  the  tender  cov- 
ering  of  the  testicles ;  and  at  I II 
double  silver  canula,  c,  for 
containing  the  two  ends  of 
horse  hair  or  fibre,  constitut- 
ing the  loop. 

The  cost  of  these  instru- 
ments in  New  York,  is  near- 
ly as  follows : — 


Those  who  are  not  par- 
ticularly nice  about  the  mat- 1 
ter,  may  use  a  cheap  pen- 1 
knife  instead  of  the  scalpel, 
and  may  obtain  the  other 
instruments  of  a  cheaper  con- 
struction, so  that  the  whole 
will  not  cost  more  than  half  [ 
the  sum  indicated  above. 

The  cockerels  intended  foil 
capons  should  be  of  the  larg- 
est breeds,  as  the  Dorking, 
the  Bucks-County,  Cochin-| 
China,  or  the  great  Malay. 
They  may  be  operated  upon 
at  any  time  after  they  are  a  mon  th  old,  though  at  an 


FORCEPS,    SPOON,  AND  CANULA. 


256  CAPONISIMG    FOWL?. 

age  of  from  two  to  three  months  is  considered  prefer- 
able.  If  possible,  it  should  be  done  before  July,  as  it 
has  been  remarked  that  capons  made  later  than  this, 
never  prove  so  fine. 


COCKEREL  CONFINED  FOR  CAPONISING. 

All  things  being  in  readiness,  the  first  step  to  be 
taken  is  to  confine  the  fowl  to  a  table  or  board  by  lay- 
ing him  with  the  left  side  downward,  the  wings 
drawn  behind  the  rump,  the  legs  extended  backward 
with  the  upper  one  furthest  drawn  out,  and  the  head 
and  neck  left  perfectly  free,  as  denoted  in  the  above 
cut.  The  feathers  are  next  to  be  plucked  from  the 
right  side,  near  the  hip  joint,  on  a  line  with,  and  be- 
tween, the  joint  of  the  shoulder,  as  at  a.  The  space 
uncovered,  may  be  from  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half 
in  diameter,  according  to  -"he  size  of  the  bird. 

After  drawing  the  skin  off  the  part,  backward,  so 
that,  when  left  to  itself  when  the  operation  is  com- 
pleted, it  will  cover  the  wound  in  the  flesh,  make  an 
incision  with  the  bevel-edged  knife,  at  the  end  of  the 
forceps,  between  the  last  two  ribs,  commencing  about 
an  inch  from  the  backbone,  and  extending  it  obliquely 
downward,  from  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half,  just 
cutting  deep  enough  to  separate  the  ribs,  taking  duo 
care  not  to  wound  the  intestines. 


CAPONISING    FOWLS.  257 

Then,  adjust  and  apply  the  retractor  by  means  of 
the  small  thumb  screw,  and  stretch  apart  the  wound 
sufficiently  wide  to  afford  room  to  examine  the  parts 
to  be  removed. 

Then,  with  the  scalpel  or  a  sharp  penknife,  care- 
fully cut  open  the  skin,  or  membrane,  covering  the  in- 
testines, which,  if  not  sufficiently  drawn  up,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  previous  confinement,  may  be  pushed 
forward  towards  the  breast  bone,  by  means  of  the  bowl 
of  the  spoon-shaped  instrument,  or,  what  would  an- 
swer equally  well,  with  the  handle  of  a  teaspoon. 

As  the  testicles  are  exposed  to  view,  they  will  be 
found  to  be  connected  with  the  back  and  sides  by 
means  of  a  thin  membrane,  or  skin,  which  passes  over 
them.  This  tender  covering  must  then  be  seized  with 
the  forceps,  and  torn  open  with  the  sharp-pointed  hook, 
at  the  small  end  of  the  spoon-shaped  instrument,  after 
which,  with  the  left  hand,  introduce  the  bowl  of  the 
spoon  under  the  lower,  or  left  testicle,  which  is  gen- 
erally a  little  nearer  to  the  rump  than  the  right  one. 

Tiien  take  the  double  canula,  adjust  the  hair  loop, 
and,  with  the  right  hand,  pass  the  loop  over  the  small 
hooked  end  of  the  spoon,  running  it  down  under  the 
bowl  of  the  spoon  containing  the  testicle,  so  as  to  bring 
the  loop  to  act  upon  the  part  which  connects  the  tes- 
ticle to  the  back.  Then,  by  drawing  the  ends  of  the 
hair  loop  backward  and  forward,  and  at  the  same  time 
pushing  the  lower  end  of  the  tube,  or  canula,  towards 
the  rump  of  the  fowl,  the  cord,  or  fastening  of  the  tes- 
ticle, is  severed. 

A  similar  process  is  then  to  be  repeated  with  the 
uppermost,  or  right  testicle,  after  which,  any  remains 
of  the  testicles,  together  with  the  blood  at,  or  around, 
the  bottom  of  the  wound,  must  be  scooped  out  with 
the  bowl  of  the  spoon.  The  reason  for  cutting  out  the 
left  testicle  first,  is  to  prevent  the  blood,  which  may 
issue,  from  covering  the  one  remaining,  and  rendering 
it  more  difficult  to  be  seen. 

After  the  preceding  operation  is  performed,  which, 


258  CAPONISING    FOWLS. 

if  skillfully  done,  occupies  only  a  few  minutes,  the 
retractor  is  taken  out,  the  skin  of  the  fowl  drawn 
over  the  wound,  which  may  be  covered  with  the  feath- 
ers that  were  plucked  off  at  the  commencement,  and 
the  chicken  may  he  released.  As  soon  as  it  is  liber- 
ated, it  will  eagerly  partake  of  grain  or  other  food,  and 
in  a  few  days  be  restored  to  health. 

In  some  fowls,  the  fore  part  of  the  thigh  covers  the 
two  hindmost  ribs,  in  which  case,  care  must  be  ob- 
served to  draw  the  fleshy  part  of  the  thigh  well  back, 
to  prevent  it  from  being  cut ;  as  otherwise,  the  opera- 
tion to  be  performed  might  be  liable  to  lame  the  fowl, 
or  even  cause  its  death. 

For  loops,  nothing  answers  better  than  the  fibre  of  a 
coco-nut  husk,  which  is  rough,  and  readily  separates 
the  testicles  by  sawing.  The  next  best  substance  for 
the  purpose,  is  the  hair  of  a  horse's  mane  or  tail. 

The  usual  method  of  making  poulardes,  in  France, 
is,  to  extirpate  the  egg  cluster,  or  ovaria,  in  a  similar 
manner  as  the  testicles  are  extracted  from  the  young 
cocks  ;  but  it  has  been  shown  by  Mr.  Yarrell,  in  the 
"  Transactions  of  the  Royal  Society,"  that  it  is  quite 
sufficient  merely  to  cut  across  the  egg  tube,  or  ovi- 
duct, with  a  sharp  knife.  Poulardes  may  otherwise  be 
treated  in  the  same  manner  as  the  capons. 

Capons  are  fattened  precisely  in  the  same  manner 
as  other  fowls,  by  keeping  them  cooped  up  in  a  quiet, 
dark  place,  and  oramming,  or  otherwise  feeding  them, 
abundantly. 


DISEASES  OF  POULTRY. 


GENERAL   REMARKS. 

ALTHOUGH  poultry  are  no  less  liable  to  disorders  than 
cattle,  or  other  domestic  animals,  but  very  little  at- 
tention has  been  paid  to  them,  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the 
small  value  of  individual  fowls,  compared  with  sheep 
or  horses  ;  and  frequently  it  is  most  economical  to  kill 
them  at  once.  These  disorders,  however,  are  far  from 
being  devoid  of  interest,  not  only  as  sometimes  leading 
to  correct  views  of  the  diseases  of  other  animals,  in- 
cluding man  himself;  but  so  far  as  the  saving  of  even 
a  few  dimes,  by  curing  them  when  that  is  possible,  or 
of  rendering  their  eggs,  or  flesh,  more  wholesome  and 
palatable,  as  well  as  the  humane  motive  of  adding  to 
the  comfort  of  the  creatures,  some  attention  to  the 
subject,  more  than  it  usually  attracts,  is  surely  de- 
sirable. 

The  following  notices,  though  far  from  complete, 
and,  not  improbably,  requiring  correction,  in  several 
respects,  will  be  found,  it  is  presumed,  as  full  and  as 
perfect  as  anything  hitherto  published  in  treatises 
on  poultry.  But  let  me  at  once  confess  my  ignorance 
relative  to  the  treatment  of  fowls  laboring  under  their 
various  maladies.  Their  ailments  have  hitherto  failed, 
with,  perhaps,  few  exceptions,  to  attract  scientific  ob- 


260  DISEASES    OP    POULTRY. 

servation,  and  no  wonder.  Who  attends  them  ?  What 
complaint  do  they  make  ?  And  when  they  die,  who, 
acquainted  with  the  symptoms  before  death,  makes 
post-mortem  examinations,  and  then  refers  those 
symptoms  to  the  morbid  appearances  which  his  scal- 
pel has  revealed  ?  To  speak  the  truth,  neither  are 
their  diseases  well  understood,  nor  is  the  treatment  of 
them  anything  but  empyrical. 

From  reading,  observation,  and  conversation,  howev- 
er, with  those  who  prof  ess  to  be  practically  acquaint- 
ed with  the  diseases  of  poultry,  my  attention  has  only 
been  directed  to  what  may  be  considered  as  the  prox- 
imate causes  of  their  dissolution  under  the  following 
active,  forms,  namely  : — Apoplexy,  evinced  by  inflam- 
mation of  the  membranes  of  the  brain,  or  by  effusion 
of  blood  within  or  upon  it ;  peritoneal  inflammation  of 
the  mucous  membrane  of  the  intestines,  or  intumes- 
cence of  the  rump  gland)  symptomatic  of  a  febrile 
condition.  N.  B.  Do  not  give  salt  in  any  case  whatever. 

APOPLEXY. 

THIS  is  a  very  frequent  disorder  among  fowls,  which 
makes  its  attack  in  most  instances  without  the  slight- 
est warning.  Mr.  Flourens,  a  very  distinguished 
physiologist,  of  Paris,  and  an  author,  says  there  are 
two  degrees  of  apoplexy  among  fowls,  one  deep-seated, 
and  the  other  superficial,  each  having  different  symp- 
toms. Deep-seated  apoplexy  is  characterised  by  com- 
plete disorder  of  movement,  while  superficial  apoplexy 
^is  manifested  only  by  deficient  muscular  energy  and 
instability  in  walking.  Deep-seated  apoplexy  is  ac- 
companied by  superficial  apoplexy  ;  but,  as  the  latter 
is  the  precursor  of  the  former,  it  ought  to  be  carefully 
attended  to,  in  order  to  prevent  its  passing  to  what 
may  be  termed  the  second  stage,  though  both  stages 
are  capable  of  being  cured  by  a  natural  process,  as  an 
individual  case  proves. 

M.  Flourens  had  brought  to  him,  on  the  12th  of 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  261 

April,  1823,  a  young  fowl,  whose  gait  indicated  that 
of  a  tipsy  animal,  so  much,  that  the  peasants  called  it 
the  "tipsy  hen."  Whether  standing,  walking,  or  run- 
ning, it  reeled  and  staggered,  advancing  always  in  a 
zigzag  manner,  frequently  turning  to  the  right,  when 
it  wished  to  turn  to  the  left,  and  to  the  left  when  it 
wished  to  turn  to  the  right ;  and  instead  of  going  for- 
ward, it  went  backwards,  and  backwards  instead  of 
forwards.  Its  legs  also  often  bent  under  it,  so  that  it 
fell  down ;  above  all,  when  it  flew  high  up  to  perch, 
it  could  not  govern  nor  regulate  its  movements,  but 
fell  and  rolled  about  on  the  ground  a  long  while,  with- 
out being  able  to  get  upon  its  legs  or  recover  its  bal- 
ance. These  movements  so  nearly  resembled  those 
which  had  been  produced  by  experiment,  that  M. 
Flourens  was  impatient  to  examine  the  brain.  He 
found  the  bone  of  the  skull  to  be  covered  with  black 
carious  points.  On  penetrating  the  dura  mater,  a 
quantity  of  clear  water  ran  out,  while  the  cerebellum 
was  yellowish,  with  rust-colored  streaks  on  the  surface, 
and  in  the  centre  was  a  mass  of  purulent  coagulated 
matter,  as  large  as  a  horse  bean,  contained  in  a  cavity 
perfectly  isolated,  and  having  its  sides  very  thin  and 
smooth. 

Dr.  de  Sala  brought  to  M.  Flourens,  from  Madame 
Rousseau,  of  Pecq,  near  Paris,  a  young  cock,  which 
had  died  of  a  disorder  that  appeared  singular.  This 
cock  could  not  stand  upright  for  any  time  without 
reeling  on  its  legs,  and  it  staggered  when  it  attempted 
to  walk  or  run  ;  its  neck  always  trembled  or  oscillated, 
particularly  when  it  stretched  it  or  its  body  ;  but  when 
its  head  or  beak  were  supported,  the  oscillation  ceased. 

This  is  evidently  the  same  disorder  which  Dr.  Bech- 
stein  terms  epilepsy,  and  Mr.  Clater,  the  megrims  or 
giddiness.  The  latter  says  that  "Many  promising 
chickens  are  lost  in  this  complaint.  Without  any  kind 
of  warning,  they  fall,  roll  on  their  backs,  and  struggle 
for  a  minute  or  two,  when  they  rise  stupid  and  giddy, 
and  slowly  return  to  their  food.  One  fit  having  oo 


2H2  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

curred,  is  soon  followed  by  others,  each  more  violent 
than  the  preceding,  until  at  length,  the  little  animal 
staggers  about  half  unconscious,  refusing  to  eat,  rap- 
idly wasting,  and  soon  dies  convulsed.  In  some  cases, 
the  megrims  occur  when  the  fowl  is  poor  and  half- 
starved  ;  but  then  the  food  has  been  improper ;  it  has 
been  watery  or  disposed  to  fermentation ;  diarrhoea 
has  followed,  and  the  fits  are  the  consequence  of  in- 
testinal irritation.  Other  young  fowls  will  have  oc- 
casional fits,  from  which  they  will  rapidly  recover,  and 
appear  to  be  little  or  nothing  the  worse.  The  me- 
grims," he  adds,  "  must  be  stopped  as  soon  as  possible. 
Castor  oil  and  syrup  of  ginger  will  be  a  very  good  med- 
icine, and  be  much  improved  by  syrup  of  white  pop- 
pies added  to  it.  The  fowl  that  has  once  had  the 
megrims  should  be  confined  for  some  days,  but  in  a 
tolerably  large  place,  where  it  may  obtain  some  de- 
gree of  exercise." 

This  treatment,  it  may  be  observed,  proceeds  upon 
a  total  ignorance  of  the  seat  of  the  disease,  as  so  well 
proved  by  M.  Flourens.  Dr.  de  Sala  adopted  the  best 
possible  method  of  cure,  by  applying  leeches  to  the 
nape  of  the  neck.  The  food  should  be  light  and  scan- 
ty, and  the-.affected  fowl  should  be  confined  in  a  rather 
dark  coop. 

PIP,   OR  THRUSH. 

THIS  may  be  regarded  as  a  token  of  derangement  of 
the  mucous  membrane  of  the  alimentary  canal  gener- 
ally, and  not  as  a  local  disease.  It  is  considered  va- 
riously by  different  writers.  Dr.  Bechstein  describes 
it  as  a  catarrhal  inflammation  producing  a  thickened 
state  of  the  membrane  lining  the  nostrils  and  mouth, 
particularly  the  tongue.  M.  Buc'hoz,  on  the  other 
hand,  thinks  it  caused  by  want  of  water,  or  by  bad 
water,  such  as  the  drainings  of  dunghills,  sinks,  &c., 
which  fowls  will  drink  when  they  can  get  no  other. 

The  symptoms  of  the  "  pip,"  consist  in  a  thickening 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  263 

of  the  membrane  lining  the  tongue  and  palate,  which 
causes  an  obstruction  to  free  inspiration,  and  makes 
the  poor  sufferer  gasp  for  breath  ;  the  beak  becomes 
yellow  at  the  base  ;  the  tongue  dry  ;  the  plumage  be- 
comes ruffled,  the  bird  mopes  and  pines,  the  appetite 
gradually  declines  to  extinction,  and  at  last  it  dies, 
completely  worn  out  by  fever  and  starvation. 

A  cure  may  be  effected  by  a  low  diet ;  that  is,  in 
the  case  of  common  fowls,  by  an  allowance  of  fresh 
vegetable  food,  as  lettuce  or  parsley  chopped  and 
mixed  with  potatoes  and  a  little  Indian  or  oat  meal, 
granting  at  the  same  time  a  plentiful  supply  of  pure 
water.  Give,  also,  of  castor  oil,  a  tea-spoonful,  or 
thereabouts,  according  to  the  age  and  strength  of  the 
fowl.  Do  not  scrape  the  tongue,  nor  use  rough  modes 
of  cleaning  it ;  but  apply  a  little  borax,  (sub-borate 
of  soda,)  dissolved  in  pure  water  and  tincture  of  myrrh, 
by  means  of  a  camel-hair  pencil,  two  or  three  times  a- 
day. 

When  chickens  are  ill  with  the  pip,  Dr.  Bechstein 
recommends  keeping  the  fowl  in  a  warm  place,  and  a 
mixture  of  butter,  pepper,  garlic,  and  scraped  horse 
radish,  to  be  given  to  it,  without  stripping  the  tongue ; 
and,  when  the  nostrils  are  obstructed,  to  pass  a  small 
feather,  dipped  in  oil,  up  them.  M.  Buc'hoz  recom- 
mends clean  water. 

GAPES,  OR  INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  WINDPIPE. 

THIS  is  a  disease  to  which  all  our  domestic  gallina- 
ceous birds  are  subject,  and  which  often  occasions 
great  mortality  among  them.  Wet,  ill-feeding,  and, 
ill- ventilated  fowl  house  confinement,  or  a  spot  or 
plot  of  ground  tenanted  year  after  year  by  fowls,  with- 
out attention  to  cleanliness,  to  renovation  of  the  soil, 
and  a  proper  allowance  of  gravel,  ashes,  fresh  vegeta- 
bles, &c.,  are  the  proximate  or  remote  causes  of  this, 
as  well  as  many  other  complaints  of  our  domestic 
fowls.  At  the  same  time,  let  it  be  borne  in  mind, 
that  the  "gapes"  is  an  epidemic  disease. 


264  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

In  the  first  instance,  it  appears  to  arise  from  a 
croupy  or  catarrhal  affection,  which  is  indicated  by 
running  at  the  nostrils,  watery  eyes,  alteration  of 
voice,  and  loss  of  appetite  and  spirits.  If  the  trachea, 
or  windpipe,  be  examined,  it  will  be  found  replete  with 
narrow  worms,  about  half  an  inch  in  length,  imbedded 
in  slimy  mucus.  This  singular  worm  consists  of  a 
long  and  short  body  united  together  ;  the  long  one  is 
the  female,  the  short  one  the  male,  each,  were  it  not 
that  they  are  permanently  united  together,  being  an 
animal  distinct  and  perfect  in  itself. 

Whether  these  parasitic  worms  are  the  cause  or 
consequence  of  the  disease,  it  is  not  easy  to  say ,  nor 
do  we  know  how  they  become  introduced  into  the  tra- 
chea ;  this,  however,  seems  certain,  that  their  removal 
is  requisite  to  give  the  feathered  patient  a  chance  ot 
recovery.  This  can  be  done  by  means  of  a  feather, 
neatly  trimmed,  which  is  to  be  introduced  into  the 
windpipe  and  turned  round  once  or  twice  and  then 
drawn  out ;  it  will  dislodge  the  worms  and  bring  back 
many  of  them  adhering  to  it  with  the  slime.  This 
plan  requires  great  dexterity  and  some  knowledge  of 
the  anatomy  of  the  parts  ;  a  slow  unskillful  operator 
may  kill  the  already  half-suffocated  bird,  instead  of 
curing  it.  Another  mode  of  destroying  these  worms, 
is,  by  putting  the  birds  into  a  box,  and  making  them 
inhale  the  fumes  of  tobacco,  thrown  into  it  through 
the  stalk  of  a  tobacco  pipe.  Some  recommend  the 
forcing  of  tobacco  smoke  down  the  bird's  throat,  and 
others  that  the  mouth  be  crammed  with  snuff. 

Martin,  in  his  "  Farmer's  Library,"  recommends 
the  application  of  a  grain  of  calomel,  made  up  with 
bread  into  a  pill,  or  two  or  three  grains  of  Plummer's 
pill,  (pil.  hydr.  submur.  co.,  London  Pharmacopoeia,) 
after  which  let  flower  of  sulphur  be  administered, 
with  a  little  ginger,  in  pultaceous  food  composed  of 
barley  meal.  Indian  meal  will  do  as  well.  In  the 
meantime  let  the  bird  be  kept  in  a  dry,  warm  shed  or 
room,  apart  from  the  rest  of  the  fowls,  as  it  is  believed 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  265 

that  the  disease  is  infectious.  Let  the  mouth  and 
beak  be  washed  with  a  weak  solution  of  chloride  of 
lime. 


INFLAMMATION    OF    THE   LUNGS. 

FOWLS,  in  a  state  of  health,  rarely  breathe  through 
the  mouth  as  we  do,  but  almost  always  through  the 
nostrils,  which  are  comparatively  large,  and  communi- 
cate backward  with  the  top  of  the  windpipe.  The 
windpipe  itself  is  composed  of  stiff  rings  of  cartilage, 
united  by  strong  membranes  ;  and  such  is  the  elasticity 
of  these,  that  the  tube  is  enabled  to  preserve  its  cylin- 
drical form,  even  when  it  receives  considerable  pres- 
sure, and  thereby  affords  free  ingress  and  egress  to  the 
air  in  breathing. 

When  the  windpipe  descends  into  the  chest,  it  di- 
vides into  numerous  branches  called  the  "  bronchial 
tubes,"  which  gradually  becoming  smaller,  at  length 
terminate  in  perforations,  but  neither  these  branches 
nor  the  cells  are  so  small  in  fowls  as  in  other  animals. 
It  is  these  branchings  of  the  windpipe,  however,  which, 
together  with  numerous  blood  vessels,  make  up  the 
substance  of  the  lungs,  the  interstices  being  filled  with 
a  fine  membrane  that  serves  not  only  to  unite  them, 
but  likewise  to  give  a  uniform  appearance  to  the  whole 
mass.  The  perforations  in  which  the  branches  of  the 
windpipe  terminate,  lead  into  large  air  sacks  com- 
municating with  all  parts  of  the  body,  and  forming  an 
accessary  lung. 

With  reference  to  a  not  uncommon  disorder  among 
fowls,  it  is  important  to  mention  that  the  lungs  are 
covered  with  a  fine  delicate  membrane  called  the 
pleura,  on  every  part  of  which  a  watery  fluid  is  secre- 
ted, for.  the  purpose  of  preventing  a  cohesion  of  the 
parts. 

Inflammation  of  the  lungs,  including  the  bronchial 
tubes,  is  not  uncommon  in  fowls.  Its  symptoms  are 
quick  breathing,  often  with  a  rattle,  or  rale,  very 
12 


266  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

audible,  dullness,  disorder  of  plumage,  vacancy  in  the 
eye,  and  indisposition  to  stir.  Death  is  not  to  be  pre- 
vented by  any  remedy  we  can  point  out.  Human 
patients  can  explain  their  feelings,  cattle  to  a  certain 
degree  indicate  them  ;  but  birds  give  little  indications 
by  voice  or  manner  leading  to  what  the  medical  man 
calls  a  diagnosis.  Besides,  how  are  we  to  bleed  a 
bird  ?  The  skin  of  most  birds  is  very  thin,  it  is  un- 
supported by  a  thick  mass  of  cellular  tissue,  and 
the  vessels  which  ramify  upon  it  are  minute,  none 
presenting  a  fair  chance  for  successful  venesection. 
To  cut  and  wound  a  bird  at  random  for  the  purpose  oi 
obtaining  a  flow  of  blood  is  barbarous. 

OBSTRUCTION  OF  THE  NOSTRILS. 

FOWLS,  as  already  remarked,  do  not  in  general  breathe 
through  the  mouth,  but  through  the  nostrils,  and  conse- 
quently, when  these  through  any  cause  become  obstruct- 
ed, the  bird  may  be  observed  to  gape  and  pant  for  breath. 
This  is  the  case  in  the  "pip,"  as  before  mentioned  and 
it  is  also  a  very  common  consequence  of  the  wounds 
received  in  skirmishing  and  fighting,  the  blood  from  the 
lacerated  comb  trickling  over,  and  plugging  up  the  nos- 
tril with  a  hard  adherent  crust.  When  this  is  observed, 
the  parts  ought  to  be  washed  with  warm  water  till  the 
crust  can  be  loosened. 

If  the  obstruction  arise  from  canker  or  ulceration  ot 
the  nostril  itself,  it  may,  if  recent,  be  rubbed  with  a  little 
honey  to  defend  it  from  the  air;  but  if  of  long  standing, 
and  not  seeming  likely  to  heal,  it  may  be  touched  with 
a  red-hot  wire,  which  will  produce  a  scab,  and  in  most 
cases  be  followed  by  a  speedy  cure.  This  may  be  con- 
sidered by  some  a  very  barbarous  remedy  ;  but  the  pain 
it  produces  can  only  be  momentary,  and  in  reality  is 
not  so  severe  an  operation  as  cupping. 

In  the  case  of  obstructed  nostrils  from  pip  or  catarrh, 
bathe  them  with  warm  milk  and  water,  or  anoint  with 
sweet  oil  or  fresh  butter. 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  267 


ROTJF,  OR  INFLUENZA. 

THE  term  "roup,"  is  in  common  speaking  very  indefi- 
nite, being  applied  to  the  quite  dissimilar  disorders  of  poul- 
try, such  as  to  obstruction  in  the  rump  gland,  the  "  pip" 
already  described,  and  to  almost  every  sort  of  catarrh. 
The  word  is  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of  "  croup," 
which  appears  to  be  applicable  to  the  "  gapes,"  or  in- 
flammation of  the  windpipe.  It  will  be  most  advisable,  I 
think,  to  confine  the  term  to  a  highly  dangerous  disorder, 
caused  partly,  if  not  altogether,  by  cold  and  moisture, 
but  usually  ascribed  to  improper  feeding,  uncleanliness, 
and  confinement. 

The  symptoms  most  prominent  in  the  roup,  is  difficult 
and  noisy  breathing,  beginning  with  what  is  termed  the 
gapes,,  as  in  the  pip.  The  eyes  afterwards  become 
much  swollen,  and  the  eyelids  livid,  with  decay  of  sight, 
and  even  total  blindness.  There  is  a  considerable  dis- 
charge from  the  nostrils,  and  even  from  the  mouth,  at 
commencement,  thin  and  limpid  but  afterwards  becom- 
ing thick,  purulent,  and  fetid  very  similar  to  the  glanders 
in  horses.  As  secondary  symptoms,  the  appetite  is  all 
but  lost  except  for  drink,  the  crop  feels  hard  to  the  touch, 
and  the  feathers  are  staring,  ruffled,  and  without  a  healthy 
gloss.  The  fowl  sits  moping  and  wasting  in  corners 
always  apparently  in  great  pain.  Moubray  says,  that 
in  a  hen,  which  died  of  roup,  the  eggs  were  black. 

The  roup  affects  fowls  of  all  ages,  and  is  either  acute 
or  chonic,  beginning  sometimes  suddenly,  and  some- 
times gradually,  as  the  result  of  neglected  colds,  or  rainy 
weather  and  damp  lodging.  Chronic  roup  has  been 
known  to  affect  a  fowl  for  two  years. 

When  any  fowls  or  other  poultry  are  observed  to  be 
infected  with  roup,  they  ought  to  be  kept  warm,  and 
have  plenty  of  water  and  scalded  bran,  Indian-meal 
dough,  or  other  light  food.  The  most  effectual  remedy 
is  said  to  be  antimonial  powder  or  calomel,  in  grain 
doses,  made  into  a  pill  with  bread.  When  it  becomes 
chronic,  change  of  food  and  of  air,  if  convenient,  will 
be  advisable  ;  such  as  confining  the  diet  to  earth  worms 


268  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

for  a  week,  and  then  keeping  wholly  to  grain  for  another 
week,  and  again  to  hot  mashed  potatoes  for  a  third  week. 
Cleanliness  is  no  less  indispensable  than  warmth,  and 
it  will  be  convenient  to  bathe  the  eyes  with  warm  milk 
and  water,  or  with  Labarraque's  disinfecting  liquid, 
which  is  a  solution  of  chlorinated  lime. 


COLDS,  CATARRHS,  AND  PULMONARY  CONSUMPTION,  OR 
PHTHISIS. 

HOARSENESS,  sneezing,  and  other  symptoms  of  cold, 
are  very  common  among  fowls,  which  are  more  suscep- 
tible of  cold  than  might  be  imagined,  when  we  consider 
their  warm  clothing  of  feathers.  When  it  is  considered, 
however,  that  the  air  taken  into  their  lungs  is  not,  as  in 
ourselves,  stopped  there,  but  by  means  of  the  air  cells 
reaches  every  part  of  their  body,  penetrating  even  into 
the  interior  of  their  bones,  we  may  wonder  the  less  at 
their  great  susceptibility  of  being  affected  by  changes  of 
temperature.  It  must  be  considered,  also,  that  fowls 
were  originally,  natives  of  a  warm  climate  ;  and  though 
long  residents  of  higher  latitudes  they  still  retain  so 
much  of  their  original  habits  as  to  influence  them  in 
this  respect.  It  is  besides,  a  very  common  thing  for  in- 
dividuals to  be  rendered  more  susceptible  of  changes  of 
temperature  than  they  otherwise  would  be,  by  being 
closely  confined  in  coops  by  dealers  in  the  markets ; 
and  hence,  when  purchased  and  turned  out  into  the  fresh 
air  of  an  open  field  or  of  a  farm  yard,  they  frequently, 
to  use  a  common  phrase,  "catch  their  death's  cold" 
within  a  few  days. 

M.  Flourens,  has  investigated  the  nature  of  the  disor- 
ders produced  in  fowls,  by  cold,  with  great  care,  and  as 
his  observations  are  not  only  apposite,  I  shall  give  them 
pretty  fully.  M.  Flourens  did  not  confine  his  researches 
to  the  common  domestic  fowl,  but  experimented  like- 
wise on  ducks,  which  he  found,  conformably  to  general 
experience,  no  less  susceptible  of  catarrhal  disorders 
than  fowls,  proving  that  it  is  not  altogether  a  change  of 
climate  which  causes  such  susceptibility. 

M.  Flourens  being  in  the  country  in  the  month  of 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  269 

May,  his  attention  was  called  to  a  duckling  of  a  brood 
newly  hatched,  which  was  reported  to  have  swallowed 
something  that  stack  in  its  throat,  appearing  to  be  on 
the  point  of  suffocation,  continually  opening  its  broad 
bill,  and  breathing  with  extreme  difficulty.  He  exam- 
ined the  fauces,  the  windpipe,  and  the  gullet,  and  found 
nothing;  but  the  struggles  of  the  little  creature  contin- 
ued to  increase,  and  it  finally  died  in  an  hour  or  two. 
On  opening  it,  no  foreign  substance  was  found,  neither 
in  the  gullet  nor  windpipe  ;  but  the  lungs  were  of  a 
deep-red,  and  gorged  with  blood,  showing  that  its  death 
had  been  caused  by  acute  inflammation  of  the  lungs. 

Another  duckling  of  the  same  hatch  was  pointed  out 
to  M.  Flourens,  which  had  been  suddenly  seized  with 
symptoms  similar  to  the  preceding  ;  and  while  he  was 
examining  this,  a  third  was  struck  so  suddenly  with  op- 
pression of  the  chest,  that  it  stood  motionless,  gasped  for 
breath,  had  violent  palpitation  of  the  heart,  left  off  eat- 
ing and  drinking,  and  died  in  two  or  three  hours,  as  did 
the  second  one.  He  opened  both,  and  found  the  same 
inflammatory  engorgement  of  the  lungs  which  he  had 
observed  in  the  first.  The  disorder  indeed  was  evi- 
dently acute  inflammation  of  the  lungs. 

The  terrace  where  he  found  the  ducklings  thus  seized, 
and  which  was  badly  situated  for  rearing  poultry,  had 
a  northern  aspect,  and  the  sun  scarcely  reached  it.  It 
was  consequently  cold,  and  cold  alone  seemed  to  be  the 
cause  of  the  pulmonary  inflammation  in  the  ducklings. 
To  try  the  effect  of  a  warmer  exposure,  M.  Flourens 
caused  the  remaining  ducklings  of  the  hatch,  seven  in 
number,  to  be  removed  to  a  poultry  yard,  having  a 
southern  aspect,  and  perfectly  exposed  to  the  sun.  Upon 
carefully  warming  the  little  creatures,  the  inflammation 
disappeared  from  the  chest,  and  did  not  return.  All 
the  seven  ducklings  lived  and  grew  up  to  adult  age. 

In  the  beginning  of  October,  1826,  M.  Flourens  pro- 
cured a  brood  of  twenty-three  chickens,  about  a  month 
old.  As  soon  as  the  cold  weather  appeared,  he  placed 
six  of  these  in  a  suitable  place,  where  he  kept  up  a  mild 
temperature  during  the  day,  and  at  night  made  them 
sleep  in  baskets  warmly  covered.  None  of  these  six 


270  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

chickens,  among  which  were  four  fern-ales  and  two 
males,  were  affected  with  consumption  of  the  lungs; 
but  one  died  of  a  disorder  of  the  eyes,  and  another  lost 
an  eye. 

Of  eleven  chickens  which  he  kept  constantly  in  the 
poultry  yard  with  a  southernly  aspect,  all,  except  two, 
a  hen  and  a  cock,  died  before  the  end  of  December,  of 
consumption  of  the  lungs,  having  first  passed  through 
all  the  stages  of  this  disease. 

Those  chickens,  which,  at  the  end  of  October,  were 
still  lively  and  gay,  lost  by  little  and  little  their  strength 
and  vivacity  ;  they  trailed  their  wings,  ruffled  up  their 
feathers,  their  flanks  fell  in,  they  chirped  almost  inces- 
santly, their  voice  changed  progressively,  becoming  first 
hoarse  and  at  length  aphonous ;  they  scarcely  ate,  they 
grew  extremely  emaciated,  with  the  skin  dry,  and  as  if 
it  were  glued  to  the  bones ;  they  endeavored  to  get  in 
doors  for  shelter,  and  when  they  did  get  in,  they  were 
observed  to  approach  as  near  as  they  could  to  the  fire, 
to  sit  down  even  on  the  cinders  and  even  upon  the  dogs 
and  cats  around  the  hearth. 

On  the  death  of  these  creatures,  M.  Flourens  found 
their  lungs  in  different  stages  of  inflammation  and  of  sup- 
puration, For  the  most  part,  the  larynx,  all  the  wind- 
pipe, and  its  ramifications  through  the  lungs,  were  filled 
with  purulent  matter  of  a  greyish  color  like  mud,  and  of 
a  fetid  smell.  This  matter  was  sprinkled  all  over,  (par- 
sernee,)  with  a  multitude  of  very  minute  black  points, 
and  these  when  thrown  into  water,  fell  to  the  bottom. 
The  lungs  at  certain  points  were  gorged  with  blood,  and 
their  tissue,  softened  as  if  putrefied,  was  of  the  color  of 
wine  lees.  At  other  points,  particularly  the  external 
posterior  margin,  the  pulmonary  vesicles  presented  black 
points  like  those  in  the  purulent  matter,  and  in  many 
of  these  black  points  he  found  a  very  minute  substance, 
hard,  crepitating,  white,  and  of  a  bony  or  horny  appear- 
ance. In  fine,  upon  other  points,  he  observed  the  ves- 
icles corroded,  and  forming  small  sacs  filled  with  the 
pus  found  in  the  bronchia,  the  windpipe,  and  larynx. 

As  to  the  two  surviving  chickens,  they  no  doubt 
withstood  the  cold  from  being  covered  with  feathers 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  271 

than  the  others,  but  they  remained  dwarfed  and  feeble. 
There  remained  six  chickens  more  out  of  the  twenty- 
three  on  which  he  had  begun  his  experiments.  The 
following  is  what  he  did  with  these  : — He  left  them  at 
first  with  the  eleven  in  the  poultry  yard  till  they  exhib- 
ited symptoms,  not  to  be  mistaken,  of  pulmonary  con- 
sumption more  or  less  advanced.  He  then  took  them 
to  the  place  kept  at  a  mild  temperature,  where,  after 
marking  them  with  bits  of  stuff  tied  to  their  legs,  he 
united  them  with  the  six  already  there. 

Two  of  these  chickens,  which  would  certainly  have 
died  the  same  day  or  the  next,  if  he  had  left  them  in  the 
poultry  yard,  after  having  appeared  at  first  to  regain  a 
little  strength,  died,  one  in  about  five  and  the  other  in 
about  nine  days.  He  found  their  lungs  in  a  complete 
state  of  suppuration  or  of  inflammation. 

The  four  other  chickens  regained  by  degrees  their 
vivacity  and  vigor,  recommenced  feeding  with  a  good 
appetite,  and  appeared  completely  re-established  in 
health,  and  in  April,  1827,  when  he  released  them  all 
from  confinement,  they  appeared  as  healthy  as  those 
which  had  never  been  exposed  to  the  cold. 

Among  these  four  cured  chickens  were  three  cocks 
which  he  sacrificed  to  ascertain  both  what  might  be  the 
actual  state  of  their  lungs  and  what  could  have  been 
the  state  through  which  these  organs  had  passed  during 
the  evident  symptoms  of  phthisis,  which  he  had  previ- 
ously observed  them  to  present — symptoms  of  which 
the  most  immediate  and  direct  is  the  purulent  mat- 
ter observed  to  come  from  the  glottis,  on  drawing 
the  tongue  out  from  the  mouth  and  pressing  upon  the 
larynx  or  the  windpipe. 

M.  Flourens  opened  accordingly  the  chest  of  the  three 
cocks,  and  he  found  in  all  the  three,  traces  of  an  old 
change  in  the  lungs,  more  or  less  deep,  and  now  healed. 
He  preserved  the  hen,  which  he  intended  to  lay  eggs, 
by  means  of  which  he  purposed  to  study  the  effects 
which  reproduction  might  have  on  a  pulmonary  con- 
sumption when  cured  ;  but  his  return  to  Paris  prevent- 
ed him  from  putting  his  design  in  execution. 


272  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

From  these  observation,  M.  Flourens  concludes,  with 
respect  to  the  effects  of  cold  upon  fowls,  it  follows, 

1.  That  in  these  creatures,  cold*  exercises  a  constant 
and  determined  action  upon  the  lungs. 

2.  That  this  action  is  more  sudden  and  more  serious 
in  proportion  as  the  creature  is  of  tender  age. 

3.  That  when   cold  does  not  produce  a   pulmonary 
inflammation,  acute  and  speedily  fatal,  it  produces  chronic 
inflammation,  which  is  in  fact  pulmonary  phthisis. 

4.  That  warmth  uniformly  prevents  the  access  of  pul- 
monary phthisis,  and  as  uniformly  suspends  its  progress 
when  this  has  commenced ;  and  sometimes  even  stops 
it  entirely,  and  effects  a  complete  cure. 

5.  That  this  disease,  at  whatever  stage  it  may  have 
arrived,   is  never  contagious.     The  chickens    affected 
with  phthisis  were  not  only  the  whole  day  with  the 
healthy  chickens,  but  roosted  at  night  in  the  same  bas- 
kets, without  ever  having  experienced  the  slightest  in- 
fluence  from  a  communication  so   intimate  and  pro- 
longed. 

A  long  series  of  observations  made  upon  man  has 
unquestionably  proved  that  cold  is  the  most  terrible 
scourge  in  producing  chronic  inflammations  of  the  lungs  ; 
while  heat,  on  the  contrary,  is  the  most  efficacious  rem- 
edy. The  experiments  above  detailed  confirm,  in  a  di- 
rect and  decisive  manner,  both  the  pernicious  effects  of 
cold  and  the  salutary  effects  of  heat.  In  showing  this 
last  evidence,  accordingly,  both  where  the  source  of  the 
the  evil  lies  and  where  is  the  source  of  the  benefit,  the 
results  may  not  be  entirely  useless  to  humanity. 

Again,  sudden  very  hot  weather  produced  bad  effects 
on  all  his  chickens,  and  it  being  impossible  to  doctor  all, 
the  most  advantageous  plan,  he  judged,  and  the  least 
troublesome,  was,  to  destroy  all  the  sick  ones  and  calcu- 
late only  on  the  strong,  exercising  judgment  in  the  se- 
lection ;  for  even  when  they  are  cured,  they  frequently 
remain  not  only  lean  but  voracious,  destroying  a  great 
quantity  of  food,  and  showing  no  signs  of  thrift  tilf  late 
in  autumn.  When  extensively-spreading  disorders  at- 
tack the  chickens  of  a  yard,  in  this  way  unless  shelter 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  273 

and  housing  prove  effectual,  little  else  can  be  recom- 
mended. 

In  the  cure  of  these  disorders  in  fowls,  as  well  as  in 
man,  the  most  inert  and  unphilosophical  remedies  have 
been  recommended.  Dr.  Handel,  of  Mentz,  for  ex- 
ample, recommends,  for  the  pulmonary  consumption  of 
fowls,  the  juice  of  the  white  turnip  to  be  given  for  drink, 
instead  of  water,  which,  of  course  could  have  no  more 
effect  in  curing  the  corroded  lungs,  gorged  with  pus 
and  studded  with  black  points,  in  chickens,  than  balsam 
of  hoarhound,  pectoral  elixir,  and  all  the  farrago  of  stuff 
lauded  for  consumption  in  man.  M.  Flourens  was  too 
sound  a  reasoner  to  dream  of  trying  nostrums  on  his 
chickens,  since  temperature  alone  seems  to  be  the  dom- 
inant principle  to  which  all  attention  ought  to  be  paid. 
After  perusing  the  preceding  observations,  poultry  keep- 
ers need  not  be  recommended  to  take  care  that  their 
poultry  be  well  sheltered  during  the  colder  seasons  of 
the  year,  and  if  any  appearance  of  cold  or  inflammation 
be  observed,  to  remove  them,  at  least,  for  a  time  to  some 
well-sheltered  place,  or  even  into  some  artificial  tem- 
perature. 

ASTHMA. 

THIS  is  a  very  common  disease  among  fowls,  charac- 
terised by  their  breathing  short,  opening  their  beaks  of- 
ten and  long,  as  if  to  gasp  for  air,  with  heaving  and 
panting  at  the  chest,  more  particularly  when  agitated  or 
frightened, 

There  seems  to  be  two  species  of  the  disorder.  In 
the  first,  it  frequently  happens  that,  when  the  action  of 
the  blood  vessels  of  the  lungs  has  been  increased  to  a 
great  degree,  and  the  inflammation  produced  terminates 
without  suppuration  or  gangrene,  phlegm  is  frequently 
thrown  into  and  plugs  up  a  part  of  the  air  cells,  which 
prevents  them  from  performing  their  proper  functions,; 
and  the  fowl,  not  being  able  to  take  in  the  usual  quan- 
tity of  air,  is  obliged  to  inspire  twice  in  the  time  which 
before  only  took  up  one  inspiration,  causing  a  double 
heaving  of  the  chest.  The  capacity  of  the  lungs  being, 


274  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

of  course,  diminished,  the  membrane  which  lines  the 
windpipe  is  much  thickened,  and  many  of  the  finer 
branches  are  probably  obstructed  in  a  greater  or  less 
degree. 

In  the  second  variety,  by  fright,  from  chasing  the 
fowls  to  catch  them,  or  by  seizing  them  suddenly,  or  by 
their  fighting  with  each  other,  a  blood  vessel  is  not  un- 
frequently  ruptured,  as  is  proved  by  a  drop  of  blood  ap- 
pearing at  the  beak,  speedy  death  being  the  usual  con- 
sequence. If  this  does  not  happen,  the  breathing 
continues  difficult  and  apparently  painful,  and  a  com- 
plete cure  is  rarely  effected.  The  rupture,  not  of  a 
blood  vessel,  but  of  one  or  more  of  the  air  cells,  occa- 
sions considerable  vacuities,  which  are  never  completely 
emptied  of  air  on  expiration.  When  this  is  the  case, 
the  fowl  not  being  able  to  expel  the  air  at  one  expira- 
tion, another  immediately  takes  place,  with  a  short  in- 
spiration between,  causing  the  panting  and  gasping 
already  mentioned. 

Confirmed  asthma,  caused  by  the  bursting  of  air  cells 
or  blood  vessels,  is  of  course  incurable,  though  it  is  not 
always  fatal — fowls  so  affected  often  living  for  several 
years,  otherwise  in  tolerable  health.  It  certainly,  how- 
ever, injures  the  utility  of  cocks,  which  are  the  most 
subject  to  it  from  its  being  brought  on  by  fighting. 

FEVER. 

THE  chief  symptom  in  fever  in  fowls,  is  increased  rap- 
idity of  the  current  of  the  blood,  and  this,  of  course,  may 
be  occasioned  by  various  causes.  One  of  the  most 
common  is  skirmishing  and  fighting,  by  which  the  crea- 
tures are  often  greatly  agitated,  and  not  unfrequently 
killed  outright.  This  fever  is  sometimes  increased,  by 
buffing  the  combatants  about  with  a  handkerchief,  to 
induce  them  to  leave  off.  A  more  effectual  remedy, 
which  at  the  same  time  will  often  stop  the  fever,  is  to 
plunge  them  over  head  in  cold  water,  or  throw  cold  wa- 
ter over  them  from  a  garden  pot,  or  even  from  a  bucket. 
If  this  is  done,  care  must  be  taken  to  have  them  dried 
as  soon  as  possible,  by  removing  them  within  doors, 
should  the  weather  be  damp  or  cold. 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  275 

In  a  case  of  highly  inflammatory  fever  in  a  chicken, 
noticed  by  Mr.  Dickson,  supposed  to  have  been  caused 
by  sudden  hot  weather,  in  May,  so  that  it  burned  the 
hand  like  hot  water,  a  dose  of  nitre,  in  milk  and  water, 
at  night,  produced  so  great  a  change,  that  the  chicken 
was  cool  and  brisk  in  the  morning.  The  dose  was  re- 
peated, and  brought  on  a  cold  fever  fit,  like  ague,  which, 
however,  changed  to  an  intermittent,  and  the  chicken 
completely  recovered. 

THIRST. 

IMMODERATE  thirst  is  a  symptom  of  fever,  though  it 
may  also  occur  when  there  is  no  fever,  from  a  long  con- 
tinuance of  dry  food,  and  particularly  when  the  crop 
and  gizzard  have  been  distended  by  over-eating.  When 
fowls  are  much  persecuted  by  their  companions,  which 
is  an  every-day  occurrence  in  the  poultry  yard,  they 
may  accordingly  be  observed  to  drink  almost  insatiably, 
for  a  day  or  more  at  a  time,  eating  very  sparingly,  and 
sometimes  not  at  all.  This  appears  to  operate  as  a  cure 
for  the  fever  into  which  they  have  been  thrown. 

When  immoderate  thirst  is  observed  to  affect  a  num- 
ber of  fowls  at  the  same  time,  they  ought  to  have  a  good 
supply  of  green  or  moist  food,  such  as  cabbage  or  let- 
tuce leaves,  soaked  bread,  or  boiled  potatoes,  mashed 
with  skimmed  milk  ;  taking  particular  care  that  this 
milk  be  perfectly  sweet. 

When  the  thirst  arises  from  fever  caused  by  fighting, 
the  fowl  may  be  soused  into  a  pail  of  water,  in  summer  ; 
but  in  winter,  this  must  only  be  done  if  there  be  con- 
venience to  let  it  dry  itself  near  a  fire  or  a  stove. 

PAIRING  AND  HATCHING-  FEVER. 

THE  most  decidedly  feverish  symptoms,  very  frequently 
observed  in  fowls,  occur  at  the  period  of  hatching,  when 
the  animal  heat  becomes  so  much  increased,  as  to  be  re- 
markable to  the  touch  when  the  hen  is  caught. 

Many  methods  are  adopted  to  stop  this  fever,  when 
it  is  not  desirable  that  the  hen  should  incubate,  but  con- 
tinue to  lay.  It  is  common,  for  instance,  to  turn  the 
hen  rapidfy  round  about,  to  render  her  giddy,  which 
will  of  course,  for  a  short  time,  diminish  the  velocity  of 


273  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

the  blood,  and  consequently  abate  the  fever.  Others, 
very  improperly  plunge  the  hen  several  times  into  cold 
water,  or,  let  water  fall  on  her  from  a  pump,  or  other- 
wise.' But  what  is  found  to  be  the  most  effectual,  is 
cooping  the  hen  up  for  a  few  days  and  nights,  on  the 
cold  ground,  or  shutting  her  out  from  the  nest  at  night, 
and  compelling  her  to  roost  in  the  yard. 

A  feverish  state  also  takes  place  about  the  time  hens  be- 
gin to  lay,  but  is  of  little  consequence  to  fowls  otherwise 
healthy,  though  it  will  be  certain  to  increase  any  other 
disorder  which  may  have  previously  affected  them.  If 
they  appear  very  hot  and  restless,  they  may  have  plenty 
of  green  food,  Indian-meal  dough,  scalded  bran,  or  soak- 
ed bread,  or  in  more  extreme  cases,  they  may  be  plunged 
into,  or  sprinkled  with,  water  to  allay  the  heat. 

VORACIOUS    APPETITE, 

FOWLS  which  are  much  emaciated,  or  affected  with 
loss  of  feathers,  (not  moulting,)  often  exhibit  the  most 
voracious  and  insatiable  appetite,  while  at  the  same  time 
they  are  very  ill-tempered  and  pugnacious.  This  most 
probably  arises  from  acidity  in  the  bowels,  or  some  ob- 
struction in  the  orifices  of  the  veins  that  open  on  the 
inner  surface  of  the  intestines,  preventing  the  due  pas- 
sage of  the  digested  aliment  into  the  blood. 

Before  any  proper  remedy  can  be  prescribed,  the 
cause  ought  to  be  ascertained ;  but  as  this  is  not  always 
possible,  it  may  be  well  to  try  various  things  at  a  ven- 
ture. For  instance,  as  acidity  may  be  presumed  to  be 
the  cause  in  a  great  number  of  instances,  chalk  may  be 
mixed  up  with  bread  crumbs  or  mashed  potatoes,  to 
neutralise  the  acid.  Again,  if  costiveness  is  observed, 
which  may  cause  obstruction,  mashed  carrots  or  boiled 
cabbages  may  be  given  two  or  three  limes,  till  the 
effect  produced  be  ascertained. 

CROFSICK,  INDIGESTION,  OR  WANT  OP  APPETITE. 

WHEN  the  food  of  fowls  is  suddenly  changed,  such  as 
from  dry  to  boiled  barley,  or  Indian  meal,  or  to 
mashed  potatoes,  they  may  often  be  observed  to  feed 
badly,  and  to  lose  flesh  in  a  surprisingly  short  space  of 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  277 

time.  It  will  tend  much  to  prevent  this,  if  care  be  tak- 
en never  to  give  them  the  boiled  barley  or  potatoes  in  a 
cold  state,  the  difference  of  effect  of  warm,  instead  of 
cold  food  being  quite  wonderful  ;  fowls  enjoy  a  hot 
dinner,  and  dislike  a  cold  one,  (dry  grain  or  meat  ex- 
cepted,)  as  much  as  an  alderman  would  enjoy  hot,  and 
dislike  cold  turtle. 

But,  although  change  of  diet  may  often  produce  such 
temporary  fits  of  indigestion,  these  are  seldom  of  serious 
consequence,  and  usually  disappear  in  a  day  or  two.  It 
is  very  different,  when  an  individual  fowl  is  affected 
with  indigestion  or  want  of  appetite,  of  some  continu- 
ance. In  that  case,  the  causes  ought  to  be  investigated, 
and  remedies  given  accordingly.  A  hen  of  the  Spanish 
breed,  about  five  years  old,  noticed  by  Mr.  Dickson,  was 
the  particular  favorite  of  a  cock,  which  had  been  con- 
fined in  consequence  of  his  savage  behavior  to  another 
hen.  From  this  time,  the  favorite  pined,  kept  constantly 
beside  the  coop  of  the  prisoner,  and  at  length,  left  off 
feeding  almost  entirely.  When  the  cock  was  liberated, 
it  was  supposed  the  favorite  would  recover  her  spirits 
and  appetite  ;  but  though  the  cock  was  as  gallant  to  her 
as  before,  she  continued  to  mope,  keep  away  from  the 
rest,  and  never  took  to  feeding  with  any  appetite,  but 
only  gathered  up  a  few  grains  of  corn,  now  and  then,  in 
a  listless  manner,  as  if  she  cared  little  about  it,  and 
finally  in  a  week  or  two  died.  It  is  not  improbable, 
however,  that  if  she  had  had  active  medicine  given  her, 
such  as  pepper  or  iron  rust,  mixed  with  mashed  potatoes, 
or  had  been  well  purged  with  mashed  carrots  or  boiled 
cabbage,  she  might  have  recovered. 

Moubray  mentions  a  hen  which  sat  about  in  corners, 
and  did  not  eat,  drink,  nor  evacuate,  and  yet  looked  full, 
and  not  diseased.  Her  crop  being  totally  obstructed, 
on  an  incision  being  made  from  the  bottom  upwards,  a 
quantity  of  beans  was  found,  which  had  vegetated  there. 
On  the  wound  being  stitched  up,  it  immediately  healed, 
and  little  inconvenience  remained. 

Iron  rust,  (peroxide  of  iron,)  either  given  in  substance 
mixed  with  soft  food,  or  diffused  in  water,  is  one  of  the 
best  tonics  for  fowls,  and  ought  never  to  be  neglected, 


278  DISEASES  or  POULTRY. 

when  there  is  any  atrophy  or  loss  of  flesh  observed.  It 
ought  of  course  to  be  combined  with  good  barley,  oats, 
Indian  meal,  or  ground  malt,  and  occasionally  some  good 
ale,  milk  warm,  to  drink.  The  ale  has  a  very  great  ef- 
fect in  improving  what  may  be  termed  the  "  condition"  of 
fowls. 

COSTIVENESS. 

IT  is  easy  to  discover  the  presence  of  this  disease,  by 
the  frequent  unsuccessful  endeavors  of  the  fowl  affected 
with  it  to  relieve  itself.  It  may  be  caused  by  a  contin- 
uance of  feeding  on  dry  grain  without  access  to  green 
vegetables,  without  which,  or  the  occasional  substitute 
of  warm  boiled  potatoes,  this  disorder  is  certain  to  make 
its  appearance.  The  want  of  a  plentiful  supply  of  good 
water  may  also  occasion  costiveness. 

Soaked  bread  with  skimmed  milk,  if  it  can  be  easily 
had  and  given  warm,  is  one  of  the  best  remedies  for  the 
costiveness  of  fowls,  as  it  does  not  purge  so  much  as 
boiled  carrots  or  cabbage,  which  may  be  given  if  the 
soaked  bread  fail.  A  good  meal  of  earth  worms,  or  some 
chopped  suet,  may  also  be  useful.  Hot  potatoes,  mashed 
with  dripping  or  bacon  fat,  are  likewise  an  excellent 
remedy. 

But  should  any  individual  fowl  continue  costive,  not- 
withstanding these  means,  a  little  sweet  oil  may  be  in- 
troduced into  the  anus,  by  way  of  clyster,  a  thing  that 
will  rarely  fail  to  effect,  at  least,  temporary  relief;  and 
a  permanent  cure  must  be  sought  for  by  discovering  the 
cause 

SCOURING,  LOOSENESS,  OR  DIARRHCEA. 

WHEN  fowls  are  observed  to  dung  more  loose  than 
natural,  in  consequence  of  feeding  on  green  vegetables, 
bad  potatoes,  or  other  soft  food,  it  can  scarcely  be  reck- 
oned a  disease,  and  no  treatment  will  be  required,  un- 
less it  continue  or  increase,  rather  than  go  off.  But 
when  it  does  amount  to  a  confirmed  looseness,  it  ought 
to  be  attended  to,  lest,  in  the  end,  it  prove  fatal,  as  not 
unfrequently  happens  when  it  is  neglected.  The  worst 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  279 

symptom  is  the  voiding  of  a  white  calcareous  matter, 
(urate  of  ammonia,)  sometimes  streaked  with  yellow, 
like  the  yolk  of  a  stale  egg,  which  sticks  to  the  feathers 
round  the  anus,  and  being  very  acrid  from  the  ammo- 
nia it  contains,  soon  causes  inflammation,  which  extends 
rapidly  upwards  into  the  bowels.  When  the  disorder 
continues  violent  for  a  short  time,  it  rapidly  emaciates 
the  fowl,  as  the  same  disorder  does  other  animals. 

As  it  is  in  most,  if  not  all  cases,  caused  by  a  super- 
abundant acidity,  or  other  irritating  matter  in  the  bow- 
els, chalk  may  be  given,  mixed  with  boiled  rice  and 
milk,  either  to  neutralise  any  acid  that  may  be  present 
or  to  soften  any  acrid  matter.  Some  people  pull  out 
the  vent  and  tail  feathers,  and  then  rub  the  parts  with 
fresh  butter  ;  though  this  is  not  only  a  very  cruel  opera- 
tion, but  one  very  little  likely  to  prove  effectual.  Dr. 
Handel,  of  Mentz,  in  France,  in  cases  of  chronic,  or 
long-continued  looseness,  prescribes  water  in  which  the 
rust  of  iron  is  diffused,  mixed  with  milk,  for  drink,  and 
says,  it  seldom  fails  to  effect  a  cure.  Great  care  must 
be  taken,  however,  to  have  the  milk  perfectly  sweet. 
The  sulphate  of  iron,  or  what  appears  still  better,  alum, 
might  perhaps  be  tried  with  success,  dissolved  in  water, 
in  such  proportions  as  to  make  it  taste  a  little  rough  to 
the  tongue. 

As  looseness  may  be  caused  in  fowls  by  an  excessive 
discharge  of  urine  from  the  kidneys,  which,  if  discovered, 
must  be  attacked  by  giving  dry  food,  such  as  whole 
wheat,  oats,  bran,  Indian  corn,  or  buckwheat,  and  by 
supplying  water  sparingly.  Boiled  rice  and  milk,  which 
is  strongly  diuretic,  as  well  as  the  rust  water,  will 
then  be  improper. 

BLOODY    FLUX. 

FOWLS  are  but  rarely  affected  with  this  complaint, 
which  not  unfrequently  proves  fatal  to  parrots.  Boiled 
rice  and  milk,  and  mild  ale,  warm,  with  a  little  chalk  or 
magnesia,  should  be  given.  Fat  broth  or  sweet  milk, 
warm,  should  be  their  only  drink. 


280  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 


INFLAMMATION  AND  ULCERATION  OF  THE  EYES. 

ONE  of  six  of  the  twenty-three  chickens  which  M. 
Flourens  shut  up,  so  as  to  guard  them  against  cold,  was 
stated  in  a  preceeding  page  to  have  died  of  a  disorder  of 
the  eyes,  and  another  to  have  lost  an  eye.  The  disor- 
der consisted  of  small  abscesses  which  were  formed  on 
the  cornea,  containing  a  whitish  sort  of  pus.  Some- 
times the  inflammation  extended  to  the  whole  globe  of 
the  eye,  the  eyelids  swelling  to  an  enormous  size,  and 
then  accumulating  under  them  a  coagulable  albuminous 
matter,  similar  to  the  white  of  an  egg.  The  cornea  subse- 
quently sloughed  off,  and  the  eye  was  consequently  emp- 
tied of  its  humors,  and  vision  was  destroyed  forever, 
causing  in  one  blindness,  and  in  another  death,  while  in 
a  third,  the  abscess  healed  spontaneously. 

This  disorder  of  the  eyes  was  no  doubt  owing  to  the 
concentrated  vapors  of  the  place  where  the  fowls  had 
been  shut  up  ;  but  it  is  also  often  produced  in  a  manner 
not  less  distressing,  by  cold,  and  particularly  moist  cold. 

"During  the  rains  in  the  winter  of  1826  and' 1827," 
says  M.  Flourens,  "the  poultry  yard  which  furnished  my 
observations  was  much  below  the  level  of  the  soil,  and 
constantly  flooded  with  water.  The  greater  part  of 
the  hens,  and  particularly  the  young  ones,  were  affected 
with  abscesses  of  the  cornea,  and  inflammation  of  the 
globe  of  the  eye,  to  the  degree  that  many  of  them  lost 
their  eyes.  The  effect  of  the  humidity  and  cold  did  not 
stop  here.  Along  with  the  abscesses  of  the  cornea,  enor- 
mous tumors  frequently  appeared  on  the  head ;  these 
tumors  broke,  and  discharged  most  copiously  a  sort  of 
sanious  pus  ;  and  almost  uniformly  the  fowl  fell  a  victim 
to  the  disorder.  Many  fowls  were,  at  the  same  time, 
seized  with  acute  rheumatism  and  sciatica.*" 

RHEUMATISM. 

THIS  affection  is  often  caused  by  plunging  the  fowls 
into  cold  water,  for  the  hatching  fever  or  for  weaning 
them  from  sitting.  The  treatment  is  the  same  as  that 

*  Annales  des  Sciences,  Septembre,  1829. 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  281 

for  "  consumption,"  such  as  warmth  and  cooling,  open- 
ing food. 

GOUT. 

THIS  disorder  is  less  common  among  fowls  than  il 
would  be,  were  it  not  that  they  are  seldom  allowed  to 
live  long  enough  for  it  to  make  its  appearance,  since  it 
rarely  attacks  any  except  those  which  are  rather  old. 
It  manifests  itself  by  swelling  of  the  joints,  but  it  is,  in 
most  cases,  not  worth  while  to  attempt  a  remedy.  Sul- 
phur, mixed  with  scalded  bran,  or  soaked  bread,  may  be 
given  with  advantage. 

OBSTRUCTION  OF  THE  RUMP  GLAND. 

IT  has  already  been  mentioned,  under  the  head  of 
"  roup,"  that  this  term  is  sometimes  applied  improperly 
to  obstruction  of  the  rump  gland.  Even  Moubray  says, 
"imposthume  upon  the  rump  is  called  roup''  Before 
giving  the  correct  view  of  this  gland,  it  may  be  as  well 
to  state  the  common  and  very  erroneous  notion  of  it 
from  Clater. 

"  It  is  well  known,"  says  he,  "  that  there  is  a  little 
tubercle,  or  projection,  on  the  rump  of  every  bird,  and 
which  is  filled  with  oily  matter.  Its  use  is  to  smooth 
and  give  a  glossy  appearance  to  the  feathers,  and  more 
particularly  to  make  them  water-tight.  When  rain  is 
coming,  every  bird  is  diligently  employed  in  squeezing 
out  the  greasy  fluid,  and  rubbing  it  over  the  whole 
surface  of  his  feathery  coat,  and  then  the  drops  of  rain 
trickle  off  without  penetrating  through,  or  in  the  slightest 
degree  inconveniencing  him." 

In  order  to  prove  the  inaccuracy  of  this  popular  and 
plausible  notion,  it  will  scarcely  be  requisite,  as  M. 
Reaumur  justly  remarks,  to  show  how  little  the  quan- 
tity of  oil  that  may  be  daily  supplied  by  the  rump  gland 
is,  in  proportion  to  the  extent  of  surfaces  resulting  from 
the  assemblage  of  the  numberless  feathers  with  which  a 
hen  or  a  duck  is  covered;  nor  how  long  a  time  would 
be  necessary  to  enable  the  gland  to  supply  a  quantity  of 
the  oil  sufficiently  to  besmear  the  surface  of  only  one  of 
th<?ae  feathers.  In  order  to  explode  a  notion  so  uni- 


282  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

versally  believed,  it  is  enough  to  state,  that  the  feathers 
of  the  variety  of  fowls  called  "rumkins,"  which  have 
no  rump  gland  at  all,  are  as  much  proof  against  rain  as 
those  of  other  fowls.  The  fact,  notwithstanding,  is 
correct,  that  fowls  are  observed  pecking  about  their 
rumps,  and  this  imposed  upon  careless  observers,  who 
did  not  consider  that  the  point  of  the  beak  could  never 
press  out  a  quantity  of  oil  sufficient  to  render  itself 
greasy.  "  So  long,"  says  M.  Reaumur.  "  as  we  shall  be 
ignorant  why  a  secretion  is  made  in  our  ears  of^a 
certain  waxy  matter,  though  in  a  very  small  quantity, 
we  shall  not  think  ourselves  obliged  to  give  an  account 
why  a  secretion  of  a  certain  matter  is  in  a  particular 
manner  effected  in  a  very  small  quantity  on  the  rump  of 
fowls." 

The  rump  gland  frequently  becomes  obstructed,  and 
in  consequence  inflames,  swells,  and  of  course  occasions 
pain  and  uneasiness,  extending,  in  bad  cases,  to  the 
whole  rump.  Clater  says  the  remedy  is  simple ;  it  is  all 
loss  of  time  to  foment  or  apply  cooling  washes  ;  the 
tumor  must  be  opened  at  once,  and  the  collected  oil, 
now  become  purulent  and  diseased,  squeezed  out.  If 
the  wound  does  not  readily  heal,  a  little  tincture  of  aloes 
may  be  applied. 

Dr.  Bechstein,  on  the  other  hand,  says  that  when  the 
rump  gland  is  thus  destroyed,  the  fowls  are  certain  to 
die  the  very  next  moult. 

M.  Reaumur  thinks  it  will  be  most  rational  treatment 
to  clear,  if  possible,  the  obstructed  outlet  or  duct  of  the 
gland,  by  means  of  a  tent,  or  roll  of  lint,  introduced  into 
the  orifice. 

WOUNDS  AND  ULCERS. 

FROM  fighting  with  each  other,  from  having  their  feet 
cut  with  glass  or  gravel,  and  not  unfrequently  from  the 
bites  of  animals,  such  as  minks,  rats,  and  the  like,  attack- 
ing them  at  night,  serious  wounds  are  sometimes  pro- 
duced, which,  if  neglected,  may  canker  and  produce  foul 
ulcers  not  easily  healed. 

In  all  cases  of  such  injuries,  the  first  requisite  is  clean- 
liness. The  wound  ought  to  be  cleared  of  all  sand  or 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  283 

dirt,  bathed  with  warm  water  and  milk,  and  the  fowl 
shut  up  so  as  to  prevent  the  others  abusing  it;  for  they 
are  always  ready  to  peck  at  any  wound  and  increase  the 
injury.  If  it  do  not  readily  heal,  but  go  on  to  ulcera- 
tion,  it  maybe  bathed  with  alum  water  or  with  ointment 
of  creosote,  which  will  be  almost  certain  to  heal  it,  even 
should  it  show  fungous  or  "  proud  flesh." 

FRACTURES  AND  DISLOCATIONS. 

WHEN  fowls  chance  to  have  their  legs  broken  or  dis- 
located, unless  they  are  of  a  very  peculiar  or  valuable 
sort,  and  wanted  for  breeding,  the  best  thing  is  to  kill 
them  at  once.  But  in  such  a  case  as  that  recorded  in 
the  old  song  — 

I  have  a  hen  with  a  happity  leg, 

Lass  gin  ye  lo'e  me  tell  me  noo, 
That  every  day  lays  me  an  egg, 

An'  I  canna'  come  ilka-day  to  woo, 

it  may  be  worth  while  to  preserve  a  fowl  after  an  acci- 
dent of  this  kind.  The  case  must  be  treated  according 
to  what  has  already  been  stated  under  wounds,  and 
more  particularly  under  inflammation,  which  will  be 
certain  to  ensue,  more  or  less  severely,  both  locally  and 
constitutionally. 

PARASITIC  VERMIN. 

BIRDS  of  all  kinds,  both  wild  and  tame,  are  liable,  from 
some  unknown  causes,  to  be  attacked,  as  Herod  the 
Jewish  tetrarch  is  said  to  have  been,  with  a  particular 
sort  of  lice  which  are  generated  on  them  in  myriads.  In 
some  instances,  their  feathers  are  so  completely  covered 
as  to  hide  their  natural  color,  and  in  many  places  the 
point  of  a  pin  cannot  be  put  down  without  touching 
some  of  the  vermin. 

In  the  new  edition  of  Clater,  it  is  said,  that  "  vermin 
are  often  exceedingly  annoying  to  the  poultry,  and  ma- 
terially prevent  their  growing  and  fattening.  They  are 
usually  to  be  traced  to  evident  neglect  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  poultry  yard.  The  fowls  are  half  starved, 
or  the  place  is  all  over  filth,  or  there  is  no  dry  corner 


284  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

with  plenty  of  dust  or  ashes  in  which  the  birds  may  roll 
themselves."  All  this  is  in  direct  opposition  to  expe- 
rience and  observation;  for  the  individual  fowl  infested 
with  vermin  rarely  communicates  these  to  the  rest  of 
the  flock  in  the  same  yard,  though  they  be  fed  and 
lodged  alike — unless  there  be  a  constitutional  disposition 
in  some  of  the  others  to  become  infected,  or  chickens 
receiving  them  from  their  mothers  as  soon  as  they  are 
hatched.  As  well  might  it  be  maintained,  because  indi- 
vidual humble  bees  and  dung  beetles  are  often  found 
infested  with  lice,  that  it  is  owing  to  starvation  or  con- 
finement, though  all  the  other  bees  in  the  same  nest, 
and  consequently  under  similar  circumstances,  as  to 
lodging,  shall  be  free.  Is  it  want  of  cleanliness,  or 
confinement,  which  cairses  so  many  swallows  and  other 
wild  birds  to  be  infested  with  vermin? 

In  trifling  cases,  when  the  infection  is  not  very 
obvious  to  casual  inspection,  no  particular  attention  will 
be  required.  In  bad  cases,  the  sooner  the  fowls  are 
killed  the  better,  as  there  is  no  certain  known  remedy ; 
for  even  were  every  one  of  the  vermin  killed,  the 
evil  state  of  the  constitution  would  soon  attract  others 
to  breed. 

Mascall  says,  "they  get  them  in  scraping  abroad 
among  foule  strawe,  or  on  dunghills,  or  when  they  sit 
in  nests  not  made  cleane,  or  in  the  hen  house  by  their 
dung  lying  long  there,  which  corruptes  their  bodyes 
and  breedes  lice  and  fleas."  The  corrupting  of  their 
bodies,  seems  a  much  more  probable  cause  than  any  of 
the  others.  "  The  remedy,"  adds  he,  "  ye  shall  take  the 
powder  of  pepper,  mixed  with  warme  water,  and  there- 
with bathe  them ;  or  take  fine  powder  of  stavesacre, 
(staphisagria,)  and  mixe  it  with  lye,  (urine,)  and  so  washe 
them  therewith,  or  to  bathe  them  in  soap  water,  which 
is  good  to  kill  lyce,  or  the  fine  powder  of  pryvet  mixte 
with  vinegar,  and  so  washe  them  therewith."  These 
directions  are  as  good  as  any  in  the  more  modern 
books. 

A  correspondent  of  the  London  "  Agricultural  Ga- 
zette," in  speaking  of  this  disgusting  affliction,  says : — 
*  Some  time  ago  I  had  a  beautiful  brood  of  black 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  285 

Spanish  chickens,  and  the  day  after  they  were  hatched, 
I  happened  to  take  one  in  my  hand,  and  was  much 
struck  by  observing  on  the  top  of  its  poll  five  or  six 
large  full-grown  lice,  evidently  caught  from  the  mother. 
I  then  examined  the  whole  brood,  and  found  them  all 
similarly  affected.  Knowing  that  they  would  not  thrive 
until  I  had  dislodged  or  destroyed  the  enemy,  the  next 
day  I  attempted  to  pick  them  out;  but  I  found  that, 
having  only  been  left  one  night,  the  whole  poll  was 
covered  with  nits,  and  I  could  not  git  rid  of  them  from 
their  hanging  so  tenaciously  to  the  down.  I  procured 
some  white  precipitate  powder,  and,  with  a  small  camel- 
hair  pencil,  powdered  them  over.  On  examining  them 
the  next  day,  I  found  the  parasites  had  all  disappeared, 
nor  could  I  detect  one  in  their  after  growth.  They 
grew  and  thrived  so  remarkably  afterwards,  that  I  was 
convinced  this  was  a  valuable  discovery,  and  have  ever 
since  treated  all  my  broods  the  same,  and  have  never 
lost  one  from  sickness.  All  hens  are  affected  with  these 
parasites,  and  as  they  do  not  dust  themselves  so  fre- 
quently during  the  time  of  incubation,  they  are  more 
liable  to  them.  I  have  ascertained  from  observation, 
that  as  soon  as  the  chickens  are  hatched,  these  pests 
leave  the  parent  for  the  young,  and  if  they  are  not 
destroyed,  they  weaken  the  chicken  so  much,  that  if  any 
complaint  comes  on,  the  poor  little  thing  has  not 
strength  to  contend  with  it.  The  best  time  to  apply  the 
precipitate  is  when  they  are  two  or  three  days  old,  and 
at  night  after  they  are  gone  to  roost ;  but  the  hen  must 
not  be  touched  with  it ;  as,  in  pluming  her  feathers  she 
draws  them  through  her  beak,  and  the  precipitate  being 
a  strong  poison,  would  no  doubt  prove  fatal  to  her.  In 
fact,  there  is  no  occasion  for  it ;  as  I  could  never  detect 
them  in  her ;  they  had  no  doubt  left  her  for  the  young. 
A  very  small  quantity  should  be  used ;  as  one  penny- 
worth, purchased  at  a  chemist's,  is  sufficient  for  several 
broods." 

A  slight  application  of  spirit  of  turpentine  and  water, 
in  trifling  cases,  answers  the  same  purpose,  and  is  pre- 
ferred by  many  persons  who  have  a  natural  dislike  to 
the  use  of  poison. 


286  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

There  are  some  startling  facts  on  the  subject  of  para- 
sitic insects,  to  be  found  in  the  "  Monographia  Anoplu- 
rorum  BrittanniaB,"  by  the  late  Henry  Denny,  a  work 
which,  although  with  a  dog-latin  title,  that  has  doubtless 
limited  its  circulation,  is  written  in  such  plain  and  truth- 
ful English,  as  to  make  the  flesh  creep  on  one's  bones. 
It  is  not  easy  to  enjoy  uninterrupted  slumber  the  night 
after  reading  Mr.  Denny's  monograph. 

"  The  author  has  had  to  contend  with  repeated  re- 
bukes from  his  friends  for  entering  upon  the  illustration 
of  a  tribe  of  insects  whose  very  name  was  sufficient  to 
create  feelings  of  disgust.  '  Why  not  take  up  some  more 
interesting  or  popular  department  of  entomology  V  has 
been  the  frequent  remark  made  to  him.  He  considered, 
however,  that  if  he  wished  to  render  any  service  to 
science,  he  must  not  consult  popular  taste  or  ephemeral 
fashion,  but  must  take  a  page  from  that  part  of  the  great 
'  Book  of  Nature,'  less  generally  read,  and  consequently 
less  understood  and  appreciated  by  the  world  at  large." 

The  number  and  variety  of  species  given  is  frightful ; 
some  of  those  which  infest  poultry  are, 

"  Goniocotes  hologaster  (Louse  of  the  Domestic  Fowl). 

"  Goniodes  falcicornis  (Louse  of  the  Peacock). — This 
beautiful  (!)  parasite  is  common  upon  the  peacock,  and 
may  be  found,  after  the  death  of  the  bird,  congregated 
in  numbers  about  the  base  of  the  beak  and  crown  of  the 
head.  During  the  year  1827,  three  or  four  specimens  ot 
Pavo  cristatus  having  passed  through  my  hands,  upon 
each  of  which  I  observed,  for  the  first  time,  several  ex- 
amples of  the  large  and  well-marked  parasite  of  this  bird, 
the  Goniodes  falcicornis,  I  was  induced  to  examine 
whatever  other  species  of  birds,  &c.  might  come  in  my 
way,  to  ascertain  whether  great  diversity  in  size  or  ap- 
pearance existed  between  the  parasites  of  different 
species  or  genera.  This  I  soon  found  to  be  so  consider- 
able, that  I  resolved  upon  forming  a  collection,  and 
ascertaining  what  was  written  upon  the  parasitic 
tribes. 

"  Goniodes  sty  lifer  (Louse  of  the  Turkey). — Common 
upon  the  turkey,  frequenting  the  head,  neck,  and  breast ; 
a  very  beautiful  species.  The  males  of  this  and  all  the 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  287 

other  species  of  goniodes  use  the  first  and  third  joints  of 
the  antennae  with  great  facility,  acting  the  part  of  a 
finger  and  thumb. 

"  Goniodes  dissimilis  (Louse  of  the  Domestic  Fowl). 
— I  suspect  this  species  is  of  rare  occurrence. 

"  Lipeurus  variabilis  (Louse  of  the  Domestic  Fowl). 
— Common  on  the  domestic  fowl,  preferring  the  pri- 
mary and  secondary  feathers  of  the  wings,  among  the 
webs  of  which  they  move  with  great  celerity. 

"  Lipeurus  polytrapezius  (Louse  of  the  Turkey).— r 
A  common  parasite  upon  the  turkey.  Their  mode  of 
progression  is  rather  singular,  as  well  as  rapid.  They 
slide  as  it  were  sideways  extremely  quick  from  one  side 
of  the  fibre  of  a  feather  to  the  other,  and  move  equally 
well  in  a  forward  or  retrograde  direction,  which, 
together  with  their  flat  polished  bodies,  renders  them 
extremely  difficult  to  catch  or  hold.  I  have  observed 
that  where  two  or  more  genera  infest  one  bird,  they 
have  each  their  favorite  localities ;  for  while  the 
Goniodes  stylifer  will  be  found  on  the  breast  and  neck 
of  the  bird,  the  Lipeurus  polytrapezius  will  be  congre- 
gated in  numbers  on  the  webs  and  shafts  of  the  primary 
wing  feathers. 

"  Menopon  pallidum  (Louse  of  the  Domestic  Fowl). 
— Found  in  great  abundance  on  poultry,  running  over 
the  hands  of  those  who  are  plucking  fowls,  and  difficult 
to  brush  off,  from  the  smoothness  of  their  bodies." 

Those  who  are  desirous  of  fuller  information  should 
consult  the  work  itself. 

LOSS    OF    FEATHERS. 

IT  has  been  observed,  that  all  birds  kept  in  a  state  of 
confinement,  are  particularly  subject  to  an  extensive 
loss  of  feathers,  rendering  them  naked  and  deplorable. 
This  is  altogether  different  from  moulting,  inasmuch 
as  the  fall  of  the  feathers  in  the  latter  is  occasioned 
by  the  new  ones,  shooting  out  from  the  skin,  and 
pushing  the  old  ones  off,  as  is  the  case  when  young 
animals  shed  their  teeth.  In  the  disordered  state  in 
question,  on  the  other  hand,  where  the  feathers  fall,  no 
new  ones  appear,  or  if  they  do,  they  seldom  push  far 


288  DISEASES    OF    POULRY. 

above  the  surface  of  the  skin,  but  remain  as  mere  stumps 
arrested  in  their  growth.  It  is  a  disorder  apparently 
similar  to  that  which,  in  horses,  is  termed  "  out  of  con- 
dition," when  the  hair  becomes  shaggy,  rough,  and  star- 
ing, and  is  constantly  coming  off. 

As  the  disorder,  termed  "  loss  of  feathers,"  is  evidently 
a  constitutional,  and  not  a  local  affection,  it  would  be 
in  vain  to  seek  for  remedies  in  external  applications, 
though  stimulants  might  perhaps  aid  the  operation  of 
internal  medicines.  Amongst  the  latter,  such  as  are 
known  to  act  on  the  skin,  particularly  sulphur  and 
antimony  may  be  tried.  Good  keep  and  cleanliness, 
plenty  of  fresh  water,  and  an  open  range,  will  do  more 
than  any  other  treatment  to  restore  the  loss  of  feathers. 
Forge  water,  or  water  from  the  gas  works,  might  prob- 
ably be  of  advantage,  given  as  drink. 

MOULTING. 

ALTHOUGH  moulting  is  a  natural  and  annual  occur- 
rence, it  rarely  passes  without  more  or  less  disorder,  and 
not  unfrequently  proves  fatal,  so  that  fowls  require  to  be 
carefully  attended  to  at  the  time  of  their  moult.  It  is 
most  dangerous  and  most  frequently  fatal  to  young 
chickens,  particularly  those  of  late  broods,  during  the 
occasional  cold  and  rainy  weather  at  the  close  of  au- 
tumn, their  being  late  hatched  throwing  the  time  of 
moulting  late  ;  whereas,  those  that  are  hatched  early  in 
spring,  moult  in  the  warm  days  of  July  and  August,  and 
on  that  account  are  not  so  apt  to  suffer.  The  summer 
moult  is  for  the  most  part  gradual,  a  few  feathers  falling 
at  a  time,  and  being  renewed  till  the  whole  plumage 
undergoes  a  change.  In  the  autumnal  moult,  on  the 
contrary,  more  of  the  feathers  fall  off  at  once,  and  as 
the  fresh  ones  do  not  grow  so  readily,  on  account  of  the 
weather  being  colder,  the  fowls  are  rendered  naked,  and 
exposed  to  any  accidental  bad  weather  which  may  occur. 

Dr.  Bechstein  judiciously  remarks,  with  respect  to 
wild  birds,  that  their  moulting  time  always  happens 
when  their  food  is  most  abundant ;  and  as  the  loss  of 
feathers  is  likewise  attended  by  a  loss  of  flesh,  nature 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  289 

points  out  that  they  ought  to  have  an  additional  supply 
of  food  till  all  danger  is  over. 

Warmth  is  no  less  necessary  than  abundant  and 
nourishing  food  ;  and  when  the  later  broods  of  chickens 
fall  off,  in  their  appetite,  appear  moping  and  inactive, 
their  feathers  staring  and  falling  off  till  their  rumps, 
sides,  and  thighs  show  the  naked  skin,  they  must  be 
prevented  from  getting  out  in  cold  mornings  too  early, 
and  not  permitted  to  be  abroad  after  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  M.  Chomel,  of  France,  advises,  further,  to 
put  some  sugar  in  their  water,  and  to  give  them  millet 
and  hemp  seed. 

After  the  third  year,  it  has  been  observed,  that  fowls 
begin  to  moult  later  every  succeeding  year,  so  that  it  is 
frequently  as  late  as  January  before  the  older  fowls  come 
into  full  feather,  and  the  weather  being  then  cold,  they 
are  not  in  a  laying  state  till  the  end  of  March,  or  later. 
The  time  of  moulting  continues,  according  to  the  age 
and  health  of  the  fowls,  and  also  with  reference  to  mild 
or  cold  weather,  from  six  weeks  to  three  months. 

CHANG-E     OF    COLOR. 

A  REMARKABLE  peculiarity  in  the  colors  of  fowls,  is, 
that  they  frequently  change  in  a  very  surprising  man- 
ner, from  the  time  when  the  chicks  cast  their  down  to 
the  annual  moult  of  the  full-grown  birds.  This  change, 
although  it  may  be  regarded  as  a  species  of  disease,  in 
some  cases,  is,  no  doubt,  the  regular  process,  at  least 
after  the  second  and  third  moults,  as  the  colors,  then, 
generally  continue  much  the  same. 

In  the  physiology  of  birds,  there  is,  perhaps,  nothing 
more  curious  than  the  laws  which  influence  the  colors  of 
their  feathers.  It  is  asserted,  for  instance,  that,  "  it  is 
by  no  means  a  rare  occurrence  among  game  fowls, 
*  blacks/  'blues/  and  'reds/  to  change  their  plumage, 
and  become  spangles  and  whites."  In  the  "American 
Turf  Register  and  Sporting  Magazine,"  it  is  stated  that, 
in  1807.  a  case  occurred  of  a  milk-white  cock,  raised  by 
Mr.  Phillips,  of  South  Hampton.  Virginia,  the  colors  of 
which  changed  the  next  spring  to  a  red  spangle.  An- 
other instance  occurred  with  Mr  Allen  J.  Daw,  well 
13 


290  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

known  among  the  agriculturists  and  sportsmen  of  the 
south,  who  bred  a  game  cock,  in  Madison  county,  Vir- 
ginia, which,  in  1821,  was  a  bluish-grey.  In  1822,  he 
was  still  grey.  In  1823,  he  was  milk-white,  or 
"  smock,"  as  the  English  term  it.  In  1824,  he  had 
changed  to  sky-blue. 

We  are  told  by  M.  Reaumur,  that  one  of  his  hens 
which  his  poultry  woman  distinguished  from  the  rest 
by  a  crooked  claw,  when  her  coat  began  to  be  taken 
notice  of,  had  feathers  of  a  ruddy  color  mixed  with  the 
brown  so  common  among  dunghill  fowls.  A  year  after- 
wards, this  hen  was  observed  to  become  almost  black, 
with  here  and  there  some  large  white  spots.  After  the 
second  moulting,  black  was  the  predominant  color  on 
every  part  of  the  body  ;  but  strange  to  tell,  upon  the 
succeeding  moult,  white  was  the  predominant  color,  and 
only  a  few  black  patches  about  the  size  of  a  dollar 
could  be  observed.  Upon  the  succeeding  moult,  all  the 
black  spots  disappeared,  and  the  hen  became  uniformly 
of  a  pure  white  like  that  of  a  swan.  As  she  was  at  this 
time  old  for  a  fowl,  that  is,  not  less  than  ten  years,  it 
might  be  thought  that  old  age,  which  whitens  the  human 
hair,  likewise  whitens  the  feathers  of  certain  birds ;  but, 
in  that  case,  M.  Reaumur  says,  the  transition  from  the 
ruddy  to  the  white  ought  not  to  have  been  made,  as  it 
really  was,  through  the  black;  and  he  was  of  opinion,  as 
the  hen  was  still  vigorous  and  healthy,  that  she  might 
again  change  her  color,  if  she  lived,  to  brown  or  black. 

The  same  author  makes  some  interesting  remarks  on  a 
cock  which  he  observed  with  more  attention  than  the 
hen,  so  as  to  establish  proofs,  that  the  white  colors  of 
the  feathers  were  not,  at  least  in  that  instance,  caused  by 
age.  The  owner  of  the  cock  was  struck,  the  first  time 
he  moulted,  with  the  singular  change  in  his  color ;  and 
for  five  successive  moults,  there  was  always  a  consider- 
able change  of  color.  In  his  first  year,  he  had  some 
ruddy-brown,  mixed  with  white,  so  common  in  dunghill 
cocks ;  in  the  second,  he  was  all  over  ruddy-brown,  or 
rather  red,  without  any  white;  in  the  third,  he  became 
uniformly  black;  in  the  fourth,  uniformly  white;  and  in 
the  fifth,  when  he  was  presented  by  the  prior  of  Bury  to 


DISEASES    OF    POULTRY.  291 

M.  Reaumur  as  a  curiosity,  he  had  white  feathers  mixed 
with  a  good  deal  of  ruddy  color  and  brown,  bordering 
upon  chestnut,  his  neck,  back,  wings,  and  belly,  being 
ruddy ;  and  even  where  there  were  white  feathers,  they 
were  mingled  with  ruddy  ones.  During  the  summer 
vacation,  at  Paris,  M.  Reaumur  was  two  months  with- 
out seeing  the  cock;  but  in  this  period,  he  became  so 
changed  as  not  to  be  recognisable,  his  feathers  having 
become  all  over  of  the  finest  white.  The  following 
year,  he  had  partly  white  feathers,  but  the  greater  por- 
tion was  ruddy,  or  rather  of  a  fair  red.  Here,  then,  was 
a  transition  from  white  to  a  light-brown,  indicating  that 
the  whiteness  of  his  feathers  was  not  owing  to  the 
number  of  his  years. 

It  has  been  remarked  by  several  scientific  observers, 
that  hen  birds  of  various  species,  but  more  particularly 
hen  pheasants,  put  on,  under  certain  circumstances,  the 
plumage  of  the  male.  Hunter,  in  his  work  on  "  Animal 
Economy,"  is  of  opinion  that  "  this  change  of  character 
takes  place  at  an  advanced  age  of  the  animal's  life,  and 
does  not  grow  up  with  it  from  the  beginning."  Mr. 
Butler,  another  English  physiologist,  expresses  a  similar 
opinion  still  more  strongly,  namely,  that  "  all  hen  phea- 
sants, as  well  as  common  fowls,  would  assume  the 
plumage  of  the  cock,  to  a  certain  degree,  if  they  were 
kept  to  a  certain  age."  Though  this,  however,  to  some 
extent  may  be  true,  the  reasons,  or  rather  the  accom- 
panying circumstances  and  changes  of  constitution, 
were  first  pointed  out,  it  is  believed,  by  Mr.  Yarrell, 
who  seems  to  have  determined  that  the  change  of  color 
depends  on  disease,  or  removal  of  the  ovarium  of  the 
fowl.  Among  seven  hen  pheasants,  whose  plumage 
more  or  less  resembled  that  of  the  male,  he  found  the 
organ  in  question  diseased,  with  some  variation  as  to 
extent,  and  the  progress  of  change  observable  in  the 
plumage  bore  a  corresponding  analogy.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  this  internal  disease,  the  plumage  does 
not  seem  to  be  affected,  for  "  hen  pheasants  in  confine- 
ment, and  females  of  the  common  fowl  in  the  poultry 
yard,  had  been  known  to  have  ceased  producing  eggs 
two  years  before  any  change  was  observed  in  their 


292  DISEASES    OF    POULTRY. 

plumage.  When  our  domestic  hens  are  castrated,  or 
rather,  have  part  of  the  egg  tube  cut  out,  for  the  purpose 
of  fattening,  the  plumage  undergoes  a  similar  alteration, 
so  as  to  render  it  difficult  to  distinguish  the  birds  from 
capons. 

This  change  in  the  color  of  the  plumage  of  birds,  as 
well  as  the  hair  of  other  animals,  is  attributed  to  the 
influence  of  some  peculiar  coloring  matter  of  the  system. 
That  singular  description  of  mammalia  and  birds, 
usually  known  under  the  name  of  "  albinos/'  I  think, 
with  propriety,  may  be  classed  among  the  diseases,  as 
their  characteristics  appear  to  arise  from  a  deficiency  of 
the  coloring  principle  common  to  the  skin,  hair  or  fea- 
thers, and  eyes.  Thus,  the  skin  generally  has  the  hue 
which  its  cellular  and  vascular  contexture  produces ;  the 
hair  or  feathers  is  produced  to  its  simple  organic  ground 
work ;  and  in  the  eyes,  which  are  entirely  destitute  of 
pigmentum,  the  color  of  the  iris  depends  on  the  fine 
vessels  which  are  so  numerous  in  its  composition,  and 
that  of  the  pupil,  or  the  still  greater  number  of  capilli- 
aries  which  almost  entirely  form  the  choroid  membrane. 

The  albino  or  leucoethiopic  constitution  occurs  both  in 
wild  and  domestic  animals  as  well  as  in  the  human  sub- 
ject.  It  is  not  only  well  known  in  the  ferret,  mouse, 
rat,  monkey,  squirrel,  hamster,  Guinea  pig,  mole,  opos- 
sum, martin,  weasel,  fox,  roe,  rhinoceros,  elephant, 
badger,  beaver,  bear,  camel,  buffalo,  blackbird,  crow 
and  partridge,  but  in  the  horse,  ass,  sheep,  pig,  cow,  dog, 
cat,  rabbit,  Canary  bird,  peacock,  and  the  common  fowl. 
In  the  mammalia  and  birds  just  enumerated,  the  nature 
and  characters  of  the  deviation  seem  to  be  perfectly  ana- 
logous to  those  in  the  human  albino.  The  pure  white- 
ness of  their  skin  and  other  integuments,  and  the  redness 
of  the  irides  and  pu  )ils  mark  the  same  deficiency  of 
coloring  matter. 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX. 


COMPARATIVE    MERITS    OF    DIFFERENT    BREEDS 
OF   FOWLS. 


HAVING  hastily  examined  the  proof  sheets  of  "  The 
American  Poultry  Yard,"  written  by  Mr.  D.  J.  Browne, 
which  you  put  into  my  hands,  with  a  request  that  I 
should  add  something  from  my  own  experience,  I  am 
reminded  of  an  anecdote  that  took  place  in  this  city 
some  years  ago.  A  gentleman  being  called  upon  to 
make  the  closing  speech,  at  a  public  meeting,  rose  and 
said,  he  was  an  unfortunate  man  ;  that,  since  he  came 
into  the  house,  he  had  been  robbed  of  everything  he  had 
intended  to  say  on  the  subject  under  discussion,  by  the 
speakers  who  had  gone  before  him  ;  and  that  nothing 
was  left  for  him  to  say  which  had  not  already  been  said. 
The  application  is  obvious  in  the  case  before  me. 

The  breeding  of  fowls,  with  many,  is  more  a  matter  of 
fancy  than  of  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  different  kinds  ; 
and  the  safest  way  of  giving  advice  on  this  subject  is  to 
say,  let  each  individual  select  that  variety  which  he 
likes  best,  breed  and  compare  the  merits  or  demerits  of 
each  until  his  judgment  is  well  founded  upon  actual  ex- 
perience, holding  rigidly  to  the  principle  of  not  crossing 
different  breeds  for  permanent  use,  but  keeping  them,  if 


296  APPENDIX. 

possible,  entirely  distinct ;  for,  in  no  other  way,  will  the 
test  be  a  fair  one. 

But,  in  respect  to  the  comparative  merits  of  the  exist- 
ing varieties  of  fowls  in  this  country,  I  have  but  little  to 
say.  The  Cochin-China,  Shanghae,  great  Malay,  jago, 
and  other  monstrous  breeds  produced  by  crossing  with 
one  another,  in  my  humble  opinion,  are  not  the  most  de- 
sirable kinds  for  general  use  ;  as  their  legs  are  very  long 
and  large,  which  are  bad  points  in  a  fowl ;  their  flesh 
coarse  ;  and  they  are  great  eaters ;  besides,  they  lay 
comparatively  but  few  eggs,  which  are  very  liable  to  be 
trodden  upon  and  broken  at  the  time  of  sitting.  I  have 
bred  most  of  them  in  their  so-called  purity,  as  well  as 
many  of  their  crosses,  and  I  am  free  to  say,  there  is  no 
way  to  make  them  profitable  except,  perhaps,  by  capon- 
ising,  and  afterwards  fattening  them  for  market. 

The  Dorking  is  a  fowl,  all  things  considered,  much  to 
be  preferred  to  all  others  for  profit;  but  as  their  good 
qualities  have  been  so  minutely  described  in  the  able 
treatise  before  me,  as  well  as  in  the  back  volumes  of  the 
American  Agriculturist,  it  is  needless  to  recapitulate 
them  here.  Their  scarcity,  as  well  as  the  high  prices  at 
which  they  are  held  by  those  who  breed  them  in  their 
purity,  will,  for  some  years,  prevent  them  from  coming 
into  general  use. 

That  there  is  a  difference  in  the  number  and  quality 
of  eggs  laid  by  different  hens,  I  believe  is  conceded  by 
all.  Of  these,  the  Polands  stand  first  in  public  estima- 
tion ;  but  to  say  or  believe,  that  even  these  are  "  ever- 
lasting layers,"  is  a  great  mistake.  They  are  less  in- 
clined to  sit,  to  be  sure,  and  it  is  on  this  account  that 
they  have  obtained  the  reputation  of  great  layers ;  and 
for  this  reason,  if  I  wanted  eggs,  only,  and  not  chickens, 
1  would  keep  this  variety. 

With  most  people,  an  egg  is  an  egg,  in  the  market,  as 
in  the  old  adage,  "  a  pint  is  a  pound,  feathers  or  shot ;" 
and  the  buyer  seldom  stops  to  think  of  the  weight,  al- 
though there  may  be  three  times  the  difference  in  the 
bulk  of  those  in  the  same  basket  or  cask.  'Tis  not  the 
largest  eggs,  however,  that  are  the  most  profitable  to  the 
buyer,  as  the  flavor  differs  not  only  in  the  different 


APPENTI  IX.  297 

breeds,  but  with  the  kind  of  food  on  which  the  hens  are 
fed  and  the  season  of  the  year  in  which  they  are  laid. 
Next  to  the  Polands,  in  point  of  profit,  the  eggs  of  the 
Dorkings  may  be  considered  the  best,  although  those  of 
the  Bantams  and  other  small  fowls  are  richer,  better- 
flavored,  and  larger-yolked  in  proportion  their  size. 

The  Game  Fowl,  crossed  with  the  Dorking,  for 
the  first  or  second  cross,  is  an  excellent  bird  both  in  the 
flavor  of  the  flesh  and  eggs ;  but  they  are  objectionable 
on  account  of  their  turbulent  dispositions  when  kept 
with  other  fowls. 

The  little  Bantams,  however,  can  only  be  kept  with 
any  advantage  as  pets  within  doors,  where  the  climate 
is  severe.  If  their  apartment  be  kept  warm,  they  will 
lay  abundanly  during  the  winter  and  spring,  producing 
delicious  eggs,  though  small  In  size,  at  a  time  when  other 
hen's  eggs  are  scarce. 

The  Dominique  Fowl  is  another  breed  becoming 
more  and  more  in  favor,  as  they  are  universally  pro- 
nounced as  being  hardy,  good  layers,  careful  nurses,  and 
affording  excellent  eggs  and  flesh.  Besides,  their  beauti- 
ful appearance,  when  in  full  plumage,  is  quite  an  acqui- 
sition to  the  farm  yard  or  the  lawn. 

As  to  the  common  Turkey,  I  have  but  little  to  say. 
I  prefer  the  black  or  dark-colored  varieties  to  all  others, 
as  they  are  generally  the  largest  birds,  are  more  hardy, 
and  equal  to  the  other  kinds  as  to  laying,  rearing  their 
young,  as  well  as  in  the  flavor  of  their  flesh.  Next  to 
the  black  varieties,  I  prefer  the  buff-colored,  which  are 
quite  as  large,  and  perhaps  as  good  in  most  of  their  other 
qualities ;  but  last  of  all,  I  would  select  the  white,  which 
are  decidedly  less  hardy,  smaller  in  size,  if  they  are  not 
even  inferior  in  other  respects. 

But  of  all  domestic  fowls,  if  not  interfered  with,  the 
Guinea  Hen  is  the  greatest  layer,  the  most  faithful  nurse, 
and  the  best  adapted  to  get  its  own  living  when  left  to 
herself.  These  birds  are  not  profitable  to  keep,  how- 
ever, where  there  are  gardens  or  cultivated  fields,  aa 
they  will  often  devour  or  destroy,  in  a  few  hours,  more 
than  their  eggs  and  carcasses  are  worth. 

The  most  showy  and   magnificent  bird  of  the  farm 


298  APPENDIX. 

yard  is  the  Peacock,  which  is  of  no  use,  except  for  admir- 
ing eyes  to  look  upon.  I  need  not  describe  the  brilliancy 
of  its  plumage,  the  color  of  its  various  dyes,  nor  the  un- 
surpassing  elegance  of  its  form.  These  are  familiar  to 
all.  To  use  the  words  of  a  writer  in  the  second  volume 
of  the  "  American  Agriculturist,"  it  is  "  idle  and  vagrant 
in  its  habits,  mischievious  in  its  propensities,  and  of  little 
utility  either  in  its  carcass  or  its  eggs  ;  it  is  tolerant 
alone  for  its  gorgeous  display  of  plumage,  and  the  showy 
splendor  of  its  attitudes.  I  have  kept  them  many  years, 
and  every  year  of  my  observation,  only  confirms  in  my 
mind  the  truth  of  the  ancient  proverb  applied  to  the 
bird.  '  It  has  the  plumage  of  an  angel,  the  voice  of  a 
devil,  and  the  maw  of  a  thief/  They  are  destructive  in 
the  garden,  vindictive  and  quarrelsome  among  other 
poultry,  without  either  merit  of  bravery,  or  energy  of 
defence.  Yet,  after  all,  I  like  them  ;  they  make  a  beau- 
tiful show  among  the  poultry,  and  add  to  the  infinite  and 
delightful  variety  of  animated  creatures,  with  which  a 
kind  Providence  has  blessed  our  vision." 

Of  the  kind  of  Geese,  I  think  the  Bremen,  crossed 
with  the  common  China  variety,  the  most  profitable. 
They  make  a  splendid  bird ;  but  I  would  never  breed 
their  hybrid  progeny,  if  I  could  avoid  it,  beyond  the  first 
cross,  except  for  the  table. 

Geese  may  be  kept  to  advantage  where  there  is  a 
pond,  or  plenty  of  running  water;  but  without  these,  the 
rearing  of  goslings  never  ought  to  be  attempted,  although 
they  have  been  successfully  raised  without  these — it 
cost  more  than  it  came  to. 

I  have  a  few  White,  China  Geese,  which,  with  care- 
ful feeding  and  protection,  lay  nearly  the  whole  year 
round.  They  can  only  be  kept  to  advantage  in  a  warm 
climate  where  the  eggs  could  be  hatched  under  a  com- 
mon hen. 

The  observation  on  geese  will  apply  with  equal  force 
to  Ducks — without  a  pond  or  running  stream,  it  is  not 
worth  while  to  keep  them ;  and  unless  they  get  some 
portion  of  their  living  out  of  the  water,  as  cockles, 
mussels,  weeds,  &c.,  it  is  doubtful  whether  they  afford 
much  if  any  profit.  Besides  the  common  varieties,  I 


APPENDIX.  299 

think  the  Muscovy  or  Musk  Duck  may  be  kept  with 
some  advantage  to  cross  with  them.  Their  offspring 
grow  to  a  larger  size,  and  when  properly  fattened,  they 
are  good  for  the  table.  Moreover,  these  birds,  from 
their  singular  habits  and  unique  appearance,  are  quite  an 
acquisition  to  the  poultry  yard  or  farm. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  Common  Swan  will  not  breed 
in  this  country,  in  consequence  of  the  variableness  of 
our  climate.  But  this  is  an  error,  probably  founded  on 
ignorance  of  their  habits,  and  the  mode  of  propagation  ; 
for  they  have  been  successfully  bred  for  a  few  years 
past  by  Mr.  Roswell  L.  Colt,  of  Paterson,  New  Jersey, 
who  has,  by  the  by,  a  fine  pond  and  every  other  ac- 
commodation necessary  for  rearing  them. 

Having  written  to  Mr.  Colt,  a  few  days  since  for 
information  on  this  subject,  I  have  just  received  at  this 
moment,  the  following  reply : — 

Paterson,  December  31st,  1849. 
DEAR  SIR, 

You  ask  me  what  success  'I  have  had  with  my  swans. 
I  got  them  from  France  four  years  ago  last  spring.  The 
first  year,  they  did  not  lay.  I  suppose  they  were  young 
ones.  The  second  year,  I  had  two  eggs  which  did  not 
hatch.  The  third  year,  I  had  five  eggs,  four  of  them  hatch- 
ing out  in  thirty-nine  days.  The  fourth  year,  (that  is  the 
last  summer,)  I  had  six  eggs,  all  of  which  hatched  out 
on  the  third  of  June,  also  in  thirty-nine  days.  The 
swan  lays  an  egg  every  other  day,  and  begins  to  lay 
here  towards  the  last  of  April.  I  have  lost  two  young 
ones ;  but  on  examination  could  not  discover  any  cause 
for  death. 

Swans  must  have  an  abundance  of  clean  water  to 
swim  in.  I  feed  mine  with  Indian  corn,  rye,  oats,  and 
buckwheat,  put  at  the  edge  of  the  pond,  close  to  the 
water,  as  they  like  to  wash  down  their  food  as  they 
partake  of  it.  When  the  cygnets  are  young,  I  give 
them  Indian  meal,  mixed  witrTwater  and  boiled  potatoes, 
broken  up.  I  throw  into  the  water  some  clover,  green 
leaves  of  Indian  corn,  lettuce,  cabbage,  spinach,  besides 


300  APPENDIX. 

the  corn,  oats,  &c.  They  also  come  out  and  eat  grass 
like  geese.  In  fact,  they  may  be  fed  as  you  would  a 
favorite  goose,  and  with  afresh,  clear  pond  of  water,  you 
will  succeed. 

Truly  yours, 

R.  L  COLT. 
To  SAMUEL  ALLEN,  ESQ., 

There  is  one  feature  in  the  work  before  me,  although 
converse  to  popular  opinion,  which  I  think  demands  the 
particular  attention  of  those  engaged  in  the  breeding  and 
rearing  of  poultry  ;  that  is,  the  antiquity  and  perma- 
nence of  species  and  varieties  in  our  domestic  fowls. 
We  all  know  of  the  many  attempts  that  have  been  made 
to  bring  the  grouse  or  partridge,  the  quail,  and  the 
prairie  hen  into  a  permanent  state  of  domesticity  with- 
out success.  For  instance,  the  beautiful  little  Prairie 
Hens,  exhibited  at  the  Fair  of  the  New- York  State 
Agricultural  Society,  in  the  autumn  of  1848,  were  pur- 
chased by  Mr.  Lewis  G.  Morris,  of  Mount  Fordham,  near 
New- York  City,  with  the  view  of  breeding  from  them, 
but  before  the  return  of  the  next  spring  they  all  died.  I 
would  not  discourage  others  from  trying  to  domesticate 
them  ;  for  even  this,  like  the  turkey,  may  prove  another 
"  exception  of  the  rule." 

PROFITS    OF    POULTRY    RAISING. 

As  regards  the  money  profits  derived  from  poultry 
raising,  I  have  but  a  few  words  to  say.  One  principle, 
in  fowl-keeping,  I  think  may  be  laid  down  as  an  estab- 
lished truth,  which  is  this:  "  The  more  densely  poultry 
are  congregated,  the  less  profitable  will  they  be  ;  the 
more  thickly  they  are  crowded,  the  less  will  they 
thrive." 

Were  it  in  my  power  to  show  by  figures,  a  statement 
of  great  profits,  derived  from  keeping  a  large  number  of 
fowls  together  that  would  satisfy  my  own  mind,  and  that 
I  could  conscientiously  recommend  as  a  guide  for  others 
to  follow,  I  would  most  gladly  avail  myself  of  so  agree- 
able a  task.  But,  unfortunately,  most  of  the  Debit  and 
Credit  accounts  of  poultry  profits,  we  so  often  see  pub- 


APPENDIX.  301 

lished,  will  not  bear  the  close  scrutiny  of  those  who 
have  attempted  the  business  on  a  large  scale.  I  do  not 
wish  to  be  understood  to  say,  that  such  accounts  are 
heralded  to  the  world  with  any  improper  motive,  or  in- 
tention to  deceive ;  but,  in  general,  to  use  the  apt  com- 
parison of  another,  "  they  are  no  more  to  be  relied  on, 
for  practical  purposes,  than  would  the  ship  owner's  ac- 
count of  the  whale  fishery,  if  it  made  no  allowance  for 
bad  luck — the  loss  of  time  of  the  crew,  the  cost  of  pro- 
visions, and  other  outfits — worth  $30,000;  to  say 
nothing  of  wear  and  tear,  and  the  widows  of  drowned 
whalemen  to  assist."  Nothing  is  more  likely  to  mis- 
lead the  novice  whose  experience  is  insufficient  to  judge 
of  their  incompleteness,  leaving  error  out  of  the  question. 

Thus,  one  writer  in  the  London  "  Agricultural  Ga- 
zette," of  Sept.  23,  1848,  tells  us  that,  by  adopting  the 
regimen  advised  by  one  good  Mrs.  Doyley,  hens  may  be 
made  to  sit  four  times  in  the  season.  Each  time  they 
sit,  they  are  to  hatch  two  broods,  (that  is,  eight  broods 
of  three  weeks  each  per  annum,)  by  the  withdrawal  of 
the  first  clutch  of  chickens,  and  replacing  them  with 
fresh  eggs  !  The  kidnapped  chicks  are  to  be  reared  by 
an  artificial  mother.  Now,  if  the  hen  hatches  only  ten 
chickens  from  each  set  of  eggs,  which  is  considered  a 
low  estimate,  this  gives  eighty  chickens  per  annum  from 
each  hen  ! !  or  four  hundred  in  the  course  of  the  year, 
for  the  expense  of  maintaining  five  hens,  and,  it  is  sup- 
posed, one  cock,  (though  the  poor  fellow  is  not  men- 
tioned,) or  more  than  one  chicken  per  day  ! ! !  But, 
alas !  for  such  extravagance.  Hens  are  made  of  flesh, 
blood,  bones  and  feathers — not  of  wood,  hot  water, 
India  rubber,  sheepskins,  nor  iron  ;  and  if  their  incu- 
bating powers  are  overtasked,  they  will  invariably  suffer 
for  it  afterwards,  which  will  often  take  them  the  whole 
autumn  and  winter  to  recover,  if  they  ever  recover  at 
all.  Accounts  like  the  above,  which  we  often  see  going 
the  "rounds"  in  agricultural  papers, it  is  almost  needless 
to  say,  deserve  only  to  be  treated  with  ridicule  and  dis- 
respect. 

I  clip  the  following  egg-laying  story,  from  the  fourth 
volume  of  the  "  American  Agriculturist,"  as  having  oc- 


302  APPENDIX. 

curred  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Gerard  Carpenter,  of  Pough- 
keepsie,  New  York.  He  commenced  on  the  first  of 
January,  1844,  with  sixty-seven  hens  and  three  cocks. 
Out  of  the  flock,  were  sold  and  lost,  by  the  1st  of  May, 
seven  hens  ;  from  that  time  up  to  the  16th  of  September, 
he  lost  two  more.  The  average  number  of  hens  re- 
maining, during  the  year,  was  estimated  at  sixty,  which 
laid  each  month  as  follows  : — 

Eggs. 

January,  .  .  .  .  .  191 
February,  .  .  .  .  400 

March, 892 

April, 1,037 

May, 1,086 

June, 700 

July,  .  .  .  .  .  838 
August,  .....  740 
September,  .  .  .  540 

October, 113 

November,        .         .         .         .  21 

December,  .....     none. 

Total,         .         ,         .      6,558 

In  addition  to  this  number,  it  was  supposed  that  full 
300  eggs  were  used  for  sitting,  got  lost,  broken,  or 
spoiled,  which  are  not  reckoned  in  the  account  above. 
The  food  of  the  hens  consisted  of  as  much  Indian  corn, 
mixed  with  a  few  oats,  as  they  could  eat ;  the  grain 
being  placed  where  they  could  get  at  it  whenever  they 
felt  inclined.  In  the  winter,  they  had  a  little  meat. 
They  were  not  confined  at  all,  and  had  access  to  lime 
and  gravel,  while  the  ground  was  covered  with  snow. 

A  correspondent,  of  Rahway,  New  Jersey,  states  in 
the  fifth  volume  of  the  journal  last  named  above,  that 
he  commenced  the  year  1845  with  a  stock  of  poultry, 
the  expenses  and  profits  of  which  were  as  follows : — 

1845.  Dr. 

Jan.  1.  To  44  hens,  6  cocks,     .  at  25cts.  .  $12.50 

"  "    6  turkeys,            .     .  at  62icts.  .       3.75 

"  "   4  geese,     ....  at  62iots.  .       2.50 


APPENDIX. 


303 


Jan.  30. 
Feb.  25. 
Aug.  14. 

Nov.  14. 
it 

Dec.  31. 


1845. 

Dec.  31. 
« 

u 

n 
u 
u 
u 
u 
II 


'  22  geese,    .     .     . 

"  cash  for   15  hens,    . 

u  6  young  ducks,    . 

"  5  common  ditto, 

"  1  pair  Muscovy  do. 

"  6 U  bushels  corn,     . 

"  Labor  in  picking  geese, 

Total  cost,          .         . 

By  3,660  eggs  used  or  sold,     . 
"   26  chickens,         " 

3  turkeys,  " 
6  ducks,                " 
23  geese,              " 
35  Ibs  geese  feathers, 

16  bushels  of  hen  manure, . 

103  fowls  on  hand,  valued  at 
"    7  ducks, 
"    4  turkeys, 

4  ereese,  " 


Carried  up, 

$18.75 

at  50cts.     . 

11.00 

at  25cts.     . 

3.75 

.         . 

1.00 

1.25 

. 

1.13 

at  62icts.    . 

38.44 

e, 

0.83 

Total  proceeds, 
Deduct  cost,     . 

Net  profits, 


$76.20 

Cr. 

.  $40.15 
.  6.25 
.  2.25 
.  2.25 
.  15.67 
.  17.50 
.  -  2.00 
.  25.75 
.  2.63 
3.00 
.  3.00 

$120.45 
76.20 

$44.25 


The  geese,  it  is  stated,  were  not  the  least  profitable 
part  of  the  stock.  They  were  the  large,  white  Bremen 
variety,  weighing,  when  dressed,  from  10  to  15  Ibs. 
each.  They  were  confined  in  a  lane,  which  afforded 
them  access  to  the  different  fields,  and  in  which  there  is 
a  large  artificial  pond. 

Dr.  H.  S.  Chase,  of  Woodstock,  Vermont,  makes  the 
following  statement  on  the  management  and  profits  of 
poultry ; — On  the  27th  of  March,  1848,  I  purchased 
four  hens  and  one  cock,  and  kept  them  until  the  15th  of 
November,  when  I  killed  them.  During  that  time,  I 
received  three  hundred  and  eighty-six  eggs  as  the  re- 
sult of  their  laying.  I  fed  them  on  grain,  I  purchased — 
seven  pecks  of  corn,  and  one  peck  of  oats.  The  ac 
count  stands  as  follows : — 


304  APPENDIX. 

386  eggs,  average  price  1  cent  each,     .         .         $3.86 

7  pecks  corn,  at  181  cents  per  peck,      .       $1.31 

1  peck  oats,         .         .  .        0.12 — 1.43 

Net  profit  of  four  hens  for  less  than  eight 

months,         ......        $2.43 

Average   number   of  eggs  laid  by  each 

hen,  ninety-six. 

In  the  "Boston  Cultivator,"  of  Dec.  22,  1849,  the 
following  account  of  poultry  raising  is  given  by  Mr. 
Edwin  Howard,  of  Easton,  Massachusetts  : — I  com- 
menced the  first  day  of  December,  1848,  with  nineteen 
hens  and  one  rooster,  [cock,]  which  stock  I  valued  at 
twenty  dollars,  and  in  the  spring  I  added  one  more  hen. 
They  laid,  in  one  year,  with  what  a  few  of  my  pullets 
have  laid  in  the  fall,  eighteen  hundred  and  eighty-one 
eggs,  and  have  raised  eighty-two  chickens.  The  amount 
of  eggs  sold,  was  twenty-seven  dollars,  and  ninety-seven 
cents ;  fowls  sold,  forty-six  dollars  and  forty-eight  cents. 
I  have  now  thirty-two  fowls,  which  I  call  worth  thirty 
dollars.  I  have  reckoned  no  eggs  higher  than  fifty 
cents  a  dozen ;  those  that  1  sent  off  at  one  dollar  a  dozen, 
I  deducted  fifty  cents  a  dozen  for  the  trouble  of  packing 
and  delivering,  on  sending  off. 

Eggs  sold — 1,300 $27.97 

Eggs  not  sold — 581  at  15  cents  per  dozen,       .         7.27 
Fowls  sold,  .         .         .    "    .         .         .46.48 

Value   of  fowls  on  hand  over  last  year  at  this 

time, 10.00 

91.72 
32i  bushels  of  corn  and  meal,  at  75  cents,       .       24.37 

Balance  in  favor  of  fowls,       ....     $67.35 

Thus,  I  might  go  on  with  similar  accounts  almost 
without  end,  which  show  clearly  that  there  is  profit  at- 
tending poultry  raising,  when  undertaken  on  a  moderate 
scale ;  but  when  the  business  is  attempted  with  a  large 
number  of  barnyard  fowls,  obtained  at  a  heavy  cost,  in- 
cluding the  purchase  of  food,  accommodations,  &c.,  I 
am  free  to  venture  the  opinion  that,  speculations  of 


APPENDIX.  305 

the  kind  will  prove  profitless  in  the  end.  When  geese 
can  be  kept  in  situations  where  they  have  proper  for- 
age and  water  accommodation,  undoubtedly  money  could 
be  made  on  a  more  extensive  scale  from  the  sale  of  their 
feathers  and  flesh.  An  instance  is  said  to  have  occurred 
within  two  or  three  years  past,  in  the  western  part  ol 
Pennsylvania  or  Virginia,  in  which  a  farmer  raised 
2,000  geese  in  a  year,  from  which  he  obtained  a  ton  of 
feathers,  valued  at  $1,000.  Besides  their  natural  pas- 
turage and  range  of  water,  they  were  allowed  to  feed 
until  late  in  autumn  or  early  winter  in  a  large  field  of 
standing  corn.  When  sufficiently  matured,  they  were 
slaughtered  solely  for  their  feathers,  their  carcasses  being 
burned  or  thrown  away. 

THE  EGG-  TRADE. 

UNDER  the  article  "  Egg  Trade/0  in  the  "  Supplement " 
to  the  English  "  Penny  Cyclopaedia,"  we  have  the  fol- 
lowing estimate  given,  which  will,  perhaps,  excite  some 
little  surprise : — "In  1835,  the  value  of  eggs  exported 
from  Ireland  to  Great  Britain  was  £68,687,  and  at  the 
present  time  may  exceed  £100,000.*  At  4d.  per  dozen, 
the  number  of  eggs  which  this  sum  would  purchase 
would  be  72,000,000.  From  France  and  Belgium,  we 
imported  96,000,000  eggs  in  1840,  on  which  the  duty  of 
Id.  per  dozen  produced  £34,000.  Nine  tenths  of  the 
foreign  eggs  are  from  France.  The  departments  nearest 
to  England,  from  the  Pas  de  Calais  to  La  Manche,  are 
visited  by  the  dealers,  and  their  purchases  often  produce 
a  scarcity  in  the  country  markets.  At  most  of  the  ports 
of  these  departments,  from  Calais  to  Cherbourg,  some 
vessels  are  employed  in  the  egg  trade.  The  weight  of 
80,000,000  eggs,  is  not  far  short  of  2,500  tons.  In  the  last 
three  years,  the  importation  of  foreign  eggs  were  as 
follow : — 

In  1842, 89,548,747 

„  1843,        .  .     ,  70,415,931 

„  1844,    .....  67,487,920 

*  Mr.  M'Culloch  says,  the  price  paid  by  England  to  Ireland  for  eggs  and 
poultry  may  be  estimated  at  from  £200,000  to  £300,000  a  year. 


306 


APPENDIX. 


"  The  consumption  of  eggs,  at  Paris,  is  estimated  a 
100,000,000  of  eggs  a-year." 

Everywhere  in.  France,  it  is  stated,  poultry  is  abund- 
ant and  cheap,  and  eggs  form  an  important  article  of 
diet.  M.  Legrand,  a  member  of  the  French  Statistical 
Society,  says  "  The  consumption  of  eggs  in  Paris  is  cal- 
culated at  115£  eggs  per  head,  or  101,052,400.  The 
consumption  in  other  parts  of  France  may  be  reckoned 
at  double  this  rate,  as  in  many  parts  of  the  country 
dishes  composed  of  eggs  and  milk  are  the  principal 
items  in  all  the  rneals.  The  consumption  of  eggs  for 
the  whole  kingdom,  including  the  capital,  is  estimated  at 
7,231,160,000;  add  to  this  number  those  exported,  and 
those  necessary  for  reproduction,  and  it  will  result  that 
7,380,925,000  eggs  were  laid  in  France  during  the  year 
1835." 

"  The  exportations  from  France,  in  1835,  were  as 
follows : — 

To  England,       .  76,190,120 

"  Belgium,   ....  60,800 

"  United  States,  .          49,696 

"  Switzerland,       .         .         .  49,260 

"  Spain,  .                             .  .          34,800 

"  Other  parts  of  the  world,     .  306,304 

The  total  amount  of  the  exportation  of  that  year  was 
3,829,284  francs  ($76,800).  France  is  essentially  a 
fowl-keeping  country.  The  farms,  owing  to  the  system 
of  subdivision  of  landed  property  among  the  sons  of  a 
proprietor  at  his  decease  are  small,  and  poultry  consti- 
tutes a  profitable  stock  upon  them,  especially  as  they 
will  feed  but  few  cattle.  Around  every  farm  house, 
troops  of  poultry  are  to  be  seen.  They  swarm  every- 
where, and  the  markets  of  every  town  are  abundantly 
supplied.  Much  breed  does  not  exist  in  any  of  them, 
but  in  some  parts  considerable  attention  is  paid  to  their 
rearing.  There  is  a  peculiar  variety  in  the  peninsula 
of  Caux  in  great  esteem.  The  fowls  of  this  district  are 
fattened,  in  the  envions  of  Barbezieux,  La  Fleche,  and 
especially  Mons,  for  the  tables  of  the  luxurious. 

The  following  interesting  statistical  remarks  are  taken 


APPENDIX.  307 

from  a  paper  in  the  English  "Penny  Magazine  for 
March,  1837.  After  premising  that,  in  the  year  1837, 
the  number  of  eggs  imported  from  France  into  England 
amounted  to  69,000,000,  the  writer  says,  "  These  eggs 
cannot  be  obtained  from  much  fewer  than  575,000  fowls, 
each  producing  120  eggs  on  an  average,  all  beyond 
this  number  being  required  for  domestic  consumption. 
Assuming  the  grounds  of  this  calculation  to  be  correct, 
the  55,000,000  eggs  which  a  writer  in  a  newspaper 
printed  at  Arras  states  to  be  the  amount  supplied  to 
England  from  the  Pas  de  Calais,  are  the  production  of 
458,333  fowls,  each  of  which  furnishes  ten  dozen  eggs, 
imported  at  a  duty  of  106?.,  being  a  tax  to  that  amount 
on  each  fowl.  Allowing  twelve  fowls  to  each  family 
engaged  in  supplying  the  demand  for  eggs,  the  number 
of  families  thus  interested  will  be  39,861,  representing  a 
population  of  198,000.  In  the  Pas  de  Calais,  there  can 
scarcely  be  a  larger,  population  than  two  families  out  of 
every  five  who  are  connected  with  the  egg  trade ;  and 
if  this  were  ascertained  to  be  the  real  proportion,  the 
population,  not  directly  engaged,  would  be  457,000, 
which,  with  the  198,000  above  mentioned,  would  com- 
prise a  total  population  of  665,000,  which  is  the  popu- 
lation of  the  department,  the  superfices  of  which  being 
2,624  square  miles.  Over  this  extent  of  country  must 
those  who  are  engaged  in  the  egg  trade  keep  a  vigilant 
eye,  penetrating  into  every  hamlet,  and  visiting  the  lone 
houses  which  are  scattered  in  this  part  of  France,  per- 
haps more  numerously  than  in  any  other  departments. 
Some  arrangements  of  a  peculiar  nature  are  obviously 
required  to  facilitate  the  transactions  of  the  wholesale 
dealer,  who  probably  resides  at  the  port  whence  the  eggs 
are  shipped.  The  services  of  a  subordinate  class  of 
dealers  are,  doubtless,  called  into  activity ;  and  as  it 
would  be  a  waste  of  time  for  each  of  these  to  visit  every 
week,  or  at  a  stated  period,  every  one  of  the  39,861 
houses  whence  they  draw  the  quantity  required,  other 
arrangements  of  a  still  more  detailed  character  are 
necessary,  in  order  to  bring  the  article  within  grasp." 

The  British  census  returns  for  1841  present  us  with 
an  ad-valorem  estimate  of  the  poultry,  (of  all  sorts,)  kept 
in  Ireland,  the  pecuniary  value  of  each  fowl  beiru? 


308 


APPENDIX. 


reckoned  at  the  small  sum  of  6d.  This  census,  however, 
is  only  an  approximation  to  the  truth  ;  for  it  is  stated,  on 
good  authority,  that  the  country  people  were  not  unna- 
turally suspicious  of  the  intentions  of  the  parties  em- 
ployed to  ascertain  the  point  in  question,  and  apprehend- 
ing that  the  inquiry  was  only  jhe  prelude  to  some  new  tax, 
they  gave  such  statements  as  seemed  most  advantageous 
to  their  interests ;  hence  their  returns  were  below  the 
mark  numerically,  and,  consequently,  also  in  a  pecuniary 
point  of  view.  The  returns  were  as  follows : — 

LEINSTER. 

Carlow,                      .         .         .  •       .  £2,550 

Dublin,        .  "      .         .         .         .  2,859 

Kildare, 3,986 

Kilkenny,    .         .         .         .         .  6,962 

King's  County,        ....  5,077 

Longford,    .         .         .         .         .  3,943 

Louth,    .         .         .         .         .          .  3,385 

Meath,        .....  7,566 

Queen's  County,      .         .         .         .  5,138 

Westmeath,          ....  5,343 

Wexford, 6,389 

Wicklow, 3,045 


CONNAUGHT. 


Galway, 
Leitrim, 
Mayo,    . 
Roscommon; 
Sligo,     . 


Clare, 
Cork,     . 
Kerry, 
Limerick, 
Tipperary,   . 
Waterford, 


MUNSTER. 


£56,243 

£10,753 
4,083 
8,457 
7,814 
4,109 

£35,216 

£1,031 
23,547 

7,864 

10,687 

4,794 

,     14,907 


£62,830 


APPENDIX.  309 

ULSTER. 

Antrim, £3,998 

Armagh, ;  3,829 

Cavan, 6,609 

Donegal,    .....  5,744 

Down,           .         .         .                   .  6,992 

Fermanagh,        ....  4,113 

Londonderry,          .         .         .         .  4,027 

Monaghan,         ....  5,314 

Tyrone, 7,257 

£47,883 

The  total  sum,  according  to  this  estimate,  is  £202,172. 
Hence  the  number  of  poultry  returned,  amounted  to 
8,088,680,  reckoning  them  at  Qd.  per  head ;  but,  as  stated 
above,  this  number  is  far  below  the  mark. 

Mr.  Richardson,  in  a  little  work  on  "  Domestic 
Fowls,"  published  in  Dublin,  in  1847,  says,  "  I  have  had 
a  statement  furnished  me.  by  Mr.  P.  Howell,  secretary 
to  the  City  of  Dublin  Steam-Packet  Company  to  the 
following  effect : — The  number  of  boxes  of  eggs  shipped 
by  that  company's  vessels  for  London,  during  the  year 
1844-5,  was  8,874;  about  the  same  number  was  shipped 
by  the  British  and  Irish  Company,  making  a  total  of 
17,148  boxes.  Each  contained  13,000  eggs,  but  occa- 
sionally large  boxes  are  used,  containing  more  than  four 
times  that  number.  This  gives  the  result  of  23,072,400 
eggs  as  annually  shipped  for  London.  To  Liverpool, 
were  shipped  5,135  boxes,  containing  25,566,500  eggs, 
making  a  total  of  the  shipments  from  Dublin  alone, 
during  the  years  1844-5,  to  the  two  ports  of  London  and 
Liverpool,  of  48,639,900,  the  value  of  which,  at  the 
average  rate  of  5s.  Qd.  per  every  124  eggs,  (the  return 
made,)  gives  a  sum  amounting  to  about  £122,500  as  the 
annual  value  of  the  eggs  shipped  from  Dublin  alone ; 
and,  since  this  return,  the  export  of  eggs  has  enormously 
increased.  Assuming  the  export  of  Dublin  to  be  equal 
to  one  fourth  of  the  exports  of  all  Ireland,  (a  calculation 
reaching  much  above  the  mark,)  we  have  very  close  on 
£500,000,  or  half  a  million,  as  the  value  of  this  branch 
of  commerce  to  Ireland,  snowing  also  an  increase  of 


310  APPENDIX. 

fourfold  since  1835."  The  same  writer  adds,  in  a  note, 
"  By  the  same  returns,  I  have  ascertained  that  the  ex- 
port of  eggs  is  now  nearly  doubled,  bordering  on  a 
million  sterling." 

From  the  small  rocky  islands  off  the  coast  of  La- 
brador, considerable  traffic  is  carried  on  by  a  class  of 
persons  called  "  eggers,"  who  follow  principally,  or  ex- 
clusively, the  avocation  of  procuring  the  eggs  of  wild 
birds,  with  the  view  of  disposing  them  at  some  distant 
port.  Their  great  object  is  to  plunder  every  nest  when- 
ever they  can  find  it,  no  matter  where,  and  at  whatever 
risk.  They  not  only  gather  all  the  eider  down  they  can 
find ;  yet  so  cruel  and  inconsiderate  are  they,  that  they 
kill  every  bird  that  comes  in  their  way.  The  eggs  of 
gulls,  guillemots,  and  ducks  are  searched  for  with  care ; 
and  the  puffins,  and  several  other  birds,  they  massacre 
in  vast  numbers  merely  for  the  sake  of  their  feathers. 

The  business  is  generally  carried  on  with  small  dirty, 
cabinless  shallops,  of  a  few  tons  burthen,  manned  with 
eight  hands,  who  lie  and  sleep  in  the  hold  at  the  foot  of 
a  tottering  mast.  "  Much  had  been  said  to  me,"  says 
Mr.  Audubon,  from  whose  work  the  following  graphic 
sketch  is  taken,  "  respecting  these  destructive  pirates 
before  I  visited  the  coast  of  Labrador,  but  I  could  not 
entirely  credit  all  their  cruelties  until  I  had  actually  wit- 
nessed their  proceedings,  which  were  such  as  to  inspire 
no  small  degree  of  horror.  But  you  shall  judge  for 
yourself. 

"  There  rides  the  filthy  thing!  The  afternoon  is  half 
over.  Her  crew  have  thrown  their  boat  overboard ;  they 
enter  and  seat  themselves,  each  with  a  rusty  gun.  One 
of  them  sculls  the  skiff  towards  an  island  for  a  century 
past  the  breeding  place  of  myriads  of  guillemots,  which 
are  now  to  be  laid  under  contribution.  At  the  approach 
of  the  vile  thieves,  clouds  of  birds  rise  from  the  rock 
and  fill  the  air  around,  wheeling  and  screaming  over 
their  enemies.  Yet  thousands  remain  in  an  erect 
posture,  each  covering  its  single  egg,  the  hope  of  both 
parents.  The  reports  of  several  muskets  loaded  with 
heavy  shot  are  now  heard,  while  several  dead  and 
wounded  birds  fell  heavily  on  the  rock  or  into  the  water. 


APPENDIX.  311 

Instantly  all  the  sitting  birds  rise  and  fly  off  affrighted  to 
their  companions  above,  and  hover  in  dismay  over  their 
assassins,  who  walk  forward  exultingly,  and  with  their 
shouts  mingling  oaths  and  execrations.  Look  at  them! 
See  how  they  crush  the  chick  within  its  shell,  how  they 
trample  on  every  egg  in  the  way,  with  their  huge  and 
clumsy  boots.  Onward  they  go,  and  when  they  leave 
the  isle  not  an  egg  that  they  can  find  is  left  entire.  The 
dead  birds  they  collect  and  carry  to  the  boat.  Now  they 
have  regained  their  filthy  shallop ;  they  strip  the  birds 
by  a  single  jerk  of  their  feathery  apparel,  while  the  flesh 
is  yet  warm,  and  throw  them  on  some  coals,  where,  in 
a  short  time,  they  are  broiled.  The  rum  is  produced 
when  the  guillemots  are  fit  for  eating,  and  after  stuffing 
themselves  with  this  oily  fare,  and  enjoying  the  plea- 
sures of  beastly  intoxication,  over  they  tumble  on  the 
deck  of  their  crazed  craft,  where  they  pass  the  short 
hours  of  night  in  turbid  slumber. 

"  The  sun  now  rises  above  the  snow-clad  summit  of 
the  eastern  mount — 

'  Sweet  is  the  breath  of  morn,' 

even  in  this  desolate  land.  The  gay  bunting  erects  his 
white  crest,  and  gives  utterance  to  the  joy  he  feels  in 
the  presence  of  his  brooding  mate.  The  willow 
grouse  on  the  rock  crows  his  challenge  aloud.  Each 
floweret,  chilled  by  the  night  air,  expands  its  pure 
petals  ;  the  gentle  breeze  shakes  from  the  blades  of  grass 
the  heavy  dew  drops.  On  the  Guillemot  Isles,  the  birds 
have  again  settled,  and  now  renew  their  loves.  Startled 
by  the  light  of  day,  one  of  the  eggers  springs  on  his  feet 
and  rouses  his  companions,  who  stare  around  them  for 
awhile,  endeavoring  to  recollect  their  senses.  Mark 
them,  as  with  clumsy  fingers  they  clear  away  their 
drowsy  eyes !  Slowly  they  rise  on  their  feet.  See  how 
the  filthy  lubbers  stretch  out  their  arms  and  yawn ;  you 
shrink  back,  for  verily,  '  that  throat  might  frighten  a 
shark.' 

"  But  the  master,  soon  recollecting  that  so  many  eggs 
are  worth  a  dollar  or  a  crown,  caste  his  eye  towards  the 


312  APPENDIX. 

rock,  marks  the  day  in  his  memory,  and  gives  orders  to 
depart.  The  light  breeze  enables  them  to  reach  another 
harbor  a  few  miles  distant,  one  which,  like  the  last,  lies 
concealed  from  the  ocean  by  some  other  rocky  isle. 
Arrived  there,  they  re-act  the  scene  of  yesterday,  crush- 
ing every  egg  they  can  find.  For  a  week,  each  night 
is  passed  in  drunkenness  and  brawls,  until,  having  reached 
the  last  breeding  place  on  the  coast,  they  return,  touch 
at  every  isle  in  succession,  shoot  as  many  birds  as  they 
need,  collect  the  fresh  eggs,  and  lay  in  a  cargo.  At 
every  step,  each  ruffin  picks  up  an  egg,  so  beautiful  that 
any  man  with  a  feeling  heart  would  pause  to  consider 
the  motive  which  could  induce  him  to  carry  it  off.  But 
nothing  of  this  sort  occurs  to  the  egger,  who  gathers 
and  gathers,  until  he  has  swept  the  rock  bare.  The 
dollars  alone  chink  in  his  sordid  mind,  and  he  assidu- 
ously plies  the  trade  which  no  man  would  ply  who  had 
the  talents  and  industry  to  procure  subsistence  by  hon- 
orable means. 

"  With  a  bark  nearly  half-filled  with  fresh  eggs,  they 
proceed  to  the  principal  rock,  that  on  which  they  first 
landed.  But  what  is  their  surprise  when  they  find 
others  there  helping  themselves  as  industriously  as  they 
can!  In  boiling  rage,  they  charge  their  guns,  and  ply 
their  oars.  Landing  on  the  rock,  they  run  up  1o  the 
eggers,  who,  like  themselves,  are  desperadoes.  The  first 
question  is  the  discharge  of  musketry,  the  answer  an- 
other. Now  man  to  man,  they  fight  like  tigers.  One 
is  carried  to  his  boat  with  a  fractured  skull;  another 
limps  with  a  shot  in  his  leg ;  and  a  third  feels  how  many 
of  his  teeth  have  been  driven  through  the  hole  in  his 
cheek.  At  last,  however,  the  quarrel  is  settled  ;  the 
booty  is  to  be  equally  divided ;  and  now  see  them  all 
drinking  together.  Oaths  and  curses,  and  filthy  jokes, 
are  all  that  you  hear;  but  see,  stuffed  with  food  and 
reeling  with  drink,  down  they  drop  one  by  one ;  groans 
and  execrations  from  the  wounded  mingle  with  the 
snorings  of  the  heavy  sleepers.  There  let  the  brutes 
lie." 

A  similar  traffic,  though  less  extensive  and  more  peace- 
able, is  carried  on  among  the  Keys  of  Florida,  in  pro- 


APPENDIX.  313 

curing  wild  birds'  eggs,  and  selling  them  at  the  adjacent 
ports. 

POULTRY  STATISTICS. 

To  the  Report  of  the  "  Committee  of  Supervision"  of 
the  New-England  Convention  of  Domestic  Fowl  Breed- 
ers, held  in  Boston  on  the  15th  of  November  last,  I  am 
indebted  for  the  following  extract: — 

"  Until  quite  recently,  the  breeding  and  rearing  of 
poultry,  in  this  section  of  the  country,  has  been  con- 
sidered too  insignificant  an  article  of  stock  to  require 
any,  or  very  little  notice. 

"  The  rearing  of  poultry,  as  will  be  shown,  is  certainly 
not  the  least  important  article  of  stock  to  the  farmer; 
and  the  subject  is  now  beginning  to  assume  an  import- 
ance which  the  committee  hope  may  produce  an  honor- 
able competition  at  our  fairs — for  the  best  stock,  that 
stock  whichever  it  may  be,  that  shall  give  the  best  fowl 
— those  giving  the  greatest  amount  of  meat  with  the 
least  offal — and  which  shall  at  the  same  time  give  the 
largest  number  of  eggs,  or  return  in  profit,  for  the 
amount  invested. 

"  That  the  rearing  of  poultry  for  market  can  be  made 
profitable,  the  committee  could  produce  facts  from  well- 
authenticated  sources,  which  should  convince  the  most 
incredulous ;  but  they  will  omit  doing  so  in  this  report, 
and  confine  themselves  to  a  few  statistical  remarks. 

"  The  article  of  poultry  is  readily  converted  into 
money,  and  is  probably,  quite  as  readily  prepared  for 
market  as  any  other  article  of  stock  produced  on  the 
farm.  The  expense  of  feeding  the  best  stock  is  no  more 
than  would  be  the  expense  of  feeding  and  rearing  the 
poorest  dunghill  fowl,  while  the  return  shows  a,  heavy 
balance  in  favor  of  the  large-bodied  and  fine-meated 
fowl,  with  little  offal. 

"  Our  convenience  to  the  London  markets,  by  the  aid 
of  steamers  weekly,  enables  the  farmer  through  the  egg 
merchant,  to  make  sale  of  his  surplus  eggs  in  that 
quarter. 

"  The  amount  of  sales  of  poultry  at  the  Quincy 
Market.  Boston,  for  the  year  1848,  was  six  hundred  and 
14 


314  APPENDIX. 

seventy- four  thousand  four  hundred  and  twenty  three 
dollars;  the  average  sales  of  one  dealer  alone  amounting 
to  twelve  hundred  dollars  per  week  for  the  whole  year. 
The  amount  of  sales  for  the  whole  city  of  Boston,  for 
the  same  year,  (so  far  as  obtained,)  was  over  one  mil- 
lion of  dollars. 

"  The  amount  of  sales  of  eggs,  in  and  around,  the 
Quincy  Market,  for  1848,  was  one  million  one  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  thirty- five 
dozen,  which,  at  18  cents  per  dozen,  (the  lowest  price 
paid  III  cents,  and  the  highest  30  cents  per  dozen,  as 
proved  by  the  average  purchases  of  one  of  the  largest 
dealer's  books,)  makes  the  amount  paid  for  eggs  to  be 
two  hundred  and  three  thousand,  three  hundred  and 
fifty- two  dollars  and  thirty  cents.  And  from  informa- 
tion already  obtained  from  other  egg  merchants,  in  the 
same  city,  the  whole  amount  of  sales  will  not  fall  much, 
if  any,  short  of  a  million  of  dollars  for  1848. 

"  The  average  consumption  of  eggs,  at  three  of  the 
hotels,  was  more  than  two  hundred  dozen  each  day,  for 
the  year  1848. 

"  The  value  of.eggs  brought  from  the  Penobscot  and 
Kennebec  Rivers,  during  the  running  season  of  the 
steamboats,  plying  between  Boston  and  those  two 
rivers,  was  more  than  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars  for  that  season. 

"  In  one  day,  from  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  it  is  stated  in  one 
of  the  public  journals,  there  were  shipped  500  barrels, 
containing  47,000  dozen  of  eggs.  One  dealer  in  the  egg 
trade,  at  Philadelphia,  sends  to  the  New- York  Market, 
daily,  nearly  one  hundred  barrels  of  eggs.  It  is  esti- 
mated, from  satisfactory  returns,  that  the  city  of  New 
York  alone  expends  nearly  a  million  and  a  half  of 
dollars  per  annum,  in  the  purchase  of  eggs. 

"  By  reference  to  the  agricultural  statistics  of  the 
United  States,  published  in  1840,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
value  of  poultry  in  the  State  of  New  York,  was  two 
million,  three  hundred  and  seventy-three  thousand  arid 
twenty-nine  dollars ;  which  was  more  than  the  value  of 
its  sheep,  the  entire  value  of  its  neat  cattle,  and  nearly 
five  times  the  value  of  its  horses  and  mules. 


APPENDIX.  315 

"  The,  same  authority  exhibits  the  total  valuation 
of  poultry,  in  various  states  and  territories  of  the 
Union  : — 

Maine, $123,171 

New  Hampshire,      .         .  97,862 

Vermont,             .  176,437 

Massachusetts,         .  540,295 

Rhode  Island,       ....  61,492 

Connecticut,     ....  176,659 

New  York,            ....  2,373,029 

New  Jersey,     ....  412,487 

Pennsylvania,       ....  '1,033,172 

Delaware,         ....  47,465 

Maryland, 219,159 

Virginia,          ....  752,467 

North  Carolina,    ....  544,125 

South  Carolina,        .         .         .  590,594 

Georgia, 473,158 

Ohio, 734,931 

Kentucky, 536,439 

Tennesee,        .         .         .    '     .  581,531 

Louisiana,    .      ,  ^4       .         .         .  273,314 

Mississippi,      ....  369,481 

Alabama, 829,220 

Missouri,          ...         *  230,283 

Indiana, 393,228 

Illinois, 335,968 

Michigan, 82,730 

Arkansas,         ....  93,549 

Florida,        .         .;>      .         .         .  61,007 

Wisconsin,       *         .        ,.         .  16,167 

Iowa, 17,101 

District  of  Columbia,      .  .  -;      .  3,092 

Total,  ....        $12,176,170 

"  It  is  probable  that,  since  1840,  the  value  of  poultry 
has  doubled." 

WEIGHT    OF    POULTRY. 

As  the  size  and  weight  ascribed  to  various  breeds  of 
fowls  is  often  greatly  exaggerated,  I  insert  for  the  benefit 


316  APPENDIX. 

of  the  curious  the  following  lists  from  Mr.  Dixon's  work, 
which  will  serve  as  a  guide  for  about  an  average 
weight  of  poultry  in  the  United  States: — 

"  Wishing  to  know  what  truth  there  was  in  the 
unauthentic  statement  that  there  were  such  things 
as  cocks  weighing  15lbs.,  and  hens  lOlbs.,  I  applied  to 
Mr.  Nolan  for  further  information,  and  not  having  re- 
ceived any  reply,  conclude  that  he  is  not  in  a  position 
to  supply  such  birds  to  his  customers — a  supposition 
which  has  been  confirmed  by  a  private  letter  from  a 
gentleman  then  staying  in  the  neighborhood  of  Dublin. 

"  But  the  reader  will  be  better  able  to  judge  what 
weights  fowls  may  be  reasonably  expected  to  attain, 
after  the  inspection  of  the  following  lists  of  the  live 
weights  of  various  poultry,  with  which  I  have  been 
obligingly  favored.  But  as  the  birds  are  generally  out 
of  condition,  in  consequence  of  their  being  mostly  now 
on  the  moult,  and  also  from  the  late  wet  season,  the 
weights  are  less  than  they  would  be  under  more  favor- 
able circumstances.  One  list  gives — 


LB9.          OZ. 


Black  Polish  cock,  three  years  old,  .         .53 

Ditto  hen,  ditto,        .         .         ..34 

Ditto  pullet, 26 

Golden  Polish  cock,    .         .         .         .         ..50 

Ditto  hen,       .  .         .         .         .         .38 

Another  hen,      .         .         .         .         .         .     .     3     10 

Golden  Polish  pullet, 28 

Malay  hen,  4     12 

Creole,  (silver  Hamburgh,)  hen,  .  .  .31 
Black  nondescript  hen,  .  .  .  .  .  3  10 
Globe-crested  Polish  hen,  .  .  .  .39 
Silver  Polish  hen,  .  ..34 

Game  cock,     ...  ...     4     10 

Ditto  hen, 30 

Young  blue-dun  cock,  .  .  .  .  .36 
Blue-dun  hen,  .  .  .  >  .  .  3  0 

Large  dun  hybrid  hen,    .         .         .  v     .         .     3       8 

"  Among  these,  the  Malay  hen  was  moulting,  and  not 
up  to  her  usual  weight  by  nearly  a  pound.  It  will  be 
observed  that  there  is  a  great  relative  difference  between 
the  pullets  and  the  grown  hens  of  the  Polish  breed.  All 


APPENDIX.  317 

the  Polish  increase  much  in  size  and  beauty  the  second 
moult." 

Another  list  kindly  furnished  by  Mr.  Alfred  Whitaker, 

gives — 

LBS.        OZ. 

Pheasant-Malay  cocks,  two  years  old,  (average,)  7  0 
Ditto  cockerel,  five  months  old,  .  .  .70 

Ditto  hen, 51 

Ditto  pullet,  seventeen  months  old,    .         .         .53 
Ditto,  (crossed  with  Dorking  hen,)  four  years  old,     5       8 
Speckled  Surrey  hen,  two  years  old,      .  .     5     12 

Spanish  hen,    .          .         .         .         .         .          .50 

Two  Dorking  cocks,  each,    .         .         .         ..70 

Ditto  hens, 68 

Ditto,  ditto,         ...  ...     6     12 

Cock  turkey,  two  years  and  a  half  old,  .  .  17  12 
Hen  ditto,  one  year  and  a  half  old,  .  .  .  10  0 

Ditto,  ditto, 99 

Musk  drake   (moulting )       .          .         .         .     .     9     12 

Mr.  Dixon's   own   poultry   yard  gave  the  following 

weights : — 

LBS.          OZ. 

Turkey  cock,  sixteen  months  old,  .  .  .16  0 
Ditto  hen,  three  or  four  year  old,  .  ..86 

White,  China  gander,  six  years  old,  .  .  .  12  13 

White,  China  goose, 11  13 

Common  China  goose,  (cynoides,)  six  years  old.  10  10 
Cochin-China  cock,  about  sixteen  months  old, 

moulting,     ...         .         .         .          .         .65 

Ditto  hen,  ditto,  ditto,     4       6 

Malay  cock,  ditto,  ditto,     6     14 

Ditto  hen,  ditto,  ditto,     4       8 

Pheasant-Malay  cock,  .         .         .         ..57 

Ditto  Malay  hen,  moulting,       .          .          .         .38 

Game  cockerel,  about  five  months  old,  .  ..42 
Golden  Hamburgh  cockerel,  just  arrived  from  a 

long  journey,  about  five  months  old,  .  .38 
Ditto  pullet,  ditto,  ditto,  .  2  4 

Cochin-China  cockerel,  six  months  old,  .  .  4  14 

Another,  ditto,  .  .  .  4  13j 

Silver  Hamburgh  cockerel,  after  travelling,  about 

five  months  old,         .         .         .         .         ..31 

Ditto  pullet,  ditto,  ditto,  .  2  8 


318 


APPENDIX. 


Black  Polish  hen,  moulting,       .  .30 

Golden  Hamburgh,  ditto       .         .         .         ..23 
Andalusian  cockerel,  four  months  old  .     3       8 

Dit^o  pullet,  ditto,        .         .         .     .     2       6\ 

Black  Spanish  cockerel,  ditto,  .         .          .211 

Ditto  pullet,  ditto,        .         .         ..211 

Silver  Polish  cockerel,  four  months  and  a  half  old,  2  14] 
Golden  Poland  pullet,  about  five  months  old,  .  2  8 
White-crested  golden  Poland  pullet,  ditto,  .  .23 

It  will  appear  from  the  foregoing,  that  for  a  cock,  of 
any  breed,  to  reach  7\  Ibs.,  even  live  weight,  he  must  be 
an  unusually  fine  bird ;  but  this  has  to  be  doubled  before 
we  can  rival  those  Cochin-China  specimens,  in  whose 
existence  some  persons  appear  to  believe. 

SAMUEL  ALLEN. 
To  C.  M.  SAXTON. 

NEW  YORK,  January  2,  1850. 


INDEX. 


PAGES. 

Albinos    65,292 

(Ulectorius 252 

Animals  influenced  by  Food  and  Climate    73 

White  , 292 

«      Inferiority  of ......  32,  92,  297 


Bankiva  Fowl 19 

"       Jungle  Fowl 19 

Breeding,  Remarks  on 72,  103,  295 


Caponising  Fowls 166,  251 

Capons  trained  to  hatch  Eggs 119 

"      employed  to  nurse  Chickens 119 

Cob  (Male  Swan) 245 

Cock,  Dunghill,  Selection  of 89 

"         Character  of 90 

Javan 19 

Jungle 19,  21 


D 


Diseases  of  Poultry  25? 

Apoplexy 260 

Appetite,  Loss  of 276 

"        Voracious 276 

Asthma 273 

Bloody  Flux 279 

Catarrh 268 

Change  of  Color  of  Feathers 289 

Colds 268 

Consumption,  Pulmonary 268 

Costiveness  278 

Cropsick 276 

Diarrhcea 278 

Dislocations 283 

Feathers,  Loss  of 287 

Fever 274 

"        Hatching  and  Pairing..  275 

Fractures 283 


Diseases  of  Poultry  PAGES. 

Gapes    263 

Gout  281 

Indigestion 276 

Inflammation  of  the  Eyes 280 

«  Luiigs 265 

"  Windpipe  . .  263 

Influenza  267 

Lice 283 

Loseness 278 

Moulting  288 

Nostrils,  Obstruction  of 266 

Parasitic  Vermin 283 

Pip,  or  Thrush 262 

Phthisis  268 

Rheumatism 280 

Roup    267,  281 

Rump  Gland,  Obstruction  of  . .  281 

Scouring 278 

Thrush,  or  Pip 262 

Thirst 275 

Ulcers 282 

Wounds  282 

Duck,  Aylesbury 197 

Marsh 197 

Musk,  or  Muscovy 198,  298 

Rouen,  or  Rhone 197 

Tame 190,298 

"    Choice  of  varieties  of 197 

"    Fattening  of 206 

"    Incubation  of 204 

«    Origin  and  History  of 190 

"    Range  and  Domestic  Acco- 

modation  of 201 

"    Rearing  and  Feeding  of  ...  205 
Wild 191 


Eccaleobion  described 112 

Egg  Cluster  100 

Eggers,  Labrador,  described 310 

Egg-Hatching  Machine,  American 116 

Egg  Trade 305 

Eggs,  necessary  Temperature  for  Hatch- 
ing    112,114 


320 


IWDEX. 


PAGES. 

Eggs,  Qualities  of 94,  296 

"     Preservation  of  for  Cooking 97 

"  «  «     Hatching 98 

"    Recipes  for  Preserving 97,  " 

«.   Sexes  of 95 

"    Structure  of 99 

«    Weight  of 41,  224 

Everlasting  Layers 54 


Fowl,  Domestic,  Anomalous  Varieties  of   81 
Antiquity  of  Varieties 

of 5,14,73 

Artificial  Incubation  of  112 
"        Mothers  in 

Rearing  of 120 

Bantam 67,297 

Black 70 

Creeper 71 

Jumper 71 

Nankin 67 

Sebright 68 

White 71 

Yellow 67 

Barn-Door 55,  72 

Best  Food  for 125 

Black  Polish 62 

"     Topped    White 

Polish 63 

«     Spanish 26 

Blue  Dun 80 

Bolton  Bay 51 

«     Grey 51 

Booby  78 

Breeding  and  Crossing 

of 103 

Buck's-County 78 

Caponising 251 

Chittagong 37 

Cheteprats 51 

Chittiprals 51 

Classification  of 25 

Cochin-China 33 

Comparative  Merits  of .  295 

Cuckoo 55 

Coops  for 121, 122 

Copplecrowns 56,  60 

Coral  Grey 51 

Creole 51 

Diseases  of 259 

Dominica,  or  Domini- 
que    80,297 

Dorking    29,296 

"          known     to 

Columella 32 

Duke  of  Leeds 13,  75 

Experiments  in  Feed- 
ing  of  with  boiled 

Grain J28 

Fattening  of 125 

Food  of,  compared 128 

found    on   the    Pacific 

Isles 16,17 

Frizzled 81 

Game  44,297 


PACKS. 

Fowl,  Domestic,  Geographical  Distribu- 
tion of 15 

Golden  Hamburgh 51 

«        Poland 60,  63 

"        Spangled 58 

Great  Malay 37 

Immutability  of  Species 

of 73,  105 

Incubation  of 106 

Influenced  by  Food  and 

Climate 73 

Jago,  or  St.  Jago  ...  39,74 

Jersey-Blue 77 

Jungle  19,21 

Kulm 37 

Killing  and  Preparing 

for  Market 132 

Lark-Crested 56 

Lime,  Soot,  Charcoal, 

&c.,  for 83,87 

Lost  Varieties  of 13 

Malay 37 

Minorca 26 

Mongrel 72 

Negro 81 

Nest  Boxes  for 85 

Nests  of,  Materials  for 

making 87 

not  found  in  the  Atlantic 
Isles,  when  discover- 
ed by  the  Moderns  . .       8 
not  mentioned  in  the 

Old  Testament G 

Old  Sussex,  or  Kent  . .     31 
Origen  and  History  of  .      5 

Ostrich 33,  78 

Paduan  60 

Paring  of 92 

Pencilled  Dutch 51 

Pheasant 40 

"        Breed 40 

"        Malay  40 

Plymouth-Rock 76 

Poland,     Polander,    or 

Polish 60 

Portugal 20 

Range    and    Domestic 

Accommodation  of..     81 
Rumkin,  or  Rumpless  .    81 
Shack-Back,    or  Shag- 
Bag  63,  75 

Shanghae  Cochin-China   75 

Silky 81 

Silver  Hamburgh 51 

"     Poland f.O 

"     Spangled    Ham- 
burgh   58 

Spangled  Polish 60 

Spanish 26,  75 

Topknotted,  not  men- 
tioned by  the  An- 
cients   12 

Weight  of  ...  30,  35,  76,  78, 
79,  365 

White  Polish GO,  63 

Turkish 51 


INDEX. 


321 


PAGES. 

Fowl,  Domestic,  Young  of,  Growth  in 

the  Egg 108 

"        how  to  feed 

previous  to  Weaning  121 

Young  of,  how  to  nurse  117 

Fowl  Houses 84.86 

Fowl,  Wild 15, 19,  21,  24 

Bankiva  Jungle 19 

Classification  of 18 

Geography  of 15 

Javanese  Jungle 19 

Jungle,  Sonnerat's  21 

"       Stanley's 21 

South  American 15 


Game  Cock,  English 45 

Game  Fowl 44 

«  Breeding  of 48 

Geese,  Sandwich-Island 18 

Goose,  African 222 

American  Wild 234 

Breeding  of 240 

"           Geographical     Distri- 
bution of 238 

"  Management  of 240 

"  "         Migration  of 238 

"  Natural  History  of  ...  234 

'     "  Pairing  of 240 

Bean 211 

Bremen 298 

Canada,  described 237 

China 222 

"         Breeding  of 226 

Domestic 208 

"         Fattening  of 219 

"         Incubation  of 217 

«         Laying  of 216 

"         Origin  and  History  of. .  208 

"         Pairing  of 215 

"         Range    and    Domestic 

Accomodation  of 214 

«         Young  of,  how  to  treat.  218 

Embden 213 

Grey-legged 211 

Guinea 222 

Hong-Kong 222 

Laughing 211 

Spanish 222 

Swan • 222 

White,  China 228,  231,  298 

White-Fronted 212 

Wild 237 

GuineaFowl 170,297 

Carried  from  America  to 

Europe 169 

Distinction   between   the 

Cock  and  Hen 170 

Eggs  of 172 

Feeding  and  Management 

of 174 

Geographical  Distribution 

of 167 

Incubation  of 173 


PAGES 

Guinea  Fowl,  Laying  of 172 

Origin  and  History  of 167 

Pairing  of 171 


II 


Hen,  Domestic,  Character  of 91 

««  Choice  of :    91 

"  Laying  Propensities  of .    94 

Hens,  Relative  Number  to  a  Cock  92 

Hybrid  between  the  Pheasant  and  Do- 
mestic Fowl 41 

Hybrid  Geese  ....  212,  218,  226,  227,  229,  298 
Hydro-Incubator 114 


Incubation,  Period!  of— 

American  Wild  Goose 234 

China  Goose 227 

Common  Goose 217 

«        Swan 246,229 

Domestic  Hen 108, 114 

Guinea  Hen 173 

Musk  Duck 200 

Pea  Hen 188 

Tame  Duck 205 

Turkey  Hen 158 

White,  China  Goose 233 

Incubation,  Periods  of,  vary  according  to 

Circumstances 200 


Javanese  J  ungle  Cock 19 

Jungle  Cock 21 

Fowl,  Sonnerat's 21 

"      Stanley's 21 


K 


KulmFowl 37 


Longevity  of  Poultry 90,  141. 290 

Lost  Varieties  of  Fowls 13 

Laying  Propensities  of  Fowls 94 


Malay  Fowl 37 

Meleagris  of  the  Ancients,  What?. .  167, 169 


Nest  Boxes  for  Domestic  Fowls  . . ... 85 

Nests,  Materials  for  making 87 


INDEX. 


PAGES 

Ostrich  Fowl ...  33,78 

Ovarium,  or  Egg  Cluster  of  Fowls 100 


Pea  Fowl 277 

Feeding  and  Management  of.  188 
Geographical  Distribution  of .  181 

Japan 182 

Laying  and  Brooding  of 187 

Origin  and  History  of 178 

Queen  Victoria's 179 

Range  and  Domestic  Accom- 
modation of. 186 

Pen  Birds  (Female  Swans) 245 

Pheasant-Malay  Fowl 40 

Fowl .« 40 

Breed 40 

Polotokian 113 

Poulardes,  how  to  make 253 

Poultry  Raising,  Profits  of 300 

Statistics 313 

Weight  of.  30  35  76  78,  79,  142,  152, 
221,  249,  315 


Queen  Victoria's  Pea  Fowl  . .  . .  179 


Rumkin,  or  Rumpless  Fowl 81 


S 


Sonnerat's  Jungle  Fowl 21 

Stanley's        "         «      21 

Swan,  Chinese 222 

Common 245,  299 

•*      Distinction  between  Sexes  2471 


PA.GSTS. 

Swan,  Common,  Feeding  of 247,  299 

"         Management  of ...  247,  299 

"         Mute 245 

«         Natural  History  of  ....  244 
"         Pairing  of 246 


Turkey,  Domestic 151,  297 

Caponising  of 166 

Choice  of  the  Cock  ..  153 

Eggs  of 157 

Fattening  of 164 

Incubation  of 158 

Laying  of 155 

Long-Island  Dwarf....  151 
Number  of  Hens  to  a 

Cock 155 

Origin  and  History  of  133 
Range   and  Domestic 

AccommodBtion  of.  152 
Selection  of  the  Hen  .  154 
Should  not  roost  with 

other  Fowls  152 

Topknotted    Variety 

of 152 

Story  of,  in  Persia  ...  137 

Young  of,  how  to  treat  160 

"         injured    by 

Wet 148 

Weight  of 152,  164 

Turkey,  Wild,  described 139 

Crossed    with   Domestic 

Breed 142 

Eggs  of 146 

Geographical      Distribu- 
tion of 149 

Habits  of 143 

Honduras 138 

Weight  of 142 

iVhen    introduced    into 
Europe 136 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE  8 

American  Egg-Hatching  Machine 116 

"        Wild  Goose  237 

Bankiva  Jungle  Cock  On  Frontispiece,  and  19 

Bantam  Cock  67 

"        Sebright  Cock  and  Hen 68 

Canula,  for  Caponising 255 

Chicken  Coops 122 

Chick  in  the  Egg  109 

China  Goose  223 

Cochin-China  Cock  33 

«           Hen   35 

Cockerel,  confined  for  Caponising  256 

Coops  122 

Domestic  Goose  213 

Dorking  Cock  and  Hen 29 

Duck,  Musk,  or  Muscovy  .  193 

"     Pond  and  Houses 203 

"     Wild  191 

Egg  Cluster,  or  Ovarium  100 

English  Game  Cock  45 

Extracting  Crystal  from  Capon  252 

Forceps  for  Caponising 255 

Game  Cocks 44,  45 

Goose,  Canada 237 

"     China 223 

"      Domestic  213 

"     Wild  237 

Great  Malay  Cock  and  Hen  37 

Guinea  Hen 170 

Hen  Houses 84,  85,  86 

Jago  Cock  and  Hen On  Frontispiece 

Javanese  Cock On  Frontispiece,  and  19 

"        Jungle  Cock On  Frontispiece,  and  19 

Kulm,  or  Great  Malay  Cock  and  Hen 37 

Malay  Cock  and  Hen  27 

Peacock  183 

Poland,  or  Poli.-h  Topnotted  Cock  and  Hen  60 

Poultry  Houses  84,  85,  86,  122,  203 

Retractor,  for  Caponising   254 

Scalpel    .., 254 

Sebright  Bantam  Cock  and  Hen 68 

Sonnerat's  Jungle  Cock 21 

Spanish  Cock  and  Hen On  Frontispiece,  and  26 

Spangled  Hamburgh  Cock 58 

«         Hen   59 

Spoon,  for  Caponising   255 

Swan,  Common,  or  Mute 245 

Turkey,  Domestic 151 

"      Wild   131) 


AGEXCY 

FOR  THE 

PURCHASE    OF   ARTICLES 

OF 

Household  Economy ;  Philosophical,  Chemical  and  Astronomical  Apparatus :  Mathemati- 
cal, Surgical,  Optical,  Nautical,  Engineering,  and  Gauging  Instruments;  Watches,  Time- 
Keepers,  and  Chronometers ;  Books,  Stationery,  Charts,  and  Maps ;  Utensils  and  Materials 
used  in  Printing ;  Sporting  Implements  and  Materials ;  Equipage  for  the  Traveller,  Voy- 
ager, &c.,  &c. 

The  undersigned  announces  to  the  public  that  he  has  made  advantageous  arrangements 
with  respectable  houses  and  manufacturers  in  this  city  for  the  purchase  of  all  the  principal 
procurable  articles  employed  in  Domestic  and  Rural  Economy,  useful  and  ornamental, 
as  well  as  for  the  advancement  and  perfection  of  the  Arts  and  Sciences. 

All  orders  for  goods,  &c.,  must  be  addressed,  postpaid,  and  invariably  accompanied  with 
the  money,  or  a  draft  at  sight,  or  otherwise  acceptable,  on  some  responsible  house  in  Boston, 
Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Charleston,  or  New  York. 

The  direction  and  mode  of  forwarding  the  articles  must  be  written  out  in  full,  in  a  clear, 
legible  hand,  otherwise  mistakes  and  delays  will  be-liable  to  occur ;  and,  whenever  practi- 
cable, it  is  desirable  that  they  may  be  accompanied  by  a  sample,  or  drawing,  or  at  least,  a 
rude  sketch  made  with  the  pen. 

All  articles  will  be  carefully  selected,  packed,  and  shipped,  or  sent,  agreeable  to  direction. 
Beyond  this,  they  will  be  subject  solely  to  the  risk  of  the  parties  by  whom  they  are  ordered 
or  conveyed. 

Strangers,  or  others,  visiting  the  city,  who  prefer  to  make  their  own  purchases,  will  be 
directed,  free  of  charge,  to  the  best  houses,  manufacturers,  or  their  agents,  where  they  may 
examine  the  articles  at  their  leisure,  and  select  according  to  their  own  judgment  and  taste. 

D.   J.   BROWNE, 

At  the  Agricultural  Warehouse  of  A.  B.  Allen  &  Co., 
189  Water  Street,  New  York. 


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