396 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



days for young birds, to perhaps thrice as much 

 for old ones too long neglected. But the surface 

 of the skin, being a special development, is 

 always liable to eruptions and other surface 

 blemishes, especially after any high feeding, and 

 as a rule cooling diet as well as confinement is 

 found necessary to get them into order. By 

 almost universal consent all Spanish breeders 

 gradually settled down to bread and milk in the 

 morning. In the evening the Bristol men usually 

 gave barley meal mixed rather dry, with a little 

 whole corn ; but wheat was dear and little used 

 at that time, and since it has been cheap is 

 found to answer for the evening meal very well, 

 given in strict moderation : too much whole 

 grain of any kind is not good for the face. 

 Beside this, constant and ample green food must 

 be supplied, for which lettuces or water-cress 

 answer well ; and twice a week a good pinch of 

 sulphur may be given to each bird. This sort 

 of feeding should be commenced at least three 

 weeks before a show. Sometimes a good bird 

 which has been neglected and over-fed will 

 be found with an unsightly yellowish eruption 

 or scab over a great part of his face. Such 

 a face may need more time than can be given ; 

 but we cured a very bad case for a Bristol friend 

 in about three weeks by giving 20 grains of 

 Epsom salts twice a week, with 10 grains citrate 

 of potash and 5 grains iodide of potassium in 

 half a pint of water as drink, and gently spong- 

 ing the face every morning and evening with 

 sulphurous acid (B.P. strength*), carefully dry- 

 ing afterwards. Of course, a good Spanish fowl 

 should never be allowed to get into such a 

 condition as this, but have its diet reduced and 

 the system cooled by medicine or more green 

 food, before things have gone so far. 



But the faces and lobes require more special 

 treatment than this before exhibition. A pair of 

 round-nosed steel tweezers or forceps must be 

 provided, and with this the entire 

 Preparation f^ce is carefully gone over, plucking 

 for out each individual hair or plumule 



Exhibition. Qj- the fluff or small hairy feathers, 



which will be found dotted over 

 it. This removes what were apparently black 

 specks, and leaves the face white and clear. 

 The amount of these hair-like feathers used to 

 differ a great deal in various strains, the largest- 

 faced birds usually having the most ; but the 



* This prescription, since repeated by others, gave rise to a 

 printed charge by one of those "humanitarians" who are so 

 quick to think evil of others, of "atrocious cruelty" to which 

 Spanish were subjected by having their faces " prepared by 

 strong acids." Such as knew us, simply roared at this ; but it 

 may perhaps be as well to state that the "acid " is the solution 

 in water of the gas formed by burning sulphur, and was once in 

 vogue as a gargle for sore throat, for which it is still employed, 

 being when so used absolutely tasteless. 



very coarse-faced ones have nearly disappeared. 

 In trimming the face a fringe of feathers must 

 be left between the top of the face and the base 

 of the comb, to separate the white and red : if 

 this is not done the bird is disqualified — not on 

 the ground of fraud, but because it violates an 

 understood convention, and looks ridiculous. 

 Otherwise, this "trimming" of Spanish faces has 

 long been accepted and allowed, though at one 

 time the subject of much heated debate and 

 vehement protest. 



Most of such protests years ago against 

 trimming Spanish faces, came from people who 

 knew absolutely nothing practically about the 

 fowl ; but there was one notable exception. 

 For years after all other recognised breeders, 

 and all the judges, had admitted the practice, 

 Mr. Alfred Heath kept up his protest, and 

 refused to trim, and was always beaten in con- 

 sequence, though having notoriously some of 

 the very best birds, which constantly won so 

 soon as they went out of his own hands. At 

 length he publicly announced in several periodi- 

 cals that, having done his best, and seeing the 

 case was hopeless, he should henceforth do as 

 others did, on the clear understanding that 

 trimming was recognised, and not considered 

 fraudulent. An important show occurred 

 directly after this, and he came in an easy 

 winner, though in a rather odd manner. His 

 pen this time was in fact trimmed in such bare- 

 faced and extreme fashion as had hardly ever 

 been seen, and provoked much laughter among 

 other exhibitors, who " chaffed " him unmerci- 

 fully about being " determined to do it ' proper' 

 when he did set about it." One of the judges 

 told us afterwards that they had been almost 

 inclined to disqualify the pen on this account ; 

 not for fraud, but for its queer appearance : only 

 they had an idea whose it was, and under the 

 peculiar circumstances did not think it right to do 

 so. The simple fact was that the other amused 

 Spanish exhibitors were right, though not quite 

 as they meant it. Mr. Heath (as he showed 

 afterwards) knew quite enough to trim as artist- 

 ically as anyone ; but having said what he 

 would do, like the thorough gentleman he was, 

 he had carried it out purposely for this first 

 time in a way that should fasten attention upon 

 his pen, and so put the whole matter beyond 

 dispute. The chief significance of this example 

 and experience lies in what followed, and which 

 shows, as we have before hinted in a different 

 connection, that the real root of even much that 

 may be really questionable, lies rather in an 

 instinctive passion for perfection, than mere 

 desire to reap advantage. A few years after- 

 wards Mr. Heath wrote to us privately, stating 



