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CHAPTER XXVI. 



THIS breed in all probability came to Eng- 

 land from the island whose name it bears, 

 and more than one importation appears to 

 have taken place. The late Mr. Leworthy of 

 Barnstaple, who had bred it since about 1830, 

 told us that several lots had come from Minorca, 

 and that a friend and townsman of his, a Mr. 

 Willis, had been familiar with similar birds in 

 the island itself The Rev. Thomas Cox, of 

 Castle Cary, was personally informed by Sir 

 Thomas Acland that his father, the previous 

 baronet, brought birds from Minorca direct in 

 1834 or 1835, from which a strain had been bred 

 at Holnicote for many years, and distributed 

 through the neighbourhood ; and the Acland 

 family believed that the introduction of the fowl 

 into the West of England was mainly due to this 

 importation. Many strains probably did descend 

 from the Holnicote blood ; but there is strong 

 general evidence that even before that Minorcas 

 had been known in the West of England, and 

 at the middle of the nineteenth century there 

 were obvious differences between certain strains 

 which bear out the supposition of several distinct 

 importations. Mr. Leworthy, for instance, gave as 

 his average weights 5I lbs. and 4i lbs., wliilst 

 other strains were considerably heavier even at 

 that time. 



This fine race had been known and valued in 

 the West of England, from Cornwall up to as 

 high as Bristol, for very many years before it 

 attracted any attention amongst breeders 

 generally. For its localisation there, the only 

 reason that can be given is a somewhat special 

 intercourse with Spain which has also left other 

 traces here and there, and of which some slight 

 indication is given in Kingsley's Westward Ho ! 

 The first brood of chicks we ever hatched, about 

 1850, were from Minorca eggs; and knowing 

 the fowls thus from childhood, and their qualities, 

 it was always a mystery to us that they should be 

 so long confined to one corner of Great Britain. 

 It is perhaps noteworthy that many of the people 

 who kept them at that early date, called them 

 " Black Spanish," and that throughout the West, 

 when the " Black Spanish " was spoken of, it was 

 generally the Minorca that was really meant. 

 Many of the finest we ever saw were in the 



possession of poor men, who kept them for their 

 eggs, which they sold new-laid; and though 

 they never exhibited, were proud of their fowls, 

 and in some cases refused a guinea for a 

 favourite bird. In spite of this solid merit, and 

 its striking appearance, however, the breed was 

 very slow to make way out of its own corner. 

 Our persistent advocacy of its merits had little 

 effect for some years ; but all of a sudden it 

 began to " move," and since then its progress has 

 been rapid. In 1883, soon after the movement 

 had begun, there were at the Crystal Palace show 

 only two classes and thirty-two entries ; but in 

 1888 the newly formed Minorca Club held its 

 first show at that great gathering, when there 

 were, six classes and 140 entries; and in igii 

 the six classes contained 144 entries. There are 

 few shows now which do not give Minorca 

 classes. 



Broadly speaking, the Minorca may be said 

 to resemble the Spanish fowl without its white 

 face, and with a much smaller white ear-lobe ; 



but there are perceptible other 

 Characteristics differences in detail, the body being 

 Minorcas. more massive and compact, the legs 



shorter, and the comb of different 

 texture. The head of the cock should be large 

 and broad, without which the comb cannot be 

 carried firmly ; beak dark horn-colour ; eye full 

 and dark ; comb single, upright, and straight ; 

 large, but not extending beyond front of the 

 beak, and falling well back behind, but not 

 touching the hackle ; it should have a few bold 

 serrations arranged in a nice arch, and is pre- 

 ferred rather rough in texture ; it must be a rich 

 bright red. The wattles are long and full, free 

 from folds, also rich red, as must be the face, 

 the latter having as few coarse hairs as possible, 

 and perfectly free from white. The ear-lobe 

 should be smooth and flat, almond in shape, and 

 of colour and texture like fine white kid. The 

 neck is rather long and curved, with full hackle ; 

 body compact and somewhat square, broad at 

 shoulders, with full rounded breast, and the back 

 broad and rather long ; tail full, and carried well 

 back, not upright. The legs and shanks are 

 medium in length, the latter a very dark slate 

 colour. The plumage is glossy black all over, 



