QUALITIES OF CREVECCEURS. 



465 



The Houdan is a valuable fowl for crossing. 

 With the Brahma it makes a large and hardy 

 table-fowl of medium quality, much like the 

 Dorking-Brahma, but with rather finer bone and 

 somewhat more tender flesh. The Faverolles 

 presently mentioned is a further development of 

 such crossing. Crossed with the White Leg- 

 horn, the produce is generally a white fowl with 

 very small crest, an admirable layer (though not 

 surpassing the pure breeds), but of better flesh 

 than the Leghorn, and without that tendency to 

 roup in some circumstances which has been re- 

 ferred to in connection with the Houdan. One 

 or two poultry-farmers of our ac- 

 quaintance have expressed special 

 approval of this cross. That with 

 the Minorca is somewhat similar, but 

 more irregular in colour. 



The Crevecceur is another of the 

 oldest of the French breeds, having 

 been described by the late Mr. Vivian 

 in The Poultry Book of 

 Crtvecoeurs. 1853. At that time he 

 possessed two varieties, 

 one all black except that the cock's 

 hackles and saddle feathers were 

 often mingled with gold or red ; the 

 other a mixture or mottle of black 

 and white. Blues and Whites have 

 also been exhibited at one time or 

 another, as is so usual with all black 

 breeds ; but we have not now seen 

 any but black Creves for many years. 

 The Crevecoeur much resembles the 

 Houdan in general type of body, but 

 is of more massive make, with heavier 

 fluff and stern. Originally the crest 

 and muffling were heavier, but the 

 Houdan crest has now been bred 

 up to about as much, in all probability 

 by a Creve cross, as nearly black 

 Houdans with two-horned combs were 

 at one time very prevalent. The Creve comb 

 consists of two large coral-red horns, meeting 

 at the base like a letter V. Except in this point, 

 its large size, and the heavier build, the Creve 

 might almost be described as a large black 

 Polish fowl. The heavy stern and rather ample 

 fluff have often disposed us to believe there 

 has been at some time a Cochin cross, and 

 this is to some extent corroborated by the 

 large appetite, for which the Creve is remark- 

 able among French breeds. 



Economically this breed has changed a great 

 deal since its introduction into England. It 

 always laid a very large white egg ; but in the 

 early days these were laid rather sparingly, 



of 

 Crtvecoeurs. 



and the birds were found very delicate and 

 subject to roup, and difficult to rear. But some- 

 where about 1870 a change took place, either 

 from the stock already in England 

 Qualities becomingbetteracclimatised,or from 



some other and hardier stock 

 being imported. Mr. R. B. Wood 

 reported them in 1872 to be nearly as hardy as 

 Houdans, and good layers ; and from that date 

 their reputation in both respects has steadily 

 improved, so that Creves must now be pro- 

 nounced excellent layers, equally good table- 

 birds, and hardy fowls. It is the more difficult 



to understand the great diminution for years 

 past in the number of those who keep them, and 

 why specimens are so rarely seen at ordinary 

 shows. They are distinctly profitable fowls, not 

 difficult to breed to exhibition points, and easily 

 kept within bounds. 



Mr. S. W. Thomas, Forest Fach, Swansea, 

 kindly contributes the following article on Cr^ve- 

 coeurs as bred at the present day : 



" This breed, I think, is older than the 

 Houdan, and I have come to this conclusion 

 after noting the results of various crosses be- 

 tween the Houdan and other varieties. The 

 crosses come mostly black, or nearly so, clearly 

 reverting to the Creve, and that of the Houdan 



