MINOR FRENCH BREEDS. 



tions, and heavily feathered. The body is wide 

 and long ; the comb thick, single, and upright in 

 the male bird, falling over in the hen, regularly 

 indented and substantial at the base. Like 

 many of the other French breeds, it has a beard, 

 and the ear-feathers are white and rather long ; 

 ear-lobes are broad and white. The legs are 

 thick, and grey in colour, the tail being fully 

 furnished and carried rather high. Doubtless 

 there are a goodly number of these birds pro- 

 duced, and at certain seasons of the year they 

 are made into a dish called Poidets a la Reine, 

 which can be obtained in the Paris restaurants 

 and cafes by gourmets. It is said to be an 

 abundant layer of large eggs, and a good sitter, 

 but seldom becoming broody. 



" In France, as in our own country, certain 

 varieties of poultry have been produced by the 

 efforts of individual breeders, and in some cases 

 have been named by them without 

 Du Mantes. much regard to other considerations. 

 The Du Mantes was introduced 

 by M. Voitellier, a great breeder of and 

 dealer in poultry, who lived near the town of 

 Mantes, between Paris and Rouen. It in some 

 respects resembles the Faverolles, but is lighter 

 in body. The origin of this breed is uncertain. 

 In appearance it would seem that the Houdan 

 was used in its production, but this is denied by 

 M. Voitellier, who says that it has four toes 

 instead of five as in the Houdan, and in place 

 of an enormous crest it has none, and that instead 

 of the leaf or strawberry comb it has a single 

 comb, standing upright in the male and falling 

 over in the female. The Mantes fowl is also 

 lighter in the body than the Houdan, and par- 

 takes more of the Mediterranean type. It is a 

 sitting variety, and in this respect also differs 

 from the Houdan, to which its chief resemblance 

 is that the plumage is marked in the same way, 

 that is, black and white. So far as I have been 

 able to trace it, this variety has not been widely 

 distributed, and is generally met with in the 

 Seine-et-Oise district, around the town of 

 Mantes. 



" The size of this fowl is about equal to that 

 of the Houdan, and the plumage like that breed, 

 splashed black and white, neither very white 

 nor very black. The carriage is active and 

 proud ; the comb is single, well developed and 

 serrated, upright in the male and falling over in 

 the hen ; ear-lobes hidden under a thick cravat 

 of feathers ; wattles short, and also hidden by 

 the whiskers, which are large ; the legs and 

 feet are short and stout, marbled red, grey, and 

 black, without any trace of feathers. As a layer 

 the Mantes fowl is said to equal the best 



varieties, and it is a good sitter, without any 

 excessive tendency that way. 



" The Barbezieux fowl has been called the 

 Minorca of France, and in appearance it is 

 more like the English Minorca than any other 



French breed. It is rather longer on 

 Barbezieux the leg than most of our Minorcas, 



and both fine and coarse legs 

 appear to be admissible. It is said to be a 

 good sitter, and in this respect differs distinctly 

 from the Minorca. I have no evidence as to its 

 laying qualities, but it can be made into a good 

 table fowl, as in some of the south-western 

 districts of France birds of this type are met 

 with regularly in the poulterers' shops. It is 

 very erect, with sprightly carriage, breast well 

 forward. The comb is single, well developed, 

 with serrations well cut, upright in the cock, 

 falling upon one side in the hen. The ear-lobes 

 are white and large ; wattles red and very broad. 

 The plumage is tight, entirely black, with green 

 and violet reflections in the cock, dull black in 

 the hen. The cock's tail has large sickles. The 

 legs and feet are clean and leaden grey, with 

 four toes. It is a prolific layer of large eggs, 

 with fine flesh, and a good fatter, and is con- 

 sidered hardy. 



"The Gournay fowl is one of the smallest 

 races of French poultry, but is spoken of as a 

 good layer of eggs which are rather above the 



average in weight. The breed is 

 Gournay not very true to type, but they have 



Fowls. been characterised as strongly built, 



single-combed, non-crested birds of 

 Houdan plumage, with only four toes, from 

 which it appears that they may have some 

 relationship with the Mantes fowl. 



" Some medium-sized black fowls are known 

 under the name of Cossacks, but are very little 

 met with. They have large whiskers. I have 

 only occasionally seen specimens of 

 Cossacks. this breed in the French shows. 

 Birds of this type are said to 

 be met with in South Russia and on the 

 borders of the Black Sea, whilst one French 

 writer states that they are to be seen in abund- 

 ance in the neighbourhood of Scutari. The 

 comb is single, standing upright in both the 

 sexes, with a few indentations. The beard has 

 small, curled feathers right up to the ear-lobes, 

 which are red. The tail of the cock is carried 

 well up, and has two large sickle feathers ; the 

 body is well developed, with prominent breast ; 

 the legs and feet are grey in colour and clean ; 

 the beard is less developed in the hen than in 



